The Paperman

About

The Paperman is a single player survival puzzle game with a horror theme. It was developed by Proto1Studios and was released on December 20, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

The Paperman is a Virtual Reality game for all the horror lovers. In the game you'll have to explore all the levels facing the challenges you encounter.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 192 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The game features a unique black-and-white visual style that combines hand-drawn animation with computer graphics, creating a nostalgic atmosphere.
It effectively builds psychological horror through its sound design and ambiance, keeping players on edge throughout the experience.
As a free game, it offers a short but engaging experience that many players found enjoyable, especially for those who appreciate atmospheric horror.

The game has significant technical issues, including crashes and poor optimization, which detract from the overall experience.
Players reported that the game ends abruptly and redirects to a potentially unsafe website, raising concerns about security.
Many found the gameplay to be minimal and lacking depth, with some describing it as more of a walking simulator than a fully developed game.

graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the atmospheric and retro visuals, especially for a free title. However, several users criticize the optimization, noting significant performance issues and inconsistent framerates, which detract from the overall experience. While some find the graphics appealing, others feel they fall short for a game released in 2019, leading to a divided opinion on their quality.
- “9/10 experience! I really like the ambience, the graphics were great, and I loved the psychological horror aspect of the game.”
- “The atmosphere is actually really good, and it has a sort of retro look to the visuals.”
- “First, let's talk about where the game is amazing: it's atmosphere, graphics, and storytelling.”
- “Changing from ultra to very low graphics barely helps the framerate at all.”
- “The graphics are way too bad for a game made in 2019.”
- “There is little to no optimization causing my graphics performance to go from 29% while looking at the ground to 99% when looking up.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The story of the game is often described as confusing and poorly conveyed, relying heavily on visuals that fail to provide clarity. Many players felt that the plot lacked depth and coherence, with some suggesting that it would benefit from a more developed backstory, particularly for the main character, the paperman. While the atmosphere and sound design received praise, the overall narrative experience was deemed insufficient, leading to mixed feelings about its effectiveness in engaging players.
- “The paperman is a short linear, story-driven horror experience made in Unity.”
- “First, let's talk about where the game is amazing: its atmosphere, graphics, and storytelling.”
- “Although you need a pretty powerful PC to run it at 60 fps, the story, gameplay, and graphics were amazing for a free game.”
- “What was anything that happened in this story?????”
- “This story description is taken out of the store page for the game and if it wasn't there, I would definitely not know what the story is about.”
- “My guess is that you must play this game in VR to enjoy it at least a little, because without VR it's just another short unoriginal horror project full of stereotype jumpscares, generic spooky noises that are too loud, twists that are just too predictable and a plot so thin you can see through it without even squinting.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many users noting a lack of engaging mechanics, describing it as a walking simulator with minimal interaction. While some appreciate the story and graphics, others criticize the controls and overall experience as boring or technically flawed. Overall, the gameplay may appeal to those who prioritize atmosphere over action, but it may not satisfy players seeking more dynamic interactions.
- “Gameplay was heavily inspired by the likes of P.T.”
- “Although you need a pretty powerful PC to run it at 60 fps, the story, gameplay, and graphics were amazing for a free game.”
- “I think that was actually the best part of this game even though the rowing interaction itself was pretty bad compared to other VR games that have a rowing mechanic.”
- “The paperman is basically a walking simulator with very minimal gameplay.”
- “However, with the technical issues and boring gameplay, it might not be for everyone.”
- “The game is very scary, but there's very little actual gameplay.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke fear and tension, with well-crafted sound effects and ambient noises enhancing the experience, particularly in wooded areas. While some players found the atmosphere lacking in certain aspects, many highlighted its effectiveness in creating a memorable and intense environment, even in the absence of jump scares. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its horror elements.
- “It has the perfect atmosphere to make you terrified at every turn and then mentally slap yourself for acting so scared, all ending in an amazing finale.”
- “The sound effects are actually really well done, there's a ton of great little ambient noises that really help build a great atmosphere, especially once you enter the woods.”
- “It does a fantastic job in creating an atmosphere that is on the one hand memorable but also dark and intense.”
- “This was terrible, I'm sorry I truly love to support indie horror developers, but this game was one-dimensional and promised atmospheres with no jump scares.”
- “The atmosphere was barely there, and there were a few attempts at jump scares.”
- “This was a short and sweet game with no jump scares that relied heavily on atmosphere.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
14%
57%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting severe performance issues even on high-end hardware, such as a 2080 GPU and 9700k CPU, which struggle to maintain acceptable frame rates. Many players experience drastic fluctuations in graphics performance depending on the camera angle, indicating a lack of effective optimization. Overall, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, detracting significantly from the experience.
- “Nice graphics but badly optimized game.”
- “There is little to no optimization, causing my graphics performance to go from 29% while looking at the ground to 99% when looking up.”
- “Horrible optimization.”
- “PC mode on ultra with a 2080 and 9700k should get much more frames than 75 fps and below, so performance sucks.”
- “But the worst problem of all is the game's optimization.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players frequently express that the game evokes strong emotional responses, with many reporting that it brought them to tears. This suggests a powerful narrative or character development that resonates deeply with the audience.
- “I cried.”
- “It made me cry.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by a scene featuring a man in a paper bag, which is perceived as more amusing than frightening, adding a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
- “A video of a man wearing a paper bag (I suppose the Paperman) starts playing, and it's actually more funny than scary.”