The Patient

About

The Patient is a single player simulation game with a horror theme. It was developed by SPACEDAISYSTUDIO and was released on October 16, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

The Patient is a small indie atmospheric horror puzzle experience loosely made in the style of an older PS1 horror aesthetic. Take on the role of an unsuspecting doctor forced to work night shift to find and euthanize an infected patient housed within the basement of the institution. Game Warning:Disturbing Content, Blood and Gore, Fictional Drug References You play as Dr. Ellen Reed, and you ar…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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69%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

music2 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features well-executed PSX-style graphics and an effective ambient soundtrack that creates a strong atmosphere.
The unique premise of identifying a compromised patient in a horror setting adds an interesting twist to the gameplay.
Despite its flaws, the game shows potential and the developers have clearly put a lot of effort into its design.

The gameplay is repetitive and tedious, relying heavily on RNG, which can lead to frustrating experiences for players.
The lack of a sprint function and the slow pace of movement detracts from the urgency of the game's premise.
The puzzle mechanics are poorly designed, making it difficult for players to engage meaningfully with the game's objectives.

gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay is criticized for being tedious and boring, failing to meet the potential suggested by its atmosphere and graphics. While the concept is appreciated, the execution is seen as flawed, with a repetitive gameplay loop that can feel frustrating and unengaging. Although there are some minor bugs, they do not significantly impact the overall experience.
- “Bugs and glitches: it does have a few glitches, but they do not affect your gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is: head past the patients to load the floppy disk, check for lights in their rooms, head to your office and mount the disk.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay does not live up to that potential.”
- “I like the concept, but the execution was just off when it comes to the gameplay.”
- “Yeah, I was very close to refunding this one, but it does exactly what it says in the description; it's just that it's very tedious gameplay.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is marked by occasional glitches and bugs, which, while present, do not significantly impact gameplay. However, players may experience softlocks that require restarting the game, and the inconsistency in glitch appearances can lead to confusion during play.
- “The problem is, you have 30 minutes to find these glitches in the patient data, and it is completely random as to whether a glitch will appear or not.”
- “- I had some glitches; you may have to restart the game if you get a softlock after the death cutscene.”
- “I am confused by the hint; why does the number of glitches switch between runs.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game features a well-crafted atmosphere enhanced by decent PSX-style graphics and a subdued ambient soundtrack, effectively building tension. However, the overall experience is marred by tedious and boring gameplay, despite the monster design and varied kill animations contributing positively to the atmosphere.
- “The atmosphere is pretty effective at building tension before you figure out how the game actually works, and the monster itself has a pretty decent design, with a variety of kill animations in different places.”
- “The PSX-style graphics are very well done and, combined with the subdued ambient soundtrack, provide some effective atmosphere.”
- “Like I said, the atmosphere is pretty effective at building tension before you figure out how the game actually works, and the monster itself has a pretty decent design, with a variety of kill animations in different places.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extremely tedious and boring, with success heavily reliant on RNG, which detracts from the overall experience despite the good atmosphere and decent graphics.
- “Good atmosphere and decent PSX graphics, but extremely tedious and boring gameplay.”
- “It is boring, tedious, and success is largely determined by RNG.”
- “I was very close to refunding this one, but it does exactly what it says in the description; it's just very tedious gameplay.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The graphics are praised for their well-executed PSX style, effectively contributing to a strong atmospheric experience, complemented by a subdued ambient soundtrack. Reviewers appreciate the visuals and suggest maintaining the quality of cutscenes in future projects.
- “The PSX style graphics are very well done and, combined with the subdued ambient soundtrack, provide some effective atmosphere.”
- “Visuals and sound were great; I think you should maintain that use of cutscenes going forward. I would like to see a longer game with the same level of quality from you.”
- “The PSX-style graphics are very well done and, combined with the subdued ambient soundtrack, provide some effective atmosphere.”
- “Good atmosphere and decent PSX graphics, but extremely tedious and boring gameplay.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound design in the game are highly praised, with a phenomenal soundtrack that enhances the overall presentation and atmosphere, complemented by well-executed PSX-style graphics and a subdued ambient score.
- “The PSX-style graphics are very well done, and combined with the subdued ambient soundtrack, they create an effective atmosphere.”
- “The sound design and soundtrack are phenomenal, and the overall presentation is great.”