The Peresmeshnik

About

The Peresmeshnik is a single player action game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by Sean Arnold and was released on July 7, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

The player will take the role of Vektor Pavlov, a scientist aboard the Peresmeshnik during the Cold War. A creature has boarded the ship and is stalking the crew. As the player, you will make meaningful choices that will affect the outcome of the story as you navigate the halls of the Peresmeshnik and escape the terrors that stalk you. All while managing your paranoia. Will you trust your fello…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews

story14 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The Peresmeshnik offers a unique and engaging text-based horror experience with a well-crafted story that draws players into its atmosphere.
As a free game, it provides good replay value with multiple endings and choices that encourage exploration of different narrative paths.
The writing style, while amateurish at times, effectively conveys tension and paranoia, making it a compelling choice for fans of interactive fiction.

The game lacks significant gameplay elements, feeling more like an e-book than a traditional game, which may disappoint players expecting more interactivity.
Dialogue and character development are often stilted, with characters speaking in broken English, which can detract from immersion.
The overall experience is quite short, with some players feeling that the choices made have little impact on the story, leading to a sense of predictability.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
56%
8%
The game's story is a short, engaging horror narrative that effectively builds atmosphere through text-based storytelling, despite lacking visuals and sound effects. Players appreciate the well-written plot and the branching choices that influence outcomes, although some choices feel inconsequential. Overall, the story is praised for its creativity and ability to evoke a sense of paranoia, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of interactive narratives.
- “The story was delivered well.”
- “I found the story to be well written and engaging, and would love to learn more about the characters than I could from this tiny snippet.”
- “The story is generally good, and the multiple endings encourage more than one playthrough.”
- “Dialogue is more frustrating than the storyline is worth.”
- “The story is boring and conventional.”
- “Some of those choices don't seem to affect the story at all, which sucks.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
22%
21%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its tense and spooky ambiance, enhanced by a well-crafted soundtrack that complements the experience without being overwhelming. Users appreciate the dark, muted visuals and sound design, which effectively convey a haunting mood, although some minor issues with the menu design are noted. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the game's engaging and immersive storytelling.
- “Music was atmospheric without being corny or overwhelming.”
- “Atmosphere is tense and spooky.”
- “There is limited sound, but a few well-timed creaks and groans add sufficient atmosphere.”
- “They deliver it with a lot of style that really heightens the atmosphere: the muted, waterlogged color scheme, the murky background, the hypertext words that draw you off into new corners of the narrative.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The music in the game is praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing immersion without being overwhelming or corny. The soundtrack effectively complements the narrative, contributing to a sense of tension and mood, although some players feel it could benefit from additional sound effects. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, adding depth to the gameplay experience.
- “Music was atmospheric without being corny or overwhelming.”
- “As a text-based game, the soundtrack and 'paranoia' factor really aided the immersion factor.”
- “I appreciate how the game's music/sounds go well with the text effects to give the player a sense of the main character's feelings.”
- “Could maybe have used a little more to the music and maybe some sound effects to punch it up a little, but it's free and has achievements if that's your bag.”
- “There is a single music track which is creepy and fraught with tension.”
- “The mood is set by some eerie music while telling you the story of a scientist on a ship.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game relies entirely on text-based storytelling, effectively using imagination as a substitute for graphics and sound. While it lacks visual elements, the engaging narrative and interactive choices create a compelling experience that captivates players. This unique approach suits the horror genre well, allowing players to visualize the story in their minds.
- “A short but enjoyable choose your own adventure game which proves that the imagination is an effective substitute for graphics and effects.”
- “Choices, all text, no graphics.”
- “It's a horror-style story that holds no visuals and instead paints the visuals in your mind with its writing and nothing more.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The gameplay in this visual/interactive novel is largely criticized for its lack of depth, relying heavily on poorly written dialogue and minimal interaction, with players simply clicking through text. However, some users appreciate the unique paranoia mechanics that add a distinct element to the experience, while the straightforward nature of the gameplay eliminates any confusion about progression.
- “Unique paranoia mechanics make this text game surprisingly unique.”
- “Gameplay was straightforward-- no guessing which words to click on next.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “Nothing is placed to make the story and gameplay longer.”
- “Gameplay was straightforward—no guessing which words to click on next.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers multiple endings, enhancing its replayability and encouraging players to explore different outcomes.
- “Different endings make it highly replayable.”
- “The multiple endings provide great replay value.”
- “Different endings, so it's replayable.”
- “The multiple endings give it replay value.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best. Imagine the best novel you ever read, whether it's 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', '2001: A Space Odyssey', or 'Twilight' (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
- “I found myself spending hours on grinding without any real sense of progress, which made the experience frustrating.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by sharp wit and clever observations, as exemplified by a remark about the minimal demand for a book, highlighting the absurdity of certain situations. This blend of sarcasm and irony contributes to a unique comedic tone that resonates with players.
- “The funny thing is, if you wanted to print this book, you'd only need to print 5 copies to satisfy the entire world's demand for it.”