The Red Stare | Game Brain — video game discovery

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The Red Stare Game Cover

About

Spy on your neighbours from your apartment window in an attempt to uncover a crime plot.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

The Red Stare screenshot

+6

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 391 reviews

story19 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The Red Stare is a surprisingly immersive and engaging VR experience, especially considering it's a free game made by students.
The game features a unique concept of spying on neighbors and solving puzzles, which keeps players entertained and invested in the storyline.
The attention to detail, such as the ability to smoke cigarettes and interact with the environment, adds to the overall charm and realism of the game.

The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes and performance problems, making it unplayable for some users.
Gameplay can feel slow and tedious at times, with unclear objectives and a lack of movement options, which may frustrate players.
The voice acting and some animations are subpar, detracting from the overall experience and making it feel less polished.

story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The game's story is generally praised for its compelling and immersive qualities, drawing players into a well-crafted spy narrative that feels like a who-done-it mystery. However, many users express disappointment over the limited content, with only two missions available, and some find the plot hard to follow at times. Overall, while the story is engaging and offers potential for more, players are eager for additional missions and updates to enhance the experience.
- “With its compelling story, immersive atmosphere, and innovative gameplay, The Red Stare is a standout title that deserves a place in any detective game enthusiast's library.”
- “This game pulls you into a really well-crafted spy story, with a lot for you to do, interact with, and remember.”
- “Story: feels like being in a who-done-it mystery novel.”
- “The plot is hard to follow at times.”
- “Sadly, I felt that the second mission fell short.”
- “The story is alright but the gameplay is boring.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
56%
7%
The gameplay of "The Red Stare" is characterized by its innovative mechanics that blend deduction, espionage, and resource management, creating an engaging experience, particularly in VR. While some players appreciate the immersive atmosphere and unique concepts, others criticize the clunky mechanics and lack of depth in missions, leading to mixed feelings about replayability. Overall, the game showcases solid graphics and interactive elements, but its execution can be inconsistent, affecting the overall enjoyment.
- “But what truly sets The Red Stare apart is its innovative gameplay mechanics, which blend elements of deduction, espionage, and resource management into a seamless and engaging experience.”
- “The gameplay involves being on a stakeout in an apartment, receiving information from a handler via telephone and fax, with instructions concerning observing your neighbors, in order to ultimately figure out which of them is the communist spy.”
- “The design is visually pleasing, well considered, and fully interactive, which makes the gameplay more immersive, allowing you to get into character if you wish to, with the ability to play the radio or light a cigarette with the lighter whilst you are on your stakeout.”
- “Played through once and don't have interest in coming back mainly because of the clunky mechanics.”
- “Gameplay itself is not very exciting, but atmosphere and immersion make up for it.”
- “Gameplay a little slow.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
26%
12%
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many users noting that they are good to great, especially for a free title. While some reviews mention that the visuals are not the most impressive and lack polish in certain areas, the overall atmosphere and immersive environments are highlighted as strong points. However, several users emphasize that while graphics are important, they should be complemented by engaging gameplay and narrative to create a truly worthwhile experience.
- “The game's meticulously crafted narrative, coupled with its noir-inspired visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, creates a sense of immersion that is second to none.”
- “The graphics are really good and there are a surprising number of hours of gameplay and detail for a free game.”
- “Fun, solid graphics, immersive, everything I want from a VR title.”
- “Though the graphics aren't the greatest, the gameplay and story were really fun and actually had me pacing around my room trying to figure it out.”
- “Visuals and animations are very basic; the game looks a lot like a slightly worse version of Fallout 3.”
- “The graphics are rather simple but effective, and the environment is well crafted, but it's not that immersive.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive narrative, noir-inspired visuals, and atmospheric soundtrack, which collectively create a captivating experience. Players appreciate the strong sense of immersion and character, often highlighting the atmosphere as the standout feature, even when gameplay may not be as exciting. Overall, it is regarded as a fantastic atmospheric detective adventure that enhances the overall experience.
- “The game's meticulously crafted narrative, coupled with its noir-inspired visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, creates a sense of immersion that is second to none.”
- “With its compelling story, immersive atmosphere, and innovative gameplay, The Red Stare is a standout title that deserves a place in any detective game enthusiast's library.”
- “The graphics and mechanics are polished, the music and atmosphere are inspiring!”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with some players noting that it can be enjoyable to pursue multiple endings or achievements. While it offers a solid experience, many feel it lacks significant replay value beyond these elements, making it more of a one-time play for some.
- “Short and sweet but has good replay value.”
- “There's some replay value if you want to go for all the achievements or if you get the bad ending first and want to go for the good ending.”
- “The game itself is fun and replayable if you want to get the achievements... and it's free.”
- “There's some replay value if you want to go for all the achievements or if you get the bad ending first and want to go for the good ending, but other than that, it's a pretty solid experience you'll get for an hour and put down.”
- “The only thing that could really make it replayable is the achievements, but I'm not one for getting all the achievements I can, so I haven't played since I finished both missions.”
- “Replay value: limited.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, featuring clever easter eggs and amusing moments that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the thoughtful design and funny finishing touches, making it an enjoyable and entertaining free game. Overall, while it may not be perfect, its humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay.
- “It may be short, but it's an actual game, with some pretty funny easter eggs hidden inside.”
- “It's funny, well made, and it's free!”
- “The developers obviously put a lot of thought into the game - there are some hilarious finishing touches and some great achievements to strive for.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The game's music and atmospheric soundtrack are highly praised for enhancing immersion, with a noir-inspired aesthetic and authentic 50s cold war elements, including radio ads and old music. Reviewers highlight the music as a key component that complements the polished graphics and engaging gameplay, contributing to an overall captivating experience.
- “The game's meticulously crafted narrative, coupled with its noir-inspired visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, creates a sense of immersion that is second to none.”
- “The graphics and mechanics are polished, the music and atmosphere are inspiring!”
- “The ambiance is good, even down to the radio that plays old music and commercials (once you turn it on).”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The optimization of the game appears to be inconsistent, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering, while others report smooth gameplay without any glitches or bugs. This suggests that performance may vary based on individual system configurations.
- “I found no glitches, bugs, or performance loss on my build.”
- “An insane amount of stuttering for no apparent reason.”
- “The game ran horribly performance-wise for me, but that is probably an issue on my end.”
- “I don't have any issues with the performance of the game, but I know many other people do.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The stability of the game is inconsistent, with some users experiencing frequent crashes and freezing shortly after starting, while others report no issues or performance loss. This disparity suggests that stability may vary significantly depending on individual setups.
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or interruptions.”
- “I've experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime, which is impressive.”
- “The game freezes after I play it for 1 or 2 minutes and then shuts down.”
- “Game crashes after 30 seconds and freezes your view when returning to SteamVR home. It also spawns me inside a table, so I have to move every time.”
- “I found no glitches, bugs, or performance loss on my build.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow-paced and occasionally tedious, with some noting that it may require a second playthrough to fully engage with. The repetitive nature of certain elements, such as the handler's dialogue, can further contribute to the feeling of monotony.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This may not be everyone's cup of tea, as it can be slow-paced and tedious at times.”
- “My only criticisms are that at some points time passes a little too slowly, which, although realistic, can be a little tedious, as can the handler, as he is a tad repetitive.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is free to play and stands out among early access VR titles, avoiding the typical cash grab pitfalls. It features an engaging 50s Cold War theme, complete with authentic radio ads and music, alongside enjoyable puzzles and immersive graphics.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of frustration and appreciation regarding the emotional impact of the game, noting that while it can evoke feelings of inadequacy, the story remains compelling and worthwhile. However, there is a sense of disappointment that the game feels complete, as it leaves players wanting more depth and exploration of its emotional themes.
- “Made me feel stupid, but the story is still worth every second of this feeling.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development has been criticized for featuring uninteresting character design, which detracts from players' engagement and emotional investment in the characters.

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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