The Repairing Mantis

The Repairing Mantis has excellent visual consistency that marks this out as no asset swap. This game succeeds where many indie horror titles fail, thanks to its genuine grasp of horror.

92%Game Brain Score

graphics, story

atmosphere, gameplay

97% User Score Based on 94 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Repairing Mantis is a single player simulation game with horror and violence themes. It was developed by Erupting Avocado and was released on September 17, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

In "The Repairing Mantis," players navigate a surreal world as a praying mantis, confronting existential crises, making impactful decisions, and experiencing a disturbing, violent story with two possible endings. This eerie exploration game, lasting approximately 1 hour, features casual mechanics and a unique narrative filled with unsettling aesthetics and encounters with troubled animals. Players reflect on their choices and the game's themes long after the credits roll.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique narrative experience by allowing players to choose dialogue from the perspectives of other characters, enhancing the depth of interaction.
It tackles heavy themes such as dreams, depression, and the fragility of hope in a thought-provoking and artistic manner, leaving a lasting emotional impact.
The retro visual style and unsettling atmosphere effectively complement the game's dark themes, creating a memorable and immersive experience.

Gameplay can be tedious and repetitive, with some players finding the walking mechanics and lack of engaging activities to be boring.
The simplistic writing and dialogue can detract from the overall narrative depth, making some themes feel underexplored or overly blunt.
Performance issues, such as high CPU/GPU usage and lack of a save system, can hinder the experience and lead to frustration for players.

graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique retro aesthetic that effectively complements its unsettling narrative, reminiscent of PS1-era visuals. While many players appreciate the distinct art style and its ability to evoke feelings of despair, some have encountered technical issues that hinder their experience. Overall, the visuals are praised for their creativity and contribution to the game's atmosphere, despite occasional graphical glitches.
- “The visuals are retro and kind of unsettling, but in a way that fits the story perfectly.”
- “The aesthetic and design perfectly capture the feeling of despair that hangs off your mind and body, like clinging tar or sloughing skin.”
- “We actually adore this style, and the appealing graphics were definitely a high point for us.”
- “I've seen others have had this issue as well, so I'm glad I'm not alone. I've tried lowering the graphics, resolution, turning off v-sync, etc., and none of it seems to work for me, so I can't play the game.”
- “I was baffled by this because it's a walking simulator with PS1-style graphics.”
- “That's the game mechanics, graphics, performance, and sound (or lack of) out of the way.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The game's story is a blend of dark and unsettling themes, often relying on shock value and heavy topics, which some players find emotionally resonant while others see it as lacking nuance. It features unique storytelling elements, such as playing as a mantis, and is praised for its rich symbolism and atmosphere, though some critiques highlight its repetitive gameplay and overly edgy tone. Overall, it offers a refreshing departure from typical gaming narratives, showcasing the potential for deeper storytelling in the medium.
- “Interesting point of view and storytelling containing some heavy topics.”
- “It is a wonderful story of a mantis going about and reaching their dreams... and helping others reach their dreams.”
- “The story is rich in English class lit-crit-friendly symbolism, and the violence takes on an even more psychologically horrifying aspect when contemplating what it means, what the game is trying to say with all this.”
- “It's one of those games that relies on shock factor to hook you in and has a dead simple story with a very blunt and basic message that sometimes feels childish in its delivery.”
- “Unfortunately, I felt like it focused way too much on just being dark and edgy without actually providing a nuanced story.”
- “Its like a dark and morbid fable story; some scenes are genuinely repulsive, but the information it's trying to convey seems pretty upbeat.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke deep feelings, often blending discomfort with comfort in a thought-provoking manner. Many players report experiencing a range of emotions, from heartbreak to unexpected laughter, highlighting the game's capacity to resonate on a personal level. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate emotionally charged narratives, though it may not be suitable for everyone.
- “If you’re into games that are different, emotional, and maybe a little uncomfortable... in the best possible way... give this one a go.”
- “The ending is simply heartbreaking.”
- “This game made me cry, which is rare for a horror game.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The atmosphere of "The Repairing Mantis" is characterized by its stylized world and abstract themes, creating a unique and often unsettling experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of discomfort through its narrative and visual design, although some find the fogging effects detract from the overall ambiance. The combination of engaging dialogue and a sense of helplessness contributes to a deeply immersive atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “The repairing mantis manages to have an amazing setup, with a stylized world and abstract atmosphere, featuring deep, metaphorical themes that tie in uniquely with the gameplay, such as the mantis dictating other animals' thoughts through dialogue options. It certainly invokes discomfort when it tries to.”
- “From what I've played, it has a unique atmosphere with original ideas, such as playing as a mantis and completing small quests for squirrels. Visually, it looks great, the writing is well done, and it's just a really interesting and unique game that I sadly can't fully experience.”
- “However, I think the amount of fogging is more of a hindrance than a benefit to the atmosphere.”
- “There's no need to concern yourself with jumpscares when the very nature and atmosphere of something is unnerving enough.”
- “The game can really get to you, from the atmosphere and the dialogue to this overpowering feeling of helplessness and hopelessness.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The gameplay of "The Repairing Mantis" features a unique blend of stylized visuals and metaphorical themes, allowing players to influence other characters through dialogue choices. However, it suffers from periods of tedium and repetitiveness, with much of the experience involving aimless exploration. While some interactive elements are engaging and provocative, the overall mechanics can feel dull at times.
- “The repairing mantis manages to have an amazing setup, with a stylized world and abstract atmosphere, with a few deep, metaphorical themes that tie in uniquely within the gameplay, such as the mantis dictating other animals' thoughts by choosing dialogue options. It certainly invokes discomfort when it tries to.”
- “Some of the interactive elements were pretty interesting, as the game forces you to engage in very sketchy actions like cutting flesh or hurting someone through interactive gameplay.”
- “At the same time though, the gameplay can be tedious, or rather plain boring at times, as it mostly consists of walking around without anything happening, when it really doesn't need to.”
- “Gameplay-wise it's kind of boring and repetitive, but the style and the story are interesting enough; hard stuff though.”
- “Some of the interactive elements were pretty interesting, and by that I mean the game forces you to do very sketchy things like cutting the flesh or hurting someone with interactive gameplay.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and at times boring, as much of the gameplay involves aimlessly walking around without engaging activities.
- “The gameplay can be tedious and often plain boring, as it mostly consists of walking around without anything happening when it really doesn't need to.”
- “Grinding feels like a never-ending chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged, turning what could be an exciting adventure into a monotonous task.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for performance issues affecting mechanics, graphics, and sound, leading to a subpar experience for players.
- “First of all, performance is outstanding.”
- “The optimization of the game ensures a smooth experience.”
- “I appreciate how well the game runs on various hardware configurations.”
- “First of all, performance.”
- “That's the game mechanics, graphics, performance, and sound (or lack of) out of the way.”
- “Performance issues.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, with some experiencing problems that hindered gameplay and affected their ability to seek refunds within the eligibility period. This has led to frustration, as troubleshooting often consumes valuable time that could have been spent playing.
- “It caused a big problem for me because, after all these issues, I felt forced to investigate the problem. By this point, I had already used most of the two hours I had for refund eligibility, and now I couldn't just continue where I left off after I was done troubleshooting.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it impossible to enjoy the experience. I often find myself losing progress due to these stability issues.”
- “I encountered multiple bugs that not only disrupted gameplay but also made it frustrating to continue. The lack of stability really detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's music is minimal, with some users noting the absence of music as acceptable, while others appreciate the eerie soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere of the foggy island setting. Overall, the music effectively complements the game's narrative, despite the low-poly visuals.
- “There is no music, which is okay.”
- “It may not be the most visually striking low-poly game, but what it had with the foggy island and creepy music worked for the story.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features genuinely funny moments that elicit unexpected laughter, such as the memorable alligator dream, which adds a unique and humorous touch to the overall experience.
- “Even better, the game also has some genuinely funny moments, which made me feel very bad for laughing. My god, that alligator dream!”

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

The Repairing Mantis
The Repairing Mantis has excellent visual consistency that marks this out as no asset swap. This game succeeds where many indie horror titles fail, thanks to its genuine grasp of horror.
Techraptor.net
70%

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Repairing Mantis is a simulation game with horror and violence themes.

The Repairing Mantis is available on PC and Windows.

The Repairing Mantis was released on September 17, 2021.

The Repairing Mantis was developed by Erupting Avocado.

The Repairing Mantis has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its atmosphere.

The Repairing Mantis is a single player game.

Similar games include The Cat Lady, Night in the Woods, Indika, Mouthwashing, Missed Messages and others.

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