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The Shattering

The Shattering is a fantastic rendition of a psychological thriller that replaces tense dramatic action with a slow and subtle approach. It is well worth the buy for anyone who enjoys a rich and beautiful storytelling experience.
The Shattering Game Cover
75%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
optimization, monetization
80% User Score Based on 150 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

PCSteam DeckWindows
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The Shattering Game Cover

About

The Shattering is a single player role playing game with horror, mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by Super Sexy Software and was released on April 20, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"The Shattering" is a first-person puzzle game set in a surreal, fragmented world. Players must manipulate the environment and solve increasingly complex puzzles to uncover the truth behind their surroundings. With a striking art style and atmospheric soundtrack, the game offers a unique and immersive experience that challenges players to question their perception of reality.

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The Shattering screenshot
The Shattering screenshot
The Shattering screenshot
The Shattering screenshot
The Shattering screenshot
The Shattering screenshot
The Shattering screenshot
The Shattering screenshot
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80%
Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews
story75 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautifully crafted visual style, utilizing a striking black-and-white palette with splashes of color that enhance the storytelling.
  • The narrative is engaging and thought-provoking, exploring deep themes of trauma and mental health, which resonates with players on an emotional level.
  • The voice acting and sound design are well-executed, contributing to the immersive experience and enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The gameplay can feel linear and repetitive, often requiring players to click on numerous objects to progress, which can break immersion.
  • The story is disjointed and at times lacks coherence, leaving players frustrated with unanswered questions and a lack of satisfying resolution.
  • Some players experienced discomfort due to motion sickness caused by the game's visual effects, such as flashing lights and motion blur, which can hinder the overall experience.
  • story
    181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Shattering" is a complex and emotionally charged narrative that explores themes of trauma and memory through the eyes of its protagonist, John. While some players found the storytelling engaging and visually stunning, others criticized it for being disjointed, lacking coherence, and overly reliant on clichés. Overall, the game offers a unique psychological experience that resonates differently with each player, making it a polarizing yet thought-provoking journey.

    • “The shattering is an emotionally heavy, story-driven narrative with minimalistic gameplay that delves into the memories of a troubled man's life.”
    • “A brilliantly conceived and beautifully disturbing story that allows you to explore the whitewashed mind of a man that needs to uncover his dark and traumatic past.”
    • “The story is interesting, told in a way that subverts expectations, and is coupled with some outstanding art direction and level design.”
    • “What really got me though was the story - or rather the distinct lack of a coherent one.”
    • “For a story-driven game, the story can only be described as banal and boring.”
    • “The story in this game is fairly disjointed and nonsensical.”
  • graphics
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning aesthetic and unique art style, often described as striking and immersive. However, some players noted issues with brightness and motion sickness due to the game's monochrome palette, suggesting moderation in playtime. Overall, the visuals are considered a defining feature, enhancing the storytelling and atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding the game's substance.

    • “The combination of surrealism and unique graphic design has resulted in a stunning psychological thriller.”
    • “In fact, I daresay the writing, the design, the graphics, the cinematography, and even the excellent voice acting all worked perfectly together to give the game and its storytelling that rare cinematic quality... essentially, it feels like you're playing through a well-made interactive movie.”
    • “The visuals were fantastic, the writings on the wall were impactful, and my god, I loved the ending!”
    • “Overall, I just found the game to be underwhelming -- all aesthetic, no substance.”
    • “The graphics presented on screenshots and the trailer might seem lazy or minimalistic, seeing as white dominates all.”
    • “Despite my slight sickness caused by the color scheme and motion blur, especially in early acts, the graphics are definitely the defining feature of the game.”
  • gameplay
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "The Shattering" is primarily a minimalistic walking simulator focused on exploration and interaction, with some dialogue choices and puzzles. While it effectively conveys an emotional narrative through its mechanics, many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in depth compared to genre leaders. Overall, it offers a smooth experience that emphasizes immersion in the protagonist's psychological journey, though it may not appeal to those seeking more complex gameplay.

    • “It uses its minimal gameplay and unusual setting to tell the psychological tale within John's memories.”
    • “The gameplay is relatively simple as it is a walking simulator with some puzzles.”
    • “This created immersive, abstract gameplay and it invoked the idea that I was exploring John's mind, slowly discovering the essence of his character.”
    • “Had absolutely no interest in any of the characters, the voice acting was not great, and the gameplay was literally just spam clicking on things around each room until you advanced the story.”
    • “Gameplay is very minimalistic like in almost any walking simulator - just move and interact with objects, there's even no real puzzles except for 19+6=x² (and it seems like half of the players failed to find 'x' for this one, oh well).”
    • “The gameplay is from boring to annoying.”
  • emotional
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players found it rich and engaging, effectively conveying themes of trauma and mental struggle, others criticized the voice acting and writing for lacking depth, which hindered emotional investment. The narrative is described as haunting and heavy, with moments that resonate deeply, but it also risks becoming convoluted and meandering. Overall, it appeals to those who appreciate serious, emotional storytelling, though players should be prepared for its dark themes.

    • “People could relate to his struggle emotionally and mentally and to all of his hardships and struggles.”
    • “I felt like I was part of John... I smiled, I cried, I was scared.”
    • “The Shattering is an emotionally heavy, story-driven narrative with minimalistic gameplay that delves into the memories of a troubled man's life.”
  • music
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and emotional depth, with many reviewers highlighting the well-chosen soundtrack and immersive sound design. It complements the visual presentation effectively, creating a rich experience that is particularly impactful when played with headphones. Overall, the audio elements, including music and voice acting, are considered a standout feature that elevates the game's storytelling and exploration.

    • “The story was engaging and the music was lovely too.”
    • “I was constantly aware of how much the soundtrack was adding to the atmosphere of the game, and playing with headphones is a must.”
    • “The music was also well-chosen, as was the sound design overall.”
    • “Walking simulator with interesting gameplay surrounded by a sad story and almost no soundtrack.”
    • “Guilty of confusing you is perhaps more apt though, as the aforementioned song appears to set the tone early on as a period piece.”
    • “Soundtrack and general sound design are also one of those gems you better not miss.”
  • atmosphere
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its strong visual and auditory elements, including impressive graphics, sound design, and effective use of light and shadow, which contribute to a deeply immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a unique and engaging ambiance, particularly in horror contexts, although some note that the atmosphere can falter in later stages. Overall, the combination of story, music, and visual consistency enhances the game's atmospheric appeal, making it a recommended choice for fans of narrative-driven experiences.

    • “Extremely well executed; sound design, visual consistency, and atmosphere were all really well done.”
    • “I was constantly aware of how much the soundtrack was adding to the atmosphere of the game, and playing with headphones is a must.”
    • “What I particularly noticed were the interplays of light and shadows, which create an appropriate atmosphere.”
    • “It's a shame because it sucks you right out of the atmosphere.”
    • “This was a recommendation and supposed to be a game with a deep storytelling/atmosphere and an unexpected ending revealing the whole plot... well, it's not.”
    • “I recommend it for gamers who enjoy story-heavy games with incredibly simplistic point-and-click puzzles and a heavy emphasis on atmosphere.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game is mixed, with some users experiencing inconsistent performance characterized by random frame drops, while others report smooth gameplay even during graphically demanding moments. Overall, the optimization appears to be a point of contention among players, with varying experiences based on individual hardware setups.

    • “Inconsistent performance: I wouldn't mind lower but consistent framerates instead of having random drops.”
    • “The most prominent of these would be with regards to the game's performance.”
    • “The optimization is worthy of note too with my rig barely breaking a sweat throughout the entire experience, even in the more graphically demanding moments.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the game's replayability, noting that different choices in certain acts can lead to varying story outcomes. However, many express a desire for chapter-based replay options to enhance this feature further.

    • “I agree with people saying chapters would be great to have as replayable options.”
    • “+ has replayability - in certain acts, you'll notice that you can choose different options, and based on your choices, the story may change a little... or a lot, I can't say.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism, as players feel that the advertising on the Steam store page misrepresents the game's content, particularly regarding its horror elements. This disconnect has led to disappointment among users who expected a different experience.

    • “The monetization model feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, which detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “The in-game purchases are not just cosmetic; they significantly impact gameplay, which feels unfair to players who don't want to spend more.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report that while there are no major bugs or glitches, several smaller technical issues affect the game's stability.

    • “Although I did not run into any major bugs or glitches, I did encounter a number of smaller, more technical issues.”
    • “The game frequently crashes during loading screens, making it frustrating to progress.”
    • “I experienced several instances of lag and stuttering, which detracted from the overall gameplay experience.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While some critics point out the plot's lack of depth and reliance on clichés, many users praise the game's character development and attention to detail, suggesting that these elements significantly enhance the overall experience.

    • “Some may say that the plot is not only lacking depth, but also consists of various clichés, and there may be some truth in that; however, all of it can be cast aside by nearly perfect execution, character development, and attention to detail.”
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60%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews
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6h Median play time
6h Average play time
5-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Shattering is a role playing game with horror, mystery and thriller themes.

The Shattering is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing The Shattering.

The Shattering was released on April 20, 2020.

The Shattering was developed by Super Sexy Software.

The Shattering has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

The Shattering is a single player game.

Similar games include The Town of Light, Call of the Sea, Gray Dawn, Layers of Fear, Marie's Room and others.