The Strange City

About

The Strange City is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Newmatic Co., Ltd. and was released on November 24, 2024. It received neutral reviews from players.

The Strange City is a single-player horror adventure where Agent G, waking from a car crash, follows eerie lights into a mysterious forest. Players must navigate five tense chapters filled with relentless pursuers, using wit and strategy to survive and uncover hidden secrets. The game challenges you to adapt quickly and outsmart foes in a haunting atmosphere.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a unique visual art style that stands out.
It offers a fun, short experience that captures the eerie vibe reminiscent of Little Nightmares.
The character designs are charming and creepy, adding to the overall atmosphere of the game.

The game feels unfinished and unpolished, with numerous bugs and performance issues.
There is a lack of depth in gameplay, with no puzzles or story to engage players meaningfully.
Many players found the controls laggy and frustrating, leading to a less enjoyable experience.

story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with players noting that it feels like an afterthought, offering minimal context for the protagonist's quest to find a missing partner. While some find the story to be decent, it is generally described as short and lacking in engaging narrative elements. Overall, players express a desire for a more developed and meaningful storyline.
- “The story was not bad but short.”
- “Story: good”
- “There's zero story; you just run through random places to find your missing partner.”
- “It's a cute game, but I would've liked more storytelling - or any, to be frank - to explain why we're doing what we're doing and generally what the heck is going on.”
- “The story just felt like an afterthought.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
The graphics of the game have been praised for their quality and unique visual art style, drawing comparisons to "Little Nightmares" while maintaining its own identity. Users appreciated the mood and artwork, noting that the visuals effectively contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere, although some reported performance issues on the Steam Deck. Overall, the graphics are considered very good, enhancing the game's immersive experience.
- “Even though it's Little Nightmares inspired, it's not the typical copy-and-paste knockoffs you can find but held its own with its visual art style, music score, and cast of characters; I was dubious at first with the hospital and doctor, then the school and the butcher, but was pleasantly surprised at the nightmare-inducing clown chase and the grim reaper at the end.”
- “Graphics: very good”
- “Mood and artwork were cool.”
- “Actually unplayable on Steam Deck (even with the lowest graphics settings + forced 30 fps).”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and fail to deliver the immersive experience expected from a modern game.”
- “The visual quality is disappointing, with textures that look outdated and environments that lack detail.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The gameplay is generally considered decent, with functional platforming mechanics and manageable puzzles; however, some players find the mechanics confusing, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “Puzzles weren't too complex, and the platforming mechanics worked fine for the most part.”
- “Gameplay: not very good”
- “The monsters are spooky, but the real terror is my inability to understand basic mechanics.”
- “As far as game mechanics go, it's fairly decent.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The music in the game is noted for its decent quality and unique visual art style, contributing to the overall atmosphere. However, some users criticize the soundtrack for being inconsistent and reminiscent of stock music, which detracts from the experience. Despite these mixed feelings, the music complements the game's engaging themes and character encounters.
- “Even though it's inspired by Little Nightmares, it holds its own with its visual art style, music score, and cast of characters. I was pleasantly surprised by the nightmare-inducing clown chase and the grim reaper at the end, and found myself enjoying the game.”
- “Music loops and changes inconsistently, also sounds like it's all stock music.”
- “Music loops and changes inconsistently, also sounds like it's all stock music.”
- “Soundtrack: decent”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is described as unsettling and reminiscent of titles like Little Nightmares, offering a unique twist that enhances its appeal. Players appreciate the visually appealing environments and creative monster designs, highlighting the studio's skill in crafting immersive atmospheres, though some feel this is the game's primary strength.
- “If you’re into atmospheric horror with a twist, it’s definitely worth checking out.”
- “Places are nice to look at, have a good atmosphere, and the monster designs are pretty neat.”
- “The atmosphere is definitely unsettling, and there are moments that remind me of games like Little Nightmares—but it’s definitely its own thing, which is what makes it interesting.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to be quite unstable, with numerous bugs affecting gameplay. Users have expressed frustration over these issues, indicating that stability is a significant concern.
- “The game is incredibly buggy.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that ruined my experience.”
- “The stability issues make it hard to enjoy the game.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is noted for its unique and engaging designs, which blend adorable and creepy elements, adding depth and intrigue to the characters.
- “The character designs are adorable yet very creepy!”
- “The depth of character development really makes you feel connected to each character's journey.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their stories feel authentic and engaging.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game has been criticized as "horrible," indicating significant performance issues. Proper optimization is essential for maintaining a loyal fan base, suggesting that the current state may negatively impact player retention.
- “Releasing a game properly once it has been optimized is one of the best ways to maintain a loyal fan base.”
- “Horrible optimization.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the lack of a run button adds a challenging element that some appreciate, it can also lead to frustrating moments, especially with perceived platforming gaps and laggy controller movement. This combination often results in repeated failures and a sense of annoyance during gameplay.
- “Not having a run button made some parts tricky with timing, which had me grinding my teeth but also appreciating the challenge. The only thing I didn't love was playing on controller; the movement felt lagged or stuck at times, which caused me to get caught a lot. Additionally, the visual perception when platforming was off—some gaps looked small but ended up being a lot wider than they appeared, leading to many annoying bottomless pit falls.”