The Swine

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 159 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
The Swine Game Cover
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"The Swine" is a horror experience set in a rural homestead in America, where you'll explore isolation, witchcraft, and unforeseen consequences. Explore your property, find corrupted Tarot cards, and encounter the occult group "The Swine" as you uncover clues and experience a new breed of esoteric magic. Stay alert for suspicious activity and fear the unknown as you discover the twisted beliefs of those who have invaded your life.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 159 reviews
story29 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game features great graphics and a well-designed atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
  • It offers a unique story with intriguing elements, drawing inspiration from films like 'The Strangers' and 'Hereditary'.
  • For its low price, the game provides a decent amount of entertainment, making it a worthwhile experience for horror enthusiasts.
  • The game is very short, typically lasting around 30-45 minutes, which leaves players wanting more depth and content.
  • There are significant optimization issues, leading to poor frame rates and performance problems even on capable hardware.
  • The gameplay is mostly linear and lacks interactivity, making it feel more like a visual novel than a traditional horror game.
  • story68 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its atmospheric and engaging elements, while others criticize it for being too short and lacking depth. Some reviews highlight the intriguing narrative and strong voice acting, but note that the plot can feel rushed or predictable, leaving players wanting more involvement and development. Overall, it offers a compelling, albeit brief, horror experience that may appeal to fans of interactive storytelling.

    • “Great atmosphere, great story.”
    • “The layers of the art & sound design truly captivated me, the compelling storytelling & voice acting truly succeeded at making me feel like I was in a secluded old farmstead.”
    • “At its core, it's simply a short horror story that needed telling, and the developer did an amazing job at bringing it to life.”
    • “I couldn't tell if the story was rushed or being overbearingly pretentious with its metaphors, but even after a second playthrough, and understanding what the cards meant, I was still left unsatisfied.”
    • “The story is okay, but it doesn't really get fleshed out much (as the game is only less than an hour long, it's not easy to have an in-depth story anyway).”
    • “However, the story really needs improvements as it is quite incomplete and many things in the game are unclear.”
  • graphics41 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the attention to detail and overall visual quality, especially for an indie title developed by a single person. While some noted issues with lighting and performance, the artwork and stylization were frequently highlighted as standout features that enhance the game's atmosphere. However, a few critiques pointed out that certain graphical elements appeared basic or faded, suggesting room for improvement.

    • “Fun indie horror game, good story, great graphics.”
    • “Graphics quality are good with nice attention to detail, sound was spot on helping raise the hairs on my arms!”
    • “The story is good, the graphics, sound and atmosphere are fantastic.”
    • “The graphics overall are not good either because of how extremely faded and washed out they are.”
    • “If you lower the graphic settings down, the frame rate improves slightly but then the paintings and book images are blurred and pixelated.”
    • “The visuals are a mix of quality textures and the worst lighting I've seen in a while.”
  • atmosphere28 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively creating a southern gothic vibe that enhances the storytelling. Reviewers appreciate the absence of cheap jump scares, favoring a slow-burn approach that builds tension and foreboding. Overall, the combination of strong audio design, graphics, and narrative contributes to a memorable and engaging atmospheric horror experience.

    • “Southern gothic atmosphere with a punchy story and believable voice acting.”
    • “The atmosphere is great and progression requires thought, but is clear enough to avoid frustration.”
    • “Atmosphere is intense, the story is intriguing, and it has the perfect amount of tension.”
    • “There is no real threat against the player; it's effectively an on-rails visual novel with a spooky atmosphere.”
    • “Much like the works of Aster, Eggers, et al.; the game is very much a slow burn which draws much of its frightening power from being able to build a foreboding atmosphere.”
    • “As for the game, the entire building has this creepy atmosphere that made me think there could be something trying to scare me around every single corner, which is something I prefer over jump scares in horror games.”
  • gameplay14 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a linear walking simulator with minimal interactivity and depth, often described as boring and lacking in excitement. While some players appreciate the light item collection, many feel it does not significantly enhance the experience, leading to a consensus that the gameplay is underwhelming and not engaging.

    • “Some cool interactivity and light item/note collection ups the fun factor, as I find a lot of short horror games go extremely sparse on the gameplay elements.”
    • “The gameplay leads you around a fairly linear path, all of which takes 30-40 minutes to complete.”
    • “Check my video in the link for a gameplay and review.”
    • “It's a walking sim, or a bad movie, no real gameplay... waste of time.”
    • “The gameplay is also boring and not scary with very little interactivity.”
    • “Gameplay is a confined walking sim and not a lot of depth.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users noting that it is poorly executed and that the Unity engine appears to be stretched beyond its limits. Many players are calling for optimization fixes to enhance performance, as they believe the overall experience could be significantly improved with better optimization.

    • “It would be nice, however, if an optimization fix was pushed through, as everything else is near perfection.”
    • “Might need some optimization.”
    • “It seems like the Unity engine was pushed a little too far and is poorly optimized.”
    • “The game is really poorly optimized.”
    • “For one, the optimization is abysmal.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as both bizarre and entertaining, with absurd scenarios like a girlfriend spending days in the bathroom and over-the-top cult elements contributing to its comedic tone. While some players find the humor to be a highlight, others note that the abundance of ridiculous moments can overshadow the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its execution.

    • “The story is vague, but whatever story bit you see tends to be hilarious.”
    • “Whether it's some hilarious wanna-be cult stuff or the fact that your girlfriend's in the bathroom for days straight.”
    • “I don't normally mind when games are linear, but I guess I assumed this wasn't a walking sim horror game (so that was 100% my fault), so having the girlfriend always in the bathroom when things go down was a bit weird (funny but weird).”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game has received positive feedback for enhancing the atmosphere, with some tracks evoking classic horror themes and contributing to a creepy ambiance. While some players appreciated the eerie droning sounds that complement the visuals, others noted a mix of references, including potential nods to Fleetwood Mac. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong element that fits well with the game's narrative and environment.

    • “Loved the music..maybe they could release the score as DLC.”
    • “A lot of the music is quite creepy droning noises, so mixed with the creepy visuals it definitely creeps out the player.”
    • “Great atmosphere, story, and music.”
    • “A lot of the music is quite creepy droning noises, so mixed with the creepy visuals, it definitely creeps out the player.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it is very short and offers little to no incentive to play again. Many recommend purchasing it only on sale due to this limitation.

    • “I would definitely get the game on sale as it's very short with no replay value.”
    • “There is no replayability with this game, unfortunately.”
    • “Little to no replayability.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users have reported issues with stability, particularly noting frequent screen glitches occurring during scenes featuring pigs, which detracted from the overall experience.

    • “There are too many scenes where the screen glitches out when the pigs show up, which I didn't care for.”
    • “The game frequently crashes, making it frustrating to progress.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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