The Tape

48%
Game Brain Score Based on 128 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • gameplay
The Tape Game Cover
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"The Tape" is a first-person horror game that utilizes a found footage style to create a heavy, creepy atmosphere. As a detective searching for a missing girl in an abandoned house, you'll face horrifying creatures and enemies while uncovering a disturbing mystery. The game focuses on creating a slow-paced, unsettling experience, with some scenes being among the most disturbing in horror game history. Your goal is to uncover the truth or simply try to escape.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

48%
Audience ScoreBased on 128 reviews
atmosphere19 positive mentions
story8 negative mentions
  • The game has a strong atmosphere that effectively creates a sense of dread and unease.
  • It offers a unique VHS aesthetic that enhances the horror experience.
  • The game is relatively inexpensive, making it accessible for those looking for a short horror experience.
  • The gameplay is very short, lasting around 30-40 minutes, which may leave players wanting more.
  • There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience, including issues with AI and level design.
  • The controls are limited, with no sprint option, making navigation frustrating at times.
  • story51 mentions

    The game's story is widely criticized for being minimal and poorly developed, often described as a "hodgepodge" or "barely there," with many reviewers noting its short length and lack of cohesion. While some appreciate the creepy atmosphere and sound design, they feel that the narrative fails to engage or provide meaningful context, leaving players wanting more depth and interaction. Overall, the story is seen as a weak point, detracting from the potential of the game's setting and gameplay.

    • “But, in a way, I suppose it's refreshing to know that a game doesn't need a whole lot of story to tell a creepy, unsettling narrative, of sorts.”
    • “The loose plot hangs on the back of a detective searching for a missing girl in 1960s rural America, with the gameplay conducted through the nauseous jitter-laden lens of a camcorder.”
    • “The 'story' - what little there is of it - is furthermore highly intriguing, and the scenery is suitably compelling.”
    • “The story is barely there and the assets are clumsily placed on maps with weird angles, as well as some people floating in some scenes while walking in place.”
    • “The plot fits on a stamp and isn’t even developed in any significant way.”
    • “The storyline feels like something the developer tried too hard to make creepy, but failed.”
  • atmosphere44 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepiness and effective use of sound and visual design, creating a solidly spooky experience that resonates with players. While some reviews note that the gameplay and story elements may be lacking, the overall ambiance is considered a strong point, often evoking feelings of psychological horror rather than relying on jump scares. Despite some criticisms regarding enemy design and gameplay length, many players appreciate the game's ability to immerse them in a haunting and unsettling environment.

    • “The atmosphere is solidly spooky.”
    • “The atmosphere is great; there is voice acting, a proper menu, a proper introduction cinematic, and a decent amount of creepiness/horror elements in the game.”
    • “The atmosphere is spectacular, the mystery is intriguing, it’s got some awesome concepts, and it’s creepy as hell.”
    • “The atmosphere is heavy most of the time, but I feel like that atmosphere quickly dies out once you see the first enemies in the game.”
    • “The big con is a lack of interaction with objects and the story wasn't deeply explored, which could bring this game to another level. The creepy atmosphere is very well done for an indie game; I just hope there will be more titles following this type of build.”
    • “Everything in this game is just so slow, from your character to cutscenes as well, so much so that it has gone way past the point where it tries to build an atmosphere more than it actually tries to round the two hours of gameplay so that you can’t ask for a refund.”
  • gameplay36 mentions

    Overall, the gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic and slow-paced, often described as a walking simulator with minimal interaction and limited mechanics. While some players appreciate the atmospheric elements and occasional stealth segments, many find the experience tedious and lacking in engaging content, with complaints about the short duration and frustrating controls. Despite a few interesting moments, the gameplay fails to deliver a compelling experience, leaving players wanting more depth and variety.

    • “Definitely an interesting piece of gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fairly intuitive.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth and good.”
    • “However, the gameplay is tediously boring; you move painfully slow even for horror games, and the camera effects become seriously annoying after a while.”
    • “This game is more of a walking simulator than anything, with its gameplay being very limited as you slowly plod along throughout creepy environments, with minimal stealth elements requiring you to hide from cult members in a variety of locales.”
    • “The gameplay is really limited, as most walking simulators are.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique VHS aesthetic and atmospheric visuals that enhance the horror experience. However, some players found the heavy camera filter and fuzzy visuals to be overwhelming or even uncomfortable. Overall, while the graphics are considered acceptable for an indie title, they may not appeal to everyone, particularly those sensitive to the visual effects.

    • “Loved the graphic style; it added to it all.”
    • “For a 4 dollar game, I'm very surprised by its quality. The VHS aesthetic was a great idea and helped create the mood, with creepy characters and a lack of jump scares, making this title interesting.”
    • “The found footage aesthetic works nicely with the game, and the cabin in the beginning has a wonderful atmosphere.”
    • “The visuals are terminal eye cancer, which is fitting since you'll want to die after playing this game.”
    • “The tape's main graphic feature, which is a heavy 'camera' filter setting, actually bothered my eyes more than it did to help my experience within the game.”
    • “For those people that have a hard time with it, set the visuals to 'low', and the game becomes monochrome, and ditches the heavy, fuzzy visuals.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game exhibits significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches, some of which are game-breaking. While players acknowledge its potential as an indie title, they emphasize the need for updates and patches to improve overall performance.

    • “The game is also incredibly buggy; some of the bugs are game-breaking.”
    • “Also, this game is really buggy.”
    • “But the filters send all kinds of messages because besides the CRT filter, there are digital glitches and, most baffling, the kind of scratches you'd see on some old theatrical reels.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and boring, with slow movement and frustrating camera effects contributing to a lack of engagement. The absence of meaningful encounters further exacerbates the monotony, leading to a generally negative experience.

    • “However, the gameplay is tediously boring; you move painfully slow even for horror games, and the camera effects become seriously annoying after a while.”
    • “Aside from a basic charm and some potential, it ends up being tedious anyhow.”
    • “This was pathetically tedious and annoying.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is characterized by ambient sounds that create a relaxing atmosphere, while the sound effects and background music effectively enhance the tension and overall experience, contributing to a more immersive gameplay despite a lackluster story.

    • “The sound effects and background music really add to the tension that the developer was trying to create in this game, and they help to tie the experience into an almost complete package.”
    • “A little bit of looping ambient sound that acted as a placeholder for music.”
    • “The sound effects and background music really add to the tension that the developer was trying to create in this game, but they ultimately feel like a shallow experience.”
    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and unintentional comedic elements, such as poorly executed jumpscares and the presence of over-the-top scenarios, like stealth missions involving chanting cultists and a giant dead girl's head. These elements often evoke laughter rather than fear, creating a unique blend of grotesque humor that contrasts with traditional horror.

    • “Those poorly made jumpscares are more confusing and funny than scary, lol.”
    • “First, you do a stealth mission, hiding from hilariously chanting cultists.”
    • “Then there's a hilarious section where a giant dead girl's head hunts you in the water, Jaws-style -- the whole thing is so grotesque it's the opposite of scary.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized for being exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism and a lack of credit to original creators, leading to perceptions of the game as a cash grab.

    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
    • “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating for free-to-play users.”
    • “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    While the game can be completed in about 40 minutes, it offers some replay value that encourages players to revisit it despite its brevity.

    • “The game is incredibly short, taking me only 40 minutes to finish, but it has a surprising amount of replay value.”
    • “Each playthrough offers new choices and outcomes, making me want to dive back in again and again.”
    • “The variety of paths and endings keeps the experience fresh, encouraging multiple runs to see everything.”
    • “The game is incredibly short; it took me only 40 minutes to finish it, and while it has a bit of replay value, it's not enough to keep me coming back.”
    • “After completing the game, I found little incentive to replay it, as the experience felt too linear and predictable.”
    • “While there are some different paths to explore, the lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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