The Village

About

The Village is a single player casual shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Softwaves and was released on October 12, 2017. It received neutral reviews from players.

There are several game modes, Horror mode, Rescue mode, Intense mode and other modes that are yet to come. There are also several difficulties, where you may face a shortage of resources or resources found more easily. The game also features some online interactions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

45%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

music2 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The Village offers a unique atmospheric horror mode emphasizing tension through light management and exploration in a claustrophobic environment.
The game includes multiple modes (Horror, Rescue, Intense) that attempt to provide variety and replayability by mixing different gameplay styles.
Sound design and environmental audio contribute effectively to immersion, creating a haunting and unsettling experience.

The game suffers from major technical issues, including failure to launch, crashes, and buggy third-party account requirements that block playability.
Combat mechanics and enemy AI in non-horror modes are clunky and unpolished, breaking immersion and reducing enjoyment.
The overall narrative is thin and fragmented, with modes feeling like separate experiences rather than a cohesive story, which, combined with poor polish, leaves many players dissatisfied.

gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay in "The Village" ambitiously blends exploration, survival horror, and tactical elements centered around light management, creating an immersive yet uneven experience. While the slow, methodical horror mode is praised for its deliberate pacing, combat and intense modes suffer from clunky controls, shallow AI, and lackluster mechanics. Overall, the game’s ambitious fusion of styles results in a captivating atmosphere but inconsistent and sometimes frustrating gameplay.
- “The village, developed by Softwaves and published by SA Industry, is an indie survival horror game that attempts to blend exploration, tension, and multiple gameplay modes into one ambitious package.”
- “Darkness isn’t just an aesthetic choice; it’s a core gameplay mechanic that dictates how you move and what you can risk.”
- “The decision to center gameplay around light management is particularly inspired.”
- “The shift in tone from fearful vulnerability to armed aggression is jarring, and the limitations of enemy AI and shooting mechanics sometimes expose the game’s technical constraints.”
- “Its ambition to mix horror and tactical gameplay within one framework is admirable, but the end result feels uneven, as if two different games were stitched together in pursuit of one grand vision.”
- “With incomplete modes and lackluster gameplay, "The Village" fails to live up to its promises, leaving players craving more substance and engagement.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The story features a compelling mystery centered on a missing boy in a villa, employing minimalist storytelling through clues and fragmented discoveries that engage player imagination. While the main narrative offers an immersive and rich experience, some mission modes shift to action-thriller gameplay but suffer from underdeveloped storytelling and gameplay mechanics, leaving those seeking a polished narrative potentially disappointed.
- “The story begins with a simple but effective hook—a boy has gone missing after venturing into the villa, and you, the player, step into the role of the protagonist who sets out to uncover the truth.”
- “The minimalist storytelling—clues, notes, and fragmented discoveries—keeps the mystery alive, leaving much to the player’s imagination.”
- “The village offers a captivating experience with its rich storytelling and immersive gameplay.”
- “However, players looking for a polished experience with refined controls and strong storytelling may find it lacking.”
- “Intense mode's storyline feels contrived, with underwhelming gameplay mechanics.”
- “I've tried every different approach and guess what, the game gave me a big nope and multiple hostiles showed up from everywhere, leaving me with low ammo, low health and in a matter of seconds, the message "a hostage died, mission failed" pops up on the screen.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's atmosphere effectively leverages classic horror elements like isolation and scarce light to create a tense, immersive experience, despite modest graphics and some flaws in weapon handling. Its experimental and imperfect approach appeals to fans of low-budget horror, prioritizing mood and unpredictability over polished mechanics.
- “The setup is straightforward but atmospheric, drawing on classic horror tropes of isolation, light scarcity, and unseen danger.”
- “Weapon handling lacks precision, which undermines the tension that the atmosphere builds so effectively in the earlier segments.”
- “Built using CryEngine, the game focuses more on atmosphere than graphical fidelity.”
- “Those who appreciate low-budget horror games with experimental mechanics often find value in its atmosphere and unpredictability.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game features realistic graphics built with CryEngine, emphasizing atmospheric immersion over high graphical fidelity. Darkness plays a key role in both visuals and gameplay, creating a tense environment enhanced by complementary environmental audio.
- “Realistic graphics.”
- “Built using CryEngine, the game focuses more on atmosphere than graphical fidelity.”
- “Darkness isn’t just an aesthetic choice; it’s a core gameplay mechanic that dictates how you move and what you can risk.”
- “[0.4] graphics”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music features a minimalistic soundtrack that effectively amplifies the game's emotional impact through sound effects, fostering a realistic and immersive atmosphere. Its calming qualities also provide moments of relaxation amidst the tension.
- “The minimal soundtrack allows the sound effects to carry the emotional weight, creating a sense of realism that enhances the feeling of being trapped in an unfamiliar, hostile environment.”
- “I relaxed for 5 heartfelt minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers good replayability through its creative approach and multiple modes, which add variety and shift pacing effectively, although its execution occasionally falls short of its ambitious goals.
- “It’s a creative approach that aims to provide variety and replay value, even if the execution sometimes struggles to match its ambitions.”
- “On one hand, the inclusion of multiple modes provides replayability and shifts the pacing in interesting ways.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is mixed, running adequately on most systems but occasionally plagued by technical issues like lighting glitches, awkward animations, and texture inconsistencies. Additionally, some users report critical problems with the launcher, rendering the game unplayable in certain cases.
- “The game runs adequately on most systems, but occasional technical issues—such as lighting glitches, awkward animations, or texture inconsistencies—can momentarily break immersion.”
- “Of course this launcher is buggy and doesn't work, so you can't launch the game, it's irreparably broken.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional impact is strongly conveyed through minimal soundtrack and immersive sound effects, which heighten the sense of realism and amplify the feeling of being trapped in a hostile, unfamiliar environment.
- “The minimal soundtrack allows the sound effects to carry the emotional weight, creating a sense of realism that enhances the feeling of being trapped in an unfamiliar, hostile environment.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report mixed experiences with the game's optimization, noting inconsistencies in performance and polish.