The Whisperer
- December 16, 2021
- Studio Chien d'Or
Get on Steam"The Whisperer is a single-player Horror Point and Click game set in 1814 Lower Canada, where players investigate an abandoned trading post and solve puzzles to uncover the truth behind two winterers' disappearance. With an intriguing story, pretty visuals, and a creepy atmosphere, the game offers an authentic point-and-click experience, serving as a prelude to The Whispering Valley. The game lasts around 45 minutes."
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Gog Com
Reviews
- The game has a genuinely creepy atmosphere and great audio design that enhances the horror experience.
- The visuals are well done, capturing the desolate beauty of a winter wilderness, which adds to the immersion.
- It serves as an intriguing prologue that leaves players wanting to know more about the upcoming sequel, The Whispering Valley.
- The game is extremely short, taking less than an hour to complete, which many players feel does not justify the $5 price tag.
- The puzzles are overly simplistic and can lead to frustration due to vague clues and a lack of item highlighting.
- There are technical issues, such as clunky controls and pixel-hunting mechanics, which detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- story45 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story is a brief and atmospheric prelude centered around the mystery of a couple's disappearance in a cold Canadian winter, conveyed through sparse notes and environmental storytelling. While some players found the narrative engaging and evocative, many criticized it for being vague, underdeveloped, and lacking depth, leaving them confused or unsatisfied. Overall, the game offers a unique setting and mood, but its storytelling leaves much to be desired, often feeling more like a teaser for a larger narrative to come.
“The story is captivating and the atmosphere scary.”
“The whisperer did its job as a prologue well, I'm hooked to see where this story will go next and I'm eagerly awaiting for the sequel to come out.”
“It's a 'short story' experience that is effective in its execution.”
“This one has almost no story, so it's difficult to see how it might be a prelude, and if this is anything like the game it is to precede, I won't get that game either.”
“The 'mystery' you are meant to solve is not really a mystery; the story is told in a few short notes but doesn't make much sense and is pretty straightforward.”
“The story is nonexistent, told via about five notes that aren't very exciting.”
- atmosphere37 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich, immersive, and ominous qualities, effectively creating a chilling and engaging experience reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures. While the visuals and sound design contribute significantly to the mood, many reviewers note that the game is quite short, leaving players wanting more depth and content. Despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics, the overall ambiance is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror.
“The atmosphere is wonderfully rich and immersive, the story is immediately compelling and the gameplay is incredibly intuitive.”
“The atmosphere and narrative of the whisperer is compelling and foreshadows promising things to come in the whispering valley.”
“Mysteriously chilling atmosphere with classic mid-2000s point & click vibes.”
“The graphics range from good to merely decent, the puzzles are largely intuitive (although I did have a difficult time figuring out what to do next at one point, because a part of the game that previously couldn't be interacted with suddenly became active... bad form, devs, bad form... at least indicate that the region may need further events to occur before it becomes useful, don't just have no form of hot zone/hit box around it whatsoever so that you have no idea that it will later become useful), and the atmosphere is ominous as all get-out.”
“There was a very ominous atmosphere that was unnerving, even though barely anything happens.”
“The atmosphere of the whisperer creeped me out with the breathing so much that I had to turn the sound off!”
- graphics19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as simplistic yet effective, creating a haunting atmosphere that complements the winter horror theme. While some players noted the visuals range from good to merely decent, many appreciated the attention to detail in the environment, which evokes feelings of desolation and tension. Overall, the combination of graphics and sound contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience, despite some criticisms regarding movement controls and interactivity.
“It's one of those very rare cases of classic 1st person point-and-click adventures with excellent atmosphere, aesthetics, and an engaging story.”
“The graphics can delight and the sound evokes a lot of tension.”
“The audio and the visuals capture the loneliness and desolation of a winter wilderness so well that it doesn't matter that you're wandering around in broad daylight.”
“The gameplay is a mix of weird point-and-click controls, laggy visuals, long loading times, and running back and forth across the (admittedly small) map multiple times.”
“Point and click, low graphic quality, not a horror game in the least, absolutely not story rich, as I think 4 or 5 notes you pick up throughout the entire 30 minutes of gameplay (10 of which were retracing steps or repeatedly attempting an action to find just the right spot to click) covers the whole story.”
“Graphics: game looks simplistic but there is something about the snow piles and sparse brush that makes the land feel desolate and some areas inside buildings look particularly nice.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a straightforward 3D point-and-click adventure, but it suffers from clunky mechanics, bugs, and laggy visuals that can frustrate players. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and immersive atmosphere, others find the controls unresponsive and the experience marred by technical issues. Overall, the gameplay offers a mix of enjoyment and frustration, depending on individual experiences.
“The whisperer is a very classic indie horror experience; it has the moody, isolated atmosphere to feel lost in, a lot of mysteries, and the point & click gameplay adds to a certain old-fashioned charm - who doesn’t like a classic?”
“The atmosphere is wonderfully rich and immersive, the story is immediately compelling, and the gameplay is incredibly intuitive.”
“Gameplay-wise, it's a pretty straightforward 3D point and click adventure.”
“Gameplay itself is alright, but a bit buggy; I found that I needed to click slightly below things to have the game register my clicks, and any time I'd finish interacting with an object (in the world or in my inventory), my camera would shoot upwards slightly.”
“The gameplay is a mix of weird point and click controls, laggy visuals, long loading times, and running back and forth across the (admittedly small) map multiple times.”
“Looks nice and has a nice atmosphere, but the mechanics are clunky and quickly became a frustration.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's music is minimal, relying heavily on diegetic audio to enhance the atmosphere, yet it effectively contributes to the overall spookiness. While some players appreciate the fantastic sound design, others note that the limited music does not detract from the game's immersive experience.
“The music and visuals are great, contributing to a very spooky and atmospheric experience.”
“Great music and fantastic sound design really carry most of the game's attempts at spookiness.”
“The game uses diegetic audio effectively to help build the atmosphere.”
“There's not much music to speak of in the game; it relies heavily on diegetic audio to help build the atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack is forgettable and fails to enhance the gaming experience.”
“Music is sparse and lacks variety, making it feel repetitive and uninspired.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for lacking transparency and fairness, as it appears to exploit assets without proper credit to the original creators, leading to accusations of plagiarism and being a cash grab. Reviewers suggest that the game serves more as an advertisement for another potentially similar project by the developers.
“The developers didn't provide up-front credits for any of the artists and real game developers who created the assets, so this is plagiarism as well as a cash grab.”
“This asset flip is more of an advertisement for another game the developer made, which is probably also an asset flip.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, primarily due to its short duration of around 45 minutes and a lack of features like achievements, secrets, or alternate endings that could enhance the experience. Players suggest that adding such elements could improve the game's longevity.
“I think the developer could add some simple things like achievements and maybe some secrets or alternate endings to introduce more replayability.”
“But be aware that this game is short (I beat it in about 45 minutes) and doesn't offer much replay value.”
“I think the developer could add some simple things like achievements and maybe some secrets or alternate endings to introduce some more replayability.”
“But be aware that this game is short (I beat it in about 45 minutes) and doesn't offer much replay value.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits notable stability issues, with users reporting bugs that affect gameplay, such as misaligned click registration and erratic camera movements after interactions. Despite these problems, there is optimism for future improvements and a desire to explore the game further.
“Gameplay itself is alright, but a bit buggy; I found that I needed to click slightly below things to have the game register my clicks, and any time I finished interacting with an object (in the world or in my inventory), my camera would shoot upwards slightly.”
“I'm definitely interested in looking into Whispering Valley in the future, though I hope for a longer, less buggy game.”
