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 price.
- The gameplay mechanics are clunky, with issues like pixel hunting and a sluggish inventory system that can frustrate players.
- The story is vague and lacks depth, with minimal narrative development that leaves players confused about the plot.
- story90 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story is a brief prelude set in 19th-century Canada, revolving around the mysterious disappearance of two individuals during winter. While some players found the atmosphere engaging and the premise intriguing, many criticized the narrative for being vague, underdeveloped, and lacking depth, often conveyed through a limited number of notes. Overall, the game offers a short, atmospheric experience, but leaves players wanting more in terms of storytelling and puzzle complexity.
“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 story being silently told through letters as you try to figure out what's going on was a nice touch.”
“The atmosphere is wonderfully rich and immersive, the story is immediately compelling, and the gameplay is incredibly intuitive.”
“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.”
“I think that there was supposed to be a story, but it was told in a way that I didn't really care, had no motivation to move forward, and the ending had no impact whatsoever.”
- atmosphere74 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its rich, immersive, and ominous qualities, effectively creating a chilling 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. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a highlight, despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics and puzzle design.
“The atmosphere is wonderfully rich and immersive, the story is immediately compelling and the gameplay is incredibly intuitive.”
“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?”
“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!”
“There's not much music to speak of in the game; it uses diegetic audio to help build the atmosphere.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are described as simplistic yet effective, creating a haunting atmosphere that complements the winter horror aesthetic. While some visuals are praised for their beauty and ability to evoke tension, others note inconsistencies in quality and a lack of interactivity that can detract from the experience. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's ambiance, though improvements in navigation and interaction could enhance gameplay.
“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.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a straightforward 3D point-and-click adventure that offers a rich and immersive atmosphere, but it suffers from clunky mechanics, bugs, and laggy visuals. While some players found the controls frustrating and the loading times lengthy, others appreciated the classic indie horror charm and intuitive gameplay. Overall, the experience is mixed, with enjoyment stemming from the atmosphere and story despite the gameplay issues.
“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.”
“In terms of gameplay, I ran into no issues.”
“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.”
- music6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's music is minimal, primarily relying on diegetic audio to enhance the atmosphere. However, when present, the music and sound design are praised for effectively contributing to the game's spooky and immersive experience. Overall, the combination of music and visuals is noted as a strong point in creating a haunting ambiance.
“Great music and fantastic sound design really carry most of the game's attempts at spookiness.”
“It's very spooky and atmospheric, and the music and visuals are great.”
“There's not much music to speak of in the game; it uses diegetic audio to help build the atmosphere.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism and asset flipping, suggesting that it serves more as a promotional tool for another game rather than a standalone product. Reviewers express concern over the lack of credit given to original creators, labeling the game as a cash grab.
“The developers didn't provide up-front credits for any of the artists and real, actual game developers who created the assets here, so this is plagiarism, as well as a cash grab.”
“This asset flip is more of an advertisement for another game the developer made (probably also an asset flip, we'll see when we get around to it).”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, primarily due to its short duration of around 45 minutes. Reviewers suggest that adding features like achievements, secrets, or alternate endings could enhance replay value.
“But be aware that this game is short (I beat it in ~45 min) 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.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits notable stability issues, with players reporting bugs that affect gameplay, such as misaligned click registration and erratic camera movements after interactions. Despite these problems, there is a general interest in future updates that could enhance the experience.
“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.”
“I'm definitely interested in looking into Whispering Valley in the future, though, and I hope for a longer, less buggy game in the future.”
