They Breathe

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They Breathe is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by The Working Parts and was released on May 23, 2014. It received positive reviews from players.

"They Breathe" is a challenging, atmospheric platformer where you control a lone frog in its desperate underwater struggle for survival. With minimalistic design and no hand-holding, the game forces you to interpret and learn from its mechanics to progress. Confronting themes of isolation and relentless struggle, it's a hauntingly beautiful experience.

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 839 reviews

gameplay43 positive mentions

replayability4 negative mentions

The game creates a haunting atmosphere that effectively immerses players in its eerie world.
The art style and sound design are well-executed, enhancing the overall experience.
The gameplay encourages exploration and discovery, allowing players to piece together the story themselves.

The game is very short, typically taking only 20-30 minutes to complete.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a lack of replay value.
Some players found the controls clunky and frustrating, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The gameplay of "They Breathe" is characterized by its simplicity and brevity, typically lasting around 30 minutes, which some players find repetitive and lacking depth. While the mechanics are straightforward and can feel janky at times, they effectively contribute to the game's atmospheric storytelling, allowing players to discover the narrative through gameplay rather than dialogue. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate a unique, artsy experience, especially at its low price point, despite its limited gameplay variety.
- “The gameplay is intriguing (no spoilers) and the controls are smooth.”
- “The gameplay is simple but increasingly frantic.”
- “They breathe is a horror tale expressed entirely through real-time gameplay with no words or exposition.”
- “Another aspect of this game is its poor and repetitive gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is as basic as it gets, and not enough to drive you to continue to the end, which has a mild but unfulfilling aha moment.”
- “The gameplay is very very lacking; it basically amounts to swimming away from things and collecting bubbles.”
story
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
5%
The game's story is often praised for its simplicity and effectiveness, conveying a dark and atmospheric narrative without any dialogue or cutscenes. Players appreciate the way the story unfolds through gameplay and environmental design, allowing for personal interpretation and speculation. While some find the plot minimalistic, many agree that it delivers a compelling and haunting experience, making it a standout feature of the game despite its short duration.
- “The 'story' of the game, or the secrets it has, are easily its biggest strength.”
- “It tells a brilliant story without using a single word of dialogue or cut scene, only sounds and aesthetics.”
- “They Breathe is a thrilling and ominous horror game that can display so much story without a single line of narrative.”
- “The story is vague and completely unexplained.”
- “The plot was weird and creative, yet lacked any encouragement to keep going other than the traditional 'play till beaten' concept.”
- “There is no plot or story, although it's not hard to make up your own.”
atmosphere
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie, unsettling quality, enhanced by hand-drawn art, ambient sound design, and a haunting soundtrack. Many players appreciate how the atmosphere effectively conveys a sense of isolation and dread, making the experience memorable despite the game's brevity and simplistic gameplay. Overall, the game's ability to evoke strong emotional responses through its atmospheric elements is a significant highlight for reviewers.
- “My personal favorite part of this game is how well the hand-drawn art style, the limited lighting at further depths, and the ambient soundtrack succeed at creating a truly surreal and unnerving atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic, utilizing excellent sound design and unnerving imagery to produce an almost suffocating, dark tension.”
- “The experience, however, is where this game really pays itself off; the atmosphere as you go deeper had me on edge and really creeped out.”
- “Despite its childish gameplay, the game has a gloomy atmosphere.”
- “It's an eerie, unsettling atmosphere, where it feels as if anything could jump at you, where creatures twist and mutate.”
- “The game has a creepy and foreboding atmosphere coming from both the visual and sound design, and the gradual realization of what's happening to your frog brethren and your surroundings as you swim deeper and deeper is fairly disturbing.”
music
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
50%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create a haunting and immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience with its eerie and ambient qualities. Many players noted that the soundtrack effectively complements the game's visuals and themes, contributing to a sense of unease and intrigue as they explore deeper into the game. While some found the music to be a standout feature, others felt it was not groundbreaking but still added significant value to the gameplay.
- “My personal favorite part of this game is how well the hand-drawn art style, the limited lighting at further depths, and the ambient soundtrack succeed at creating a truly surreal and unnerving atmosphere.”
- “The music, the details in the drawings and animations, the atmosphere, it's all fantastic for this kind of game; I'm impressed.”
- “The soundtrack is wonderful.”
- “No hints, no tutorials, hell, not even any real music once you've abandoned the surface of the water.”
- “The horror part of this game isn't in jumpscares or anything; it's the plot combined with the atmosphere and music that leaves the player feeling depressed and alone, as the game intends to do.”
- “The minimal music that plays behind the sounds of crashing, your movement, and the noises of the others is unsettling, and the dark colors in the art really fit the atmosphere perfectly.”
graphics
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique hand-drawn art style that evokes a surreal and unsettling atmosphere, effectively complementing the gameplay and sound design. While some players appreciate the charm and simplicity of the visuals, others find them dull or lacking in vibrancy compared to other titles. Overall, the art style is seen as integral to the game's experience, though opinions vary on its execution and appeal.
- “My personal favorite part of this game is how well the hand-drawn art style, the limited lighting at further depths, and the ambient soundtrack succeed at creating a truly surreal and unnerving atmosphere.”
- “The hand-drawn art style is both charming and later on, disturbing, perfectly capturing the alien feel of a flooded forest.”
- “But by god it's a memorable experience, thanks largely to the dreamlike effect created by the cartoonish yet detailed art style and the oppressively somber ambient soundscape.”
- “Visually there's not much to it: the game description mentions 'hand-drawn HD graphics', but these are really dull and lifeless - probably they're meant to be so, but that didn't work for me.”
- “The visuals are pretty poor even for indie game standards and don't really pop to me.”
- “Graphically I personally felt it looked somewhat juvenile, what may have been the point, though the frog sprites in particular weirded me out over the fact it looks like a double amputee missing its front legs.”
replayability
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
72%
16%
Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily appealing to achievement hunters due to its short duration of around 20-30 minutes. While some players find value in replaying for achievements or to improve scores, many reviewers note that once the story and mechanics are known, there is little incentive to play again. The consensus suggests that while there is some replay value, it is minimal and largely dependent on individual interest in completing achievements.
- “It's a good little game, but there's not a lot of replay value unless you're going for achievements.”
- “There is a bit of replayability with attempting to get achievements, but this game isn't anything more than a well-written horror short story.”
- “Very short but also very replayable game that shows that you don't need great graphics to show shocking images.”
- “After you complete your first run (or dive), the novelty is lost, but there is some replay value while you hunt for annoying achievements.”
- “Little replay value once completed, as you know the plot twist and the enemies are easy to counter once you know them.”
- “I would say there is some replay value in this game but once you've played it through once, you've pretty much seen all there is to see.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a mix of unsettling and touching experiences, with some players feeling a deep connection to the protagonist, a frog, which evokes strong feelings of sadness and empathy. While opinions vary on its overall emotional impact, many reviewers highlight its ability to create a haunting atmosphere that resonates on a psychological level, making it a memorable survival-horror experience.
- “Highly recommended, this game is creepy, unsettling, and atmospheric, and in addition, provides a fun challenge and some legitimate emotional investment.”
- “Do please try out this strange (and strangely touching) little piece of survival-horror art.”
- “Maybe it's because I felt sadness no game has made me feel before when the frog returned to his log.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly when pursuing achievements like "it's the frogs!" While some acknowledge it as manageable, many feel that the effort often feels pointless, with card farming being the primary motivation for enduring the grind. Overall, the experience can lead to a sense of monotony, detracting from the enjoyment of exploration.
- “I found the grinding to be tedious and ultimately pointless.”
- “I actually find the grinding to be a bit tedious.”
- “While it's certainly not the worst game I have played, it's just kind of a waste of time for anything other than card farming.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of funny and scary elements, providing a lighthearted experience that is enjoyable and entertaining, especially for short breaks. Players find it amusingly brief, making it a quirky choice for a quick laugh.
- “This is a very short game, hilariously short.”
- “Weird funny game for a small pause in between work.”
- “It is a very good game and kind of funny and scary, but most of all I had lots of fun.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting frequent and severe glitches that disrupt gameplay, including issues that prevent progression, such as the screen failing to pan down to bosses.
- “Gameplay is just unbearable, and constant glitches make it even worse.”
- “The game glitches and prevents the screen from panning down to the boss.”