This Is Not Your House
- August 23, 2024
- Cody Tierson (Trash Eyes)
Get on Steam"This Is Not Your House" is a psychological horror choose-your-own-adventure game, where you play as Roger, an elderly widower who finds his home occupied by an intruder. With ten unique endings, your choices will determine whether you take your house back or find alternative shelter. A screen reader feature and the option to skip previously read content make it easier to explore all possible outcomes.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and eerie atmosphere with excellent sound design and music that enhances the experience.
- It's a short but engaging visual novel with multiple endings, providing a fun and quick gameplay experience for its low price.
- The art style is distinctive and complements the unsettling themes, making it a memorable and enjoyable mini-adventure.
- The game is very short, with most players completing it in under 30 minutes, leading to concerns about replay value.
- The narrative lacks depth and coherence, with many plot points feeling unresolved or underexplored.
- Some players found the humor and horror elements to be inconsistent, making the overall experience feel disjointed.
- music21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting the unsettling and eerie atmosphere created by the soundtrack, particularly in key scenes. The main menu theme stands out as a unique and disorienting piece, while the overall soundscape effectively enhances the horror experience. Reviewers appreciate the integration of vocals and the minimalistic yet impactful soundtrack, which complements the game's visuals and narrative, making it a memorable aspect of the gameplay.
“The music and sound design were a major highlight.”
“Creepy ambient music and sound effects set up the mood efficiently.”
“The music really helps to set the tone, along with the colors of the art.”
“However, this glitch combined with the absolutely terrifying main menu music made me think the game was having serious issues on my deck.”
“Seemed interesting at first and has a really solid soundtrack behind it, but the art is a mixed bag and I wasn't convinced by its use of the themes it works with.”
“The sound design and music really made this experience for me.”
- story18 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story is a short horror narrative centered around a supernatural woman or women taking over a house, but it suffers from a lack of focus and coherence, with pacing issues and abrupt endings that leave players questioning the plot's purpose. While the concept is intriguing and the game offers multiple endings, many reviewers feel that the execution fails to deliver a satisfying or cohesive experience, despite its engaging graphics and ambiance. Overall, it provides a quick, spooky experience but lacks depth and clarity in its storytelling.
“Worth the price, and a good game to pick up and play through for a nice one-shot horror story.”
“A fabulous mix of retro-style adventure graphics, a very modern and unsettling score and ambiance, and a story intriguing enough for me to get all 10 endings, but simple enough not to overstay its welcome.”
“Fantastic composition, presentation, and I loved the way different elements of the sound incorporated and revealed themselves as I clicked through the story.”
“The plot lines suffer from pacing problems and often end abruptly, cartoonishly, or in deeply contrived ways.”
“The women who have taken over your home incite the plot and then often fade completely out of the story, leading you to think - what was the point?”
“Why spend so much time setting up Roger's paranoia and obsession with personal property in the opening scene only to ignore it in basically every story path?”
- graphics15 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are characterized by a simple yet effective art style, often described as pixelated and reminiscent of retro visuals, which enhances the eerie atmosphere. Players appreciate the unique and unsettling aesthetic that complements the game's horror elements, while the combination of visuals and sound design creates an immersive experience. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their ability to evoke a creepy ambiance despite their simplicity.
“The visuals are simple but effective and well-drawn, and unexpectedly brutal.”
“This is not your house is a truly remarkable piece of horror featuring gorgeous & unsettling pixelated graphics, an absolutely incredible soundscape featuring both bopping and spooking songs as well as wonderfully unnerving sound design, & a series of short but powerful & diverse narratives that will make you cower, cringe, laugh, and consider your own existence.”
“The art style is unique & really helps sell the creepy atmosphere.”
“The graphics are fine.”
“A horror game that despite its simple graphics really draws you in.”
“Brief bite-sized horror visual novel with eerie minimalistic soundtrack and Game Boy-styled graphics; all the limitations manage to make it creepier.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a blend of morbid and dark comedy, often leading to strange or hilarious outcomes that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the entertaining mix of humor and horror, with some moments eliciting genuine laughter despite the unsettling themes. Overall, the game is recognized for its charming yet disturbing humor, making it a memorable visual novel experience.
“A good choose your own adventure game with a good mix of humor and horror.”
“Some instances are kinda sad, some wild, some hilarious... but all entertaining!!”
“Dark, terrifying and also sometimes strangely hilarious.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "This is not your house" is described as surreal and deeply immersive, enhanced by a unique art style that contributes to its creepy vibe. Players appreciate the varied and intriguing endings, which are complemented by an engaging and atmospheric journey throughout the game.
“This Is Not Your House provides players with a surreal and incredibly atmospheric choose-your-own-adventure experience, well worth the $2 it demands.”
“The art style is unique and really helps sell the creepy atmosphere.”
“The endings are all different and interesting, and the path to each is creepy and atmospheric.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's writing as a standout feature, noting that its haunting and emotionally evocative descriptions significantly enhance the overall emotional experience.
“What I liked most was the writing - the way things are described and worded are both haunting and emotionally evocative.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers minimal replayability, as players can complete it fully in about 20 minutes, leaving little incentive to revisit once 100% completion is achieved.
“Firstly, there's really no replay value once you 100% it in about 20 minutes.”
“After completing the game, I felt no urge to play it again; it just lacks the depth to keep me coming back.”
“The game is fun, but once you've seen everything, there's nothing left to draw you back in.”
