This Strange Realm Of Mine

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This Strange Realm Of Mine is a single player shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Doomgriever and was released on July 19, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"This Strange Realm Of Mine" is a first-person shooter with elements of poetry and psychological horror. After creating your character and dying, you'll explore your afterlife, meeting various characters and their stories while solving puzzles. Combat includes a variety of weapons to fend off monstrous beings in a universe filled with both beauty and horror. The game also features an original soundtrack.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 407 reviews

story57 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Engaging and thought-provoking story that explores deep philosophical themes.
Unique blend of gameplay styles, including FPS mechanics, puzzles, and platforming segments.
Visually appealing pixel art and atmospheric sound design that enhance the overall experience.

Excessive dialogue and philosophical musings can feel preachy and detract from gameplay.
Combat mechanics are basic and can become repetitive, lacking challenge.
Some players may find the narrative disjointed or difficult to follow due to its abstract nature.

story
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
63%
5%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it intriguing and thought-provoking, particularly in its exploration of philosophical themes like life, death, and existentialism. However, many critiques highlight that the narrative can feel disjointed, overly verbose, or pretentious, often failing to deliver meaningful choices or character development. Overall, while the story captivates some players, others feel it detracts from the gameplay experience, leading to a polarized reception.
- “The story is intriguing and genuinely makes you think, lots of philosophy to read about life and death.”
- “The overall story is quite compelling and deals with issues such as anxiety, depression, and isolation; the way these feelings are portrayed is quite accurate and the messages the game sends can be very helpful and never feel forced.”
- “This strange realm of mine is a stunning game; entertaining, a good old-style shooter with a great story that makes you think about who you are right now!”
- “They don't contribute to the story in a meaningful way, and despite the game trying to give you choices, they too feel meaningless.”
- “The story, however, is like the scattered incoherent musings of someone sloppily going through their first intro to western philosophy, writing down whatever seemed pseudo-profound.”
- “It's a shame, too, because the entire game screams failed potential: you can observe all the different sorts of concepts the developers had in terms of story and characters, but it really never makes any sort of logical, actual sense and leaves you wishing you had just played Doom instead.”
gameplay
172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The gameplay in this game is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the variety of mechanics and the nostalgic feel of retro shooters, while others criticize it for being simplistic and overshadowed by excessive philosophical dialogue. Many reviews highlight the fun and satisfying shooting mechanics, but also note that the gameplay often feels secondary to the narrative, leading to a disjointed experience. Overall, while there are moments of engaging gameplay, the execution is inconsistent, leaving some players wanting more depth and innovation.
- “I also enjoyed how each level had a new mechanic and it didn't feel too repetitive.”
- “The gameplay is quite enjoyable, and the variety of scenarios allowed me to keep pushing forward.”
- “A thought-provoking experience that explores concepts of reality, mindset, and mental health with enough varied gameplay to keep it exciting.”
- “The gameplay is generic and overly simplistic; the presentation lacks charm and the writing feels undercooked and amateurish.”
- “Gameplay just seems extremely half-assed on the whole, with slap-dash, simplistic level design and a small selection of uninteresting weapons to be used against endless recolors of the same two enemy types.”
- “Unfortunately, it is the gameplay that often lets this strange realm of mine down.”
graphics
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a stylized pixel art aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic titles like Doom, blending retro visuals with modern elements. While some players appreciate the unique and immersive atmosphere created by the graphics, others criticize the low-resolution assets and simplistic design, suggesting that it may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the visuals are seen as a significant part of the game's charm, contributing to its philosophical themes and emotional depth.
- “The graphics are beautiful, and the best part is that I've had no issues running it on my computer at all.”
- “The game's visuals are very well done, using pixelated graphics that create ambiences that can feel both creepy and relaxing.”
- “The graphic art is awesome, the soundtrack goes into my soul and the atmosphere is just perfect.”
- “This very poor quality visual style is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to disguise it under the name of 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
- “It’s not like choosing 16-bit graphics as your art style because you like the way that looks; a 3D action game where most of the key characters and objects are just rotating sprites is objectively worse than an actual 3D shooter.”
- “The graphics are decidedly indie and there's only 3 hours of gameplay here, but that gameplay is decidedly solid, the narrative is breathtakingly strange, and the whole thing is indescribably disconcerting.”
music
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The music in the game has received a mixed response from players, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the game's themes, describing it as "phenomenal" and "well-suited." However, some critics found it repetitive or bland, suggesting that it doesn't always fit the gameplay or mood effectively. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its emotional depth and aesthetic contribution, opinions vary on its consistency and impact throughout the game.
- “The art interspersed in the game is really quite good, the levels are varied, the soundtrack is pleasant, and it offers just enough new experiences to keep it from getting repetitive despite its short playtime.”
- “The music in this game is incredible as well.”
- “Additionally, the music is really good in both aiding the general atmosphere but also just being straight bangers on their own.”
- “For the most part, it's really bland droning noises, but there are quite a few decent tracks; the tavern music being my favorite one since it does have a really relaxing tone to calm yourself from the creepy journey.”
- “The indie game genre isn't necessarily known for its music, but the music in 'This Strange Realm of Mine' just doesn't fit; it's somber, dull, and really just doesn't fit most of the time. The only song I genuinely liked and that fit the level was the music in 'Revelations.'”
- “Now the first time I loaded up the game, I actually turned the music off because I wanted to listen to my own music while playing instead, and in this game, you really don't 'need' the in-game music to play it.”
atmosphere
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
30%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of surreal graphics, immersive sound design, and a mix of bright and dark themes that evoke a range of emotions from relaxation to tension. Players appreciate the philosophical undertones and the way the environment enhances the storytelling, creating a captivating experience that feels both whimsical and unsettling. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and depth.
- “The atmosphere is really good and it makes for a very immersive experience, also thanks to its diverse and unpredictable gameplay.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is spot-on with both its bright/happy and dark/depressing environments making you feel both safe and unsafe.”
- “These environments combined with various lighting and distortion effects and ambient music complement the dreamlike atmosphere of the game well.”
- “The atmosphere is tense and creepy at times and all the poetry everywhere is also really cool, it fits well with the theme of the game.”
- “Low-fi aesthetics and atmosphere hint at something dark going on behind the curtain, but later it's revealed to be just philosophical ramblings.”
- “Can't help but feel it was supposed to be a horror game, in a way that a children's cartoon has jokes for adults, the colorful and cheery atmosphere could hide something very disturbing.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The game offers varying degrees of replayability, primarily through multiple endings and branching paths influenced by player choices. While some players find the replay value compelling enough to explore different outcomes, others feel that the experience can become repetitive and lacks significant differences upon subsequent playthroughs. Overall, the game's short length and achievement hunting may enhance replayability for some, but opinions vary on its overall depth and incentive to replay.
- “The game is short but offers replay value with multiple endings.”
- “Game probably will take you 6-7 hours in the most slow run, but because of the multiple endings and ways of finishing the game, it has lots of replay value.”
- “This strange realm of mine also features multiple endings based on choices you make in the game, adding plenty of replayability.”
- “A playthrough only takes about 2-3 hours, though there's some replayability (in theory anyway) through dialogue choices which can lead to different endings and even some levels being switched out for different ones.”
- “Pretty weird game that supposedly has a lot of replayability for branching paths, but I personally played through twice and didn't see much difference nor did I have much drive for a third.”
- “There is some replay value for the achievements, but not much other than that as the game is always the same and the different endings are a text-only verdict based on the player's choices.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have praised the game for its profound emotional impact, highlighting its beautiful poetry and dialogue that evoke a range of feelings from sadness to comfort. The blend of horror and wholesomeness creates a unique experience, with many noting it as a rare game that made them cry, leaving them feeling both touched and engaged throughout its brief duration.
- “Some of the stuff in this game also really made me think, and the poetry throughout was drop-dead beautiful and even made me cry at a few points.”
- “It's truly special and made me feel sad yet at peace the entire way through, and no other game has made me feel the same.”
- “First game that's made me cry in a long time.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating the clever details and funny elements woven throughout the levels. While some moments elicit both laughter and cringe, the overall comedic tone enhances the experience, making it engaging and enjoyable. Players also note that the humor complements the story and gameplay, adding to the game's charm.
- “Cool game, and I like the story and humorous elements... it made me laugh and sucked me in as well as had me glued to the edge of my chair in some of the FPS battles!”
- “I'm enjoying the little humorous bits I'm seeing scattered around the world - and all in all, I'm really glad I went ahead and gave this one a try.”
- “The enemies spooked me on occasion, I have to admit... there's a lot of funny details in the levels and the lighting specifically is always fantastic.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling that it drags on longer than necessary, detracting from the overall experience. While the difficulty levels offer some variety, the repetitive nature of certain tasks can make gameplay feel monotonous, despite the inclusion of a sprint feature to alleviate some of the boredom.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It was tedious and frustrating by the time I got to the ending.”
- “Some of it I relate to, but too often it goes on for far too long and becomes more tedious than interesting.”
- “Thankfully you can sprint in this, so that things don't get too tedious, but then you are forced to direct a blimp through mountains for five minutes while nothing happens.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game's optimization is generally praised, with smooth performance and impressive graphics, although some users report slight performance drops on larger levels, particularly on older systems like Windows 7 with a GTX 1080. Overall, it is considered a well-optimized indie shooter.
- “It runs smoothly & is just a great little indie game to play, highly recommend.”
- “Really fun shooter, the soundtrack is very well done as well as the graphics/optimization.”
- “- slight performance drops on larger levels with Windows 7 Pro x64 (using 1080 GTX)”
- “Slight performance drops on larger levels with Windows 7 Pro x64 (using GTX 1080).”
- “Really fun shooter, the soundtrack is very well done as well as the graphics/optimization, but around an hour in you get severely sick of reading extensive existential dialogue about psychology, mental health, religion, philosophy, and other tough subjects.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game's stability is inconsistent, with some experiencing bugs and default physics. However, the movement restrictions seem to prevent common glitches typically found in Unity games.
- “The game is incredibly buggy.”
- “I felt the physics were very 'default', but there were enough restrictions on movement that I couldn't initiate common Unity glitches.”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

This Strange Realm of Mine Review - I'm Gonna Let it Shine
Containing some really interesting philosophy between bouts of fun classic FPS gameplay, This Strange Realm of Mine is worth checking out.
Techraptor.net
80%

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4h Median play time

4h Average play time

3-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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This Strange Realm Of Mine is a shooter game with horror theme.

This Strange Realm Of Mine is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing This Strange Realm Of Mine.

This Strange Realm Of Mine was released on July 19, 2017.

This Strange Realm Of Mine was developed by Doomgriever.

This Strange Realm Of Mine has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

This Strange Realm Of Mine is a single player game.

Similar games include Scorn, INDIKA, Caligo, Yuppie Psycho, The Cat Lady and others.

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