TRAFFIC

About

TRAFFIC is a single player survival simulation game with horror and thriller themes. It was developed by zzzlaud and was released on September 1, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

"TRAFFIC" is a first-person psychological horror game set in Wyoming during the 2008 economic recession. Players control a troubled child in a family of three, dealing with internal and external stresses. The game features a gripping story of trauma, with players piecing together the narrative through dialogue and environmental details. Secure your home, communicate with parents, and do chores while experiencing gut-wrenching tension and horrifying events.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews

story5 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The game features nice visuals and a creepy atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
It offers a unique and thought-provoking story that tackles serious themes, making it more than just a typical horror game.
Despite its short length, the game delivers effective scares and unsettling moments that leave a lasting impression.

The gameplay can be confusing and buggy, with players often getting stuck or unsure of what to do next.
The storyline is vague and lacks clarity, leading to frustration and a lack of understanding of key plot points.
The Halloween event is considered poorly executed and detracts from the overall experience of the main game.

story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
68%
12%
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it confusing and muddled, particularly towards the end. While some appreciate the atmosphere and the dark themes of domestic abuse and surrealism, others feel that the narrative lacks clarity and coherence, leaving much open to interpretation. Overall, the unsettling and disturbing elements contribute to an engaging experience, despite the story's shortcomings.
- “While I was a little confused at times as to what exactly was happening in the story, I have to say it was a very enjoyable experience.”
- “It feels like the story may have been left to some form of interpretation, but the constant tension of not exactly knowing what to do or what was going to happen was wonderful!”
- “Traffic is an indie horror title with a surrealist approach to telling a very dark story about a family.”
- “My main gripe is that the storyline doesn't make much sense towards the end.”
- “Clunky gameplay and the story was kind of haphazardly put together.”
- “I don't even know too much of what happened, as the story is kind of muddled and the most in-depth plot explanation is that:”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players appreciating the retro PS1/PS2 style and low-poly aesthetics. The visuals effectively contribute to the game's creepy ambiance, immersing players in a mysterious and unsettling environment. While some found the graphics occasionally unclear, they generally align well with the horror genre and are praised for their artistic style.
- “Pretty good game with nice visuals, well worth a play for low poly horror fans!”
- “The graphics match the atmosphere.”
- “Story lost me a bit towards the end but the atmosphere and art style is amazing.”
- “This is a free-to-play, short horror game with old-school graphics and plenty of scares.”
- “Visually, we have a game going for the old PS1/PS2 style with retro graphics that are at times somewhat unclear but mostly add to the atmosphere here pretty well.”
- “It's atmosphere is definitely creepy and as always I'm a sucker for PS1 graphics, so I can't hate on the audio-visual department.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, enhanced by retro PS1-style graphics and sound design that evoke a sense of mystery and fear of the unknown. While some players found the storyline confusing and noted occasional technical issues, the overall ambiance effectively keeps players on edge, making it a recommended experience for fans of atmospheric indie games.
- “Recommended, I loved the atmosphere in which the game immerses you. I liked the graphic style, which is slowly being adopted in more and more indies of this genre. If I can make a criticism, the storyline is a little too confusing and mixes up a little too much, but maybe this confusion was precisely the creator's objective, leaving you with that aura of mystery like 'I'm not understanding what the heck is happening, what's still waiting for me,' and therefore triggering that classic fear of the unknown.”
- “The atmosphere and the jumpscares were incredible, to be honest.”
- “This game has tons of atmosphere and will have you looking over your shoulders at all times.”
- “The jumpscares are not really powerful, but the atmosphere is really creepy.”
- “It's atmosphere is definitely creepy and as always I'm a sucker for PS1 graphics, so I can't hate on the audio-visual department.”
- “Visually we have a game going for the old PS1/2 style with retro graphics, that are at times somewhat unclear but mostly add to the atmosphere here pretty well.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for various glitches and bugs that disrupt gameplay, leading to frustration and a loss of immersion in the horror experience. While some players found the atmosphere engaging and worth the price, the technical issues detracted from the overall enjoyment, with reports of unclear mechanics and instances where progress was halted. Overall, the game is seen as a mixed bag, offering a good experience despite its stability problems.
- “It's a frustrating experience that took me out of what I truly saw as a good horror experience. As of now, it's just buggy where you have to basically know exactly what to do or the game is going to freak out and just no longer let you progress. Each restart just removed all the tension that was built, and all the horror was simply replaced by frustration.”
- “Truly scary, but it's kind of buggy.”
- “There are also some glitches I'm not sure were intended.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The gameplay is characterized as clunky and reminiscent of a walking simulator, where players navigate through a series of random objectives and chores while experiencing a disjointed story. The overall experience is marked by limited interactivity and key hunts, contributing to a sense of aimlessness.
- “The gameplay of 'Traffic' follows a walking simulator-like experience where you wander around your house, carrying out chores, watching the disturbing events of the story unfold, and doing some limited key hunts.”
- “Clunky gameplay and the story was kind of haphazardly put together.”
- “The gameplay is basically another 'walking simulator' where you follow through random objectives.”
- “The gameplay of traffic follows a walking simulator-like experience where you wander around your house, carrying out chores, watching the disturbing events of the story unfold, and doing some limited key hunts.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to manage it effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it still feels like I'm nowhere near my goal.”