Traitors in Salem
- September 14, 2022
- BlankMediaGames
- 33h median play time
Get on Steam"Traitors in Salem" is an online multiplayer game for up to 15 players, where Town members must uncover and banish the evil Traitors who are possessed by dark magic. Each player is assigned a unique role with special abilities, ranging from revealing one's innocence to tracking down killers. Town members must complete quests or eliminate the Traitors to restore peace, while Traitors aim to disrupt the Town's progress.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game combines elements of Town of Salem and Among Us, providing a unique social deduction experience.
- The variety of roles and tasks keeps gameplay interesting and engaging.
- Proximity voice chat enhances the social interaction and adds a fun dynamic to the game.
- The player base is very small, making it difficult to find matches, especially in public lobbies.
- Many roles feel unbalanced or underwhelming, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- The game lacks essential features like a tutorial and a friends list, which hinders the overall experience.
- gameplay128 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of "Town of Salem" mechanics with "Among Us" style, featuring various roles that can significantly alter the game dynamics. While many players appreciate the unique mechanics and graphics, the experience is marred by a lack of active lobbies, repetitive gameplay, and some unbalanced roles. Overall, it offers potential for fun and engaging sessions, but the current state of the game, including bugs and a dwindling player base, limits its appeal.
“The gameplay is among us plus - great graphics, great gameplay, great music, and the fact that there are many different roles make the game super fun.”
“Great mechanics, fun roles - every game is unique!”
“This game is a really fun game to play, it has some unique mechanics that distinguish itself from the rest of the games like this.”
“I was excited about this after watching some gameplay footage, but the lobbies are completely dead so I can't even try the game other than tutorial mode.”
“Wouldn't recommend for buggy and repetitive gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very repetitive and that is noticed within 1 round (at least for me).”
- story48 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and lacks depth, primarily revolving around a series of quests that players can undertake, often leading to chaotic and unpredictable outcomes. Players express frustration with the quest mechanics, including issues with timing and guidance, which can hinder gameplay and create confusion. Overall, while the randomness of quests adds some enjoyment, the lack of a cohesive narrative and clear objectives detracts from the overall experience.
“I really enjoy the randomness of the quests and the ability to pick up additional quests to support your team if other people do not do theirs.”
“Moral of the story, you never know what life holds in store for you, and if I would have given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“With in-built proxy voice chat and the fact that you can move around and do quests makes it an enjoyable experience.”
“So... the game.... you walk to a mansion to get a quest, only to realize that someone died in the 10 seconds it took you to walk there. Someone also managed to find and report the body, 10 seconds were spent since the last town meeting and you couldn't even accept a quest before another one gets called. Inherently bad game design.”
“To illustrate that: I was simply unable to reach a quest item during the entire game because each time someone triggered the end of the round in less than 30 seconds.”
“I get it's a beta release so there isn't a ton of content or maybe it's because the map is small, but for my first couple of matches I found myself having the same exact quests and there was hardly any deception going around as most of the time people stick together to prove they can't kill or just all agree on someone and just see what happens after voting them.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback, with many users praising the charming art style reminiscent of "Town of Salem" and improved visuals compared to similar titles like "Among Us." While the overall aesthetic is considered visually pleasing and fun, some players noted that there are minor graphical bugs and rough edges typical of a beta version. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, enhancing the gameplay experience with vibrant character designs and engaging environments.
“The graphics and characters are great, as are the roles and spells.”
“Charming graphics with new interesting roles and voice mechanics really feels like a breath of fresh air.”
“Great art style and interesting roles that keep the rounds interesting and full of twists.”
“Graphics and coding is a bit rough around the edges, but that is to be expected of a beta.”
“I suppose the graphics are better, but that's to be expected.”
“Remember, the golden idea: get this among us game somewhat finished, somewhat fast enough and immediately start working on the updated version of Town of Salem with the original mechanics, possibly more roles, game modes, nicer graphics.”
- humor34 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from player interactions, particularly in voice chat, where spontaneous moments and role-playing can lead to amusing experiences. However, some players express concerns about inappropriate behavior, such as racism and disruptive antics, which can detract from the fun. Overall, while the community can be chaotic, many find joy in the funny moments shared with others, especially in custom lobbies.
“I wish it were more populated, nevertheless, the great community honestly makes most of the fun the funny moments with other players.”
“The death notes, however, served as a way to be cheeky or funny with your kills or expose someone as being evil or suspicious as an evil person yourself.”
“Traitors in Salem has been very fun, laughing with and making friends with tons of people in custom lobbies, and just chilling and enjoying the time.”
- stability28 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many players reporting frequent and game-breaking bugs that hinder gameplay, including issues with logging in and character mechanics. While some acknowledge that occasional glitches are expected in a beta, the overall sentiment suggests that the game is currently too unstable for a smooth experience. Despite its potential, the persistent bugs significantly detract from enjoyment and functionality.
“A game that's too buggy to even launch for me has left beta?”
“Glitches and issues are frequent, some being so gamebreaking you can't do anything but type/talk.”
“I log into Among Us to find that the login is buggy; I can't log into the games because for some reason they don't refresh. If they fill up in the one second it takes for me to click it, I have to wait for three seconds to be told that I can't do that, then I can try again. I can scroll down and find a lobby that is going to have the exact opposite problem; I immediately join and no one else will for the next five minutes.”
- monetization24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is primarily based on cosmetic microtransactions, which can also be earned through gameplay, allowing for a fair grind. However, the lack of advertising has severely limited the player base, leading to a decline in activity and dissatisfaction among players who feel misled by the developers regarding future support and promotional efforts. Overall, while the monetization system is not exploitative, the game's viability is hindered by poor marketing and a stagnant community.
“Everything that can be bought with microtransactions can also be earned through gameplay, and it's only cosmetic items.”
“The in-app purchase system is handled far better than other games, making it easy to grind for cosmetics, which are the only items you can spend currency on. Paying money only really expedites the process.”
“The 'free to play' aspect serves as a demo, encouraging players to try it out and buy the full version if they enjoy it.”
“Devs dropped the game 1 month after its release and clearly lied about its future and the promised advertisement.”
“Great game, but the player base is beyond dead, and the 'free to play' aspect is essentially a demo, with it wanting you to try it like that and buy the full version if you like it. The in-app purchase system is handled far better than Town of Salem; in this, it is not hard to grind for cosmetics, and cosmetics are the only thing you can spend currency on. Paying money only really expedites the process.”
“The lack of advertising means there are few new players joining, and with no new content since the 'full release' (aka making the awful classic mode free), the game has just taken a nosedive in activity.”
- music18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as satisfying and peaceful, while others find it overwhelming at times, particularly at the start. Menu music is noted as a highlight, but the overall experience can be marred by disruptive player interactions. While many appreciate the game's soundtrack, there are calls for more variety and content to enhance the musical experience.
“The gameplay is among us plus - great graphics, great gameplay, great music, and the fact that there are many different roles make the game super fun.”
“The music is very satisfying and peaceful and one of the things I like is that it feels slightly less intense than Town of Salem; however, not everyone seems to like that.”
“A lot of ignorant people overtalking each other, people screaming, people spamming music or sound effects through their mics in an attempt to be funny and fit in with their cliques.”
“However, when you first start the game, lower the volume; that huge start to the song blew my freaking ears off.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes to this music long enough to realize that I was going to be okay.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often comparing it to playing a casual mobile game for extended periods. The requirement to invest significant time—around 19 hours for basic rewards—combined with uninspired quests and lackluster shop offerings, detracts from the overall experience. While the game's design and graphics receive praise, the mechanics and role effectiveness leave much to be desired.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The tedious grind for town points (you have to play for around 19 hours to have enough for a skin/pet).”
“This is shallow and really uninspired; 'quests' are boring and tedious, the only engaging part of it is during the trial of the accused.”
“The tasks are tedious and repetitive; you'll feel like you're playing Candy Crush for 50% of the time you're playing this game as town, and be wishing you were playing traitor.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive qualities, though some players feel that the competitive ranked environment can create a tense atmosphere that detracts from enjoyment. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a strong point, enhancing the gaming experience despite the challenges posed by competitive play.
“I really wish that more people were playing it, but I absolutely love the atmosphere of this game!”
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive and adds so much depth to the overall experience.”
“The game's atmosphere creates a unique and captivating environment that keeps you engaged.”
“But that's honestly fine, as the sweaty atmosphere that ranked tends to conjure isn't always conducive for a fun or interesting game.”
- character development4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its appealing and innovative design, highlighting the fun style and great integration with the game's map. Overall, the character design is seen as a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience.
“The new character design is cool.”
“Great map and character design in a fun style.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a strong emotional response to the vulnerability of small indie developers sharing their creations, often evoking feelings of empathy and heartbreak from players. This sentiment underscores the personal investment and passion behind indie games, making their reception particularly poignant.
