Unheard

While Unheard stumbles through a few technical issues, it’s premise alone makes it thoroughly enjoyable. Though short, every minute of Unheard is packed with intrigue and there’s something immensely satisfying about having that ah-ha moment when all the pieces click together.

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"Unheard" is a single-player Horror Role Playing game with an intriguing story and outstanding gameplay, featuring fabulous graphics and a dense atmosphere. The game offers a unique non-linear audio-driven gameplay experience, but it is not very replayable and can be quite grinding. The first paid DLC, "Dark Fortune Teller," is now available with Chinese audio and text.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,513 reviews

story242 positive mentions

replayability22 negative mentions

Unique gameplay that relies solely on audio to solve mysteries, providing a fresh experience in the detective genre.
Engaging and well-written stories with interesting plot twists that keep players invested.
Good voice acting that adds to the immersion, despite some characters being a bit over the top.

The game is relatively short, taking only about 4-6 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more.
Some voice acting can be cheesy or exaggerated, detracting from the overall experience.
Lack of subtitles makes the game inaccessible for players with hearing difficulties, limiting its audience.

story
695 mentions
35 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its unique narrative structure that relies heavily on audio to piece together various character perspectives. While some found the individual cases engaging and well-written, others criticized the overarching plot as convoluted and lacking cohesion, leading to a sense of disappointment by the end. Overall, the storytelling is seen as innovative but could benefit from more depth and additional content to fully realize its potential.
- “The story, the levels, and the way everything ties together was amazing.”
- “I loved the way this game's story was put together, with each character's perspective adding depth to the narrative.”
- “The story is interesting and keeps you on your toes, with plot twists that are both surprising and satisfying.”
- “These mysteries are written poorly and the overarching 'story', which barely exists, is garbage.”
- “The overarching plot in the game is rather convoluted and degrades the charm of the individual mysteries.”
- “The story is nonsensical but really exciting; the English voice acting is way over the top, though.”
gameplay
457 mentions
40 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Unheard" is characterized by its unique audio-based detective mechanics, where players listen to conversations to piece together narratives and solve mysteries. While many reviewers praised the innovative concept and engaging puzzles, some noted that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth as the game progresses, leading to a decline in interest. Overall, the game offers a fresh take on the detective genre, though its brevity and reliance on audio may limit accessibility for some players.
- “The gameplay itself is also very fun as uncovering the truth about each case feels rewarding.”
- “The game offers a unique experience, blending mystery-solving with an audio-based detective mechanic.”
- “The gameplay loop is really interesting as you watch recordings over and over again from different points of view to reconstruct crime scenes.”
- “The gameplay ends up being pretty boring about 30% into the game.”
- “While this had a lot of potential to create interesting mysteries, the game failed to utilize its core mechanic in any meaningful way and, even putting mechanics aside, never managed to create mysteries that were interesting in any way.”
- “The main problem with the gameplay is the lack of interactivity.”
replayability
73 mentions
11 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has very low replayability, typical for detective and puzzle genres, as players generally know the outcomes after the first playthrough. While some users appreciated the engaging story and unique experience, they noted that once the mystery is solved, there is little incentive to replay, aside from achievements or minor variations in endings. Despite its short length and lack of replay value, many still recommend it for its immersive initial experience.
- “The multiple perspectives provided by different audio sources contribute to the game's replayability.”
- “I do wish this was a longer game, but the multiple endings do add some replay value.”
- “Fantastically innovative game that gives new meaning to 'replayability'.”
- “Unfortunately, there's little to no replay value here.”
- “The only downside I have about this game is that it doesn't last very long and once you solve all the puzzles, there is no replay value because you already figured everything out.”
- “As far as I can tell, there's no real replayability which might be a turn off, but there's two free DLCs (only one of which is in English at the moment, but I assume it'll be translated eventually).”
graphics
72 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are predominantly simple and minimalistic, effectively complementing its focus on audio and narrative rather than visual spectacle. While some players appreciate the clean and appealing art style, others note that the visuals are not the main draw, serving primarily to support the gameplay experience. Overall, the understated graphics are well-received for their ability to enhance the game's atmosphere and storytelling without overwhelming the player.
- “The graphics are very simple, though they work very well with the type of game this is.”
- “The artwork is exceptionally well done, keeping things simple enough to be imaginative but easy on the eyes.”
- “The graphics for the style of the game suit it really well.”
- “The game's graphics aren't really much to look at.”
- “Although Unheard delivers a high-quality auditory experience, the game is weak in terms of graphics.”
- “This being a game based on sound, don’t expect much graphically.”
grinding
40 mentions
8 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its repetitiveness and tedium, particularly due to the need to replay lengthy audio recordings multiple times to gather clues. While some players appreciate the intriguing premise and puzzle elements, many find the experience frustratingly monotonous, with comments highlighting the lack of varied playback options and the overwhelming amount of dialogue to sift through. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable but marred by its grindy nature.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second live for grinding.”
- “A tad bit grindy.”
- “I enjoyed coming up with conclusions on my own and discovering the truth in the end was always satisfying, but having to listen to and rewind the same 10-minute recording over and over while staring at a pale blue screen can definitely become tedious very fast.”
- “The premise of the game is interesting, but the execution felt tedious.”
- “It can get tedious as hell having to listen to the same 5-7+ minute long clip over and over and over 7+ times just to hear all the different rooms, not to mention any re-listens to double check facts.”
atmosphere
31 mentions
45 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent audio design and engaging visuals that create a creepy and suspenseful environment. While many players find the atmosphere captivating and integral to the experience, some note that the narrative may falter towards the end, potentially diminishing the overall impact. Overall, the combination of sound, art, and storytelling effectively draws players into a thrilling and atmospheric experience.
- “The audio quality is excellent, with atmospheric background sounds that draw you deeper into the experience.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic.”
- “The game oozes atmosphere as well, due in part to some solid voice acting and storytelling.”
- “The whole atmosphere of the game tries to convince you that something creepy is or will happen, but without much substance.”
- “So the horror atmosphere and dark vibes didn't pay off.”
- “While the story starts off strong and pulls you in with its creepy atmosphere, the later parts show glaring flaws that might hinder your enjoyment of the game or in the worst-case lead to you giving up on it completely.”
music
28 mentions
18 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players describing it as haunting, thrilling, and fitting for a detective narrative. While some found the music to be occasionally underwhelming or overshadowed by other elements, the majority appreciated the soundtrack's contribution to the game's immersive experience. Overall, the voice acting and sound design complement the music well, creating a compelling audio landscape that players enjoy.
- “The music is creepy and haunting in all the right ways, and steam achievements are easy to 100% complete.”
- “The music, voice acting, and point-and-click nature were all excellently executed, and the increasingly complex audio puzzles were fantastic.”
- “Music is thrilling, makes the whole game like a real detective movie.”
- “The music is okay at times, but that's not enough to keep you wanting to play the game.”
- “Video games, unable to properly replicate touch, taste, and scent, are left with only sight and sound yet have overwhelmingly directed their efforts to the former, normally relegating sound to some music to set the mood or producing sound effects to enhance what's already on the screen.”
- “Just need to make sure you can't listen to your own background music when playing this game.”
optimization
18 mentions
22 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally solid, with smooth performance noted, though Mac users may need to lower resolution settings to avoid lag. The voice acting is mostly competent, featuring strong performances that enhance character distinction, but some exaggerated or untrained deliveries detract from the overall experience, especially given the game's reliance on audio storytelling. While the majority of the cast delivers well, a few performances fall flat, highlighting inconsistencies in the voice acting quality.
- “The stories and voice performance were compelling, and there was a solid amount of content for the price of the game.”
- “The game also runs smoothly; however, it may be better for Mac users to lower the resolution in the settings to prevent the game from lagging at certain points.”
- “Great voiceovers: performances are natural and bring the player into the world.”
- “It's not the worst ever, it just feels 'untrained' and it makes a game based entirely around voices and character performances uncomfortable to play.”
- “Not that all the performances are bad, but with the amount of lines and characters present in each given location, there are going to be voice acting problems.”
- “I'd say about 90% of the English-speaking actors do a good job, but a few give stale or overly dramatic performances.”
emotional
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging, with immersive storytelling and effective audio design that enhances the experience. While some appreciate the emotional peaks and the feeling of being a detective, others express a desire for deeper emotional impact and more nuanced writing, leading to mixed feelings about overall satisfaction.
- “It reached the emotional peak at the last second and made me cry a little.”
- “I don't know exactly why it made me feel the way it did - but I love this game so much.”
- “So while I definitely support the experimental puzzle concept, for a game that is dialogue-driven to be interesting, I need nuanced writing and emotionally engaging acting.”
humor
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its over-the-top voice acting and intentionally poor writing, which some players find amusing despite its flaws. Many reviews highlight the meta-jokes and corny delivery that elicit laughter, even if the humor often stems from the game's shortcomings. Overall, while opinions on the voice acting vary, it contributes to a comedic experience that some players appreciate.
- “The English voice acting is pretty funny, comically over the top with weight added to random syllables for no real reason, but I assume this is to make it easier for non-native speakers.”
- “Also, many of the voiceovers are enthusiastic to the point of being corny, and sometimes even downright laughable, although laughing is a good thing.”
- “Funny and creative stories.”
stability
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, while players experienced some visual glitches and screen flashing, the gameplay itself was stable with no significant issues reported. The game is relatively short, typically taking around 3-5 hours to complete.
- “Gameplay-wise, I ran into no glitches or issues. Despite the game being quite short to completion, which may vary for some, I'd say 3-5 hours would be the general amount expected.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or bugs, providing a stable experience throughout.”
- “I was impressed by the overall stability of the game; it maintained a consistent frame rate and responsiveness.”
- “There's also some flashing on the screen and visual glitches, which is an uncomfortable surprise.”
- “Gameplay-wise, I ran into no glitches or issues, but the overall stability could be improved.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users generally feel that the monetization model is acceptable, especially if they acquired the game through advertisements, suggesting that the price point aligns well with their expectations.
- “The monetization model feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “I find the in-game purchases to be overpriced and not worth the value they provide.”
- “The constant push for microtransactions really detracts from the overall experience.”