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Utter a Name

Utter a Name Game Cover
92%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
replayability
92% User Score Based on 132 reviews

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Utter a Name Game Cover

About

Utter a Name is a single player action game. It was developed by evilalbert and was released on February 19, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Utter a Name is a challenging detective adventure with strong emphasis on atmosphere and investigation. Several disembodied souls linger in the premises of an old manor. The goal is to explore the vicinity for information, then deduce the identities of the souls and their murderers.

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92%
Audience ScoreBased on 132 reviews
story20 positive mentions
replayability2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a satisfying mystery experience with clever twists and a good level of challenge, reminiscent of Obra Dinn.
  • Players appreciate the lack of hand-holding, allowing for exploration and personal deduction, which enhances the overall engagement.
  • The atmosphere and storytelling are well-crafted, providing rewarding 'aha' moments as players piece together the narrative.
  • The controls and user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and interaction frustrating at times.
  • The visual style, while atmospheric, can make it difficult to distinguish between characters, leading to confusion during deduction.
  • The game is quite short, which may leave some players wanting more content and depth in the mystery.
  • story
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is a complex and intriguing puzzle that requires players to piece together clues, often leading to a satisfying conclusion despite initial confusion. While some players found the narrative compelling and engaging, others noted a lack of clarity and context, making it challenging to fully grasp the plot without taking notes or reading spoilers. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its depth and twists, though it may test players' deduction skills.

    • “The story that you unravel across the playtime is really compelling and you get the satisfying conclusion where all loose threads are tied up.”
    • “The way the story unfolded was very satisfying; I had an amazing 'aha!' moment when a certain scene was revealed, about what was actually going on...”
    • “Very interesting premise and super satisfying to slowly see the pieces come together to form the story.”
    • “The story is very confusing and very hard to catch at first.”
    • “The motive for this whole story is never explained well.”
    • “You’ll have to walk through the story several times until you fully understand it, and you’ll have to take notes.”
  • gameplay
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is reminiscent of "Return of the Obra Dinn," featuring a memory mechanic that challenges players to identify victims and killers, though it lacks sufficient guidance, leading to initial confusion. While the clues are generally well-telegraphed, some mechanics feel underutilized or clunky, particularly in UI interactions, which can detract from the experience. Overall, players appreciate the narrative and mystery elements, suggesting that the game is more about storytelling than refined gameplay mechanics.

    • “A good detective game, with similar gameplay to Return of the Obra Dinn.”
    • “The mechanics of the memories were interesting enough, the clues were fairly well-telegraphed (not too much, not opaque), and the story told throughout was neat.”
    • “The game mechanic is well thought through, making it a stress-free environment for players to focus on the mystery as opposed to cumbersome chores.”
    • “As with Obra Dinn, I struggled at the start of this game with trying to understand its mechanics; there is very little hand-holding here.”
    • “Clues are too easy, most interactables are pointless, and unfortunately it's made too easy by the fact a ludonarrative mechanic is set up and then basically not used; [spoiler] makes the solutions really unsatisfying because they're nearly all the same.[/spoiler]”
    • “The gameplay was clunky, particularly selecting sections of the screen to highlight and look at - often the character would be blocking what I had selected, or something would be plainly selectable (like the edge of the flashback frame) but I wouldn't be in the right place.”
  • graphics
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Utter a Name" are characterized by a monochrome pixelated art style that effectively conveys a dark and atmospheric tone, reminiscent of "Obra Dinn." However, many players find the lack of detail in the visuals detracts from gameplay, making it challenging to identify characters and understand key elements of the story. While some appreciate the minimalistic approach and its impact on gameplay, others feel it limits the overall experience.

    • “Utter a Name is a wonderfully dark, atmospheric, and clever mystery occult game, set in a monochrome pixel graphics old mansion full of ghosts and bodies; it is clearly a close cousin of the magnificent Obra Dinn.”
    • “It made that the black and white pixelated graphics add a lot to the gameplay by requiring you to be more observant than if it were colored or not pixelated.”
    • “Short but good little game in the style of Obra Dinn, with nice, simple visuals and nice enough sound design.”
    • “I love Obra Dinn, but that had detailed enough graphics to support the visual aspect of solving a mystery, whereas this game does not.”
    • “The story was interesting enough, but the gameplay and graphics detract from the whole experience.”
    • “One area in which Utter a Name suffered in comparison to Obra Dinn was in the detail of the artwork; the pixel graphics conveyed a wonderful sense of doom and dread, but were not quite sharp enough when trying to spot tiny details about clothing, hairstyles, etc. in order to try to identify individuals in the story, particularly when only a small part of them was visible.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive qualities, reminiscent of titles like "Obra Dinn" and "Golden Idol." Players appreciate the well-crafted visuals and sound design that enhance the eerie setting of a haunted mansion, while the blend of challenging puzzles and a clever narrative keeps the experience engaging. Overall, the game successfully balances a lighthearted tone with its darker themes, creating a captivating and atmospheric experience.

    • “Utter a Name is a wonderfully dark, atmospheric, and clever mystery occult game, set in a monochrome pixel graphics old mansion full of ghosts and bodies; it is clearly a close cousin of the magnificent Obra Dinn.”
    • “Well made, atmospheric; puzzles were challenging and fair.”
    • “The animations and atmosphere are really great: they keep the overall feel somewhat lighthearted despite the horror of the events that have unfolded.”
    • “There's not much I can go over, due to the small scope of the game: the visuals are great and hold the atmosphere, the controls are lovably clunky, and the information of the game is generally presented well, aside from a hiccup or two (what those are depends on who you ask).”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, particularly due to its short length and the nature of puzzle games. While some players found value in the experience, others felt the price might be high given the lack of incentive to replay. The inventory system enhances playability, but navigation issues detract from the overall experience.

    • “I felt it was worth my money, though I'm sure this won't apply to everyone due to how short it is and the lack of replayability inherent to puzzle games like this.”
    • “Since there's no replayability, the price might be a little high, but it's cheaper and more interesting than going to a two-hour movie.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional impact of the game is mixed; while some players felt underwhelmed by the ending, many appreciated the well-crafted narrative and the satisfaction of piecing together the story, which led to moments of genuine emotional resonance.

    • “However, once you start connecting the different dots, it's super satisfying and, dare I say, even a bit emotional at times.”
    • “Still, the story is well told for the little exposition there is, and the game made me feel smart for figuring it out.”
  • music
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is praised for creating a nice ambiance, effectively enhancing the atmosphere with a creepy yet unobtrusive quality, only becoming prominent during key moments.

    • “The music was creepy but unobtrusive except during times when it was relevant.”
    • “Nice ambience and music.”
    • “The music was creepy but unobtrusive, except during times when it was relevant.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Utter a Name is a action game.

Utter a Name is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

Utter a Name was released on February 19, 2025.

Utter a Name was developed by evilalbert.

Utter a Name has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Utter a Name is a single player game.

Similar games include A Case of Fraud, The Case of the Golden Idol, Return of the Obra Dinn, The Painscreek Killings, Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game and others.