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Wayward Manor

For a game with such a well established author behind it, Wayward Manor is a little disappointing. However it is quite endearing. Perhaps a game to be played with your children, rather than viewing it as a fully fledged puzzle game.
Wayward Manor Game Cover
41%Game Brain Score
story, music
gameplay, graphics
40% User Score Based on 63 reviews
Critic Score 42%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSWindows
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Wayward Manor Game Cover

About

Wayward Manor is a single player casual puzzle game with horror, fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by Moonshark, Inc. and was released on July 15, 2014. It received neutral reviews from critics and negative reviews from players.

Wayward Manor invites you to jump into the afterlife of a disgruntled ghost, trying to reclaim his house from its newfound owners. Set in the 1920s, this puzzle/adventure game transports players to an era of dark screwball comedy where they must unlock the secrets of a twisted mansion. Players will discover the quirks of Wayward Manor’s unwelcome guests and choose how to prey on their darkest fear…

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Wayward Manor screenshot
Wayward Manor screenshot
Wayward Manor screenshot
Wayward Manor screenshot
Wayward Manor screenshot
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40%
Audience ScoreBased on 63 reviews
story12 positive mentions
gameplay7 negative mentions
  • Neil Gaiman's narration adds charm and character to the game, providing a unique storytelling element.
  • The game features cute character designs and quirky humor that can be enjoyable, especially for younger audiences.
  • There are moments of fun and creativity in the puzzles, with some players finding replay value in achieving perfect runs.
  • The gameplay is repetitive and simplistic, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging experience.
  • The graphics and overall presentation are dated and lack polish, leading to a visually unappealing experience.
  • Numerous bugs and glitches hinder gameplay, with some players unable to progress past certain levels due to technical issues.
  • story
    51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Wayward Manor," penned by Neil Gaiman, has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment in its execution. While some appreciate the unique premise and Gaiman's signature style, others criticize the narrative as weak, lacking depth, and feeling tacked on to the gameplay. Overall, the story fails to engage players fully, overshadowed by gameplay issues and a lack of cohesive flow.

    • “The characters each have a distinct personality which makes them unique, and what ties the individual levels together is a short story written for this game by none other than Neil Gaiman.”
    • “Good story, Neil Gaiman's writing is always a pleasure.”
    • “The story is fun enough: you take on the role of a recently released ghost who needs to spook the living inhabitants of Wayward Manor to make them leave, with the manor itself guiding you through the point and click style levels to take back the house.”
    • “Overall, it is a simple, boring story without any charm to it, making it genuinely surprising that Gaiman was the author behind it.”
    • “The story seems like it could have been really interesting... such a shame that it was completely eclipsed by the soul-crushing monotony of the gameplay.”
    • “Sadly, the biggest disappointment for me was Wayward Manor's story.”
  • gameplay
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Wayward Manor" has been widely criticized for its repetitive and shallow mechanics, primarily revolving around simple point-and-click puzzles that lack creativity and depth. Many reviewers noted the execution feels rushed and buggy, detracting from the overall experience, despite some appreciation for the story and art. Overall, the gameplay fails to engage players, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration.

    • “Put all of those things together into the gameplay style (point & click, puzzler) and voilà: you have a fun game!”
    • “The gameplay was simple, a point and click combination puzzle game that didn't have me frustrated by level 2 due to some overly complicated design.”
    • “All in all, the focus was more on the fun gameplay than bogging the player down with too much story.”
    • “There is just no cleverness to any of the gameplay, and while the idea behind this is solid, it quickly becomes clear the odd gentlemen couldn’t think of a good way to implement it in the actual game.”
    • “The gameplay is mind-numbing.”
    • “Sadly due to limited gameplay with many puzzles just reusing the same items over and over again; broken puzzles, and game-breaking glitches galore, I cannot recommend the game.”
  • graphics
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many reviewers describing them as outdated and reminiscent of low-quality titles from the PS2 era. While some appreciate the unique Victorian-inspired art style and find it charming, the execution is often criticized for being poorly rendered, glitchy, and lacking depth. Overall, the visuals are seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the game's potential despite its interesting narrative elements.

    • “Cute art style and some fun bits of narration.”
    • “However, I see that it is all based on Victorian style cartooning, so it's not supposed to look pretty by today's standards; it's supposed to look the way it does, and I find that it's quite charming.”
    • “The graphics, although not up to the quality of some of the larger titles, have character and style.”
    • “The visuals are just bad and look like they belong in a shovelware title for the PS2.”
    • “In a gaming world that focuses on high-quality landscapes and frames per second, Wayward Manor looks as though it was made at the time of PlayStation 2 level graphics, with boxy objects and poorly stretched textures leaving much to be desired by modern gaming’s visual standards.”
    • “Gaiman's delightful narration and the haunted mansion/trap concept aren't enough to overcome extremely repetitive gameplay and ugly graphics.”
  • music
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its haunting tone and atmospheric quality, while others find it repetitive and forgettable. Many noted that the soundtrack lacks depth and variety, leading to irritation over time. Overall, while the music complements the game's design, it fails to leave a lasting impression for a significant number of players.

    • “The characters are funny, the game is easy to play, very well designed, and the music is nice (but sometimes a little repetitive).”
    • “Its a very good game; it's simple and fun to play, the characters are funny, and the music complements the game.”
    • “The music had a nice haunting (but not quite scary) tone, which was pretty cool, too.”
    • “Similarly, the musical score is entirely forgettable and even Gaiman’s narration feels bored and uninterested.”
    • “Music and sound effects get very repetitive.”
    • “Both the visuals and soundtrack lack any real depth; there's no soul in the game's characters and no atmosphere in the soundtrack.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous users reporting significant visual glitches, poorly timed animations, and game-breaking bugs that severely impact gameplay. While some players found minor issues tolerable, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by instability, making it nearly unplayable for many.

    • “The game runs smoothly without any noticeable bugs.”
    • “I haven't encountered any crashes or glitches during my playtime.”
    • “The performance is solid, providing a stable experience throughout.”
    • “Weird little visual miscues are found throughout the entire game, with poorly timed animations or mistakes so bad they might as well be glitches.”
    • “Really cool game, but it's so incredibly buggy that it's nearly unplayable.”
    • “Sadly, due to limited gameplay with many puzzles just reusing the same items over and over again; broken puzzles and game-breaking glitches galore, I cannot recommend the game.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers solid replayability through the pursuit of perfect runs, random objectives, and challenging achievements, making it appealing for players seeking a clever, family-friendly puzzle experience. While it is relatively short, it provides enough variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “There is replay value if you want a perfect run.”
    • “Random objectives give the game replay value.”
    • “The game is short, but has solid replay value and is good for a quick break.”
    • “Some replayability with the achievements as well, but they're awfully tough to get them all.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its humor, with hilarious dialogues and funny characters that enhance the overall experience. Players find it easy to play and well-designed, with music that, while occasionally repetitive, complements the fun atmosphere.

    • “It's a fun game and the dialogues are hilarious.”
    • “The characters are funny, the game is easy to play, very well designed, and the music is nice (but sometimes a little repetitive).”
    • “It's a very good game; it's simple and fun to play, the characters are funny, and the music complements the game.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly for adults or near-adults, as the puzzles may be too easy and lack challenge, leading to a repetitive experience.

    • “The puzzles; if you're an adult or near adult, then I imagine this game will be rather easy and will just become tedious to you.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
    • “After a while, the constant need to grind for resources becomes more of a chore than an enjoyable part of the game.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is criticized for featuring unlikable and unattractive designs, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players find the character designs enjoyable and appreciate the novelty of certain tricks during initial playthroughs, the lack of depth and unexpected elements leads to a sense of stagnation in character growth.

    • “Character designs are unlikable and unattractive.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag; while some users appreciate the haunted mansion-like ambiance created by the art style and music, others criticize the visuals and soundtrack for lacking depth and emotional resonance. Overall, the game's atmosphere is seen as having potential but ultimately falls short in execution.

    • “The art style, music, and minimal writing create a beautifully haunting mansion-like atmosphere.”
    • “Both the visuals and soundtrack lack any real depth; there's no soul in the game's characters and no atmosphere in the soundtrack.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth and charm, with reviewers finding the story simple and boring, which is unexpected given the author's reputation.

    • “Overall, it is a simple, boring story without any charm to it, making it genuinely surprising that Gaiman was the author behind it.”
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42%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Wayward Manor is a casual puzzle game with horror, fantasy and historical themes.

Wayward Manor is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

Wayward Manor was released on July 15, 2014.

Wayward Manor was developed by Moonshark, Inc..

Wayward Manor has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Wayward Manor is a single player game.

Similar games include Four Sided Fantasy, Broken Age, Whispering Willows, The Dream Machine, Stories Untold and others.