Welcome to the Game
- June 15, 2016
- Reflect Studios
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam"Welcome to the Game" is a horror-themed, first-person perspective psychological thriller. The player navigates the dark web, facing various challenges and moral dilemmas, while avoiding being caught by a mysterious entity known as The Follower. The game features jump scares, puzzles, and a unique online multiplayer mode that allows interaction with real players.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- gameplay196 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title presents a unique blend of hacking mechanics and psychological horror, set against the backdrop of the dark web. While some players appreciate the atmosphere and challenging puzzles, many criticize the gameplay for being slow, repetitive, and at times tedious, with mechanics that can feel arbitrary or poorly explained. Overall, the game offers an intriguing concept but suffers from execution issues that detract from the overall experience.
“The gameplay is the best part of this game with the exploration of the websites and the few stories presented.”
“With its atmospheric design, challenging puzzles, and a constant sense of impending danger, it offers a compelling and memorable journey for players who enjoy psychological horror and unconventional gameplay.”
“Nice gameplay and story progression, really interesting attention to details and definitely worth trying out.”
“Unfortunately after the first few tries, the game becomes very repetitive and in particular the mechanics around the kidnapper and the breather stop being scary and start being tedious.”
“Most of the gameplay is not engaging and tricky, like I expect from a 'hacking' game.”
“On the downside, the gameplay is unrealistic, there are some frustrating issues with the mechanics, it's hard, and some segments of the game boil down to boring idle web browsing.”
- atmosphere110 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its intense and immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension through realistic graphics, sound design, and thematic elements related to horror and the dark web. Players report feeling genuinely scared and engaged, with many noting that the atmosphere enhances the overall gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is recognized as one of the scariest experiences available, particularly for fans of psychological horror.
“The small things like atmospheric noises add another layer to the tension, on top of having to listen for audio clues of one of the enemies attacking you.”
“With its atmospheric design, challenging puzzles, and a constant sense of impending danger, it offers a compelling and memorable journey for players who enjoy psychological horror and unconventional gameplay.”
“It really puts you in the atmosphere of being home alone and searching through creepy content on the deep web with that feeling of someone watching you.”
“The creepy atmosphere is pretty much gone after you encounter the first scary event; you know what to expect the next time you play.”
“But you don't get to savor the atmosphere as you are busy clicking around like a madman and plotting your next router reset.”
“It gives me genuine paranoia and anxiety that there might be someone sneaking around the house, and the atmosphere is so thick!”
- graphics68 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the atmospheric and detailed environments, especially after updates, while others criticize the basic character models and overall simplicity. Many appreciate the horror elements enhanced by the graphic content, though some note that the graphics are not top-tier but still effective for the game's purpose. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the gameplay experience, despite some calls for improved animations and realism.
“The graphics are fairly good, the atmosphere is extremely well-done, and the gameplay is horrifyingly realistic.”
“This game is awesome; it has such good graphics!”
“So far this game is amazing: great graphics, great atmosphere, very scary, and all the deep web references are spot on.”
“The graphics are pretty basic in this game.”
“Not top shelf graphics, but we aren't playing NES either.”
“From the ridiculous movement controls, to the outlandish premise behind the 'deep web' to the awful graphics, unrealistic hacks and everything else in between.”
- story52 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around a player navigating the deep web to find eight hidden keys that lead to a notorious "red room," associated with horror themes of torture and murder. While some players appreciate the unique concept and atmosphere, many criticize the plot for lacking depth and coherence, with gameplay elements that disrupt the narrative flow. Overall, the story is seen as simple and at times nonsensical, but it can still provide an engaging experience for fans of horror and mystery.
“Nice gameplay and story progression, really interesting attention to details and definitely worth trying out.”
“The story is pretty unique; you are a person looking through the deep web, trying to get to the red room, which is a place dedicated to torture and murder. In order to get there, you need to find 8 hidden link keys on various pages you explore on the deep web.”
“I would recommend this game to anyone who loves a good spook, enjoys an interesting storyline or main goal, or is just up for the difficult challenge of searching for the red room...”
“Also, it makes absolutely no sense that you are in a super secured web browser (like the dark web), but each person in the world is able to trace where you live and get to you in a few minutes.”
“Every annoying little minigame also comes with an aggressive time limit, and so does the overall story, which seems completely at odds with a game that's supposedly about playing detective and slowly building tension.”
“We seemed to get stuck in a loop with the plot not developing at all.”
- grinding46 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that the mechanics and puzzles become frustrating rather than engaging. Users report that progress can be easily reset, leading to a sense of monotony and boredom, which detracts from the overall experience. While some elements may initially capture interest, the overwhelming sentiment is that the gameplay is ultimately more grindy than enjoyable.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Unfortunately after the first few tries, the game becomes very repetitive, and in particular, the mechanics around the kidnapper and the breather stop being scary and start being tedious.”
“Every time you die because of 'the breather' or 'the kidnapper', your entire progress—hours worth of tedious scrolling and reading—is reset.”
“The puzzle does nothing more than waste your time, padding your playtime with another 2-4 minute bit of tedious and meaningless clicks before letting you into the rest of the game.”
- stability38 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized due to frequent glitches, including freezing during startup and gameplay, as well as issues with the mute button and loading screens. Many players have experienced significant troubleshooting efforts, with some unable to play at all due to these bugs. While some users still find the game enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus indicates that stability problems detract from the experience.
“After the DLC update, the game has a progression bug that freezes on a specific minigame when you fail at it even once.”
“Not sure if anyone else is having this issue, but when I go to launch the game, it either freezes, immediately goes unresponsive, or when you click 'new game' or 'continue', nothing happens, or an error window pops up.”
“I try my best to love this game, but I can't love a game that I can't play. Each time I start it up, it just freezes on the information screen about the red room.”
- humor34 mentions
- 94 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of dark comedy and situational hilarity, often stemming from the reactions of players and characters in scary moments. Many users found themselves laughing at both the absurdity of certain scenarios and the unexpected comedic elements, such as funny character dialogues and absurd confessions. Overall, the game successfully blends horror with humor, making it entertaining for those who appreciate both genres.
“The game is super scary but fun, and the reactions from my family were super funny, so I would suggest it.”
“Even if the 'illuminati confirmed' joke had me laughing so hard and trying to screenshot until Mr. Russian got my sorry butt.”
“It's also funny to laugh at yourself when you get scared of nothing.”
“At first, I couldn't really tell if this was supposed to be an unfunny parody game or just a really boring, cringey, tedious genuine attempt at horror.”
- music32 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as dramatic and creepy, effectively enhancing the tension and atmosphere, particularly during key events and on certain deep web pages. While the main menu features a soundtrack, players note that music is sparse throughout the gameplay, often contributing to a sense of unease. Some users find the sound effects can be distracting, especially when trying to remain alert to in-game threats.
“This game gets my blood pumping every time I play, hear the music, and the different sounds that make you feel like you are being watched.”
“The soundtrack is good, the gameplay is mostly good as well, and the main ending is sort of messed up but worth it!”
“Most of the music is pretty dramatic and really creepy, adds to the tension of the game and keeps the nerves on edge.”
“I've uninstalled and reinstalled countless times and even the DLC will not run. I can hear the music, but it just stays a black screen.”
“I'd rather not hear the music and sound effects while I'm listening for the kidnapper, so it can get a bit annoying when I've already muted the computer, but then it unmutes itself each time you load a new site.”
“Makes fair use of atmosphere, as the dark night and lack of a soundtrack play into a general feeling of uneasiness.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game offers notable replayability, particularly due to its rogue-like elements and the random generation of puzzles and webpages, which provide a fresh experience with each playthrough. However, some players feel that once the game is completed, there may be limited motivation to return. Overall, it maintains a good level of replay value, especially considering its low price point.
“Interesting concept, being that it's essentially a computer simulator (sounds boring - absolutely not the case!) pretty difficult, and great replay value for $2.”
“Once you finish the game, there is no replayability; nothing will keep you coming back.”
“The game is fairly short once you figure out how to play it, although the codes, puzzle solutions, and available websites change each time you play the game, so there is some replay value here.”
“The game randomly generates webpages each new game, adding some replayability.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game is built on the Unity engine, which has led to a focus on optimization for older PCs, ensuring that it runs smoothly on less powerful hardware.
“The game was developed using the Unity engine, which allows for impressive optimization, especially for older PCs.”
“The game was made on the Unity engine, and the optimization for older PCs is lacking.”
“The game suffers from poor optimization, making it difficult to run on older hardware.”
“The performance issues are evident, especially for players with older PCs due to subpar optimization.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional investment in the game's narrative, eagerly anticipating the ending to uncover its significance. There is also a concern about the potential for emotionally distressing content, indicating a desire for a thoughtful resolution rather than graphic violence.
“I am emotionally invested in finding the ending to this game and seeing for myself what's so great about it.”
