Zafehouse: Diaries

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 258 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Zafehouse: Diaries Game Cover
Starting at $1.99Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store

In Zafehouse: Diaries, you manage a group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Through interactive diaries, make strategic decisions, manage resources, and maintain morale to ensure your group's survival. With procedurally generated scenarios and extensive replayability, each playthrough offers unique challenges and opportunities.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 258 reviews
gameplay9 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • Highly engaging gameplay with infinite replayability due to randomly-generated scenarios.
  • Clever, immersive TTRPG-inspired interface that enhances the survival experience.
  • Built-in editor allows players to create custom survivors and adventures, adding a personal touch.
  • Unforgiving difficulty and random events can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Limited micromanagement options, such as the inability to assign equipment to specific characters.
  • Only one save slot and a five survivor limit restricts player flexibility and strategy.
  • gameplay45 mentions

    The gameplay is described as highly engaging and addictive, with a unique blend of strategy and survival mechanics that can be both rewarding and frustrating. However, many reviewers point out significant issues, such as clunky mechanics, a confusing user interface, and a reliance on random number generation, which can detract from the overall experience. While the game offers interesting concepts and modes, it often feels bogged down by design flaws that hinder enjoyment and accessibility.

    • “It has unique automatic mechanics which really makes the characters and world feel alive, but it's a difficult game also if you play on hard, for example.”
    • “Pretty fun and addicting when you get used to the mechanics and how the game works.”
    • “Still, I really recommend it because of the unique gameplay that is fun and at the same time very addicting.”
    • “The game mechanics feel wrong, the in-game UI is horrible, and the game does not register that some tasks/missions cannot be pursued any further. The limitation of available actions makes it not enjoyable at all!”
    • “However, this game has some very clunky mechanics and can be rather hard to follow and understand in the beginning, which makes it very hard to get into at all.”
    • “Zafehouse: Diaries certainly had potential and is enjoyable at times, but the game is bogged down by questionable design choices and clunky in-game mechanics.”
  • story22 mentions

    The game's story is primarily driven by player-generated narratives, with a focus on the experiences of survivors in a zombie-infected town. While the immersive graphics enhance the storytelling, many players find the narrative to be less interactive, often feeling like they are merely reading a story rather than actively participating. The ability to create and connect with unique characters adds depth, but the randomness of events can lead to frustrating outcomes, making it essential for players to engage their imagination to fully appreciate the unfolding tales.

    • “You lead a bunch of survivors on a quest to leave a zombie-infected town.”
    • “The randomly generated events, and the ability to create your own survivors adds a sense of actual connection to the story.”
    • “In my opinion, the best thing about this game is the idea of reading your survivors' story/diary.”
    • “The story isn't very interactive, the choices are rare, and it's more like just reading a story than playing a game.”
    • “Even if you do things right and pick the right people for certain missions, the game just rolls the dice that says 'you're dead' on every side of the dice.”
    • “Zafehouse is one of those games that makes you crave and wish that the game was more detailed, less repetitive, and had a much better story.”
  • graphics10 mentions

    The graphics of the game, while primarily text-based, are noted for their immersive quality that enhances the storytelling experience. Users appreciate the stimulating visuals, comparing the art style to "This War of Mine," and find that the graphics contribute significantly to the overall gameplay, despite the lack of traditional 3D elements. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point, adding depth to the game's atmosphere.

    • “The game is text-based, but that doesn’t mean that the visuals don’t enhance the gameplay.”
    • “Graphics are immersive and bring life to the story.”
    • “Graphics are highly stimulating and satisfying.”
    • “Has a really similar art style to This War of Mine without the sidescrolling elements.”
    • “At least DayZ had visuals!”
    • “If you want a tactical game that is heavily graphical, then buy XCOM.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability due to its randomly-generated playthroughs and the ability to create custom survivors, items, and locations. Players can also share their experiences through a diary feature, enhancing community engagement. After completing the main campaigns, the in-game content creator further extends replay value, ensuring that each session feels unique and varied.

    • “Infinite replayability thanks to randomly-generated playthroughs.”
    • “The ability to create custom survivors, items, and places is pretty cool, and the feature to save the diary allows players to share stories with the community, providing a unique experience that enhances replayability.”
    • “This variability gives the game an epic amount of replayability, and once you complete the three main campaigns, the easy-to-use in-game custom content creator adds even more value.”
    • “I highly recommend the custom content options once you're finished with the three campaigns, as it adds longevity and replay value to your game.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for being highly engaging and immersive, with strong sound effects that enhance the experience. While some users find it challenging and atmospheric despite its simple interface, others feel it lacks excitement. Overall, it is recognized as a fun survival game with a notable atmosphere, even in its text-based format.

    • “A very challenging game and atmospheric despite the simple interface.”
    • “It's got a great atmosphere, awesome sound effects, and is incredible for saving at a moment's notice without losing anything of your game.”
    • “Awesome survival game and while it's only a text game, it's still super fun and it has great atmosphere.”
    • “There is no atmosphere to speak of or anything exciting.”
    • “The game feels lifeless and lacks any immersive elements.”
    • “The environments are bland and fail to evoke any sense of wonder.”
  • music4 mentions

    The game's music effectively enhances the suspense and immersion as players navigate challenges with their team, though some users feel it lacks depth and relies on generic sound effects rather than a robust musical score.

    • “The sound assets are weak and there is no real music, just some generic sound effects.”
    • “Music is simple yet adds to the suspense.”
    • “The music of the game draws you in as you try and keep your fragmented group cooperating as you all work together to escape the city before it's too late.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs and a lack of updates over the past few years. The overall experience is described as a "big buggy mess," leading to disappointment among players who expected more from the game.

    • “The game has not been updated for a couple of years, the forums seem empty, and the game is buggy.”
    • “One big buggy mess.”
    • “When I bought this game, I stupidly assumed it would provide more than a few days' worth of buggy text adventure.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players experience a compelling emotional tug-of-war between logical decision-making and forming attachments to characters, particularly when customizing survivors. The ability to create personalized groups, such as beloved characters from franchises like Mario or Adventure Time, enhances the emotional engagement and connection to the game.

    • “You will feel pressured by the logical side of a decision, and the emotional side.”
    • “If you want to form an emotional attachment to the default group.”
    • “Also, you can make custom survivors and spawn, say, the super best friends, a Mario group, or the cast of something nice and wholesome like Adventure Time.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization has room for improvement, particularly in image resizing and overall performance, as users report encountering bugs and usability issues.

    • “The game is not completely flawless; it could be optimized significantly, and players may encounter bugs or usability issues.”
    • “That's nice, but even that could be optimized to allow better resizing of the images.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of moving items between secured locations to be tedious and lacking in meaningful rewards, leading to frustration with the repetitive nature of the task.

    • “Traveling back and forth to move items from a secured house to your new secured location is very tedious and offers little reward.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized for being virtually non-existent, leading to a lack of emotional investment in the characters. Players feel detached from the survivors, making their eventual deaths feel inconsequential.

    • “The virtually non-existent character development throughout the game makes it hard to care about the survivors, especially when they all die after just an hour of play.”
    • “Injury debuffs that never seem to go away contribute to the lack of meaningful character growth, leaving players feeling disconnected from their characters.”
    • “The game fails to deliver on character development, making it difficult to invest emotionally in the survivors, who often don't come through in critical moments.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Zafehouse: Diaries

Play time

38hMedian play time
26hAverage play time
2-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games