Leaving a positive review because CJ of the Phasmophobia development team left a negative review on *another* indie horror multiplayer game. Hurts to see folks I supported putting down the little guys, but -- unfortunately -- some of his points almost read lucidly. Figured I'd drop my own review of my quick-stint in the game, given I played enough to 100% it! No expert by any means, but hoping I can leave my two-cents for folks who might be on the fence.

First off: What a lovely game! I bought this fun little gem for about a $1.50 and I'd easily pay $10 for it even in its current state. The concept is fun, the replay-ability is high, and it's great with friends. Playing it singleplayer is probably not recommended, but is still maaybe doable?

Second: Difficulty-wise, it ain't a walk in the park. Enemies will run your pockets, and potentially infect you, which is a guaranteed death sentence if you don't have a vaccine. The best strategy is -- as far as I can tell -- to avoid getting hit at all. Not easy! But manageable, by-and-large. Especially because, if you're playing multiplayer, there's a reinforcement mechanic for gaining extra lives in case something goes a bit silly. The mechanic isn't super explained, which leads me to

Point Three! There are multiple game mechanics that aren't outright explained, but it doesn't require a ton of gamer literacy to crack open. Things like perk nuances, reinforcement system, how the dogs work, and infection testing are good things to know, but the game doesn't tell you them. I'm willing to believe it's just a matter of early-access, given there is a tutorial in the game, but it's mostly for using vehicles. However, there's plenty of decent Steam Guides that do explain these things, so I don't really think that's a huge deal-breaker.

Lastly: The game is unpolished. If weird frame-rates, not as optimized shaders, goofy game systems, and a fair bit of general jank is too much for you to handle -- back out now! Maybe my age is showing a bit, but the game looks fine even on low graphics settings and plays fine too? Nothing too unplayable, and it even has some funny exploitable "bugs" that really just give a nice balance of serious and unserious that I'm lookin for in games like these. Cool tip! If you unlock the Clap emote, you can actually phase through walls briefly to investigate what's on the other side, like monsters or items!

All in all, a funny and cheap little gem that might not be for the faint of heart. It's got some rougher edges, but nothing that can't be smoothed out with time, patience, and love -- something the developer seems to carry in spades! Even if the game doesn't evolve beyond the current concept, it's still more than worth it's price tag by my measures, so I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone who's a fan of the multiplayer horror games.

PS!: If the developer happens to read this -- thank you for the lovely little game! And please change the revolver. I don't know if I suck, or that thing is just heinously bad, but I'm about at the limit trying to make it work. The moment I equip it, it's like I'm larping the nervous goon pointing his gun at Superman or w/e right before I shoot and he catches it in his teeth. I'm just getting done in sad on loop for trying to use the cowboy pistol to shaboing the parasites :-(

Leaving a positive review because CJ of the Phasmophobia development team left a negative review on *another* indie horror multiplayer game. Hurts to see folks I supported putting down the little guys, but -- unfortunately -- some of his points almost read lucidly. Figured I'd drop my own review of my quick-stint in the game, given I played enough to 100% it! No expert by any means, but hoping I can leave my two-cents for folks who might be on the fence. First off: What a lovely game! I bought this fun little gem for about a $1.50 and I'd easily pay $10 for it even in its current state. The concept is fun, the replay-ability is high, and it's great with friends. Playing it singleplayer is probably not recommended, but is still maaybe doable? Second: Difficulty-wise, it ain't a walk in the park. Enemies will run your pockets, and potentially infect you, which is a guaranteed death sentence if you don't have a vaccine. The best strategy is -- as far as I can tell -- to avoid getting hit at all. Not easy! But manageable, by-and-large. Especially because, if you're playing multiplayer, there's a reinforcement mechanic for gaining extra lives in case something goes a bit silly. The mechanic isn't super explained, which leads me to Point Three! There are multiple game mechanics that aren't outright explained, but it doesn't require a ton of gamer literacy to crack open. Things like perk nuances, reinforcement system, how the dogs work, and infection testing are good things to know, but the game doesn't tell you them. I'm willing to believe it's just a matter of early-access, given there is a tutorial in the game, but it's mostly for using vehicles. However, there's plenty of decent Steam Guides that do explain these things, so I don't really think that's a huge deal-breaker. Lastly: The game is unpolished. If weird frame-rates, not as optimized shaders, goofy game systems, and a fair bit of general jank is too much for you to handle -- back out now! Maybe my age is showing a bit, but the game looks fine even on low graphics settings and plays fine too? Nothing too unplayable, and it even has some funny exploitable "bugs" that really just give a nice balance of serious and unserious that I'm lookin for in games like these. Cool tip! If you unlock the Clap emote, you can actually phase through walls briefly to investigate what's on the other side, like monsters or items! All in all, a funny and cheap little gem that might not be for the faint of heart. It's got some rougher edges, but nothing that can't be smoothed out with time, patience, and love -- something the developer seems to carry in spades! Even if the game doesn't evolve beyond the current concept, it's still more than worth it's price tag by my measures, so I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone who's a fan of the multiplayer horror games. PS!: If the developer happens to read this -- thank you for the lovely little game! And please change the revolver. I don't know if I suck, or that thing is just heinously bad, but I'm about at the limit trying to make it work. The moment I equip it, it's like I'm larping the nervous goon pointing his gun at Superman or w/e right before I shoot and he catches it in his teeth. I'm just getting done in sad on loop for trying to use the cowboy pistol to shaboing the parasites :-(