Recent reviews by BenieTheDragon

The game is fun, but it's also very frustrating as it does not hold your hand. I have no idea what to do and it feels no beginner's guide out there really explains this, only that you just 'gotta know' before you actually find out on your own.
Infact I somehow managed to get my graveyard from -19 to 3, just by clearing bushes (and I had no clue until much later what I had done, Infact I still don't know if that's what did it).

The only thing that keeps me from rating this game negative (and I would've likely refunded it a lot sooner), was the fact I feel I can actually take my time (there's no pressure getting everything done in one day). However after 3 or so nights your keeper suffers from a lack of sleep.
Though I dunno if the same can be said for 'Sermon day', if you absolutely have to do it. Don't think you do.

It's the same chaotic fun I had when it was a free download when I still had my old Lenovo Explorer, just spiced up. And I feel like I'm getting my $20 worth (when I only paid $10).
But, that's as much as I can praise it. I wish they included more spells than the 12 you (eventually) learn through Skully saying "you already used this".
I also wish there was more to do in the Tower, and more places to go to.

Overall, it's still as fun as it was 5 years ago. Get it on sale while the Winter Sale is still going on.

"I'm not a furry, but..." the game.

I promised I wouldn't leave a review, but the game's annoyances are forcing my hand. And this is what I feel you, future buyer, need to be aware of:

-No quicksave/quickload (or even an autosave) of a game that I'm told to "save frequently", as the autosaves aren't exactly nice to you. It's a Pita to have to hit Esc, click the right most button at the top, click Save Game, pick your old save, and save over it... every. single. time you want to save. This is NOT good with a game that is forcing me to keep on my toes. ...If they had quicksave/quickload, things would be better.
-No option to customize your controls (want to rebind the crouch key to not use 'C' (to use CTRL) while ALT would still be for sprinting).
-Barrels and all other hiding spots that you got to crouch in, are (stupidly) disabled when in combat (which limits what hiding spots you can use.. and there's not that many lockers you can hide in).
-Dying to the Ink Demon (on Chapter 2) softlocks you out of the 'complete the game without dying' achievement, forcing you to start a new game.. and pray the RNG is in your favor when you get to Chapter 2 again.
-The Ink Demon spawns every 10-15 minutes (seems more RNG based IMO), and gives you only five seconds to hide. So if there's no hiding spots literally near you (or if you're like me and panic while trying to find one)... you're ♥♥♥♥♥♥.
-In Chapter 2, there's a point where the Ink People (lost ones) are constantly respawning (if you're not in the same room as them). And this is how I was cheated out of that achievement.

Those are my only gripes. Chapter 2 ruined the fun for me. Constantly on edge, constantly having to make sure there's a hiding spot nearby, and then it happens when I'm lowering my guard (trying to relax).
Good for horror fans, but I was never a fan of them.
And with that, I leave it to you to make your decision. I wouldn't buy this game unless you enjoy being scared out of your mind, and having limited spots to hide in (that aren't disabled because you're in combat and the Ink Demon is coming).
I cannot get my money back as most of the time my nerves were too on edge to move (and I spent most of the time in the menu), and I've put 7 hours in because of it.

The game is still fun, but the manual saving is too annoying for how (what it feels) unpredictable when the Ink Demon spawns in. Too micromanage-y for my liking of always having to pay attention to where hiding spots are. I want to enjoy the game, not fear it (which turns to an annoyance).

A good 'fun with friends' game. Just feels too short.

I've been looking for another 'Myst-like' game to scratch that itch of singleplayer first-person puzzle solving and stunning visuals, and this game checks those boxes.
Infact I'm seeing some inspiration from Myst IV here (in the form of the small symbols by doors at the beginning of the game). And as you continue to play, the visuals of this game get even more stunning.

Only drawbacks for this being a great game is the lack of borderless window support, and a lot of puzzles require you to backtrack (which can get a bit tedious). Plus, I'd like an option to disable the shimmer sound when Interaction Helper is turned on.
But despite these flaws, I'm enjoying myself. I like the story.

Honestly, this is the way to sell a game. Make it free. Make it good with very likable characters. And make the audience want more to be willing to support the game.
Looking forward to Chapter 2.

I'm glad Sony finally backed down (likely knew they were going to be sued BIG time by Steam for what they did(refunds aren't going to erase the damage caused, Sony)), though I personally feel the fight isn't completely over until big publishers like Sony no longer have this position of power over a small indie company. Get the dollar signs out of your eyes and wake up.

I feel Sony's reputation has officially been tarnished by this. And I want this to be a lesson to all other big publishers what will happen if you mess with the community behind a very popular game. ...It would not be a good idea.
For DEMOCRACY!!!

I really wish I could set the review as Neutral (as in wait until it's fleshed out more before really diving in to what this game's potential really is), but currently I have to rate it as Negative.
Please understand what you'll be getting into at its current state. First and foremost, the game is ran by a solo indie dev. So expect slow (but also thoughtful) updates. I have nothing wrong with solo indie devs.

My critique with this game (in its current version);
1: Lights don't automatically turn on at night (they also increase your bill cost if you keep them on during the day). If the lights automatically came on during the night, I wouldn't mind paying the higher bill cost. But as it stands, this gets annoying having to manually turn the lights on.
2: Having to wait 'till Level 10 to unlock your first cashier, and 15 to unlock your first restocker. The fun of helping customers will wears away fast when you realize how long it's going to take until you're able to automate the process. It's just so much 'fun' having to manually re-re-re-re-re-rebuy produce, and having to manually restock the shelves every. dang. day.
3:NPCs all have the same walking animation (and you'll see clones of the same person). There's no variation to make them more lifelike.

But I will keep playing, mainly for I want to see if the restocker is worth getting. Though multiple people state it's not with how buggy it is right now. I'm also curious what new features are going to come. But if they are negative (such as customers getting impatient waiting in line or you taking too long to count their change), please make these optional as 'challenge modes' (or however the dev would call them... just please don't force them upon me).
IMO, just watch the development and wait. Don't give in with how Youtubers praise it, or how simplistic the gameplay is (like I did).

This is feedback from playing solo, on 'Mild' difficulty. I have never tried multiplayer (and I feel compassionate for all the souls that couldn't get it to work right (and XBox servers also being ♥♥♥♥)).
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At first I really liked this game. I liked the art style, the setting, and the base building mechanic-- it reminds me of The Forest, but without the cannibal mutants pestering you. I really wanted to keep playing.
But... sadly I have two dislikes, and these dislikes are my personal rant/opinion. Send me all the Jesters you want if you can't stand it.

1. After progressing to finding the first lab and being told where to go, I feel my progression has been halted by two things.
-1a. The game doesn't tell the player where to get the items to acquire Tier II tools/weapons/armor. I get the hate when tutorials hand hold you too much, but some direction would be nice (instead of being forced to go to the wiki.. which it might not even tell you if the item has a rare drop rate or not).
-1b. 'Perfect Blocking' (aka react as if you're playing Elden Ring) should not feel like a requirement to survive higher level enemies. But when trying to find a video to explain how I could possibly play my way (aka button mashing).. it doesn't exist. All I see is "git gud with fast reaction blocking, or die (repeatably) and corpse walk to get your inventory back". Look, I'm sure this mechanic is fun for a lot of people, but it's just not for me.

2. Achievements, are locked behind an Xbox account. When I looked on Google for a "WHY IS THIS A THING?!" answer, I got nothing. Multiplayer locked behind an account (to me), is fine; I'll let that slide. But locking achievements on Steam?! ...Is this a PC port (and this game was originally on the Xbox)? Because that would make a lot of sense. If not, then what the HELL, man?!