Astray

This game can be described in three words: Hide and Seek. The easiest way to defeat the monsters, which by the way resembles the High Priest Imhotep (The Mummy), is to use only Method 1, which is to stay hidden somewhere and let the creatures pass you by, before going to the next room. Don't you dare confront this creatures because you cannot defeat them. I found a crowbar in the game, which I thought was a weapon, but it is useless against them. Don't focus your flashlight on them, once they spot you, you're Dead. If they hear you and try to get close to them, you're Dead. The best way to deal with them is to use Method 1. The most exciting and the scariest part of the game is when you and the monster are inside the same dark room and the flashlight's batteries run low. Suddenly, you hear its footsteps and the creepy sound it makes. You know it is getting closer and closer. There is no chance to escape because you can't see anything. That was freaking scary. [spoiler]Your final opponent or the Big Boss, or shall I say, the Big Ball (literally it is a Giant Eyeball) can be defeated by using Method 1.[/spoiler] The game has potential, I give the developers that. The setting is very eerie, which I thought at first was a mental institution, but it's not. The "No weapons only your wits" concept to defeat the monsters is a good idea in a survival horror game such as this. I admit, it had its scary moments but it did not really give me a real satisfaction. I bought it really cheap, so no real harm done in my wallet. If you want cheap thrills, go ahead and buy it. Otherwise, just avoid it.

Considering this was made by two people, I think this game was very well done. There is obvious love for games like Amnesia all over this, so if you like games like that, than this would be a good pick. The game looks decent, with an original locale. Asylums, prisons, and crumbling castles have had their go...now for a museum! The puzzles are not that difficult which for this game I think is a good thing. While the monsters are something slightly borrowed from Amnesia, the game overall fills you with a kind of dread, and I like that. There's the occasional monster, but the whole game is filled with tension, wondering whats going to be in the next room. The story is told through.....you guessed it!....notes scattered around the museum and other areas. There are a few original ideas, but the ones that are borrowed from other games and lore are also good. This is a fun game with a lot of effort put into it, and I'm glad I played it.

Really good First-person horror game. The game is well optimized for the frame-rate but it crashed 3 times so I had to quit and continue the game. The puzzles are easy enough so you won't be stuck for too long if you don't know what to do. It's not as scary as Outlast but the atmosphere of the game is still really good (being stuck in a museum at night) Keep in mind that the game is really short (I finished it in 1h15) but as a horror game, it's well-done and it's well worth your time.

PROS: -Atmospheric -Has backstory -Nice lighting -Hilarious (seriously, the design of the museum makes absolutely no sense and it's amazing. The Atlantis exhibit fills up with water?) CONS: -Only one type of enemy -Has backstory, but no present story (had no idea who I was or why I was even there) -AI is terrible -Flashlight batteries are useless -Not very exciting I recommend it if you have nothing to do and want a good laugh.

7/10 - Very Good! Do you like indie horror games? are you reluctant to try this cause so there are so many crappy ones on steam? Well throw those worries away, because Astray is one of the best small-time Indie Horror games to come out on steam in awhile. It's well polished, with an interesting story, great atmosphere, unique enviroments, decent puzzles, and a run-time of about 2-3 hours which makes it worthy of its asking price. Let me get into what i think are the pros and Cons of the game. The Pros: Presentation: Despite this not being a triple A horror game, it still feels very polished and well done. I encountered no bugs or glitches the entire game. The graphics were really good. the lighting is good, the ambient noises were effective with headphones, Story: An interesting story that progresses along well and takes a turn into Lovecraftian territory towards the second half. The notes you find pretty much tell the story, along with providing clues to solving environmental puzzles. Its to see the notes in a game to actually be useful for a change. The puzzles aren't to difficult, nor are they to easy, they seemed to be the right difficulty for this game. The Setting: This takes place in a giant museum around 1909. You stroll along in different exhibit areas, where each one was totally different from the other, offering a good change of scenery. If this museum was real I would certain go check it out in person. (((MINOR SPOINLER --->> i don't want to spoil anything but later you go to explore other areas that lead you into depths that are pretty lovecraft-nightmare-like which were pretty freaky and cool. The Cons: - The monsters you encounter are pretty average, and once one gets up close and kills you, the fear factor drops significantly. - There were some instances were sound was missing from certain enviromental interactions. I would move a box , or open a vent grate to no sound, it was kinda awkward. In Conclusion, I def. recommend Astray. Its a well done first person horror game with light puzzles and a solid atmosphere, and for its asking price you cant go wrong. Oh, and for having been developed by only two people(as the end credits do suggest), i was thoroughly impressed, and can't wait to see what these guys do next.

This game was pretty awesome! I'm not much of a "hardcore" puzzle solver, but the difficulty of this one is perfect for beginners. Story: You try to find out what happened to your uncle, who opened up a museum, and the backstory is revealed by notes scattered around in the museum. It's a combination of detective work and horror. Graphics: There's a lot I can describe about the graphics, as they captured the feel of a museum and theme. It's a combination of mystery and horror. -Inside the museum:- I love the theme of the museum they were going for. It gave more of a mystery atmosphere. However, other than the rooms and anubis statue, it could have had more going for it. It feels like it's just mostly offices and hallways. -Demonology room:- The demonology room was slightly bland, but I have to give props on the rune designs as they were gorgeous. Those gave more of a "mage" atmosphere than demonology. The walls and floors were mostly stone and bones, which was good, but there is more to demonology than just that. -Atlantis room:- Oh my god this room design was to die for! It felt like you were in an underwater temple! I loved the wall and floor designs on this. I wish there was more on this. I would enjoy just walking around and exploring more in this atmosphere! -Egypt room:- It seems like the same materials use from the demonology room. I do like the heiroglyphics, scarabs, and vases, but I feel there could be more. When I think of Egypt, usually sand comes to mind. I know they were going for a "scary" egyptian feel, but there are other ways to do that. Gameplay: The gameplay has a sort of "Amnesia: Dark Descent" feel, but it's only because there are things to avoid and not to shine the light on. Don't worry, it's not as scary as that game. I promise. The game does have an item system, but it's just picking up items and placing them. There is no inventory. The only thing you should be concerned about is your flashlight in order just to see dark areas. It's more straightforward in most cases, which I have to say I like. I hate it when there are too many items in games and you either have to use them for weird reasons or do weird combinations. Controls: The game is very, very vague on controls and customization. First off to point out, each time you start the game, the gamma option comes up and you have to adjust it, which is annoying. Second, not much of audio options, but I have to say if you have headphones, it will work automatically. For gameplay, while the game tells you about the flashlight and running, it does not tell you that you can throw items by right clicking(left clicking if you're left handed), which is very important to the dynamite part. Overall: Overall, Astray is a small game that deserves recongnition, and a good first game for puzzle/mystery beginners. It has a pretty good blend of mystery and horror. I find it's hard to find games that balance mystery and horror well, and this one nailed it. The story and puzzles kept me engaged and made me want to play the game until the end.And this game is worth the play in both story, graphics, and atmosphere.

Was a modest game made by 2 people and some purchased assets. The lighting was good, the environmental graphics were ok. I loved the smoke that they were able to make. Wasn't too scary, but had enough of an atmosphere to make up for it. They didn't go overboard with jumpscares or anything. The story was a bit meh, but was done in a decent fashion to keep up some mystery as to what happened. There are only a few puzzles and it doesn't really have a variety of creatures, and the end felt a bit shabby to be honest.....but overall it was a decent game to play and I can recommend it for a few bucks as a stocking stuffer.

I could recommend it if the price was 1$. And still even then you would have to be on real horror thrist to go through the game. It is an Indie game and it painfuly shows it sometimes. It feels more like you are playing a mod rather then a game. Took me less then 2 hours to beat it (which is even more why the price is ridicolous) so if you played it and didnt find it worth your money you can still refund it after completion.