Dread X Collection

I have bought the bundle with all Dread X Collection in a sale for 90% off (or some value like that) I’ve to say, unless you found yourself with the same discount, this one (the original Dread X One) is not worth it. This is by far the worst one in the series, which is both good (because the quality just improved with time) and bad (because it sucks). Most of it comes with the quality of each game feeling never really worth your time, so let’s give a score to each one of them, so they all can be reviewed (in the order I played): >Carthanc< 1/10 - This game has a cool idea behind it, but is too hard to see anything, the puzzles (if I can even call them that) are weak and hard to understand, and they just put too many enemies together after a single puzzle is made... why?? is so annoying. Damn this one sucks. >Shatter< 3/10 - I really like the aesthetic, if we were judging graphics and art direction this one would be the best one. I really dig the vibe too, the post apocalypse world and all… but the gameplay is just a boring ass walking simulator. It takes forever to go where you are supposed to, and then you have to walk miles to the next location. At the end you got a nightmare world, Silent Hill style, stealth mission that takes 3 minutes and is a little annoying. Then the game ends. A real shame, I would really like to see this one be picked up and improved into a better game… oh well, this is as good as this collection will go and is just a ok game with cool graphics and vibes. >Rotgut< 0/10 - This game is the singlest biggest piece of ♥♥♥♥ game in all 5 Dread X Games. I was so disappointed to find in my “Indie game devs game jam horror project” an asset flip game with bad optimization and ♥♥♥♥ game direction. You just have to guess where to go, you just walk, some mildly spooky things happen, and then you die. It’s so bad that I almost didn’t play any entry in the franchise for 5 months thinking they all suck. >The Pony Factory< 5/10 - This an mid descent shooter game, an under average simple mid experience. That being said, the game actually has a decent gameplay and level design and a cool aesthetic. I really liked the art style and it was the only game that I wasn’t bored all the way to the end. The first decent game and all it took was putting any thought on the gameplay at all and having a distinct art style. >Mr. Bucket Told Me To< 4/10 - This is a joke game. As the joke one, it’s not that bad, but it takes too long to end so it has overstayed its welcome. Overall, it’s better than most games in the collection, but it isn’t horror and it’s a little too hard and too long for what should be just a joke. >Outsiders< 4/10 - This is actually pretty good, but it suffers a little from bad game design. It has good decent puzzles and a good story overall, but it’s so badly optimized and lacks any artistic vision (looks like cheap asset flip). Overall, if it was polished a little bit more, it could have claimed the title of best game in the first collection. As it is, I just remember finishing and saying “huh, this was kinda cool… but it looks and played like ass.” >Summer Night< 5/10 - This is actually a really cool idea and I really enjoyed the horror in it. It is the best horror experience in this collection and the only one that I would recommend to anyone to try it out. I would say this is the best game in the collection… but… well, Summer Night is a little bit too long to be enjoyable all the way through. The game has overstayed its welcome in the ⅔ of it, and if it was a little shorter, it would be a solid 7/10. But as it is, just as Outsider, it has enough issues that makes an entire segment of it just OK at best and a little boring at worst. Great idea, great graphics, great opening, great horror, great ending… but a little too long and boring. >Hand of Doom< 4/10 - Really like the graphics and vibes, and I really like the gameplay element of mixing the words to make the spells. Sadly, it’s a little barebone and nothing really happens. I think this one is a little too short, more should happen, be a little longer and have a more engaging overall gameplay. The idea it’s there, just better execution and this one could be a good game. >The Pay Is Nice< 3/10 - I was very confused about what was happening while playing, but it was not that bad I guess. I didn’t think the graphics and art style were strong enough, the gameplay is ok I think… This one is ok. Eh. IDK… >Don't Go Out< 4/10 - Finally the last game… And it’s an okay experience. The horror elements are… surely there I guess. The graphics and art direction are very charming. The gameplay wasn’t bad but It wasn’t really that good to me either. I think it’s worth a try if you really want to, but I think it was overall just one mildly ok experience. >>>Final review<<< Overall… This collection sucks. Most of the game lacks a truly engaging gameplay, some are cute and have good ideas but none of them feels like an actual game. They feel like beta tests and flash games you find on google. Some are kinda almost good, some are really bad. If you got the entire collection in a bundle, don’t play this one, the others are better. If you are thinking of buying this game alone, don’t. It’s not worth it. Go play any of the others.

Since this game is a collection of 10 small games. I'm going to talk about each one of them individually and then give my final opinion. The order of the games is the order I played them: Hand of Doom This didn't look like an appealing game initially with the old-school style it has (I'm not nostalgic towards that). But the game surprised me in a pleasant way. I liked how the spells were used. I would have never remembered all of them by heart, luckily they're all written in your grimoire once you discover them. The length seems just about right. Let's say you tackle 3 'mini-dungeons' to collect what you need for the finale. The dungeons themselves were pretty creative, and I liked how they remained bite sized. Also, I liked the voice actors. The one thing I didn't like was the framerate, it was 25. I'm not sure it's intentional but it did make me a bit dizzy. It took me roughly 40 minutes to complete Hand of Doom. Don't Go Out That was such a random game that is super short but also took longer than it should have due to trial and error. You have nine days to survive through a turn based battle system with cards (each day is one turn). Now don't get your hopes up, it's more of a concept than a game really. I like the ideas it has but 19 minutes went by so quickly and what's there is not fleshed out nor very polished. It doesn't leave a strong impression but it's not bad either. Summer Night Even though Summer Night was just as short as Don't Go Out, it left a stronger impression. I can confidently say it's well made and so fun in those 20 minutes. You're in a garden to pick mushrooms mostly. There are different stages with some changes that kept the gameplay interesting enough. You're actually playing a game within a game. The amount of batteries left is a good indication of when the game ends. The feeling of fearing your own shadow is also conveyed well. So far this is my favourite game of the bunch. Outsiders I had negative impressions when I started playing this game. The graphics screamed cheap asset packs, and I don't normally like constantly dying to get further (that's the point of the game). But the mystery and weirdness had its hooks on me. Reading about the main objective online gave me a purpose and knowing when it ends helped with managing the game. Some of the situations were very creative and the ending surprised me. The only problem I had was either remembering where all the keys were (it's difficult even with easy settings) or needing to die a couple of times to pick them up more easily. I ended up needing 1.5 hour to complete the game. Even though Summer Night might be the more polished game, I might have enjoyed Outsiders more. Rotgut It's the worst game in the list by far. I doubt there will be another game that is worse than Rotgut. It wastes your time by making you walk 20 minutes without doing a single thing. What's there is not even particularly good (and that's putting it mildly). There was no point to any of it. The collection would have been better if this game wasn't part of it. Now it's only here to make the collection look worse. The Pony Factory This is hands down the best game I've played in the list, so far. It's a black and white atmospheric FPS with some resource management. You need to alternate between your flashlight and gun depending on the situation. The game is dark, so you're forced to do this often. You also need to watch your health and ammo, you can find some but it's not like they're around in abundance. All of this combined can create lots of tensions. It works for the most part, though there are times I've been too annoyed by the constant switching between the flashlight and weapon. I've lost track of time but I took between 30 minutes and an hour to complete the game. I did it on casual and that didn't feel easy at all. I died a few times in a couple of sections. Shatter This turned out to be an entirely different game than what I expected based on screenshots. It's a walking simulator with some survival elements. What's surprising is how the lore was established extensively. I'd actually like to see how this continues. The graphical style is also unique and it works. I didn't like having a stamina gauge. I understand why in the second half but it made the first half more tedious than it should have. I also got stuck due to a bug and had to restart the entire game because of it. Luckily, the entire experience is 30 minutes at most. I quite enjoyed Shatter even though I wanted more. The ending talks about things happening later, as if there will be a sequel. Carthanc I didn't really enjoy this. It has a nice set-up and the graphics are pretty cool but the gameplay was bad, really bad. You need to complete 4 trials and often times you're chased by zombies who are very aggressive. 2 of the trials are timed as well, so there is lots of stress coming from this game. It was often dark and you died quickly. I don't even remember how long it took me to complete the game but I know that a lot of time was wasted on dying. It was still better than Rotgut. Mr Bucket Told Me To This was an interesting experience. You're stranded on an island and you need to survive 4 days by taking care of your hunger, thirst, health and hygiene. There are also some disturbing elements sprinkled here and there. I liked figuring out how to take care of all that I mentioned and how to do it in creative ways. The story is also pretty entertaining. The game does look very cheap graphically and I did get stuck somewhere, forcing me to restart from the very beginning after 20 minutes. I don't remember how long it took me to complete the game. It ended satisfyingly and I had a good time overall. The Pay is Nice The graphics look insanely good with that fixed camera perspective and tank controls. You keep walking doing mundane things for work. You slowly learn more about the story and then you have to do a task towards the end. It ended abruptly after 14 minutes. It felt like things were just getting started. Although, you can skip your task and I made use of it. It looked complex and I didn't feel like it. I wish there was more to the game but at least it left a positive impression. Conclusion The concept has pros and cons. It's fun to try things briefly and not knowing what to expect. Kind of like getting a birthday gift. All the games are short, so most of the time they don't overstay their welcome. That said, get ready to also play real stinkers between the fun games. There were 2-3 I disliked while the rest was okay or sometimes very good. A lot of those games are fine within a collection but not alone and sold at regular prices. That is the point after all, each game was made within 7 days. I like this experiment and I'm going to try to play the sequels eventually. The price of less than 6 euros for DXC1 is appropriate. It took me 6.7 hours to complete all the games. The achievements are for completing each game and watching the credits. That's the best use of achievements in such a collection, especially when you don't want to spend more time on the games you might dislike.

[h2] A creative jam collection that swings between memorable ideas and clear seven-day limitations. [/h2] This collection is essentially a game jam assembled in seven days, so expectations need to be reasonable. The main theme is (In)sanity. Overall, it is a strong set of projects. Most entries are good or at least creative. Ranking from best to worst (imo), with brief comments: [olist] [*] [b] The Pony Factory [/b] The use of color and lighting (or the intentional lack of it) creates a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, and the gameplay is engaging and fun. [*] [b] Don't Go Out [/b] A beautifully pixelated RPG-Maker-style game with turn-based movement. You must survive nine turns while monsters try to catch you. The card effects add variety and make it surprisingly enjoyable. [*] [b] Shatter [/b] A dystopian cyberpunk future with political undertones. The PSX-style graphics and map design are charming. It feels like a mix of Fallout, The Matrix, and Babbdi, yet still distinct enough to stand on its own. [*] [b] Summer Night [/b] A simple GameBoy-like experience that’s genuinely fun to play, with a surprisingly effective ending. [*] [b] Mr. Bucket Told Me To [/b] Feels a bit like Cast Away. You’re stranded on an island in a small survival game while Mr. Bucket torments you. During the day you manage hunger, thirst, and energy; at night you sacrifice your “friends.” It’s entertaining and has a strong ending. [*] [b] Hand of Doom [/b] An interesting and creative old-school dungeon crawler. The concept is good, but using the mechanics is not as fun as it sounds. [*] [b] Carthanc [/b] You must complete four main levels. The aesthetic has charm, but the game tries to be stealth, platformer, and horror at the same time, and none of these aspects fully work. The enemies are irritating and the overall experience becomes frustrating. The scope feels too ambitious for a seven-day jam. [*] [b] Outsiders [/b] One of the most confusing and uninspired entries in the collection. You search for items to escape the house, but there are heavy FPS drops. It had potential, and the ending is unexpectedly funny. [*] [b] The Pay is Nice [/b] The premise is interesting, but it lacks polish. Even though it attempts to captivate through its narrative, the conclusion is underwhelming. Numerous bugs further hurt the experience. [*] [b] Rotgut [/b] A dull walking simulator with very little to show. You explore a tunnel and obtain different endings based on your actions, but the overall execution is unremarkable. [/olist] Overall Rating: 7/10 [code][b]---- Check out my curator page to discover more horror games: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45837348/] The Horror Archives [/url] [/b][/code]

Overall decent collection of indie horrors. "Shatter" and "The Pony Factory" in particular had excellent atmosphere, whereas "Summer Night", "Don't Go Out", and "Hand of Doom" I enjoyed for their creative approaches to gameplay. "Outsiders" was probably my favorite overall though, with lots of small scares to keep things tense, and puzzle & clue solving to keep you engaged (plus the awesome ending). "The Pay is Nice" and "Mr. Bucket Told Me To" were both a bit meh for me personally. The concepts were there and not bad, but they did feel a little unfinished compared to the other titles. And then there's the last two... "Carthanc" -Most frustrating. Gameplay. Ever. "Rotgut" - This one was just buggy and lame af (i'll admit some of the graffiti was funny tho). So, a mixed bag I guess, but still, it was really cool to just try out a bunch of short games, and I look forward to playing more Dread collections!

+++ 1. hand of doom 2. don't go out 3. shatter *** 4. carthanc 5. summer nights 6. mr bucket told me to 7. outsiders --- 8. the pay is nice 9. the pony factory 10. rotgut

⏳ I like the idea, but the first is already a rough one. Projects from events like these are usually free for a reason, and this is a collection of demos / concepts of truly mixed quality. For every okay one, there are 3-4 bland or downright bad ones. Some are completely unclear, time-wasting, unbalanced, dull, or simply broken. It's terrible when the worst thing in a horror game is the fear of losing or getting stuck, because you'll have to go through this tedious mess again. You can find significantly better projects on itch, fully completed, and even for free. Future collections may be better, but testing was clearly not a priority in this one. Maybe this is wrong, but polishing patches are necessary here. After all, this is a paid product.

I played many of these games for the first time on Christmas day just by coincidence, and it turns out the games read your systems local time and changes assets to match the holiday! Super cool! I bet most players never got to see these games this way.

the pony factory is by far the best one outsiders is the only other good one shatter was meh and the rest are awful with carthanc being the worst one just because of how much it pissed me off

Well, it certainly is what it is advertised at. Which is to say, a bunch of very, [i]very[/i] rough proofs of concept for various spooky games, and even though they have pretenses of further development, it's clear they all have a long way to go. Hand of Doom and Summer Night are easily the best ones, if only because they have the closest thing to a concrete sense of polish out of the entire collection. Shatter is pretty cool too, even if its world still feels rather conspicuously empty and uneventful. The ones that expect you to fail and redo things multiple times, of which there is a rather glaring amount for such a small collection, feel like the clunkiest ones, with their most appealing aspects being rather hard to focus on without forcing oneself to look past how unfulfilling the rest of the experience is. Ultimately, as someone who unironically enjoyed the Trash Horror Collection series and went into this expecting something similar, even if this goes against the spirit of an anthology such as this, I can't help but yearn for a better sense of consistency. Can be worth checking out, but only if you have a very particular fixation on this sort of barebones indie products, and are sensible enough to not expect anything great.

<3 summer night