Ethel

10/10.

Finally got around to trying this game after a while of owning it. Just an all around fun and enjoyable horror game. For a first game the dev nailed the atmosphere and some of the scares were extremely effective. I was stuck in a game funk and this game brought me out of it (thank you TS!). After I submit this review I will be jumping straight into his next two games. I can't wait to see the growth he's taken since this game. Highly recommend this one. Please support this developer, I've had a few conversations on X with him and he's genuinely one of the nicest people. He truly cares!

What's up with these jump scares? lol They seem all random.

I'm a new streamer (AnOldIrishGamer89) constantly looking for new and exciting horror games. Ethel proves it deserves a spot in everyone's must play wish list. I found the game challenging yet deeply rewarding due to the lore the game expects you to learn. In many other games the lore is optional but often times feels boring or "been done before." Ethel takes a novel idea but instead of a tedious grind, it makes you feel more like a detective looking for clues to solve what really happened. The creepy atmosphere, the carefully crafted placement of clues is an addicting gameplay style I hope to see in future titles. I'd definitely recommend this game to anyone who loves horror, and/or puzzle games and will be playing future games by TS GAMES. Also the doll was terrifying.

First of all, this game is overrated. Yes it has a great atmosphere, and a simple and effective level design. I have encountered a few bugs in this game, but for me the worst aspect of this game was the walking speed, and excessive darkness with no brightness slider. Outside your house you can run yay! But looks like the developer has no clue what running even means. Inside the house tho you cannot run and you move at snail's pace. Some of The scares were better than others but overall nothing amazing. Puzzles are minimal, which is a very good thing for a horror game. The game is also rather short and it features 2 endings, a good and a bad one. The game consist in triggering events as you go, with one password code to find. It features NO cat and mouse scenes where you run for your life chased by an entity, and that is a good thing if you ask me. After the game ends the developer presents you with his effort and brief personal story as a developer which you cannot skip, not even for when you see it for the second time. The game is decent, especially for being the first game made by the dev. But I was not blown away. Hope the sequel, Claire, is better. Still recommended for horror aficionados.

Pros: Not an asset flip game. Good jumpscares. Creepy vibe. Mid: Some of the clues on the notes I understood right away. Some I had no idea. Cons: Had to watch a yootoob video after getting stuck trying to find the code for the door. Got the bad ending and clicked continue and the game took me back too far to bother trying to find the good ending so I just watched the video instead. (I really dislike games with multiple endings) The "bad" ending in the video (from the old version) was actually better than the bad ending in the "new" version in my opinion. Also, the graffiti on the walls in no way shape or form matches anything from the 1960's. It would have been better left out entirely. Rating: 7/10 and recommend you wait for a sale.

Spoopy: 7/10 Overall: 6/10 Good: * Atmosphere was decent but the game relied heavily on jump scares. * Story was good. * Jump Scares were not telegraphed. * Playing both endings didn't require a full playthrough twice. Bad: * Too Short for the Price. * Relied on machinegunning Jump Scares. * Puzzles/Find Items took away from the game because most of them didn't make sense. Seemed like it was just tossed in there. * No Sound Options and No Control Options. Recommended when Buying on Sale. Hit "Continue" from the main menu once you completed one ending. You don't have to play very long to get the second ending.