Nachtmahr

I had hope for this game because I thought it would be a cozy puzzle adventure game with a unicorn. Cute idea, right? Wrong. The story would be good and the idea would be fun if the execution weren’t so bad. I played 4 hours and about 80-90% of the time was running around, slowly, in an empty world where it took several minutes to find the next puzzle, I continually got lost, and I never made it out of the frozen expanse area because it was so confusing and, frankly, boring. And the puzzles themselves are confusing at first but once you get the hang of it, it’s boring and repetitive. There’s also no hint system which, for a game with this much empty space and puzzle based, it should at least have a way to give directions to the next puzzle. Or a map. Or something to show progress. Or something. For the price that it was it’s not worth it at all. I got a refund because I was so disappointed. I also don’t usually write reviews but I feel people should be warned before wasting money on this game. Now I don’t believe in a complaint without recommendations for how to fix it so that’s what this section is: What I would recommend is either to drastically reduce the price of the game or implement several features to make the gameplay more enjoyable. Some features I would recommend: a more interactive story, a map or compass that shows the direction of the next puzzle or a unicorn spell that can guide the player to roughly the next area, a smaller map or faster movement speed, add some critters or whatnot running around that the player can interact with (I understand that the story is a god(?) died or something and there’s nothing left but adding like a will o’ the wisp type of critter that can help guide the player would be interesting), integrate more of the story, have a wider variety of puzzles. Honestly there’s so many was to improve this game to make it worthy of the price that I don’t think it would fit. Hope this helps anyone wanting to get the game so that they know what it is going into it and make a more informed decision about what to spend their money on.

Guess I'm the first after all ... It just couldn't grab me any longer... So at launch there was a big bug that led to the story not triggering, so unfortunately I am already a bit frustrated. But the good thing is, it has been fixed within 48 hours, so that is good. So do I recommend? I'd say it is exactly what you'd expect from the trailers. An almost empty map, a bit of story, running around and pushing buttons. What I like: - The walk cicle of the unicorn and the design is pleasant - I like the idea of flying unicorns, magic and puzzles What I don't like: - the map and atmosphere feels empty and lonely. But not in the intended way, more like in a lazy way. Wherever you look it's walls or endless mist. - The puzzles don't feel like they have a purpose in the story - There's a lot of running around and pushing buttons, but the map doesn't make me want to go explore and search for stuff, there's nothing interesting to see or find other than the puzzle you have to solve - The frames are dropping too low for this empty map For full price I do not recommend. Maybe $10 or less. It's just a little puzzle game to spend your time on when you got nothing else to do. But beware that one of the early puzzles is basically finding buttons in a maze, which is otherwise empty. If those kind of puzzles are your jam, go for it.

Tutorial is vague just wander around and hope you figure it out. Puzzles are trial of fire just try stuff and hope it works. Spinning door puzzle is whack you can sit there and spin it endlessly without any way of knowing if you're on the right track. Was super excited for this game but now deeply regretting the purchase. Save yourself the hassle of refunding just don't buy it.

I read the negative reviews, but decided to judge it for myself. At 50% off, why not? Turns out the reasoning behind some negative reviews are flat out wrong. It's obvious those people did not have the patience nor mental capacity to beat the puzzles. Your complaints are not bugs you're just too used to instant gratification to figure it out. This game needs to be approached the way you would approach the water tower in Ocarina of Time. There were more than a few times when I had to circle back to a puzzle to figure out what I was supposed to do because the associations were not obvious at first glance. That being said, the game is not perfect. The sound design is definitely a weak point. The audio for running cycles includes a distracting noise that sounds like a small dog, which should have been caught and corrected during production. The environments also deserve stronger music, something more grand or more eerie to match the atmosphere. On a side note; The graphics aren't bad at all but it relies way too heavily on Lumin, which isn't a great shader even in its optimal use-case. The player character could also use some procedural animations to break up its cycles, they feel a bit stiff.

I saw so many trailers about this game and even though I could tell it was from an independent developer. I had high hopes for it, mostly with it being a unicorn game were you play as the unicorn, already a very interesting concept. But the Graphics are awful, it looks half finished and literally slapped together. The unicorn, the main character has the most basic of physics attached to it and the golden feather that guides you is given the most basic animation that there is no sense of whimsy to either of the characters. The world is massive, and empty. I understand that story wise it makes sense to be empty but it feels like someone who built a massive giant box house in mine craft only to stick a bed in one corner and the crafting table in the other and leave the space in between open and blank just to say " I built the house." The music is good, its calming and peaceful and adds a bit of atmosphere but its not enough to save it self as you run around this massive world it sorta starts to feel like elevator music and your waiting for something to peak your interest more then just the puzzles. Overall, I give the game a 2/5 It has potential, but I feel it was released to early and wasn't polished enough to be released yet.

Zero stars. Tutorial is minimal, cant even get past the first puzzle. A drip of context might be a nice thing to have starting out.

Having left my previous review and as promised since I have now completed the game here is my finished thoughts. This game is super challenging and is not for the weak, you definitely need to have a lot of patience and critical thinking to succeed. That being said the only big issues are the various bugs that can occur. My advice for these bugs is that if you see a golden feather appear in a cutscene and it doesn't reveal something like it should, immediately restart. Alternatively you can save before you complete puzzles to also make sure you don't get stuck. BE VERY SLOW using switches and other objects, do not spam your magic as this is the only time I have accidently broken things. Nachtmahr is a stunning game, the art, the puzzles, the mystery everything is perfect. They do such a good job making you feel small and lonely in this world with you becoming stronger slowly with every power gained. Getting a new ability is always exciting and feels well earned. Each level's theming is super nice and the puzzles force you to scratch your head and try to think outside of the box. They use every introduced mechanic effectively and in ways one couldn't even think of. Not to mention the very esoteric lore, having read many of the hymns I am absolutely engrossed and want to 100% the game just to finish reading these and to piece together it all. This game had my mind and heart in a chokehold for a month and if you want something that burns a unicorn shaped hole in your head DO PICK THIS UP

Delightfully dark and awesomely mysterious. Don't expect Nachtmahr to spoonfeed you any answers--you'll have to work for them, but you'll enjoy a beautiful adventure while you do. This game is suited to a variety of different play styles, so if you're someone who wants to run around solving puzzles as fast as possible, you'll have just as much fun as someone who wants to take their sweet time and explore all there is to see. Expect a serene jaunt through a gorgeously-crafted fantasy world, and be prepared for some trial and error while you traverse the expansive map.

I love this game, but I am stuck at the 5 pressure plate puzzle in the snow world. Can not find any walk through for it. I know the trick is to get the stone over the river but it glitches out every time I go into the water.

Chill little game with some relaxing puzzles and a really cozy vibe. Nothing too fancy or hard, just a horse and calm background. If you’re into horses, might wanna chek it out.