Photomaly

📸 PHOTOMALY INCIDENT REPORT Case Number: 1738 Investigator: Phydeaux86 Time Spent at the Scene: 4.7 hours (a lot of pausing, it is about a 2 hour game) Final Classification: HIGHLY recommended ________________________________________ THE INITIAL EXPOSURE Photomaly first caught my attention when I saw CaseOh play it…I avoided watching his playthru, because nothing beats a solid photography game in the horror genre. Going in, I expected a couple jump scares mixed with taking pictures of random things. What I found was an immersive photography horror game, with not just jump-scares, but solid twists, a coherent story, and a lot of callbacks/references to other “pop culture”. ________________________________________ EVIDENCE A: ATMOSPHERE Disturbance Level: 8/10 The game’s atmosphere feels like it’s right out of the 90’s. The filmic style camera, the PS1-style graphics, and the unsettling ambient sounds REALLY make the game. This wouldn’t be the same experience in clear, crisp 4k. What adds to the tension is the uncertainty and pixel-ish graphics. The strongest moment for me was a moment that I can’t explain here due to spoilers, but let’s just say the mannequin in the building takes you to some unexplained places – that we’re all familiar with. Rather than relying entirely on cheap jumpscares, the game creates tension through its graphics, sound design, and ever-increasingly bizarre characters you encounter. Investigator’s Note: I played this partially in between working in my office, and finishing it up at home. I’m glad I didn’t get to a specific portion (you need to use your microphone at one point, so make sure the proper one is set up in the settings first) at work – it would have been a bit weird in my office… ________________________________________ EVIDENCE B: THE ANOMALIES Detection Difficulty: Challenging The anomaly mechanics are engaging, but some can be hard to find. One pro-tip? Always check the cameras once you’re given access. I missed some the first playthru, and was promptly scolded. The best anomalies are some of the more subtle ones, while some of the weaker ones are more static and obvious. I especially liked the ones that were close-by because of some of the unsettling audio queues. ________________________________________ EVIDENCE C: GAMEPLAY Engagement Reading: 11/10 (“game of the year, chat” – CaseOh) The core gameplay loop involves running a small-time photography shop (also doubling as your house), printing photos from flash drives, developing rolls of film, and taking people into the studio and fulfilling their photo requests from portraits to ID pictures. The hook isn’t that gameplay loop (although, I’d love a photography simulator that does a lot of this and potentially more, adding in some camera settings, flash equipment, etc.), but instead the paranormal things happening while you’re just trying to do your job. The controls on keyboard/mouse are intuitive and simple – I have not tried with a controller yet, although I’ve seen some negative feedback about that , and the game does a relatively good job of explaining things with tooltips (although, sometimes they don’t appear…one time I forgot how to rotate the camera, and the tooltip to “press ‘R’” didn’t appear). ________________________________________ EVIDENCE D: AUDIO AND VISUALS Visual Contamination: 9/10 Audio Disturbance: 9/10 Visually, Photomaly stands out because of it’s simplistic, “old school” graphics. If things were more clear, it wouldn’t be half as unsettling as it is. The sound design is solid – there are a lot of audio queues, creaking things, ambient sounds, etc. The jumpscares don’t rely a ton on audio (it doesn’t blow your eardrums out just to get you to jump) but mixes it well. This is the kind of horror game that is best played in a single or couple sessions. It only saves at the beginning of the day, or beginning of a portion/section of (spoilers). ________________________________________ EVIDENCE E: TECHNICAL IRREGULARITIES During my investigation, I encountered: • Performance: 10/10 – ran on my potato work laptop • Bugs: I didn’t encounter any bugs, but some parts of the game make you question if you’re doing something wrong, because it gets so dark, or you do a repetitive task multiple times without results. • Settings and accessibility: 5/10 – The graphics/audio settings are sufficient, but I’d love to see a “rebind controls” section, where it at least outlines the basic controls of the game. • Steam Deck or controller experience: I have not played on the Deck yet (although I have one), and can’t speak to controller controls. None of these issues really affected my gameplay at all. ________________________________________ SPOILER-FREE FINDINGS What Developed Properly: 📷 An atmospheric mix of “chill” gameplay mixed with building tension through the whole game 📷 I REALLY loved working in the darkroom, I wish there was more of that content. 📷 The integration of other “horror” pop culture references was excellent. There are multiple I could name, but it would spoil a lot of the gameplay. What Came Out Blurry: ⚠️ Just as I was getting invested, the game was over. It was too short in my opinion, and I’d love to see more content added. ⚠️ I bought a box of frames, and NEVER needed them. I thought I could put them up around the office with extra photos I took, or customers would request framed photos, but that never happened. Just wasted some money on them, and the box sat on my shelf the entire playthru. ⚠️ I would like to see more camera settings (aperture/shutter speed/ISO) to better play around with different effects & imagery. ________________________________________ WHO SHOULD ENTER THE DARKROOM? You will probably enjoy Photomaly if you like: • Small indie games • Photography games • SPOOOOKY TIMEEEE • Detail-oriented games, where you’re capturing “anomalies” You may want to avoid it if you dislike: • Jump scares • “Bad” graphics • COD/LOL/Fortnite • Or if you simply don’t have a microphone, as it is NECESSARY (but only for one part) ________________________________________ FINAL ANALYSIS Photomaly is one of the greatest games I’ve played in the genre, and I want MORE. At its best, it is a solid short gaming experience – perfecting the mix of dull, chill gameplay and anxiety-inducing horror. At its weakest, it can be confusing on what to do next. There was one portion where I was experiencing a “nightmare”, and didn’t know how to progress. After reviewing all available evidence, I believe the game is well worth the price, and even exceeds experiences of exponentially longer games. Overall Rating: 11/10 Fear Factor: 6/10 (it wasn’t “terrifying”, but I definitely jumped a few times, which is unusual for me in many “horror” games). Anomaly Design: 7/10 Value for Money: 999/10 FINAL VERDICT: RECOMMENDED The photograph has been examined. The anomaly is real.

Photomaly is a short but highly atmospheric horror experience that stands out with its unique concept of running a photography studio. Ordinary daily tasks gradually become more unsettling, while the PSX-inspired visuals and excellent sound design create a constant feeling of unease. Although it can be completed in around two hours, the game makes excellent use of its runtime and never feels stretched. Its story, atmosphere, and steadily building tension make Photomaly a memorable experience that proves a short horror game can leave a lasting impression.

Бэкрумс все портит. Сама игра неплохая, но именно этот уровень вывел из себя. Если убрать его - прикольная игрулька, но не шедевр.

waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many jump scares, [spoiler] the backrooms [/spoiler] segment was the last straw for me. WWHY???

In its current state this game feels like the kind of experience you can find on Roblox for free.

Great game! Really enjoyed this. Had different elements with the loops which I loved. Photography sim mixed with anomaly hunting. Definitely recommend. Devs did great!

切入后室的那一瞬间，我很激动，以为大的要来了，结果体验非常一般。除此之外也没啥亮点了，就是个打工模拟器，重复的工作流程十分枯燥，突脸很多但是都很低能。