The Painscreek Killings

Fully editing my review because I have fully changed my mind about this game. I will censor anything I think could spoil the game if you're interested in playing it. 100% honest review. Things I liked: 1. The story was interesting to begin with. 2. Slow-paced so you can explore without fear of somehow progressing without meaning to. 3. Character stories are interesting to find out. Now for what I DON'T like. Buckle up! 1. You are playing run-back-and-forth-a-million-times simulator the whole game. 2. There is no hint system. You just have to hope you're big brain smart and know where things go if you're stuck. I ended up having to ask google to help at certain parts. 3. Game gets very boring very quick. As I said, it's a run-back-and-forth-a-million-times simulator. 4. There are way too many character's backstories to even begin remembering who said what and who is who. It's information overload and half of the info-dump you get is just pointless/useless. 5. [spoiler] Not a fan of incest ngl. Could have attempted to make the "big twist" something that didn't involve such a questionable thing. [/spoiler] 6. [spoiler]Ending sequence was so random and just (imo) did not fit the game at all. What do you mean I'm going from playing this boring/peaceful game of running simulator and finding clues like big boy detective to "run away and don't die cause killer gon' kill ya" all of a sudden?[/spoiler] 7. [spoiler]Paranormal elements were quite questionable ngl. They were so pointless. There are hints of it with the detective that goes missing, but it's all pointless/useless stuff until the very end sequence.[/spoiler] 8. [spoiler]You could at least put a warning on the tape in the "last secret room" to warn the player that it will essentially end the game. I originally had a bunch of other stuff to do but found the key and thought "ooo more notes!" so went to investigate since was next to the room, and all of a sudden the game is... ending?[/spoiler] 9. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, happens in this game [spoiler]until right at the end of the game[/spoiler]. You are literally running around playing blues clues. There is no one following you, no feeling of being watched, no nothing. Just you, a polaroid camera, and your lil legs sloth running from point A to B. 10. Honestly? It was very obvious who didn't do it. I was able to pretty much figure it all out before the halfway point. When bits of information was confirmed, I wasn't surprised cause I already suspected/knew as much. Honestly? I'm glad I bought this game on a sale. I mean no disrespect to the developers, but this game is very boring. There were so many things that you could have done just to add a bit of something. Add a little jump scare here and there, it's an abandoned town for goodness sake! Or, hell, [spoiler]add in places where you can actively see the killer watching you but you can miss seeing the killer[/spoiler]. On it's own, the game is boring. I finally went back and 100%'d the game so now it can sit uninstalled. Usually with games like this, even if I 100% the game I go back and replay them because they are fun. This one, not a chance. If you like these kinds of games, crack on. But buy it on a sale. Yes, the game is long (My hours say enough), but I am willing to say 12 hours of my time was spent running around trying to find where the hell I needed to go before I gave up and googled. When it came to getting 100% I had to sit with a guide cause without it, I definitely would have struggled.

I adore this game. You have to like challenging investigations, and the game is not going to hold your hand. In the beginning I thought the town map was just for the atmosphere and you would stay in the mansion, but once I realized the extend of the clues and stories, I started to do what the game recommends at the beginning, which is taking your own, physical notes. By the end of the game, I had several pages including a table with all characters and related dates and relationships, a timeline of events, and family trees. You can also always reread any letter or diary entry in the menu, and for everything else you have a camera and can take pictures of any location or items and look at them later. My favorite thing about the game was that I kept discovering new secrets, passages and hints in places on the map that I had passed many times and never noticed before. A very immersive experience. After the first playthrough, I have half of the achievements and I will definitely go back. Also, after finishing, you can just reload and pick up again just before entering the last location, so I appreciate not having to start again.

I started playing this game because I was looking for a detective experience with a strong atmosphere, and honestly, it delivered something much different from most investigation games. Instead of giving you a clear objective every few minutes, the game forces you to actually pay attention, explore, and connect the information by yourself. At first, the game can feel a little slow and confusing. You arrive in the abandoned town of Painscreek with almost no guidance, and your main goal is to discover what happened. There are no enemies, no combat, and no traditional action mechanics. The entire experience is based on exploration, reading documents, finding clues, and creating your own theories. The progression is completely open. You can explore the town in many different ways, and sometimes you will find information that explains something you saw hours ago. This is probably the strongest part of the game because it makes every discovery feel meaningful. The game does not hold your hand, so missing a small detail can make you spend a lot of time searching for answers. The investigation mechanics are simple but effective. Taking notes is almost necessary if you want to solve the mystery without a guide, because there are many characters, locations, and pieces of information to remember. Some parts can become frustrating because the game expects you to manually search everywhere, and walking around the same areas multiple times can get repetitive. The atmosphere is easily the best aspect of the game. The empty streets, abandoned houses, and quiet environment create a constant feeling that something is wrong, even though nothing is chasing you. The soundtrack and sound design are simple, but they help a lot with the lonely and uncomfortable feeling of the town. I didn’t encounter any major bugs during my playthrough. The game runs well, but some interactions can feel a little rough, and the movement speed can make exploration slower than it should be. Getting 100% achievements is not very difficult, but it can be time-consuming. Some achievements require finding specific clues or completing the investigation in certain ways, so a guide may be useful if you don’t want to replay large parts of the game. In the end, The Painscreek Killings is a very unique detective game. It is not for everyone, especially if you prefer faster gameplay or constant action, but if you enjoy mystery, exploration, and solving a case by yourself, it is definitely worth playing.

This is one of those times I wish there was a "neutral" review option, because this game isn't bad. Some might even really enjoy it. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people. I really enjoyed The Roottrees are Dead and that led me to Painscreek. I got far enough into the story to figure out a good deal of the plot, but some of the clues are just too obscure, complex or well-hidden that there's just no way to do it without the help of a walkthrough. What makes the Roottrees enjoyable is that all the information is right there at your fingertips, whereas Painscreek involves a hell of a lot of walking around the town trying to find clues. Again, some might enjoy this. I didn't. Ultimately, I liked the idea, I liked the story and the mystery and the characters, but it was just too hard, too slow and ultimately caused me to give up after 10 hours invested. I wanted to like it, but I just didn't.

gotta be my favorite investigative game ever ngl. played it with my friends watching and taking notes, we had a lot of fun talking about what was going on and our theories etc, it was rly awesome!

This is NOT a detective / deduction game. It is a linear adventure, where you freely walk in a big location while looking for keys and notes. Not worth it.

Небольшая игра на поиск предметов для продвижения, нашел ключ ради ключа чтобы понять что убийца садовник. "Спойлера в отзыве нет, не бойтесь" :) В игре есть атмосфера заброшенного городка-призрака после случившихся умертвлений граждан данного города, вы играете за журналиста которого наняли для раскрытия преступления, убийства жены самого мэра городка. Весь сюжет основан на письмах, фотографиях, дневниках и вырезок с газет. Для такой игры достаточное количество "секретов", сюжет если сидеть обдумывать кто же убийца по найденным предметам может на самом деле привести к ложным обвинениям если не найти маленькие доказательства. Мотивы есть у всех, скелеты в шкафу в той или иной мере есть у каждого в этом городке. Но меня больше интересует не сколько главное задание "раскрыть убийство Вивиан" а то сколько еще произошло бед в этом городке. Если так посмотреть, убийство жены мэра это лишь верхушка айсберга которая маячит перед глазами. Всю игру вы будете бегать туда-сюда, в поисках ключей, предметов и текста. На самом деле игра приятная, есть мини скример даже, атмосфера этому способствует) В общем хоть это и не Агата Кристи но своего внимания заслуживает. Любителям данного жанра советую поиграть, всеж у игры не плохо написан сюжет, я даже проникся всей тленностью ситуаций в игре хотя есть сомнительные моменты в поворотах сюжета. Я до последнего был уверен что убийца либо либо а тут вон оно как)

Insane story, the ending gave me a heart attack. 10/10 would recommend

Very compelling, immersive, puzzle-solving detective game. It is a bit challenging but everything makes sense. Hope for Painscreek Killings 2

I always come back when its on sale to buy for my friends so I can watch them play it