The Shivah

гой спрашивает раввина: -если я сохраню игру, смогу запустить сейв? -может быть? -а где? -а я eбy? [spoiler]P.S. палестинские дети самые вкусные[/spoiler]

tl;dr i had such high hopes for this game, and its both poorly designed and is vivid and blatant antisemitism. dont play this game, dont give them money. I searched on Steam for a game that was Jewish, and as somebody who is an Orthodox Jew, I was really excited for this game. It is pretty simple, and there is Jewish iconography everywhere. The cursor is the Star of David, and the whole setting is around multiple rabbis. What I read in the description was somehow apt, but the main character—for being a rabbi—is completely un-rabbi-like. For being a supposed figure representing our culture, he is the most toxic, argumentative, and disgusting example of a human being. When he makes choices, everybody around him hails him as this significant figure. I was expecting this to be about Shivah, so I expected it to be about redemption. Instead, it was a descent. This character, who is already very flawed and terrible, never makes a moral choice throughout the entire game Not only that, but the antagonist and the major plotline is blatantly and extremely anti-Semitic. The plotline of the story is about a main character acting as a vigilante and uncovering that a person he used to know (and whom he had kicked out of his synagogue) has been killed. He goes to fight the assassin responsible for the murder directly instead of going to the police. Later, he discovers another rabbi in a different shul that is bigger, more elaborate, better made, and very popular with the people. However, the rabbi everyone likes turns out to be part of the mafia. He is a criminal mastermind utilizing his synagogue as a method of extortion and mass murder. Furthermore, even if you get past the actual plot of the story and the terribleness of that, playing the game is almost impossible without a walkthrough. You are given basically no clues about what to do next. Even if you try everything, there are certain gates where you need to find passwords for computers (and read other people's emails without their permission as an "esteemed rabbi" would do). You just have to just guess the passwords that are the merging of different clues with no guidance and no feedback if you are on the right track. Overall, it was a game I tried to play normally, but there is just no way to finish all of the endings without a walkthrough. There is always only one choice and no direction, so you just have to try randomly to figure out where to go next and brute force every single interactable, of which there are many. I've played a number of games that have a similar style, and none of them were as bad as this one in terms of showing the player what comes next. All in all, I'm frankly disgusted with a game where rabbis kidnap, steal, commit murder, and extort, all for personal monetary profit. yuck

An ok pixel-graphics point-and-click game that's on the short side. Nothing special here, but the various dialogue choices, locations, quirky characters and different possible endings maintain the interest until the end. You play as a disgruntled Rabbi that gets involved in a crime mystery and gets to play detective. Gameplay is basically talking to other characters to get clues, check out/combine said clues and search your computer for more clues and for unlocking new locations to visit or characters to interact with. You can get different endings depending on your choices, and there are achievements to hunt for, but like I said the game is on the short side. I managed to get every ending and all the achievements in under 5 hours. You can also save manually at any time and there are multiple save slots, which is a big plus when you're going for different achievements. The asking price is quite low, plus there is a nice and original bonus feature once you get to the finish line [spoiler]a bunch of voice actors' blooper recordings![/spoiler]. Also, the voice acting is decent for the most part.

Do you have the chutzpah to uncover the mystery of Jack Lauder’s death? If so, this game is intended for you a real mensch.

Oy vey goyim. Wadda need five dollahs for? Isn't four dollars a whole lotta money, goy? Whadda need three dollars for anyways? Don'tcha think two dollahs is alotta money? Where are you gonna spend that dollah anyways?

The Shivah is a charming little noir point-and-click that manages to pack a surprising amount of heart into its brief runtime — I finished it in about two hours, but it never felt padded or wasteful. Playing as Rabbi Stone, a bitter man of faith investigating a murder he's been implicated in, gave me a protagonist type I'd genuinely never experienced before, and the dialogue system where you choose between a human response and a rabbinical one was a clever touch that kept conversations interesting. The pixel art style and moody jazz score fit the Manhattan setting perfectly, and the voice acting — bloopers included — added real personality to the cast. My only real gripes are that the final confrontation is frustratingly trial-and-error, and the story occasionally feels like it's skating on the surface of deeper themes it could have explored more fully. Still, for five dollars, this is an easy recommend for any fan of Wadjet Eye Games or classic adventure games looking for something short and genuinely unlike anything else out there.

Star Of David badge hard asf. Not my type of game but not half bad for a silly simple story game. Not really worth $5 unless Israel's calling so I'd recommend waiting for a sale. 7/10 Format is actually dope, Bland jewy story is eh

This is the reason my grandfather used to hang people in front of the church on sundays...

On the surface the art, atmosphere and mechanics are lovely... but the game is short enough you will barely use any of the mechanics or have to think much about the mystery. As far as point and click games go it's veerry straightforward and story-focused, but to me the narrative ended up seeming both zionist and antisemetic and did not really have anything that interesting to say about "the nature of morality" lol.

1. Rabbi Stone's Psyche: The Crisis of Faith as a Reflection of the Human Mind The core of The Shivah isn't the police mystery, but rather the mental state of Russell Stone. At the start of the game, Stone's synagogue is empty, his bank account is overdrawn, and his faith in the Creator seems to have vanished. From a psychological perspective, Stone suffers from what existentialist literature and cognitive psychology call existential hopelessness. What's fascinating is how the game connects this to Judaism: in Jewish tradition, arguing with God isn't a sin, it's a tradition. From Abraham interceding for Sodom to Job demanding answers, questioning is part of the soul's identity. Guilt and Remorse: When Stone learns that a former member of his congregation (Jack Lauder, with whom he parted on very bad terms) has been murdered and left him a large sum of money, his mind enters a brutal ethical conflict. Is it a blessing from Hashem or the price of blood? Guilt, a universal psychological element but deeply rooted in Judeo morality, acts as the driving force that compels him to investigate. 2. The Sons of Hashem Facing the Mirror: Identity and Responsibility The game portrays the communal and spiritual life of the Sons of Hashem in a three-dimensional way, moving away from Hollywood clichés. There are two clashing philosophical perspectives within the game's own Judaism, represented by Rabbi Stone and the rabbi of the rival synagogue, the selfish but pragmatic Zelig: The tension of exile and assimilation: The characters move through contemporary New York. Being a "Son of Hashem" in a modern environment involves a constant mental struggle: how to maintain holiness, Shabbat, Kashrut, and Torah ethics in a hyper-capitalist, secular, and fast-paced world. Free Will (Bechira Chofshit): One of the game's strongest philosophical points occurs during the iconic "rabbinic insult battles" (where you respond to a question with another question). This isn't just a cultural joke; it's the Talmudic method of debate. The player's mind is forced to understand that in Jewish philosophy there are no simple answers or pre-digested dogmas; each individual is responsible for analyzing the morality of their actions under their own free will. 3. The Connection with the Goyim Mind: The Bridge of Universal Empathy Why does such a profoundly Jewish game resonate with any human mind, regardless of background or faith (the goyim environment)? The Goy Detective (Inspector Kahn): The interaction between Rabbi Stone and the police detective in charge of the case is masterful. Kahn represents the secular mind, the law of man, the order of the State. At first, there is an obvious cultural barrier. However, as the plot unfolds, the bridge between them is built through the pursuit of justice (Tzedek). The Universality of Mourning: The concept that gives the game its title, Shiva (the seven-day mourning period in Judaism), is one of the most perfect psychological institutions in human history. Shiva forces the mind to pause, to process grief, to not flee from death. The game demonstrates that, whether you are Jewish or non-Jewish, the pain of loss, the regret for unspoken words, and the need to close a cycle with those who are no longer here is a universal human experience. The non-Jewish mind understands Shiva not as an alien ritual, but as a shared psychological necessity. 4. Philosophy and the Dynamic Climax (No Critical Spoilers) The climax of The Shivah pits two worldviews against each other: justice and divine retribution. The game allows you to choose how to resolve the final conflict, and this is where Jewish philosophy connects directly with the player's ethics: Do we seek revenge or justice? Is the preservation of life (Pikuach Nefesh) paramount, even when it involves someone who has harmed us? Depending on your choices, the game offers endings that range from spiritual redemption to tragedy. It is up to the player to weigh whether Rabbi Stone regains his connection with Hashem through compassion, or whether he succumbs to the darkness of human despair. Conclusion The Shivah is a minimalist masterpiece. In two hours, it achieves what many hundred hour role playing games don't even attempt: to explore the recesses of a broken soul. It connects the human mind in its most vulnerable state with the ancient wisdom of Jewish philosophy, reminding us that being a Child of Hashem or simply a human being navigating this world is not about having all the right answers, but about having the courage to keep asking the difficult questions in the midst of darkness. An essential, intelligent, and profoundly spiritual book.