Is This Game Trying To Kill Me? X Box Series X Review 8.5/10 "a glorious blend of horror, intrigue, and puzzles." ☠️🗡️ @StatelySnail #IndieGame #GameDev

I’m a big fan of escape room games when they are done well. It’s all too easy to dig into one with a friend or two, before finding in short order out that the puzzles are either tedious or far too abstract – not so here! Is This Game Trying To Kill Me? Is one of the best escape room style ventures I’ve embarked on for quite a while, with a neat central premise and a well-balanced tone that gives it character without being all doom and gloom, there’s humour in the game, alongside a few well-timed jump scares!

Beginning with your character waking up in bed next to a skeleton, Is This Game Trying To Kill Me? Initially starts off in a single room, where it quickly becomes apparent that, A) there is an old computer (with an accompanying CRT monitor, good) on which games can be played that affect the real world – and B) There is a nefarious entity following your every move. *gulp*

With a crisp, defined visual style and very cool atmospherics in the audio department, Is This Game Trying To Kill Me? makes a great first impression, and the sheer variety of puzzles on offer are a joy to play through. The mechanic of the in-game interactions having an effect on the real world never gets stale and keeps things interesting, there’s also a thematic link to everything, so no puzzles feel overly obtuse, unfair, or out of place in the game world – as kooky as it can get.

In terms of challenge, whilst some areas of the game are more difficult than others, it never seems weighted against the player, and all make logical sense – ensuring that progress feels satisfying. There’s also an in-game hint system that unveils tips in a staggered format, so you can get a little clue as to how to proceed, working the rest out for yourself – or, if you have hit a bit of a wall, these hints can all be uncovered to clearly demonstrate how to proceed.

SUMMARY
Well-designed and appealing, Is This Game Trying To Kill Me? Is a title that I really hope spawns a series, as the developers clearly have a knack for this genre, and it’s a premise that has legs. A huge recommendation from us at GF, and definitely one for those out there who want to get their grey matter pulsing whilst also hiding behind a pillow.

8.5/10

🆒COOL🆒