Death in the Family

D.i.t.F. is walking sim kind of horror. I decided to try it on Steam Deck while voice-over it, and unfortunately, it's a game I cannot recommend. Nothing seriously wrong with it despite some poorly translated notes which leave to an extremely confusing gameplay; luckily, the game is also short, which is a blessing. A pro in it's favour is the fact that it runs perfectly on Steam Deck, albeit it's lack of graphical settings. You can check my full walkthrough on Steam Deck here: https://youtu.be/cnbZ8hb1y28

Death in the Family is a first-person psychological horror experience from developer and publisher Semka that embraces a slow-burning style of storytelling over fast-paced scares. The game places players inside an abandoned apartment inherited after the mysterious disappearance of family members years earlier. What begins as a simple visit to inspect the property quickly evolves into a disturbing investigation as strange phenomena reveal that the building still hides secrets connected to its tragic past. Instead of focusing on combat or survival mechanics, the game invites players to uncover the truth through exploration, observation, and puzzle-solving, creating a horror experience driven by curiosity and tension rather than action. The narrative unfolds gradually as players examine documents, interact with objects, and witness increasingly unsettling paranormal events. The apartment serves as the centerpiece of the story, with every room contributing another piece to the mystery surrounding the vanished relatives. Rather than relying on lengthy conversations or cinematic exposition, the game lets the environment communicate much of its lore. This approach encourages players to p…

I'll be honest. It needs some work. The spooks are there! I got scared countless times. The atmosphere was eerie and it made me on my toes most the game. BUT, it doesn't really have a direction as in where to go story-wise. Like after I discover a note or a room, I'm wondering to see if I might trigger something since I didn't do something in the order the game wanted me to do. But if, I feel, the game made it more apparent in which order it wanted me to discover things in (maybe more highlighted items, and then de-highlighting them when not needed) or stuff like that, I would have enjoyed the game more. The game was a mixed review for me. But what unbalanced to a thumbs down was the annoying wondering. My gameplay: https://youtu.be/v3PSANjrZfs Other playthroughs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNW0DVlIT01Gk0VEMHy4skA

Avoid. The description got something right - the dead certainly can confuse. As this makes no sense whatsoever. There's some random jump scares scattered within, and a few unoriginal puzzles. And then 15 minutes later the game is over. And then the game bugged out and let me keep playing even after the "ending". Even on sale this is not worth your money.

Not worth your time. There are a lot better titles out there.

I've played longer free demos than this game (20 minutes for a full play through) but it had good enough visuals and I would like to see more from the developer if they improve upon this game so I am giving it the thumbs up.