Diluted
MadDogProduction · 2026 · Adventure, Puzzle, Action, Action-Adventure, Singleplayer
PC
Positive93% · 15
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →
Screenshots
About Diluted
Diluted is a narrative-driven 3D side-scrolling puzzle and adventure game where players explore dark environments, solve environmental challenges, and uncover a story centered around fear, control, and nightmares. Players control Archie, a young orphan cursed with a living nightmare entity named Azell. Throughout the game, players navigate interconnected areas, avoid environmental hazards, and confront hostile nightmare manifestations, all while experiencing a linear, story-focused experience. Gameplay emphasizes exploration, puzzle-solving, and light combat mechanics. Players must pay attention to the world around them, interpret the cues from the environment, and use Archie's limited ability and knowledge of the alchemic arts to survive these encounters. Story elements are delivered through environmental storytelling, notes, and journals. As players progress, they uncover the truth behind Percilla’s orphanage, Archie's nightmares, and Azell's role in this whole conundrum. Diluted offers a slightly dark fantasy setting with psychological horror themes, cute visuals, ambient sound design, and narrative tension to create an emotionally driven experience. Key Features 3D Side-Scrolling Gameplay – A linear, story-driven experience focused on exploration and progression Puzzle-Based Progression – Environmental puzzles and obstacles that gate advancement Light Combat Encounters – Face hostile nightmare creatures while managing limited resources Narrative Focus – Story delivered through notes, environmental details, and character interactions Atmospheric Presentation – Dark fantasy visuals and sound design inspired by psychological horror Single-Player Experience – No multiplayer or live-service elements
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
✦ AI summary
Diluted is a short, atmospheric exploration game with attractive visuals and relaxing gameplay that players appreciate, but it suffers from significant issues that limit its appeal. Common complaints include the abrupt ending, repetitive combat with poorly balanced difficulty, unintuitive inventory and control systems, and various bugs like dodging launching characters at high speeds or off the map. While players enjoy the world design and music, the game feels incomplete, functioning more as a proof-of-concept than a finished experience, with most wishing for more content, better combat mecha
In the free game Diluted, the main character - a boy-beast hybrid - searches for a particular ingredient which can be used to stop him fully becoming a monster. He must battle monsters which roam the woods, cemeteries and gardens, cross foggy areas by activating lamps, and find potions to open up blocked pathways and to recover health after fights. He will also come across notes which describe how and why he was created. Diluted is set in an attractive 3D world, but the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, and the game ends very abruptly when the ingredient is found; there is definitely the sense that this is just a "proof of concept" project or just one chapter of what might have become a longer game. The monsters - all more-or-less identical - were easy to defeat even though I am not very good at fighting games, and there were lots of healing potions to recover any lost health. The monsters followed fixed paths and would only register the main character if he was right in front of them; only once did I have to fight two at once. Overall, an attractively looking & sounding game, and briefly entertaining, but, like its name, too watered down in terms of variety, depth and cha…1 found this helpful
Great game, its very relaxing and friendly, the level design is really good but the ending felt kind of sudden I wish there was a boss or some challenge at the end and the movement is too fast to dodge at all. I think having a lock-on system could also help with combat to make it feel better and the enemies run around a bit to quick. I did find some bugs like pressing dodge and attack at the same time would sometimes launch you at super sonic speed and dodging at a corner would get you out the map, but overall this game is pretty fun I cant wait to see what you have stored in the future!1 found this helpful
simple and easy game. only recommended to those with time to spare (about 15-30 mins).
This game needs a LOT of work and refining... the first issue is inventory, you can only see what you have picked up via esc. and you cannot use items while viewing the inventory... the controls need to be customizable... you can only use items via specific buttons currently, if the dev. wants to do it this way then it should fallow the inventory setup as well where items are listed/used by the number/inventory slot 1-0 on the keyboard or something that makes sense. should had limited camera distance/movement (a fallow camera would be better for this type of game)... the game needs sound/audio and video settings really, specially if the dev. is using Unreal Engine to make the game. since the game uses Unreal Engine there is no reason that the game objects should be polygon and uniformed color scheme (except for a few exceptions), shading should be updated too so it is less 'inky' looking... save or save 'stations' should be implimented... (having to start from the beginning every time you die, or quit/start the game is frustrating and annoying) it still is kind of fun and has a ton of potential, even for a linear game.
Game is WAY TOO short. GG though
Pretty fun game, I liked the music and it was fun to explore a bit, there are some issues but its nothing too bad. It would be nice if there was a little more recoil when you hit an enemy, every time I hit one he hit me right back, rude.
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