Sylvio

Confusing, charming, with raw edges. Gameplay is simple, battles are not really a problem, most of the game is just running around the location and doing some puzzles. A lot of cryptic lore. The game is weird to the point of being sometimes perplexing, but i find Sylvio sweet, it's a passion project. It's more about the vibes, to be honest. Check it out if you ever feel nostalgic for 2010s indie horror games.

For something made 10 years ago this is still so unique, creepy and macabre in a way I haven't found in any other game. It's got a sort of weird mix between being dread-inducing but also kind of relaxing to play, it's more like a horror-themed puzzle/exploration game rather than outright scary, but there are certainly chilling moments. The best part of the game is the EVP deciphering, it's so creepy yet satisfying finding the different words/phrases hidden in your recordings, piecing together what happened to the ghost and how it relates to the overall story. It's definitely not perfect by any means, the controls/UI are pretty dated and some of the puzzles feel way too obscure or easily sequence-breakable, especially in the Zoo level. But if you're prepared to deal with a bit of jank, I'd definitely give it a go if you're an indie-horror fan.

Frustrating, stupid and pointless. Invisible things kill you constantly in one of the first parts of the game. Wish I'd read more before I gave these people my money. You've had 10 years to fix this mess, and you failed. BOOO!!

I'm going to recommend this game because it has cool ideas, clever puzzles, great audio, love the voice acting, the music, and there is a peculiar mood that makes it special. And was made by practically one person, such a big accomplishment. This said, I'm going to expose a few things that made the experience quite negative for me. The developer can stop reading now :D My first try, a few years ago, I didn't understand anything, I kept dying, the recorder didn't seem to work and I was really confused about when I have to record things with the microphone. I wanted to kill Kurt Indovina who recommended the game and uninstalled it (the game, not Kurt Indovina). Now I'm cleaning my backlog and decided to take a second try. This time I read the manual first and it was a huge change, because there are a few concepts that are difficult to grasp just playing. I understand that the developer didn't want to use cutscenes to make the game more immersive but it makes very difficult to realize what's happening and some base ideas like shooting nails to clouds don't make sense in terms of logic, and the feedback isn't obvious when you do it, so you think wrongly you're doing nothing when you…

Atmospheric and strange. Great sound design. Probably not for everyone, but if you're a fan of weird fiction and games that are artistic and exploration based it's worth a play. I'd consider it roughly the same genre as Empathy Path of Whispers, but with visuals that are more bleak and haunting rather than epic and fantastical. The story builds gradually and with a sense of dread. "Bleak", "haunting", and "dread" probably make it sound like a downer to play, but the atmosphere is strangely calming, which makes the simple gameplay almost meditative. The ending is baffling, so if you need a conclusive ending it may not be the game for you.

Ok, small game and made by what I can see either a small team or one guy. Has a great idea for a horror concept, having a recorder to help decipher ghost messages and see whether or not it's a threat or a story unraveling. I love it a lot, going through everything, playing with audio is so interesting. Going in reverse, slowing it, making it play faster, just a concept I haven't seen yet. One thing to note about it is that the game is primarily puzzles. Little action that means hardly anything, but it's meaningful nonetheless. And with that, the first puzzle is kinda bad to lock the player to the rest of the game, just felt less clear than it should've been. Beyond that, I suggest you keep this game at max volume. Do not change it or adjust it, leave it how it is. Because there was a moment while in an ashy, red forest, I heard what sounded like distant growling in one direction through the recording mic. Thinking it was an easter egg, I followed it and followed it. It kept going on for what felt like 20 minutes until nothing. Not a sound. Pure silence. Not a single ripple, drop, crunch or anything, just the pop from the mic. It sent chills down my spine and I don't think that …