A dark, surreal psychological horror game, in which a young girl finds herself locked in a shed, in the middle of an idyllic autumn forest.
Mostly Positive
453 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | — | Y |
I both do and don't get A Wolf in Autumn. Perhaps it's because of my perception of things right now. Perhaps it's due to who I am as a person. Or maybe perhaps, I simply just don't get it. Or perhaps I do.
A Wolf in Autumn is yet another psychological horror from David Szymanski that beckons you to think. To think about what it's showing you and the significance that holds. It conveys a sense of emotion that is up to you to figure out. There is a beauty in sorrow, and disgust in beauty. Thus is life. Thus is freedom.
A Wolf in Autumn, to me, is a game about confinement and escape. It's about the establishment and perception of individual traumas. The wildness of true freedom and the consequences of allowing that pride, that infinitely hungry "wolf" to control you. It's a game told in two PoV's. One being the character Autumn's, and the other being her mother's. The nightmarish slurring of concepts and thoughts, the loss of control due in part to an abundance of it. This is the framework for what we are shown. For what other nightmares are shared in it. For to escape control, one must simply break through the barriers preventing that escape.
I feel for Autumn, I do. I feel for her mother as well. The implications of their relationship spell out a story of more than two people. There are more people involved in this story, more involved in the creation of their lives. Each one played their part in this. And that, the horror behind it, is why I enjoyed this game. It's why I both do, and do not get A Wolf in Autumn. It's not my story, but I'm glad to have heard it.
Aside from all of that philosophical nonsense, as a game, A Wolf in Autumn is alright. This is definitely one of the more "story above all else" games that Szymanski has put out. The area designs are claustrophobic and decrepit. They do a lot to showcase the beauty and depravity of what we see throughout the game. As far as this goes for execution, it's okay enough. Visually, this makes navigating a bit of a nightmare at the start. I dropped the ice pick at the beginning and failed to relocate it because of how badly everything blends together. I have a tough time seeing in some games and this was the worst visual blend I've experienced in quite some time.
Beyond that, the gameplay is serviceable. It's fun knowing that while there is definitely one solution to the "escape room" type puzzle you are meant to solve; there are a fair few ways of going about doing so. I really appreciate seeing how David was and still is experimenting with new gameplay ideas. This is quite the jump from his previous games up to this point. I'm glad I saved it for last in that regard. It's a nice middle ground to what we've seen and what was to come.
I'll say to try this one out if you're interested. While I went on a whole spiel about both getting it and not, you may end up just not getting it. I can see a lot of people getting hung up on the initial bits of dialogue and missing any kind of interpretation. Even if you think that might be you, I'll still push you to try it. Who knows, you might actually get it.
Also das hat mich leider überhaupt nicht abgeholt. In der Manier eines Escape Rooms mühen wir uns mit einem Arm ab. Das bedeutet in der Dunkelheit kannst du nur mit der Taschenlampe laufen oder eben etwas anderes halten und stehst im Dunkeln da. Anfänglich fand ich das ziemlich cool, aber mit der Zeit nervt es nur noch. Sound und Grafik schon okay, aber reißen es am Ende eben nicht raus.
Meistens probiert man einfach nur alle Gegenstände durch, um weiterzukommen. Nicht immer ergibt alles Sinn.
Der Anfangs- und Endtext ist irgendwie lächerlich. Als ob jemand versucht, ganz viele schlaue Wörter aneinanderzureihen, bis nur noch Wortsalat übrig ist.
Ich kann es gar nicht empfehlen.
я не хочу ничего писать, если честно, но без текста нельзя лайк поставить
A Wolf in Autumn e mi ha lasciato addosso quella sensazione di “aver spiato” qualcosa di profondamente personale. È un gioco breve, ma incredibilmente intimo: non ti intrattiene tanto con eventi spettacolari quanto con una presenza costante, quasi soffocante, fatta di silenzi, piccoli oggetti, dettagli domestici e frasi dette in un certo tono. È come entrare nella testa di qualcuno mentre prova a dare un senso a qualcosa che fa male.
La cosa che ho amato è il modo in cui costruisce l’esperienza: parte come un’esplorazione in un bosco autunnale, con un’estetica semplice ma evocativa, e pian piano ti fa capire che non stai visitando un luogo “reale” nel senso classico. C’è una logica da incubo lucido, dove le cose funzionano… ma con quella distorsione tipica dei sogni.
Il gioco ti lascia raccogliere indizi, ascoltare voci, osservare. E più vai avanti, più ti rendi conto che il cuore non è il mistero in sé, ma il rapporto che sta dietro a tutto. È disturbante, a volte scomodo, ma anche tristemente umano.
È uno di quei giochi in cui il suono non accompagna soltanto, ma racconta e ti tiene in tensione anche quando sullo schermo sembra non succedere niente. E il finale chiude in modo coerente con quello che il gioco vuole essere: più che “spiegare”, ti fa sentire. Quando ho chiuso, mi è rimasta una malinconia particolare.
Lo consiglio a chi cerca un horror/esperienza surreale più psicologica che spaventosa, a chi ama le storie che sembrano un sogno brutto ma vero, e a chi apprezza i giochi capaci di essere piccoli eppure intensi. Non è per tutti: è scomodo, a tratti cupo, e molto personale. Ma se entri nel suo ritmo, ti resta dentro.
Soul healing. i needed this.
Janky, but me gusta.
heart breaking.
Short but sweet.
Actually a really good little story to experience.
Great game. Ominous atmosphere full of dread and worry. Thought provoking
Игра очень понравилась
This story is told in a very "just trying things out" kind of way, makes Iron Lung look like Squirrel Stapler, if you get my meaning.
Compared to David Szymanski's previous work this is definitely a step up in quality by a TON with a lot more interactivity in this one, and with it it's also some of his most intriguing in terms of what it tells you, and to call it "weird" is an understatement but so is literally all of David Szymanski's work, but it still has his own charm. Great short story though, just like all his other work it's fantastic and totally worth playing at least once.
If you like David's first three games you will like this one too. It's short and vague, but you can piece the story together through clues, similar to his first three games. This one is probably the most vague of the first four games. I read some explanations that others came up with a found one in particular that made the most sense based upon what you see and can experience in the game. Pretty interesting game overall.
I wasn't expecting such a close-knit story, and one that's thoroughly emotional too
[h1] A Wolf in Autumn [/h1]
[h3] Positives: [/h3]
+ Cool idea
+ The storytelling
+ Good enough graphics
+ Nice lighting effects
+ Good sounds and music
+ The atmosphere
+ Both peaceful and creepy
+ Nice voiceacting
+ The puzzles (and often more than one way to solve them)
+ There is much more to the story and way darker layers than first anticipated
[h3] Negatives: [/h3]
- The annoying alarm sound of the voice messages
- Low FOV and no way to adjust it
- Head-bob that cant be disabled
- Almost no options or adjustments can be made in general
- The one arm can be a tiny bit annoying when dealing with several items and darkness at the same time
- No subtitles
- Very short (over in under an hour)
[h3] Conclusion: [/h3]
This is much more like it, David Szymanski working his magic.
I really enjoyed playing this escape room puzzle nightmare simulator.
Its got a few minor issues, but nothing serious.
And the graphics' waay better than his previous titles.
Overall its a cool game and well worth your time.
Too bad it isnt longer, it ended way too soon.
I liked it so much, I ended up playing it twice in a row (and that says a lot).
Highly reccommended!
[h1] Total Score: 8.5/10 [/h1]
a deeply depraved mother's hate-letter to her failed abortion of a daughter...hmm. this seems DEEPLY personal and on the nose...like i just wandered into somebody else's nightmare...but not in a cool way.
the game is beautiful in its design and lighting...tedious in its gameplay mechanics, which seems the be the point (as one is playing as a one-armed child). wanted to like this but just didn't.
Вырвиглаз.
Doesn't really feel like it achieves what it sets out to do. Only game from this creator I don't recommend so far. Very short and the escape room controls are unpleasant to use. Writing becomes word soup and lacks refinement. Again another example of how the games only seem to get better the less they hinge on text to administer a story. Great voice work however.
Tek kişinin yaptığı kısa bir bağımsız yapım. yaklaşık yarım saat ile 1 saat te bitiriliyor. Grafikler rahatsız edici düzeyde , özellikle dış mekanlarda ağaç gölgeleri ve bunların sürekli hareket etmesi ve renk tonlarındaki aşırı dolgunluk gerçekten yorucu. Tavsiye etmiyorum. 3/10
this game is scary
[h2]Der Wolf im [i]Schafs[/i]pelz[/h2]
Nüchtern betrachtet ist dieses Puzzle-Adventure kein Spiel, das direkt heraussticht. In der Haut eines kleinen Mädchens namens Autumn erwachen wir in einer verschlossenen Hütte, doch der Schlüssel hängt direkt neben uns.
Das ist der Gameplay-Auftakt für die nächste Dreiviertelstunde, in der wir im Escape Room-Stil eher simple Rätsel lösen. Hier und da kann die Spielerfahrung etwas kantig werden, einmal hat es eine mittelgroße Verwirrung auf meiner Seite gegeben - weil ich manchmal auch peinlich unbeholfen agiere in solchen Spielen. Es wäre vom Programm aber einfach vermeidbar gewesen. Doch Schwamm drüber, ich hatte großteils eine gute Knobelerfahrung. Die traumähnliche Umgebung gefiel mir stilistisch besser, als ich es anhand der Screenshots erst vermutet habe.
Aber würde dieser Teil reichen, um das Spiel nachhaltig in Erinnerung zu behalten? Wahrscheinlich nicht. Es ist also gut, dass A Wolf in Autumn noch mehr bietet. Der spielerische Aspekt ist letztendlich nur Mittel zum Zweck, um eine Geschichte zu erzählen, die wirken kann. Wenn man denn gut aufpasst und - ja natürlich, es war wohl zu erahnen - eine gewisse Motivation zur Interpretation mitbringt.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3596671727
Das Spiel ist umrahmt von recht ausführlichen Texten. In diesen beschreibt Autumns Mutter ihre Gefühlswelt auf eine sehr explizite und dennoch nebulöse Weise. Die Schreibe von Entwickler David Szymanski hat mich direkt abgeholt. Die Textschnipsel sind roh und emotional, ohne an Eleganz zu kranken. Im Spiel selbst hören wir Sprachnachrichten unserer Mutter, deren kraftvolle Vertonung perfekt die obigen Attribute widerspiegelt.
Natürlich geht es um schwere Themen. Drogenmissbrauch, Vernachlässigung und Folter spielen etwa eine Rolle. Ich möchte aus Spoilergründen nicht näher darauf eingehen. Nur: Diese Themen sind kein schockender Selbstzweck, sie werden auch nicht unbedingt in direkter Form visualisiert. Hier geht es um die Menschen, ihre Gefühlswelt, ihren Umgang mit den Umständen des Lebens. Und das macht A Wolf in Autumn sehr authentisch.
[i]Persönliches Rating:[/i] [b]68[/b]/100
[i]Fazit[/i]
[h3]Der nüchterne erste Blick könnte täuschen: A Wolf in Autumn bietet für Freunde der Interpretation eine rohe und eindrückliche Geschichte mit willkommenen Ecken und Kanten. Diese sind auch auf der recht gelungenen spielerischen Seite zu erwarten.[/h3]
Wer bereits gespielt hat, dem möchte ich diesen beeindruckenden [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/395270/discussions/0/517141624279541159/#c352792037323137956]Forum-Post[/url] empfehlen.
This is definitely David Szymanski's big step up in production value. The lone woman who does the voice acting in this game gives a great performance. It's a very simple and easy puzzle to solve, but it does have one moment that unnerved me and it has an ending that leaves you wondering.
Another great early indication this guy was a master of indie horror.
j'ai pas trouvé dsl
A Wolf in Autumn is an atmospheric and deeply introspective psychological horror game developed and published by David Szymanski, known for his talent in crafting compact yet emotionally charged narratives. It is a short experience, lasting about an hour, but within that time it delivers a haunting and ambiguous story that delves into trauma, control, and identity. The game opens with you waking up as a young girl named Autumn, trapped in a shed on the edge of a dense forest. You have no memory of how you got there, and your only connection to the outside world is through a metallic intercom that transmits the voice of your mother. Her tone shifts unpredictably between gentle concern and chilling hostility, establishing a psychological tension that persists throughout the game. This setup immediately draws the player into a confined and intimate world where every object and sound carries symbolic weight.
From its opening moments, the game makes it clear that it is not interested in conventional horror tropes. There are no monsters lurking in the dark or cheap jump scares waiting around corners. Instead, the fear in A Wolf in Autumn stems from atmosphere and implication. The environment feels oppressive despite its small size — a shed filled with tools, doors that creak open reluctantly, and machinery that hums ominously in the background. The world outside, though beautiful with its autumnal colors and flickering sunlight, carries a sense of isolation that mirrors the protagonist’s emotional state. The visual presentation is deliberately stylized, using vibrant, almost surreal hues that create a dreamlike quality. Some players find the lighting harsh or the bloom effects overpowering, but these choices serve to blur the line between memory and hallucination, reinforcing the sense that what you are seeing may not be entirely real.
Gameplay revolves around light puzzle-solving and environmental interaction. You explore the immediate area, collect objects, and figure out how to use them to open doors or trigger new mechanisms. The puzzles are grounded in logic but often require creative thinking — a rope might be severed with broken glass, or a path unblocked by reconfiguring electrical power. The mechanics are straightforward, allowing the narrative and atmosphere to take precedence, but they are integrated well enough to keep the player engaged. There is a tactile pleasure in interacting with the environment, though the limited space means that every item and puzzle feels deliberate. The game’s single-session design enhances immersion — there is no save system, forcing you to experience it from beginning to end in one sitting. This structure suits the game’s narrative intensity, giving it the rhythm of a short story rather than a traditional adventure.
The heart of A Wolf in Autumn lies in its psychological and thematic depth. As you progress, the mother’s voice becomes more prominent and more erratic, shifting from comforting to manipulative and even cruel. Her dialogue hints at a dark and complex relationship between mother and daughter — one marked by control, guilt, and dependence. The more you listen, the more the narrative unfolds as a symbolic exploration of emotional abuse and the struggle for autonomy. Autumn’s environment becomes a reflection of her inner world: every locked door, rusted tool, and flickering light feels like a fragment of her psyche. The “wolf” of the title serves as a recurring motif, embodying both danger and freedom, a symbol of the wild instinct that her mother has tried to suppress. Whether the events are literal or metaphorical remains open to interpretation, but the emotional resonance is undeniable.
Sound design plays an essential role in building tension. The mother’s voice, delivered with unnerving conviction, dominates the soundscape. It is calm one moment, furious the next, echoing through static with a sense of confinement and unease. Ambient noises — the creak of metal, the whirr of machines, the distant rustle of the forest — all contribute to an atmosphere that feels alive yet hostile. There is a sense that the world itself is watching, judging, or remembering, blurring the boundaries between physical space and mental state. The absence of a traditional musical score heightens this effect; instead, the rhythm of the game emerges from environmental sounds and the player’s own movement, making silence feel heavy and meaningful.
Narratively, the game walks a fine line between clarity and obscurity. Some will find its story fragmented, more evocative than explicit, while others will appreciate the way it trusts the player to piece together meaning from clues. The ending is intentionally ambiguous, providing emotional closure without resolving every mystery. It leaves you questioning what was real, what was imagined, and what it all represents. This lack of definitive explanation is both the game’s strength and its potential frustration. It demands reflection rather than consumption — a willingness to engage with its imagery and tone rather than seeking concrete answers. Players looking for straightforward horror or linear storytelling may find it too abstract, but those who enjoy narrative interpretation will likely appreciate its subtlety.
A Wolf in Autumn is, at its core, a meditation on fear and control rather than a conventional horror game. It continues Szymanski’s tradition of crafting intimate, thematically rich experiences that linger long after they end. It shares DNA with his earlier works like Fingerbones and The Moon Sliver, but it demonstrates a greater command of pacing and emotional nuance. The technical limitations are apparent — textures are simple, spaces are small, and mechanics are basic — yet these constraints work in the game’s favor, keeping the focus on the story’s emotional power. Every detail, from the distorted lighting to the mother’s fractured dialogue, contributes to an atmosphere of quiet dread that seeps under the skin.
Ultimately, A Wolf in Autumn is a short but potent work of interactive storytelling that invites introspection as much as participation. It’s less about escaping the shed and more about escaping the psychological confines of guilt and repression. For players who value atmosphere, symbolism, and emotional storytelling, it offers an unforgettable journey through the haunted corridors of memory and identity. Its brevity is not a flaw but a strength — a concentrated dose of dread and revelation that captures the essence of psychological horror in its purest form. It may not satisfy those looking for action or spectacle, but for those who seek narrative subtlety and emotional resonance, it stands as one of David Szymanski’s most haunting and thoughtful creations.
Rating: 7/10
Story war interessant, gameplay mit der einen hand eigentlich bisschen cool mit dem hin her laufen, aber das spiel im garten sieht schrecklich aus. ich kann nichts erkennen und ficke meine augen, im keller ist es wenigstens angenehmer, weil es nur dunkel ist, wo das einarmige gameplay zum vorschein kommt. spiel läuft schlecht, ist kurz und der rest des gameplays war einfach roblox. empfehle ich null weiter, auch wenn mich die story etwas nachdenklich gemacht hat. aber mach lieber buch statt drecks game ya uff ya
6/10
A short but memorable experience.
It's not one of David's works that you really think about all that much after it's over, but it definitely stays with you to an extent. It's unapologetic in its story, and its visuals.
'A Wolf in Autumn' is a game that may hit home for a lot of people, in a way that may make it all the more engaging, and unsettling.
My rating is critical, but do not let that fool you.
This is a game worth picking up.
Really wonderful game. Simple puzzles and such, but the atmosphere is perfect. The fact that you can only hold one item at a time is the point. Complaining about that is like complaining about every chess piece not moving like the queen. The story and particularly the ending are very well thought out and in the end, I felt nice about the resolution.
Fantastic game.
Ugly looking and confusing puzzle / escape room game. Very annoying that you can only hold one item at a time.
Terrible.
too much writing
Очередная история или продолжение истории игр я уж не понял но мне понравилось
Can't recommend this game, story is not interesting, game mechanics are weird, inventory system is inconvenient,
Игра неплохая, попробовать стоит
This it little bit disappointment, in my opinion best is "The Music Machine" game from David from these earlier works.
Nice psychological game and story, i like the atmosphere and soundscape and also dream like/surreal feeling which reminds me example as very good David Lynch movie "Eraserhead" but still this left me mostly cold after finishing, maybe because it`s very short so you don't get so immersed in the story because it`s over so quick.
So i give 4/10, but if you like David`s other older game works a lot i suggested to buy and try it yourself because it`s so cheap.
I am unable to complete this game all due to the visuals alone. It's really bright in colour while at the sametime dark enough due to the shadows which makes things in the dark even darker aswell as objects on the floor near invisible with no option to fix this.
Overall it just hurts my eyes to the point it's hard to play, which is a shame since everything that came before worked perfectly.
Walking simulator, some puzzles and a story to follow, i liked. Thank you.
In my opinion, this is David's weakest game.
It ain't got the story intrest like in Slivers, and it ain't got the intesrsting visuals like The Music Machine.
I'd say you can skip this one if you are playing through his earlier works.
норм
I very much enjoyed. Interesting to see some of David Szymanski's older work, having just finished DUSK.
[h1]ТехноВыпук Дэвида N4: На меня орала мать[/h1]
С каждым новым проектом Дэвида можно проследить его прогресс (кроме пальцев), тестирование своих сил в чем то новом.
По сути данный проект завершает первую фазу его творчества, когда делал он именно однотипные текстовые бродилки за две пачки биг бона.
Про эту очередную демку опять же мало че выйдет сказать. Маленькая игра в стиле "выберись из комнаты" с сюжетом про мать нарколыгу и дочь, которую естественно можно интерпретировать по разному, куда же без этого.
Однако мне не зашло. И вот почему. Это визуал. Скорее всего в этой демке Дэвид экспериментировал с освещением и графикой. Непонятное сочетание перегруженного теплого света и темноты лично мне абсолютно не зашло и только мозолило глаза.
В целом из-за картинки и опять же посредственного всего остального, как то сильно описывать проект не хочется. Он просто никакой и забывается очень быстро.
💋
Poor dog
Easily the most disturbing game I've ever played, but an absolute masterpiece nonetheless.
Surreal visuals and horrific vibes carry this twisted depiction of family relationships that cuts off abruptly the second you get invested in the story. Feels like a good concept art that lacks content and refinement. Only buy this if you're a fan of David's work.
3.5/10
Neat to go back and see what a developer made in the early years, though it has some issues that prevent me from recommending it.
Some performance issues. Graphics, art, and gameplay are a bit rough. The story is pretty interesting though a bit too direct.
Jeez, mommy chill...
short but still entertaining, nice creepy setting overall.
JOGO INJOGAVEL VO JOGAR ESSES JOGOS DE 8 BIT INVES DESTE JOGO
What an intense story. Fun to unravel and very unsettling.
good
A Wolf In Autumn is a short psychological horror game with a setting judging by the developer's own early steps in creating games. You find yourself in the mind of a child trapped in a cage of trauma and confusion from the start. Although the story has a formality and narrative that is interesting to appreciate, the mechanics are a little grating. The atmosphere tries to be fearful at a certain point but often fails in its shades. It's a game that I'd question positively or negatively, but in view of the essential terms that could be improved, I'll keep this wolf dormant.
A short story about the importance of psychiatrists.
good game
This game was good for what it is. Nothing to write home about but a good way to spend an hour. The graphics hurt my eyes a little.
Pro
An interesting puzzler with a horror aspect.
Visuals were pretty. Puzzles not overly difficult.
Con
I was just starting to get invested in the game when it ended and left feeling unsatisfied... so a little thin & confusing on the story.
The game was cheaper than a cup of coffee, so I'm not refunding it, but I didn't care to finish it either. It's my least favorite Dave game so far. I never connected to the setting or the girl, I couldn't get curious, and the puzzles only felt plausible about half the time. I will update my review if I feel compelled to go back and finish.
Good Game. Recommend.
I'm not sure where this lands in David's timeline. It has it's rough edges like you would expect from a solo hobby dev. It was released in 2015 after all. But it's a compelling little story. I appreciated the multiple options for problem solving, although I did get caught in a couple spots and had to resort to cheeky text walk through. Over all It's well worth the couple of dollars to experience if you're in the mood for a light horror/puzzle game.
Story spoilers as I understood the game:
[spoiler] My takeaway? The daughter needs to go therapy, see a psych probably get some meds and stay with her grandparents for a while. The mother needs to go to rehab see a psych, get some family counselling, and the family as a whole should probably stay away from pets. [/spoiler]
Another of David Szymanski's works with a great art style, characters and very impactful story and message told through your adventure in another of his dark but captivating worlds.
Претенциозная история, которая не работает, как не поверни её. Наверное, одна из худших работ Дэвида.
That was perfect
Interesting little puzzle, horror game. I've been interested in David Szymanski's games ever since I played Dusk, which was a great boomer shooter, and I also enjoyed his free horror game, Fingerbones which is another great one to play on Steam.
This one is mostly a puzzle solving game with story elements and some light horror (very light). There are two areas that you explore though they are very small in size and you just solve puzzles by picking up different tools and items and using them in the environment to open doors, or interact with machinery to allow you to progress forward. For what little gameplay there is, I enjoyed it and it was a tad better then most walking sim, narrative games on a gameplay front.
The story is interesting but not completely captivating. There is voice acting for the mother character which is very good, as you have to occasionally listen to voice messages she leaves you as you progress. She starts out sweet and caring, like a mom would be, but she gets more and more aggressive as you continue to disobey her. However the ending is done completely through text you have to read, which is a little disappointing and the writing felt a little long winded that I mostly just skimmed through it rather than being immersed.
Still not the worst game to spend money on, but for the short length this game has its only worth it on sale. My recommendation if you're interested is, play it but don't look up any guides and just solve everything yourself since that's where the enjoyment really is.
Like every David Szymanski game, just go into it blind. You will be fascinated and confused which is a lovely combination.
Took me about a half-hour to beat but I loved it, very simple puzzles nothing super challenging or ground-breaking, but from an artistic/story-telling standpoint it's great, but also very saddening. In terms of horror it really is more of a "sad-horror", but the ending leaves you rather hopeful in a strange way. This is the 3rd game of David's I've played and I'm quickly becoming a big fan. Can't wait to dive into more.
david always delivers
What the ♥♥♥♥
Life is a grinding machine indeed.
Challenging adventure game mechanics. But the story absolutely is worth the struggle.
Okay...so this one comes across to me as a pure puzzle game as opposed to a horror walking sim like some of his other titles like Fingerbones or The Moon Sliver. I'd even describe it as something like an escape room game, where you have to use objects on the environment in a certain room in order to progress onto the next part. But it's a VERY awkward one. I couldn't see any option to rebind the keys to a better setup, and as far as I know you can only carry one object at a time with no inventory system in place. So there were several times I was in the dark and had to juggle a torch and other items such as wire cutters, keys, screwdrivers, and the like. There is a lot of small-scale backtracking as a result.
Why do I recommend it then? Partly, because I think its visual style is remarkably bold and striking, a stunning departure from the other games in the developer's repertoire. It's dark and foreboding, but extremely colourful and potent at the same time and looks like very few other games I've played before. Plus, the dialogue and voice acting is excellent, even though I don't really understand the story, beyond a few vague hints of trauma and a troubled relationship.
This game isn't at all expensive, so in my opinion it's worth looking over the jankiness and awkward design to experience something different.
Vintage Szymanski
I think I might like The Silven Moon a touch more as I think it has a bit more complexity to it.
But this is a fantastic meditative piece on family, overcoming internal demons, and also dealing with authority. Very good experience.
While I love the story games made by this creator, this game's game play is my least favorite. The elements used for various puzzles seem arbitrary and confusing. With that being said, this game is cheap and definitely worth playing.
Finished it back in 2016 along with [i]"The Moon Sliver"[/i], [i]"The Music Machine"[/i] and [i]"Fingerbones"[/i]. This was my first quadrilogy of art indie games by David Szymanski, relatively speaking.
This game is not what it seems at first. Visuals are a bit cheap, but narrative is great and makes your mind wonder.
As you may assume given my previous review and my less-than-subtle hinting at my criticisms for it would carry over, this game would have been better served as a story or even just a poem given how little is there. What we do have in Wolf is so meager that cutting it up, and squeezing its bloody chunks into an interactive medium reduces an already mediocre story akin to stuffing a sausage with loose bits of meat scrapped off the floor.
In fact, it kind of feels like this game started life as a story but was brutalized in order to fit it into the vague shape of a game. The majority of the content is text, opening, and bookending the game with an awkward, stilted monologue that has the grammatical structure of a third-grader writing their first story. Now before you impune me, yes I acknowledge that this is a stylistic choice akin to the latter half of “Heart Of Darkness” but it simply fails to pull it off. It doesn't matter that you attempted to create a tasty steak, what you ended up with was a hot dog made from a dozen of the worst short stories produced by suicidal teenagers from the Midwest.
The graphics and visuals are also deeply unpleasant to look at. Now again, I know that was a distinctive choice, and I actually don't mind the fact that they are primitive as that fits the story. However, these halfhearted justifications are simple lampshading and do nothing to dismiss the fact that this looks bloody awful. You can do low poly slash simple visuals well and this game just doesn't.
Still, at the end of the day, it is at least interesting and has something to say so it's not utterly terrible. Even if it only just barely justifies its two-dollar price tag.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, Beautiful game, and an great story.
Definitely recommend this game, same with every other game made by this man.
This game might be a single punch to the gut but it's a painful one.
Damn, David.
Not David's best work, but it's a good story. The puzzles make it more than just another walking spooky simulator, which is good. The beginning gave me some olde Myst vibes.
A disappointing offering from this house: while the sound design was impeccable and the hypersaturated visuals were interesting (even if it made some assets confusing), the storytelling was terrible and the game had a few show-stopping bugs.
The gameplay is sandwiched between screens of stream-of-consciousness text, introducing us to the player-character's mother first. We then play as the daughter, with voice interjections from the mother, and then the game concludes with more stream-of-consciousness text returning us to the mother's point of view. It's hard to get all this to feel like a cohesive narrative because no one is likable and everyone seems to be an unreliable narrator. Maybe it's just too artsy for me, but normally I leave Szymanski's games feeling unsettled but satisfied. After [u]A Wolf in Autumn[/u] I am left scratching my head. Maybe this dude should reconsider writing about the relationship a woman has with motherhood.
a neat short experience with waaaayyyy too much bloom. it was alright though. worth 1.99 or whatever.
Alright.
Bought this as I quite like indie/puzzle games. While the voice acting and atmospheric music is excellent the art style is extremely hard on the eyes (perhaps intentionally), but the bloom and high contrast is a real pain and I can't imagine it being very good for anyone who may have visual impairments. Sometimes it feels like the sound isn't well balanced and has loud spikes, also, perhaps intentional.
The puzzles were very straightforward and not exactly difficult, resulting in a very short game, if you drop items it can be difficult to find them once more due to the previously mentioned "art style".
The story isn't anything wonderful, I don't think. It seems you were experiencing the world through the eyes of a traumatised or autistic young girl whose mother has some sort of heroin addiction and promiscuous tendencies. The mother's voice acting is very good at displaying contempt and bitterness, but the dialogue feels convoluted. Additionally, a lack of subtitles isn't great.
Worth it if you're interested in this sort of thing, but overall, I wasn't massively moved or impressed. Very cheap as well, so.
This game is not good. The writing is bad, it tries really hard but I think the writer just doesn't know enough English to make it actually interesting and engaging. The gameplay.....is....mediocre at best, tedious at worst, it's kinda a puzzle game, but its more interact with a thing after finding the correct object.
Terrible game, even as a freebie. It was a waste of everyone's time! The poetry or whatever at the beginning was suuuuuuuper cringe, too. Not David Szymanskee's best work.
I am 32 years old.
My ex-wife and I have a daughter together, and we adopted our son together. Both are now 4 years old.
When we were going through our separation, I felt lost and unhappy. I was self-destructive. One day, I was so angry with everything spiraling out of control that I punched a concrete wall in a moment of overwhelming emotion. This resulted in breaking my fifth metacarpal in my right hand—the hand I worked with, played games with, and used to carry my children to bed—the hand I desperately needed to ensure I could continue providing.
Upon learning the severity of the self-inflicted damage, I became almost suicidal. Keep in mind that just a few months before this, I was the happiest man, with no history of depression or anxiety. I had never experienced anger outbursts, nor was I the type to break down and cry, but I was in a tough situation that truly prevented me from seeing the light on the other side.
With nothing better to do, I looked for a game I could play WITH ONE HAND while recovering. Somehow, I stumbled upon this game and read some of the comments. I decided it was worth a try... I must admit I didn't beat the game, nor did I play as much as some of you. In fact, I may have played this game for only a day or two. That being said, after doing so, I had a new joy and hope for life. I managed to leave behind the pain and suffering that had been thrust upon me. I could experience the joy and happiness of other people. I relaxed for 5 ♥♥♥♥ minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.
After realizing this, I turned off the game and went back to work. My hand hurt a lot, but I was motivated. I stopped feeling so sorry for myself and became the father I needed to be at that moment, not the weak boy I was behaving like.
Today, I am close friends with the mother of my children. We don't fight, argue, or say hurtful things to each other. We are parents and friends.
Now I have 3 children. My third child is, wait, ALSO 4 YEARS OLD. The woman I am with was going through a very similar situation at the time of my separation, and we just unexpectedly stumbled into each other's lives. We have been dating for a year and are very happy together.
Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today. This silly little game helped me realize that.
Thank you.
Non, très court (45min) avec une histoire inintéressante, un gameplay basique au possible, et je n'ai pas compris le but du jeu.
It was only a dream.
This one got to me, ngl. Beautiful and terrifying atmosphere. A story that just punches in the gut with how brutal and morose it is. Definitely one of those games that sits with you long after you played it. geez.
seriously dark story. More of a point and click game translated into full 3D than a walking simulator; of his earlier games it's most like fingerbones. The puzzles are reasonable and make sense and the storytelling is pretty good, even if the story isn't really as compelling as in the earlier games. The environments are also a bit meh compared to the music machine.
Still it's an enjoyable bite-sized game, and i'd buy it again at the sale price of 99 cents.
No controller support but very playable with steam input (just turn down sensitivity to about 80%)
игра головоломка чтоли, тнтересная, но уделив ей максимум интереса, вышло меньше часа. хорошая игра, но на раз
Its not as good as his other games but its decently decent
.
This is the first game I've played from this creator. It was pretty good and I look forward to playing more from them.
made me cry and want to hug my mother 11/10
[h1] Not for me [/h1]
This is the fouth walking horror sim made by David Szymanski and for as far as I know the last of this style.
To be honest I didnt like it. Similiar to the other games it heavily relies on the story, which never captured me at all. On top I find the gameplay and the riddle a little to confusing. There is a riddle that requires to do something in the previous room and it took to quite awhile and some research to find that out.
Unfortunatly when you leave an area the area resets its item location, meaning you need to gather everything again. After a frustrating long time searchin for a solution and then having to redo some stuff didnt make it better.
This left me unsatisfied at the end and when I read the same block of text again and again and again the game lost me at all. For real while was there the same page of words showed serveral times. Its a little sad I couldnt enjoy this. However I still think that David Syzmanski is talented Game Designer and that his future game, which I knew some of, are better. Id say that this work and my sense of enteraiment never where on the same wave length.
It's okay.
Visceral and horrific short best experienced with headphones. A true stand-out in the developer's already inspiring catalog.
that wolf sure can autumn
I'm somewhat horrified that I am leaving a negative review for a David Szymanski game, but here we are.
Six minutes in, and my eyes are nearly bleeding from the head-bob and then, near the end of the game (the basement), there were two different glitches that prevented progression. This required starting the entire game over (twice) as there is no save function. Not gonna start a third game to see if it glitches again, so I have no idea how the game ends, and I am refunding it.
If you're going to make a game to be played in one sitting, with no save function, you should at least present a game that can actually be played through.
Beautiful, haunting, depressing, bittersweet. David, are you OK?
i am now going to cry myself to sleep
cool sound design tho
