An Ancient and most sinister evil threatens the soul of an innocent young girl. Explore the remote and mysterious theatre to uncover lost horrors and find the solution. Can you outwit the beast?
Very Positive
270 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Y | — | Y |
I'm sorry, but this was one of the most boring hidden object games I have ever played. The art was wonderful, but that's where it stops. The story did not make much sense, the puzzles were the same thing over and over, and it was short. I would not recommend this game.
Actually not bad at all. The hidden object puzzles were challenging in the way they blended the objects into the background and environment, and I enjoyed that a lot. It doesn't have a map but it's not a problem at all because it's not a big game at all. The story is pretty basic with elements of horror. I absolutely love how they implemented the hints and abilities system and tied it into the story. I enjoyed the 2.5 hours I spent with this game and I would absolutely recommend grabbing it when you see it on sale.
Theatre Of The Absurd, developed by Gogii Games and published by Strategy First, is a hidden-object adventure that blends supernatural mystery with gothic theatrics. Set in a snowbound estate high in the Italian Alps, the game casts players as Scarlet Frost, a specialist in the occult summoned to investigate the aftermath of a mysterious artifact’s destruction. What begins as an inquiry into a shattered relic quickly spirals into a battle against a malevolent force that has taken hold of those within the estate. The narrative embraces melodrama and supernatural intrigue, building an atmosphere that is intentionally eerie and slightly surreal.
The story unfolds through a mix of environmental exploration, journal entries, and animated cutscenes. Rather than presenting a tightly structured thriller, it leans into the dramatic and theatrical tone suggested by its title. Occult symbolism, ancient curses, and shadowy corridors form the backbone of the setting. While the narrative occasionally feels fragmented or overly cryptic, its commitment to gothic mood helps sustain engagement. The mystery itself serves more as a vehicle for exploration than a deeply layered plot, but it provides enough context to drive players from one puzzle sequence to the next.
Gameplay centers around traditional hidden-object scenes interwoven with inventory-based puzzles and light adventure mechanics. Players navigate through static but richly illustrated environments, searching for specific items hidden among detailed backdrops. Once collected, these objects are used to solve environmental challenges, unlock new areas, or progress the storyline. The hidden-object segments are designed to be accessible, with items generally distinguishable without excessive pixel-hunting. This approach ensures a steady pace and reduces frustration, particularly for newcomers to the genre.
In addition to object-finding sequences, the game incorporates a variety of puzzle types, including pattern matching, mechanical manipulation, and symbol-based challenges. These puzzles rarely reach extreme difficulty levels, instead prioritizing flow and narrative continuity. A built-in hint system is available for players who become stuck, maintaining momentum and preventing extended stalls in progression. While seasoned adventure game fans may find the puzzles somewhat predictable, they serve their purpose in reinforcing atmosphere and pacing.
Visually, Theatre Of The Absurd reflects its early-2010s origins. Environments are presented in richly colored, slightly stylized static images with animated overlays that add movement and depth. The estate’s rooms—ranging from grand halls and backstage theater spaces to cryptic underground chambers—are designed to evoke unease. Lighting effects, shadow play, and subtle environmental animations enhance immersion despite technical limitations. The art direction emphasizes mood over realism, creating a world that feels intentionally dramatic rather than grounded.
Sound design supports the atmosphere with a moody orchestral soundtrack and ambient audio cues. Subtle creaks, distant echoes, and ominous musical swells reinforce the supernatural theme. While voice acting and audio production may not reach modern cinematic standards, they effectively complement the theatrical tone. Together, visuals and audio create a cohesive sensory experience that aligns with the game’s mysterious aesthetic.
Exploration follows a semi-linear structure. Although players move between interconnected areas and revisit locations with newly acquired items, the overall path remains guided. Backtracking is minimal and typically purposeful, with inventory items clearly tied to specific obstacles. This design keeps the experience manageable and prevents the sense of aimlessness sometimes associated with open-ended adventure titles.
One of the game’s strengths lies in its accessibility. Its moderate difficulty, clear objectives, and intuitive interface make it approachable for casual players. The estimated runtime of a few hours ensures that it does not overextend its mechanics, offering a compact and focused experience. While it may not deliver groundbreaking innovation, it provides a reliable hidden-object adventure that remains engaging from start to finish.
Ultimately, Theatre Of The Absurd succeeds as an atmospheric puzzle adventure rooted in gothic storytelling. It does not redefine the genre, nor does it aim for intricate narrative complexity. Instead, it offers a visually moody and mechanically straightforward experience tailored to fans of hidden-object mysteries. For players who appreciate light puzzle-solving framed within an eerie supernatural setting, it delivers a satisfying journey through shadowed halls and theatrical intrigue.
Rating: 7/10
Standard point and click hidden object game with absurdly silly acting. The game is dated, but was still enjoyable. At least until a game breaking bug late game. When gathering jeweled scrolls for one of the last sections, if you place them before collecting all of them, they just disappear, and there's no way to advance the game. It was mildly enjoyable until then, but there's no way I'm repeating the entire game again. So, this game gets a "meh" at best from me.
A wholesome hidden object game. Very fun.
Yes.
Wow
This was a really enjoyable HOP game. The graphics/artwork as well as the story line were what drew me in. HO puzzles held a level of difficulty that I haven't seen in awhile and it wasn't riddled with them all over the game either. The bonus game is short but a good continuation of the game. I would have loved for the game to have been longer, I enjoyed it that much and would definitely play more games by this developer if they made more like this one.
point click gizli nesne bulmaca oyunu , kendince bi hikayesi de var grafikler oyunu daha eski gösteriyor sevemedim
The plot is indeed absurd :P
very atmospheric,
combination of point & click & hidden object,
I didn't hate it,
made before ESG ruined everything.
cute little game , i liked it for the fact that im a sucker for hidden object games
Da gross black eyed girl drank da water and spewed a red goo man. I laffed till I spewed a red goo man too. Now I bring him peops to drink him up and get all gross and black eyed too. Fun times.
OK... That was weird. First the lady is stupid enough to lie that the cube is fake and to make Dr. Corvus break it in rage (no spoilers, it's on the video). Then the demon that got out of the cube is stupid enough to talk to the lady via inter-phone and to give hints on how to get rid of himself. Then we save the girl (not a spoiler again, it's common logic), but she is kind of not saved... and what centuries is the ghost of Dr. Corvus talking about? The story looks like a time loop, one long [strike]groundhog[/strike] day of [strike]William Murray[/strike] Scarlet Frost, here we go again with the bonus chapter.
But when you are tired after work and not capable of thinking about something complicated [strike]like this story[/strike], as someone wrote in the reviews below, this game will deliver. I [u][i]liked[/i][/u] the artwork, the sounds, the atmosphere, the idea and realisation of inter-phone communication with Beyond, of the talking hand ([i]"I will not assist with this"[/i]) and of ghost faces when you click too much in HO scenes. HO scenes were not so difficult[strike], although several had similar objects to the particular one you had to click[/strike], yet not frustrating.
Although the story is absurd [strike](maybe that is why the game is called "Theatre of the Absurd", because I don't see any other reason, the theatre itself was just one of the locations)[/strike], I would [u][i]recommend[/i][/u] it on a sale for those who want to enjoy some time with atmospheric HOs.
This game was actually really good. an interesting story, some really good 3d visuals, and the only game with an actually good sound when you find a hidden object. Wish there were more of this series.
5 Stars
I used to play this a lot and coming back to it has been just as good I just wish there was a sequel or prequel to explain certain parts of the story.
Very average as hidden object games go. The adventure aspect is far too easy, as every time you find a puzzle you are pretty much handed the solution immediately. Even on expert mode there is no penalty for taking too long or clicking on the wrong thing. Some confusing objects - a swan not accepted as a 'white bird' for example. The bonus content adds a couple of puzzles but it does't make the story any clearer. The theming is kind of all over the place. The demonic theatre idea would have been enough, but this is also a European-style Gothic cathedral with an ancient Egyptian tomb underneath?! Some of the art is really nice, but the demon looks rather silly.
For beginners only I think.
Is this a AAA pixel hunter game???
Whenever another game has me stuck on a difficult puzzle and feeling especially stupid, I like to fire up a Hidden Object Game in order to redeem myself. They tend to move along at a brisk pace while being [i] just [/i] hard enough (ok, barely hard at all) to give the illusion of actually accomplishing something.
[i] Theater of the Absurd [/i] hits this sweet spot exactly, while distinguishing itself from the rest of the Hidden Object pack with its well-crafted gothic horror aesthetic. Not that it's [i] too [/i] scary (this is still a HOG we're talking about after all), but it's the first one of these I've played that inspired me to kill the room lighting in order to vibe with the atmosphere. In the dime-a-dozen market for these types of games, I think that's saying something.
Now to get back to that dang Murphy Bed puzzle in [i] Curse of Monkey Island... [/i]
its ok, nice are and some nice puzzles.
not the best not the worst
Das Spiel war an sich sehr nett aber durch einen Bug kurz vor Ende des Spiels konnte ich es nicht beenden, daher keine Empfehlung von mir.
[i][b]Theatre of the Absurd[/b], almost as absurd as the title.[/i]
[h1]Who's this game for?[/h1]
[list]
[*]Short-on-time gamers
[/list]
[h1]Negatives[/h1]
[list]
[*]Bad voice acting
[*]Expert mode hand-holding
[*]Hidden object scenes are rough
[*]Meant for smaller monitors
[*]Poorly done ending
[/list]
[h1]Positives[/h1]
[*]Unique puzzles
Our verdict: [b]Unworthy[/b]
[table]
[tr]
[th]For more games like this...[/th]
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[td]Check out [url=https://www.youtube.com/@tgxp]The Gaming Experience[/url] website[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Watch our [url=https://www.youtube.com/@tgxp]SFW YouTube channel[/url][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Watch our [url=https://www.youtube.com/@thexxxperience]NSFW YouTube channel[/url][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Follow our [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43468296-The-Gaming-XPerience/]Curator Group[/url][/td]
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Очень качественный пиксельхантинг с хоть и не очень складным сюжетом, но хорошо прописанным сценарием. Проходится почти интуитивно (но подсказками можно пользоваться свободно). Из минусов: при запуске игра сначала переходит в полный экран низкого разрешения; также предметы для поиска иногда "висят в воздухе" или лежат на краю, сливаясь с ним.
I really enjoyed this game. The puzzles were not too hard and plenty of HOG. The story was OK not great, but it did the job. The graphics were good and plenty of voice acting. My only gripe is there was no mini map. 8/10.
It´s nicely made HOG, not the best I have ever played but definitely not the worst. So if you enjoy basic short HOGs with some fairly easy puzzles this is a good choice.
Amei. Boa história e bons quebra-cabeças.
Eu adoraria ter que elogiar Theatre of the Absurd, mas não posso.
O jogo é absolutamente mediano pra um Caça-Objetos/Objetos Ocultos/Objetos Escondidos, mas esbarra em alguns problemas que deixam tudo menos prazeroso. Pra alguém que no último ano terminou mais de 100 jogos do gênero, NÃO É DIFÍCIL me agradar. Até mesmo os jogos mais ruins, conseguem.
Mas vamos aos problemas:
*Hitbox questionável nos puzzles de caça objetos, uma das análises em inglês menciona que as vezes você "acha" objetos clicando aleatoriamente em outros.
*A história é confusa, inconclusiva e até dá pista de uma continuação (após terminar o conteúdo bônus, se você clicar na dica, o seu braço dirá TO BE CONTINUED.)
*Os poucos puzzles PUZZLES do jogo são ridículos de fáceis
*O jogo possui um bug numa das seções finais do jogo, onde pode ocorrer um softlock, e a única solução é reiniciar um novo jogo e só COLOCAR O PAINEL COM AS INSCRIÇÕES APÓS PEGAR OS SEIS.
Overall rating: 7.5/10
(with fullscreen resolution and without plaque bug: 8.0)
Theatre Of The Absurd is definitely one of the better point-and-click titles available on steam. The story is nothing to write home about it, but also doesn't try to implement a strange arc of suspense or force the player to follow a badly written plot. Instead, the game focuses more on its mechanics and undergird them with a pinch of mysticism, supernatural elements and solid cutscenes. The graphics are nice to watch and the overall look of the game feels very athmospheric and concerted with the given topic. A nice feature is the little and quite soft jumpscare, when the player clicks way too often onto the scenery without targeting the needed items to complete the search. While playing, i never felt bored or, on the other hand, overstrained, and that's maybe the best thing a point-and-click title can archieve.
Nevertheless, two things beclouded the overall positive impression: A fullscreen resolution is not supported and when trying to finish the puzzle with the ancient egyptian plaques without having them all in the first place, the game can not be played further. Only because of a workaround, explained in the linked thread in this and the following post, the bug isn't game-breaking, see here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/299110/discussions/0/558756256151970381/?ctp=2#c2534848209927517625
For me, the key above the tab-key with the symbols "°" and "^" opened the imgame cheat menu and let me reset the plaque counter, so i could continue the game without playing everything from the start. Apart from that, the rest worked as intented and i didn't find any other bugs.
Even for the regular and fair price of 4.99€, i can recommend to purchase the Theatre Of the Absurd for a nice evening of around 4.5 hours playtime with puzzle and riddle fun. :)
For a dollar it was a decent game to play for 3.5 hours
good
The game is rather short; it took 2.7 hours on Expert difficulty with no usage of in-game help mechanisms. The story could be more fleshed out. There are some interesting ideas but they fall short, or perhaps seems that way in late 2021.
Continua ad andare in crash, soldi sprecati!
Bom jogo de hidden objects =) Recomendadíssimo.
Absolut großartiges Erlebnis. Kein gutes Spiel, aber ein Erlebnis
Great game. When you are used to hidden object games, you come to expect the same type of puzzles and environment. For me, the shock of the unexpected was really big. At first I could not figure out the type of game, which is a good thing. And then it was very creepy and the ending came as a surprise. Very good!
I never EVER write reviews, but this is literally one of the best hidden object games ive played in recent years. Decent straight to the point story, good flow, no bugs, and some great 3D animation which I havent seen in this kind of game for quite a while. To top it off I picked it up on sale for 79p. Feel like ive robbed the devs there. Fantastic game, get it played.
Very clever hidden object scenes, and there are a lot of them. The puzzles aren't too difficult, the sounds and graphics are really good--including the voices--and the story is creepily okay. The hints and skips and strategy guide are all very helpful too. As a fan of HOG's I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game.
old and good HOG.
a good time killer
Gorgeous art, good story, clever puzzles and some very smart sound design? Yes please. Would absolutely recommend for anyone who wants a more autumn-friendly Hidden Object game.
Beautiful creepy horror game!
really liked the story line and the graphics, one of my new favourite games. Will play this one again, only downside is the length of the game, could definitely be longer, but the graphics are really enjoyable
Норм
I mean, it is what it is. A rather short, extremely casual hidden-object game. The art style is a little disconcerting, the voiceovers are rough (the acting itself is okay but the audio sounds like it was recorded in an indoor pool), the story kinda makes sense (the bonus content didn't really explain anything), and it's probably a 2 out of 10 on the difficulty scale (just over 4 hours of gametime, on Expert, no walkthrough, including bonus content).
The HOG scenes are well-done and provide a fair challenge. Buy it on sale, have fun for a night, and by the next morning you'll have completely forgotten it.
That was incredibly boring. Hard pass.
The graphics are beautiful, the cut scenes are well done... it is an intriguing story that feels not very well fleshed out. The hidden object scenes start out slightly challenging but grow easier as you go through the game... almost as if the developers kind of gave up. No real challenging puzzles. Not nearly enough play time... I clocked in under three hours. Overall, it was an empty feeling game and your energies would be better spent on another HOG.
Gioco noioso, le scene nelle quali cercare i vari oggetti hanno una grafica orribile e il tutto risulta statico e ripetitivo,
Обычно я не пишу обзоры на hidden object games (HOG), потому что выдающихся или хотя бы любопытных работ в этом жанре на Steam вышло не так уж и много. В большинстве случаев HOG неплохо работают как "жвачка для рук" после трудного рабочего дня, когда вы приходите домой совершенно вареным, и сил уже не остается ни на шутеры, ни на стратегии. Хотя в плане сложности квестовых элементов такие игры бывают очень разными ([spoiler]например, элементарная, но красивая Mirror Mysteries контрастирует с умеренно сложной и иногда грешащей пиксельхантингом Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light, а та, в свою очередь, - с Voodoo Whisperer: Curse of a Legend, которую непросто будет пройти без подсказок из-за необходимости регулярно пиксельхантить совершенно неочевидные объекты[/spoiler]), обычно их авторы стремятся работать на широкую аудиторию, делая решение задач нарочито очевидным (в духе "разрезать ножом веревку" или "разбить камнем стекло"). По уровню казуальности HOG часто уступают разве что кликерам, и это не плохо: в мире существуют обстоятельства настолько отчаянные, что иногда игрок чисто физически не может осилить ничего крупнее простенькой казуальной игры.
Однако даже среди таких разработок иногда находятся на удивление грамотные в плане геймдизайна (или действительно впечатляющие в плане атмосферы либо визуального исполнения) проекты, которые не стыдно порекомендовать другим игрокам. Из всей линейки игр от издателя Gogii Games, выложенных на Steam, лучшей я считаю именно Theatre of the Absurd - в первую очередь за то, что она ценит время игрока, а во вторую - за атмосферу предсказуемого хоррора в духе "фильмов класса B" и красочное визуальное оформление (несмотря на не слишком привлекательные скриншоты с мертвенно-бледной девочкой на странице проекта в Steam).
Сюжет при этом не вызывает особых восторгов: специалистка в области оккультизма Скарлет Фрост приезжает в зловещее поместье оценить подлинность "куба души", в котором заточен могущественный демон. Куб, само собой, разбивается, зло вырывается на свободу, владелец поместья становится одержим потусторонними силами, а его дочь теперь необходимо спасти от проклятья, которое гарантированно поглотит ее душу ее в случае бездействия. Главная интрига истории - зачем владельцу поместья вообще потребовался куб с демоном внутри - разрешается вполне предсказуемо ([spoiler]чтобы вернуть к жизни погибшую жену[/spoiler]), однако к финалу Theatre of the Absurd как минимум одна крупная загадка остается неразгаданной ([spoiler]по какой именно причине героиня решила помочь девочке - финальная сцена намекает, что у самой мисс Фрост есть некая тайна, связанная то ли с кубом, то ли с ее отношением к упомянутой жене, то ли к демонологии в целом[/spoiler]). Судя по всему, когда-то разработчики надеялись, что TotA станет первой частью цикла The Chronicles of Scarlett Frost, о котором упоминается на сайтах фанатов жанра HOG, но что-то пошло не так, и теперь продолжения можно не ожидать.
Главной находкой разработчиков является удобная система подсказок к прохождению игры, которая из традиционного текстового руководства, выскакивающего по нажатию кнопки в меню (впрочем, оно здесь тоже есть), превратилась в геймплейную механику: в любой момент главная героиня может посмотреть на свою "проклятую" правую руку и увидеть проступившее на ней указание к дальнейшим действиям (без них блуждать по внушительных размеров поместью вслепую пришлось бы очень долго). Сравнительно простые паззлы в TotA тоже есть, однако их можно пропустить, выждав определенное время. Непосредственно сцены с поиском предметов радуют разнообразием трэш-хоррорных сеттингов и яркостью картинки - по сравнению с более ленивыми проектами, в которых разработчики разбрасывают "бытовые" предметы по задникам, оформленным в виде шкафов и полок, это выглядит как весомый плюс.
По итогу, единственным недостатком Theatre of the Absurd как низкобюджетной HOG (что подразумевает и простенькую анимацию в роликах, и недоигрывающих актеров озвучания) остается забагованная задачка с поиском и расположением на доске табличек с египетскими иероглифами, которая находится практически в самом финале игры: для ее прохождения нужно придерживаться правила "вставляйте куски табличек в активную зону только тогда, когда найдете их все" (если вставить найденные таблички раньше времени и выйти из активной зоны, игра их "проглотит", и по возвращению на экран с активной зоной покажет пустоту, тем самым заблокировав дальнейшее прохождение). Впрочем, умельцы описали обход этого бага в секции "Обсуждения" на Steam (ветка называется "Bug to watch out for: Tablets"; суть заключается в вызове меню читов и "решении" задачки методом перепрограммирования), однако простое соблюдение указанного правила в моем случае также сработало.
Вердикт: одна из лучших игр из подборки HOG-проектов от издателя Gogii Games на Steam. Максимально дружелюбна к игроку несмотря на зловещий сеттинг (при желании подсказки можно отключить, что добавит прохождению несколько часов бесцельных блужданий по местной игровой карте). Продается за копейки во время сезонных скидок, идеальна в случаях переутомления после работы, когда играть во что-то более серьезное руки уже не поднимаются.
absolutly one of my favorits. Nice story, garphics are very good.
I loved this game! Great 5 hours of play
+Good story and style.
+Price but if you are only collector or big fan.
-Really,really short,max 3 Hours.
-Very short premium end story.
Theatre of the Absurd, je dois dire que ce titre va parfaitement à ce Hidden. L' histoire est plus que nébuleuse, je n'avais déjà compris la cinématique du début que voilà que le jeu m'assène le coup final à la conclusion de cette aventure mais qui n'en est pas vraiment une puisque "to be continued".... ah ok... pourquoi tant de haine jeu?? pourquoi??
Surtout que je n'avais guère de grief contre toi, effectivement l'âge t'as rendu un peu illisible dans les SOC mais ils sont bien composés. Cela est encore plus vrai si vous jouez sur la résolution du jeu, le soin apporté aux détails et à l'incrustation est vraiment agréable au regard. Alors oui, grand écran avec un manque de détail ou petite fenêtre avec détail, c'est du pareil au même certains vont dire... Mais à choisir, je préconise quand même la "pitite" fenêtre... c'est plus joli :)
Surtout que des SOC, vous allez en avoir à faire car cela avec quelques scènes où il faut replacer des morceaux sur une image, il n'y a pas de vrais puzzles à résoudre. On peut même dire que parfois c'est une indigestion de SOC car il arrive qu'à peine que vous en ayez fait un qu'un autre se présente à vous... faut aimer...
Le reste du temps, on parcourt ce qui semble être un chateau, laboratoire, cathédrale, théatre, et temple caché... Le proprio doit payer une taxe foncière monstrueuse (quoique pour le temple caché... je suis pas sûr qu'il soit déclaré...)
Oui, les développeurs se sont un peu trop "laissé" aller sur les environnement au détriment de la narration qui nous pousse un espèce de démon qui ne sert à rien sauf à nous donner des indices pour avancer dans l'histoire... ça devait pas être le premier de sa classe en Enfer... il paraîtrait même qu'il a faillit être recaler en classe Angel... la honte quoi ^^
Faut-il rappeler aux développeurs que pour une histoire soit intéressante, biiin il faut un méchant qu'il le soit aussi... mais vu que n'ai pas compris le début, c'est peut-être le démon qui était gentil et mon personnage la grande méchante... va savoir...
Avais-je dit que n'avais aucun grief contre toi jeu?... j'ai menti... je peux passer sur la résolution, le manque de contenu et cette envolée lyrique sur le toujours plus... après tout le théatre de l'absurde est un style, même si je n'en raffole pas, mais pourquoi alors donner une logique dans la progression de l'héroïne? Pourquoi nous donner le but de sauver une enfant. L'héroïne seule dans ce grand "manoir" aurait amplement suffit et ses actions auraient pris une tournure... pourquoi rester alors que rien ne la retient, pourquoi aller chercher tel ou tel objet... tout cela aurait été... absurde...
Non vraiment, je n'ai rien compris....
good game
got to the end of the game and was unable to complete puzzle, bugged out and lost 2 glyphs so was unable to play bonus game either. Wasted 9 hours of game time :(
Also, dieses Wimmelbildspiel ist schon ein bisschen in die Jahre gekommen.
Und es hat auch einen gewissen Unterhaltungswert, wenn man es im Sale kauft.
Die Rätsel sind einfach, die Wimmelbildobjekte leider etwas "ungenau" und es ist sehr kurz.
Das es auf Englisch ist, ist ja euch kein Problem.
Was mich aber zu meinen negativen Review bewegt hat ist:
Es gibt keine Karte, die Hand als "Was soll ich jetzt tun" funktioniert mehr schlecht als recht
und wenn man bei einem Rätsel eine Erklärung sucht, sucht man diese vergebens.
Thumbs down! There was too much backtracking and this game does not have an instant travel map. This game doesn’t even have a regular map. The hidden object scenes weren’t that great, and I didn’t like the mini-games. In addition, the story doesn’t have a satisfying ending. It strongly hints that things aren’t quite what they seemed, but then it just stops without a definite resolution or a clear explanation of what exactly happened.
Typical HOG with an interesting storyline. Was a bit predictable but enjoyable. The only thing I didn't like was that there was no map that I ever found
Spændende og passende sværhedsgrad. Selvom hoved-historien er hurtigt gennemført, er der masser af bonus-materiale til at lege videre med.
This game impressed me, from the start.
As a HOG, the items were really well hidden and I was glad there weren't any achievements. One, because I wouldnt have set any time records and secondly it was enjoyable to take my time searching, see images come into view as my eyes came into focus.
Theatrically, I was drawn into the story, through good design, acting and really good animation.
Travelling from room to room was quick, so having no map wasnt an issue. This was especially helpful as the intensity of the adventure was enhanced with the smooth game-play.
If you like HOGs and PnCs, u will love this game.
I was not sure at first about the game itself but after I started playing it I really enjoyed it. It was not boring at all,it kept you excited about what would happen next.
Fun HoG. Fun Puzzles that actually make sense.
Very fun game no timer which is best
surprisingly fun puzzle game with dark visuals and an interesting story. I did find a gamebreaking bug that prevented me from completing the game.
spoiler:
The plaques can disappear from the wall in the undertheater, softlocking the game.
Pretty good graphics, storyline not bad.
This is a run of the mill point and click/hidden object adventure puzzle game with a horror/mystery theme. Click through various 2D scenes to gain access to puzzles and find hidden objects until the story is completed.
This one is a little buggy and there's no proper widescreen support, it displays in stretched 4:3. Resolution is also fixed and can't be improved. That's not really acceptable for a game released in 2012. What's also unacceptable is charging $7.50 for a 4:3 aspect ratio game. There's dozens of hidden object games that do support widescreen, so fans of these games should look at those instead of this.
Farlo partire è un terno al lotto. Ma se non dovesse costringervi a riavviare il computer o nel migliore dei casi Steam, è un ottimo rimedio per l'insonnia.
a good scary story
Cheesy, strange, and charming. I don't like Hidden Object games, but the environments were unique and mystical. It was a relaxing way to pass the time since I didn't get hung up on any puzzles, because the game offers guides and skips. Even with the bonus extras at the end, playtime was pretty short though so don't expect much from the story.
Was a good game
Nett aber eher ein durchschnittliches bis unterdurchschnittliches Hidden Object Game.
Auf knapp 3 Stunden kommt man wenn man am Ende noch den sehr seichten Bonus Content spielt. Der mehr oder weniger die seichte Story abschließt.
Es läuft nicht in 1920 x 1080 und daher sind die Bilder hochskaliert und dadurch sind die gesuchten Objekte manchmal nicht leicht zu erkennen.
Die Grafik ist zweckmäßig und die Rätsel nie wirklich herausfordernd.
Dieses Spiel ist zwar günstig aber es gibt halt wesentlich bessere Vertreter dieses Genres.
Im Angebot aber trotzdem einen Kauf wert.
Cool story. great graphics. neat puzzles. right on.
this must be one of the HOGs i have enjoyed the most so far.
it has a creepy and cool story.
pros.
very nice story
creepy vibes
bonus story
cons.
bad voice acting apart from the protagonist
short (almost 2 hours for the main story and around 30 minutes for the bonus story)
while playing the bonus story it keep showing bonus chapter here bonus chapter there. it is nice to know it was for the extra price but showing it once is enough. we get it.
low resolution
i really really liked this game despite all those cons it has a story and game play that sucks you in and make you want more. it is short so you wont get bored quickly.
i recommend it
i give it 8/10
Very nice game for the rice. The story line is great and the point and click game play is surprisingly challenging. Save the girl, win the game.
um dos melhores que ja joguei, super indico
Thoroughly enjoyed this game, the puzzles were challenging and the bonus edition had some really tough puzzles. Very few hidden object, but enough to give your brain a break.
I dislike about the game that it didn't have a map to follow, made it hard to find places. I love the graphics of the games, and like the puzzles, some were hard some were easy and some had to skip. But over all i enjoyed the game.
Haven't played a Hidden Object Game for a while...fun for a couple afternoons! Great art too!
Nice Game. Good story and Artwork.
A bug at the end of the game. Wish I would have read the forums beforehand...
Roughly 3 hours of content. The hidden object seeking is good in this game. The illustrations are also of standard quality. It's not quite up to the standards of Ravenwood, but it's still adequate for the price. The only criticism is that the puzzles are few and boring. Still, at full price it's a decent purchase for hidden object enthusiasts. At discount, it's definitely a very good buy,
I really like hidey findey games. This one was seven years old when I played it, but it's still better than any of the more recent ones I've played. The hidden object puzzles were very well done. The areas were very cluttered, and there was often an environmental lighting effect, so it wasn't brain-dead simple like most current hidey findey games. The story was interesting, and the voice acting was decent enough. Once I submit this review, I'm going to see if I can find more games from this developer.
this was quite difficult. but in the end i did like it.
Not sure if I actually finished the game. At the end of the bonus content, it takes me to the last scene but nothing happens except the concept art... is that the end??
Otherwise, good game and good puzzles.
Pas mal mais en anglais
Theatre of the Absurd is a game I bought on Steam in May 2014 in a Silverback Games gamepack. Silverback Games is a Canadian developer that brought us the great Empress of the Deep series.
Scarlet Frost is an expert on the occult who is called to Doctor Corvus’s estate one dark night to authenticate his Habsburg cube, a red box that holds a captured demon. The troubled Corvus loses his temper and throws the cube, shattering it and unleashing the demon who captures and possesses his young daughter. Scarlet is to use her forces of good to save the young girl. She is tasked with exploring Dr. Corvus’s weird “theatre of the absurd,” a massive mansion, to find pieces of a magical bell that will exorcise the demon. Each room is creepy, and demonstrates Corvus’s disturbing obsession with the devil.
I could really buy into the darkness vibe of Theatre of the Absurd. The music was foreboding, and there were some unexpected jump-scare moments not often seen in a hidden object game. However, the story itself was pretty thin and the tasks and puzzles were repetitive and uninspired.
In the first scene, you are having to save Corvus’s daughter by giving her water of Horus, an elixir that would temporarily relieve her of her possession. This could only mean the potion would wear off, and you would have to find more water of Horus to help her. I had enough of this task by the second time…
It didn’t help there were elements of the game that I feel were unrefined. Some of the hidden object scenes were blurry to the point I was reduced to pixel-hunting around and using hints to find certain objects. The puzzles felt ho hum fare (run steam through the pipes). And while I pile on, I also noticed odd errors in navigation in the game: an arrow would direct you to go one way, only to click it once to have you loop back to where you stood!
Recommend without hesitation.
Pros
.Macabre atmosphere
.Beautiful detailed artwork/graphics/scenes
.Adequate music/voice acting
.Two difficulty modes
.Stationary toolbar
.Intricate adventure play
.Challenging hidden object scenes (word only)
.Strategy guide
.Collectables (story notes)
.Bonus chapter
.Below average length including bonus chapter
Cons
.Story explanation and resolution did not make sense
.Annoying sounds in hidden object scenes
.No mini-map (so no fast travel)
.No indication when objects in correct position for possible use
.Hidden object scenes objects not always discernible even after hint points them out
.Easy repeated mini-puzzles
Final verdict (7.5/10):
While the story ended up being nonsensical (and this was made [I]worse[/I] by the bonus chapter), the adventure itself was entertaining and the hidden object scenes enjoyable. Overall, a fun game.
In the beginning, I thought the game will be another HOG failure because of the first cutscene, the sounds were off and there is no character animation, even the character's design was not my cup of tea. However, I kept on playing because of a friend's recommendation, and I did the right thing.
The gameplay is very nice, the more you play the more you enjoy it. The story about Scarlett Frost, a woman who is specialized in dark art. Invited by Dr. Corvis to his massive castle, Scarlett was asked to check if this demonic cube he purchased is the real one. The Hapsburg Cube. From that moment onward, things didn't go as what Dr. Corvis expected, and his young and only daughter Bethany is in dare need of help. Scarlett will do everything to help the young girl to stop the demon from possessing her by collecting the artifacts from around the huge castle, and discover the dark secret the doctor been hiding.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1880397998
The story can sound cliche, but the gameplay made it more interesting. You'll have a special power that helps you to explore and overcome obstacles. Everything in the game is voiced, even in the hidden objects scenes, she'll comment on the scene itself. The more the main character speaks the more I like her voice and accent, the other characters don't sound as good as the main character.
The graphics are a bit dated as the game was released in 2012, however, the hidden objects scenes and the environments are nicely detailed and everything blends in well. The puzzles are very easy to solve. I played the game on casual, so I'm not sure if the expert mode would change the difficulty of those puzzles.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1880394370
I liked the journal which is a collection of the scattered papers and information she finds, it is more of a collectibles journal than a journey one, but still nicely made and useful. There is a bit of backtracking as the game lacks a map. However, the adventure goes into sections, once you are done from one, you are free to roam in it but there is nothing to do there.
Since the game is a collector edition, there is a bonus chapter (Extended Adventure) as you'll continue from where you've stopped, the same castle but there is another task to finish to discover more secrets. I enjoyed it, but the puzzles in this chapter are very tricky.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1880408412
Pros:
+Nice artwork.
+Good story.
+Good voice-over (Main character only).
+Variety of puzzles.
+Well drawn hidden object scenes.
+Fitting music and atmosphere.
+Good Journal.
+Good bonus chapter.
Cons:
-No map.
-Bad Characters design.
-No Steam achievements.
Every HOG lover must try out this game, you might not enjoy it at first, but trust me you'll like it if you give it a chance. The game is creepy but not scary, I didn't experience a single jump-scare. It involves demons and dark art, but nothing is too scary to handle.
[quote]𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑐𝘩𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒 [url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/32399565/]𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑎'𝑠 𝐶𝘩𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒[/url][/quote]
Surprisingly decent. A 65/100 effort.
[u]The good[/u]
HO scenes that are both logical and challenging
Compelling story
Good music
[u]The bad[/u]
Doesn't scale well to larger screens
So-so voice acting
Minimal replay value
Puzzles are too easy
Нормально так, но история бессвязная и бонусная глава постоянно вылетала, так что пройти до конца не смог.
Tags: Adventure - WC - Hidden Object
Additional Tags: Delete Local Content & Remove from Library
TLDR: Generic if slightly glitchy casual point&click game with hint system. Not worth investing time into.
Point and Click style. Some horror. Cheap as hell. Story? Story. 6/10
Bear in the mind there are no achievements. The story wasn't bad, I never really expect much from the story and this didn't stand out as bad, so I count that as good, lol. Creepy setting, mystical stuff going on. You can buy it on sale right now for $1 and it's definitely worth that. Provides a few hours of fun distraction. I'll probably play it again some day.
I really enjoyed the story to this game. the hop were somewhat challenging and the puzzles were fun. I would definitely recommend this game to people who love hidden object games. the story was good and the graphics were nicely done, and the voice overs were done very well also.
Game is nice, pretty easy. But it has lots of glitches when objects stop ineracting and reacting to mouse clicks and you need to exit and start it again :(
Very solid gameplay and graphics with the most satisfying confirmation piano note in hidden object scenes. Would play again just for that sweet sweet melody.
I flipping loved this game. It's everything that I hoped a game about a possessed arm would be.
I really disliked this hidden object game. There is no map, and the storyline is not that interesting. The voice acting is irritating, and the puzzles weren't that great. 4.2hrs and the bonus took about 15mins.
Great hog game! love that mix of 3d 2d and 2,5d, on top of that camera work is dynamic, mood is dark, pace is great and everything feel very well put together and polished. Very nice! :)
Artwork: 8/10
Graphics: 6/10 (thumbs down for not supporting widescreen)
Map: no
Puzzles: too few, too primitive
HOS: good
This is a fairly good hidden object game. Not amazing, not terrible.
