Beholder

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 290 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 199 out of 290
  2. Mixed: 67 out of 290
  3. Negative: 24 out of 290

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  1. Underpants158
    May 8, 2018
    7
    It is pretty stressful trying to keep you and your family afloat by screwing over pretty much everybody who dare live in your building. It's a solid 7. It's a cool concept and it executes it well I just think there is a ceiling on how good a game can be with this as your game loop.
  2. Skulb
    Dec 10, 2016
    8
    At first this reminded me a bit of "Papers Please!", because the setting is similar: you're a low grade enforcer in a totalitarian state, trying to balance your conscience with doing your job so you and your family can survive. But Beholder is far more developed and attractive than that game was, and offers a very deep game play experience. As the manager of a tenement building your job isAt first this reminded me a bit of "Papers Please!", because the setting is similar: you're a low grade enforcer in a totalitarian state, trying to balance your conscience with doing your job so you and your family can survive. But Beholder is far more developed and attractive than that game was, and offers a very deep game play experience. As the manager of a tenement building your job is to find people to move into your apartments and then spy on them, do favors for them, blackmail them or simply turn them in to the authorities. Each choice has its own rewards and disadvantages, and you can replay the game quite a bit because of the different solutions available in each case. If the state wants someone evicted, just to take one example, it is enough to plant something illegal in their apartment, record it as evidence and report them. But most of the time things will be a little more complicated than that, because some renters are quite advantageous to have around. Who knows who might move in next?
    You also have your extremely needy family living with you down in the basement of the building. Ensuring their well being is really the motivation of your character, but it is far from easy. Or cheap. They can even commit crimes of their own, as can you.
    After a few hours of playing Beholder, and dying twice and being arrested for embezzlement once, I am still interested. Certain early parts can feel a bit repetitive after a few restarts, because the game does have a certain linearity to it, but this is not really a big problem. It looks and sounds great and has a very distinct feel to it all the way. It could use some further development though, because it is a tad short. A second game mode would be a very good idea, to give an alternative once the campaign mode starts to wear thin. In the current game the same tenants appear in the same order every time, which makes sense because each one has his or her own story and problems. But a more open mode where the player could choose the size, layout etc of the tenement and more random influx of renters would be fun. Hopefully this will be possible in the announced expansion of the game, if it can be done without conflicting with the vision of the game.

    Pros:
    - Graphics and sound.
    - Unique setting.
    - Replayability
    - Interesting moral, political and philosophical dilemmas.

    Cons:
    - Repetitive, especially at the start of the game after a few inevitable deaths.
    - A little frustrating/confusing when you have many tenants.
    - A pause shortcut would have been nice.
    - Occasionally poor English, which makes the dialogues passable.
    - Stressful time limits.
    - Somewhat linear gameplay.
    - Short campaign and no sandbox/infinite mode.    … Expand
  3. iseeall
    Dec 10, 2016
    7
    It's an innovative and atmospheric game, close to Papers Please. It has similar flaws, too: fun at first, it fails to stay fun for long, no matter what material the scripted storyline and quests send your way.

    The good: - a great sense of hopelessness and oppression, maybe even more than in Papers Please - nice graphics, nice music The so-so: - too much dialog, which you get tired    It's an innovative and atmospheric game, close to Papers Please. It has similar flaws, too: fun at first, it fails to stay fun for long, no matter what material the scripted storyline and quests send your way.

    The good:
    - a great sense of hopelessness and oppression, maybe even more than in Papers Please
    - nice graphics, nice music

    The so-so:
    - too much dialog, which you get tired of reading pretty soon, since much of it is polite drivel you have too much in real life anyway.
    - clumsy controls, requiring 2 clicks to interact with most objects. And in general, just too much hassle doing the simplest things. E.g. need to repair something? Oops, not enough tools for that. Open the shop window separately, buy an item, repair again. Why not just make the "repair" action simply spend $?
    - unneeded complexity when filing reports. Why do dates matter? Why do I have to choose correctly in which apartment the tenant lives? The game would be better off without that

    The bad:
    - quests keep piling up and usually have timers. E.g. "your daughter needs aspirin". Most quests have you running around, talking to the tenants, asking if they have this, or that, and usually the tenants don't have what you need, with no clues on where to get that. Then again, now for another item needed for another quest. Add to that that you generally don't know where each tenant is (at work? at home? sleeping?), and if you knock on their door it takes ages for them to come to the door to open it. The game felt pretty soon like a huge chore. And a stressful one, since you have limited time and no idea how to complete those quests, at least in the first playthru.
    - no clear way to turn in quests. E.g. if someone asked you to bring X, next time you talk to the npc you don't see a line like "I got an X for you", instead there is the same line like you came to the npc when taking the quest. You have to click though 3-4 lines of the npc complaining he needs X before you can finally turn the quest in. Also, you can't easily see if you really have the X for that guy. E.g. you have glasses in your inventory, but no, the guys need some other glasses. If they use "!" to mark available quests they should have used "?" (WoW-style) for quests you can complete.
    - many consequences don't make much sense and also you can't save the game at will (instead there are checkpoints). E.g. a guy asks you to give a box to someone - ok, I wanted to bring that box straight to the police and picked the line "bring it to your basement" - bam, after looking at the box the pistol (which is illegal to have) is evidence against YOU and not that guy! WTF! Ok then you talk to the guy who was waiting for the box. I had the pistol on me when that guy attacked me with a knife, but no, i can't shoot him, instead the game goes into a "cutscene" mode and you die. WTF! Things like this break the whole immersion and force you into reloads, in an attempt to navigate an illogical maze of branching storylines.
    - taking care of needs of your family and all those tenants is definitely not fun, especially after a while. The fun things to do in this game is putting cameras, gathering evidence and calling police. Searching for a chocolate bar for a virtual character just because he/she wants one is garbage which muddles the game.

    A great game in the first couple of hours, and definitely worth a look for just about anyone. Just don't expect any lasting entertainment. Just like Papers Please, it's rather a "statement" or "art" than a game.    … Expand
  4. Klewer
    Aug 16, 2017
    6
    Interesting concept, but I did struggle to really get drawn in to. You are a landlord who spies on your tenants and must decide to either report them to the Government or support the resistance. It has it's moments but overall I found it a bit dull.
  5. ExpertPL
    Dec 26, 2016
    8
    Very fun and relaxing game similar to Papers, please! and Replica. The game surely has some bugs and technical issues, it's also very short, but just as games mentioned before has multiple endings. Definitely worth trying.
  6. EvanGamer2008
    Jun 29, 2017
    6
    Fun but not fun. its kind of fun id recommend it but I decided to get a refund on the game for different games so you can play it if you have some money laying around or just get it or just don't.
  7. GReviews
    Apr 30, 2018
    7
    By and large the quests do flow in at a decent pace so you’re only rarely left at a loose end with no pressing matters. But occasionally this does happen and it’s a little off putting when it does as the game’s theming only really works when your character is over burdened with worries and demands. Thankfully this doesn’t occur too often and Beholder generally piles on the worries andBy and large the quests do flow in at a decent pace so you’re only rarely left at a loose end with no pressing matters. But occasionally this does happen and it’s a little off putting when it does as the game’s theming only really works when your character is over burdened with worries and demands. Thankfully this doesn’t occur too often and Beholder generally piles on the worries and horrible moral choices throughout the experience. Beholder is a satisfying, darkly comic trip down a morally dubious rabbit hole and will be a delight for anyone who wants to see what their ethical limits are.… Expand
  8. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    5
    Similar to Papers, Please, but I didn't like it nearly as much. Papers, Please really did a great job of keeping the gameplay simple and forcing you to focus on the unnerving story elements, but in Beholder I felt like I was getting too bogged down in the specifics to enjoy the atmosphere of the game that much. And because I didn't like the specifics very much, the atmosphere wasn't enoughSimilar to Papers, Please, but I didn't like it nearly as much. Papers, Please really did a great job of keeping the gameplay simple and forcing you to focus on the unnerving story elements, but in Beholder I felt like I was getting too bogged down in the specifics to enjoy the atmosphere of the game that much. And because I didn't like the specifics very much, the atmosphere wasn't enough to save this game for me.… Expand
  9. atomlord
    Dec 28, 2018
    6
    Скучная адвенчура где нужно страдать фигней угадывая что нужно сделать а время ограничено. Проходить разве что ради сюжета который раскрывается через унылые диалоги. Не осилил.
  10. Crimert
    Feb 15, 2021
    7
    I kinda liked this game. I enjoyed the time I spent whıle I am playing Beholder and its DLC. 4hrs on record.
  11. Renaigse
    Nov 29, 2020
    8
    Топ симулятор путенской раиси: нищая экономика, куча патриотов, мафиозное тоталитарное государство, куча внешних врагов, которые отвлекают население от внутренних проблем, адекватная образованная молодежь, выступающая против этой ОПГ, короче интересноТоп симулятор путенской раиси: нищая экономика, куча патриотов, мафиозное тоталитарное государство, куча внешних врагов, которые отвлекают население от внутренних проблем, адекватная образованная молодежь, выступающая против этой ОПГ, короче интересно
  12. Tomicsavo
    Jan 5, 2022
    7
    A good idea, liked it, and fun. Even in easy mode it's impossible to complete unfortunately.
  13. Wrathzo
    Mar 24, 2022
    7
    Beholder is a Russian adventure video game developed by Warm Lamp Games and published by Alawar Entertainment. The game offers the player the choice of either following the commands of the Government or siding with the people who suffer from the oppressive directives. Each game character has their own personality, circumstances, and issues. Every decision that a player makes affects theBeholder is a Russian adventure video game developed by Warm Lamp Games and published by Alawar Entertainment. The game offers the player the choice of either following the commands of the Government or siding with the people who suffer from the oppressive directives. Each game character has their own personality, circumstances, and issues. Every decision that a player makes affects the way the story unfolds. The game has multiple endings, each of them being a sum of the decisions made by the player.… Expand
  14. Baltifru
    Apr 19, 2020
    5
    I feel a bit bad giving a yellow score, but if I have to choose, the feeling that remains after playing this game is frustration.

    As already pointed out in other reviews, the main selling point of the game was the freedom to be a good or a bad guy, the possibility to choose different paths in the story. The sensation of freedom quickly falls apart when you realise that Beholder actually    I feel a bit bad giving a yellow score, but if I have to choose, the feeling that remains after playing this game is frustration.

    As already pointed out in other reviews, the main selling point of the game was the freedom to be a good or a bad guy, the possibility to choose different paths in the story. The sensation of freedom quickly falls apart when you realise that Beholder actually consists of parallel ultra scripted scenarios, many of them driving you to a premature game over. Yes, there is this nice sensation that you are always in a rush of making difficult decisions, but at the end of the day, either you decide for something that opens one of the scenarios, or you die. And the "die and retry" philosophy doesn't fit this game at all and makes it quite frustrating.

    It is a pity because Beholder had nice arguments, like this very dark atmosphere you feel from the beginning, and a very good storytelling. But dying so many times, especially after seemingly rational decisions, doesn't encourage me to play further.

    It is to be noted that the French translations are a catastrophe, about as good as average online translators.    … Expand
  15. Chubac
    May 13, 2020
    8
    Not as good as Beholder 2, but still a great experience! The gameplay feels like Papers please! (just like in the 2nd game).
  16. YigidOx2
    Mar 6, 2021
    8
    It is a very nice but challenging game. As if you are not enough to deal with all the political problems in a country where the hierarchy has taken over, you have to solve the problems of the apartment and tenants in the apartment you manage. While dealing with these, you should not disrupt your family at the same time, and you should always earn money at an absurd level. Even though thisIt is a very nice but challenging game. As if you are not enough to deal with all the political problems in a country where the hierarchy has taken over, you have to solve the problems of the apartment and tenants in the apartment you manage. While dealing with these, you should not disrupt your family at the same time, and you should always earn money at an absurd level. Even though this game is difficult, you feel like you are living in the world it reflects, the stories it tells.… Expand
  17. tommydlbass
    Aug 16, 2020
    7
    Fun strategy game in a 1984 like world. Some of the magic goes away when you find the stories repeat themselves on new games, but for the price on PC for this game it's a no brainer to get it. The story it's fine and you will keep playing for more.
  18. Roman_Schreier
    Jul 3, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can say with confidence that this is an interesting and exciting game. However, it has several disadvantages that spoil it compared to the Supplement (Blissful sleep). But let's go through the pros. Beholder certainly has a huge replayability. The game absorbs you again and again, forcing you to go through it to many endings. And to my surprise it doesn't tire! But this implies THE most IMPORTANT and SIGNIFICANT disadvantage: all these replays take a lot of time and effort. Every roommate at home prevents you from doing anything, you are driven by the treatment of your daughter, for which you still do not have enough money and very annoying notifications of new directives.The atmosphere is gorgeous, the endings are all amazing, but really it was impossible to switch between the tabs on the right on the keys?! Still, I recommend playing this game for people who are completely immersed in the atmosphere and who do not find it difficult to spend too much time. A blissful sleep is still cooler.… Expand
  19. Outcast3241
    Aug 26, 2022
    8
    Мне игра очень понравилась. Есть, конечно, огрехи в сюжетном и гемплейном плане, но надеюсь в следующих частях это поправили.
  20. ErayTellezi
    Nov 17, 2020
    7
    Otoriter bir dünyanın absürtlüğünü, bireylerin buna rağmen hayatta kalmak için ahlaklarından verebilecekleri tavizleri en iyi anlatan oyunlardan.
  21. L140
    Jun 16, 2021
    8
    хорошая атмосферная игра, но на один раз. К сожалению главным минусом игры является геймплей - он скудный и неинтересный, и если он завораживает в начале, под конец игры ты просто заебываешься писать ебаные характеристики, проверять6 новых жильцов. Но интересные квесты, персонажи и моральные выборы перекрывают отсталость геймплея. Игра на один разхорошая атмосферная игра, но на один раз. К сожалению главным минусом игры является геймплей - он скудный и неинтересный, и если он завораживает в начале, под конец игры ты просто заебываешься писать ебаные характеристики, проверять6 новых жильцов. Но интересные квесты, персонажи и моральные выборы перекрывают отсталость геймплея. Игра на один раз
  22. m28
    Jan 9, 2021
    7
    Крепкий середнячок, который можно пройти пару раз, но не больше. Очень хорошо, что авторы предусмотрели сложный и нормальный режим, поскольку сложный не оставляет никакого выбора, кроме как быть сволочью. Игра очень радует насыщенностью событий, множеством решения спорных ситуаций с грядущими последствиями, что заставляет игрока действительно думать и не допускать поспешных решений. ОднакоКрепкий середнячок, который можно пройти пару раз, но не больше. Очень хорошо, что авторы предусмотрели сложный и нормальный режим, поскольку сложный не оставляет никакого выбора, кроме как быть сволочью. Игра очень радует насыщенностью событий, множеством решения спорных ситуаций с грядущими последствиями, что заставляет игрока действительно думать и не допускать поспешных решений. Однако непредсказуемость может иногда заставлять начинать игру с самого начала. Наломав дров, не стоит надеяться на счастливый финал. Немножко бьет по атмосфере обилие юмора и стереотипов, а также некоторые очевидно недоделанные вещи. Игру покупать однозначно стоит, особенно ценителям игр старой школы.… Expand
  23. JustinForgueims
    Feb 18, 2022
    5
    Simple and short game about politics and moral decisions.
    A little bit challenging at the beginning but boring at the end when you're so rich that don't care about nothing.

    I would have enjoyed it more if it had some randomness instead of predefined stories that you learn from trial and error.
  24. Bushido95
    Sep 28, 2021
    7
    Не плохая задумка, приятный дизайн, занимательные механики и реализация не плохая.
  25. AliceGross
    May 6, 2022
    6
    Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо
  26. Gornostai
    Jun 1, 2022
    7
    Симулятор СССР. Игра понравилась, но проходить больше двух раз очень скучно. А концовок очень много.
  27. Juliana1
    Nov 16, 2016
    10
    This game is pretty addictive. The story itself, music, sounds, setting, art-style - everything is created in a fresh, unique way. Recommended for those who liked Papers Please and also who isn't afraid to take responsibilities for one's decisions. Nicely done!
  28. Halikhan
    Mar 7, 2020
    10
    Мне игра очень понравилась! Я даже поддержал разработчиков купив обе части на ПК и телефон! Не знаю если игры подобные этой, но когда начал играть первый раз пропал просто на сутки! А дополнение блаженный сон, идейно меня зацепила больше основной компании! Большой респект разрабам за реиграбельность, по моему я до сих пор не попробовал все варианты развитий в квестах, хотя игру прошёл ужеМне игра очень понравилась! Я даже поддержал разработчиков купив обе части на ПК и телефон! Не знаю если игры подобные этой, но когда начал играть первый раз пропал просто на сутки! А дополнение блаженный сон, идейно меня зацепила больше основной компании! Большой респект разрабам за реиграбельность, по моему я до сих пор не попробовал все варианты развитий в квестах, хотя игру прошёл уже раз шесть!… Expand
  29. Rtrer1
    Nov 15, 2016
    10
    This game is like Paper, please on steroids! Great art, awesome story and new gameplay. The atmosphere of dystopian world is so dark you can feel it. Worth to try out!
  30. raternative18
    Nov 16, 2016
    10
    Эта игра подкупает вас своей мрачной атмосферой тоталитарного режима и тяжелыми моральными выборами: Отдать деньги сыну на учёбу или купить лекарства для больной дочери? Быть "добрым" или "злым" полицейским для решения житейских вопросов квартирантов? Быть Человеком со своей точкой зрения или же быть инструментом в руках госаппарата?.. Каждую проблему можно решить по-своему, чтоЭта игра подкупает вас своей мрачной атмосферой тоталитарного режима и тяжелыми моральными выборами: Отдать деньги сыну на учёбу или купить лекарства для больной дочери? Быть "добрым" или "злым" полицейским для решения житейских вопросов квартирантов? Быть Человеком со своей точкой зрения или же быть инструментом в руках госаппарата?.. Каждую проблему можно решить по-своему, что предоставляет возможность переигровки.
    Готовы ли вы замарать руки, пытаясь помочь своей семье выжить? Или вам больше по-душе исполнения долга перед своей родиной несмотря ни на что? Решать вам, но помните:
    У КАЖДОГО ВЫБОРА ЕСТЬ ПОСЛЕДСТВИЯ!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. DarkStation
    Mar 1, 2017
    80
    I enjoyed my time playing Beholder. Everything comes together well, and the initial experience is fun. It is missing that hook to keep me interested in playing for an extended period. That is the only complaint I have about Beholder. It will give you an enjoyable experience, even if it is for a short time. If you’re looking for a game that you can play for a couple days, Beholder fits that bill.
    Read full review
  2. Games Master UK
    Feb 18, 2017
    74
    An intriguing chance to find out if you're just as bad as Big Brother, but it falls at the final hurdle. [Feb 2017, p.81]
  3. GamingTrend
    Feb 9, 2017
    90
    Beholder is a management sim and a moral quandary all in one. It’s easy to become consumed by the lives of Carl Stein and the apartment dwellers he’s been hired to spy on, with a story full of twists, turns, and terrible fates.
    Read full review
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