Inmates

Inmates has its share of creepy moments but it's mostly horror done by the numbers. Puzzles are rather easy and the story build-up won't thrill veterans of the genre, but it may have something to offer to newcomers.

Is Inmates one of the better horror games I've played? No. Is it one of the worst I've played? Far from it. Inmates has two things going for it, absolutely nailing it on the aesthetic of the setting and pulling me in with a desire to know the outcome of the story. It's a short chore to work through, but one that I can say that I'm glad I did.

Inmates seems undecided on what it wants to be. There are not enough puzzles to call it a puzzle game and not enough scares for it to be a true horror. In its current state, Inmates plays more like a promising proof of concept than a finished product. It’s a shame that these different elements don’t form a cohesive whole, because — beneath the rough edges — Inmates has an original, worthwhile story to tell.

Inmates is a textbook example of untapped potential. It’s obvious what the developer was trying to accomplish, but was only partly successful. The ingredients for psychological horror are present but they just never come together in a meaningful way. Inmates features the grand environment that is perfect to get under one’s skin but slow gameplay, linear progression, predictable storyline and reliance on jump scares takes a promising premise and leaves it mired in mediocrity. It’s a short time investment and inexpensive, so if it sounds interesting, there is some enjoyment to be had playing through it but there’s better options for those looking for a cerebral fright fix. It’s impressive for a technical project accomplished by one person, but unfortunately that is not something that factors into how enjoyable a gaming experience is.

A horror game with few scares, Inmates is imprisoned by its lack of ambition.

As an exploration title the environments are dull, and navigating them is a chore. As a puzzle game, it’s a cakewalk. As a narrative, the framework of a solid concept is spoiled by poor presentation and pacing. As a horror game, it’s not scary. What Andreasyan was able to create here all by himself couldn’t have been simple or easy, but tell that to the person who has thousands of Steam games to choose from and a finite amount of time and money to spend on them.

Inmates probably seemed intriguing as a concept, but it’s just downright bad as a game.