Layers of Fear (2015)

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 445 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 260 out of 445
  2. Mixed: 120 out of 445
  3. Negative: 65 out of 445

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. skohl
    Jun 30, 2019
    10
    It's a horror walking simulator. You can't fail, but it's still scary because you don't know what's going to happen. The story is generic but strongly realized, and the graphics are detailed and immersive. It took me a long time to get around to playing this game, but I will definitely try the devs' other similar games.
  2. DIablos1414
    Feb 17, 2016
    10
    I'm dumbfounded by any reviews that fall below a 9 for this game. It is everything we were hoping for in PT before PT was scrapped. This is the kind of game that you play and remember where you were, who you were playing with, and the way it made you feel as you progressed through the story. Yes, there are plenty of jump scares, but I haven't played a game that had me biting my nails,I'm dumbfounded by any reviews that fall below a 9 for this game. It is everything we were hoping for in PT before PT was scrapped. This is the kind of game that you play and remember where you were, who you were playing with, and the way it made you feel as you progressed through the story. Yes, there are plenty of jump scares, but I haven't played a game that had me biting my nails, screaming out loud, and/or whimpering like a puppy since I can remember.

    A few stipulations: You must play in the dark. You must play with headphones or with the sound turned up as loud as possible (without being deafening). You must play with at least one other person, as half the fun is speculating as to what's coming next. Do these things, and I promise you this will be an experience that you will not soon forget.

    Is the game perfect? Nope. Is the experience perfect? Pretty much. Buy it.    … Expand
  3. StidIsram
    Feb 25, 2016
    10
    Великая игра. Не страшная, но весьма увлекательная. После первого эмоционального прохождения появляется желание пройти ее как детектив и открыть все загадки.
    Проплаченные Журналюги как обычно поставили невысокие оценки, тк разработчики им не заплтили.
    А Энгри джо со своим 6 из 10 вообще обосрался и перестал считаться обьктивным критиком (стал таким жирным логвиновым из пиндосии). В    Великая игра. Не страшная, но весьма увлекательная. После первого эмоционального прохождения появляется желание пройти ее как детектив и открыть все загадки.
    Проплаченные Журналюги как обычно поставили невысокие оценки, тк разработчики им не заплтили.
    А Энгри джо со своим 6 из 10 вообще обосрался и перестал считаться обьктивным критиком (стал таким жирным логвиновым из пиндосии).

    В общем 10 из 10. Игра полностью оправдывает и цену каждую секунду игры.    … Expand
  4. sariman
    Feb 25, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. great psychological game, play it alone at night with full volume and full imagination. as some reviews you will be scared without monsters or zombie, But rather your mind will do the job just with small things. great game with great graphic too.… Expand
  5. shearer333
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    Fanstastic game ! I want more !!! The best horror game this year! This game is amazing !!!!

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  6. Banjoconker
    Aug 27, 2015
    10
    The best horror game this year! Absolutely amazing mood, groundbreaking visual style. It looks a way better then PT. There is just one snag - you better don't play this game alone at night!
  7. Elcrocko
    Feb 20, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game! from the excellent visuals to the amazing sound design this game hits all the right horror notes! Admittedly it relies heavily on jump scares but they are in keeping with the tone of the game.moving from room to room your never sure what your going to find/see or hear next,just when you expect a scare nothing happens and vice versa! It's a good old fashioned haunted houseFantastic game! from the excellent visuals to the amazing sound design this game hits all the right horror notes! Admittedly it relies heavily on jump scares but they are in keeping with the tone of the game.moving from room to room your never sure what your going to find/see or hear next,just when you expect a scare nothing happens and vice versa! It's a good old fashioned haunted house type scenario that sees your character descend further and further into a state of madnes! If your a fan of outlast and the PT demo you'll love this! Can't recommend enough that you have to play at night in the pitch black with surround sound headphones on! Terrifying!!!!… Expand
  8. justcametosayhi
    Jul 25, 2016
    10
    To start: WEAR HEADPHONES. Turn them up. The better your audio/headphones are, the better your experience will be.

    The best horror game I've ever played. Scared me more than any horror film has scared me as well. Pros: -Incredible atmosphere and graphics/lighting/texture. It feels like a mix between the WInchester mansion maze and a living, breathing Escher piece. -Runs quite    To start: WEAR HEADPHONES. Turn them up. The better your audio/headphones are, the better your experience will be.

    The best horror game I've ever played. Scared me more than any horror film has scared me as well.

    Pros:

    -Incredible atmosphere and graphics/lighting/texture. It feels like a mix between the WInchester mansion maze and a living, breathing Escher piece.
    -Runs quite well. I was at a steady 50-60 FPS at max settings on a 750ti/i3-4150 build.
    -Spooky as hell - great and creative use of jump scares.
    -You can't "die", which I thought would take away from the game, but actually made it more appealing.
    -Awesome ambient noise and sound production. Music is 10/10.

    Cons:

    I don't have any. I finished the game in one sitting.
    VR would be an incredible addition to this game.    … Expand
  9. TUmaDO
    Apr 9, 2017
    10
    I bought this game in early acess, i was amazed with the concept of the game,absolutely delicious game play!
    The graphics where amazing,so detailed,the pictures melting,the classic jump scares but twisted and waiting just the right moment.
    when i got the finished game i went straight on playing it to the end,some parts of it where mind blowing!with effects ,immersion,darkness and the    I bought this game in early acess, i was amazed with the concept of the game,absolutely delicious game play!
    The graphics where amazing,so detailed,the pictures melting,the classic jump scares but twisted and waiting just the right moment.
    when i got the finished game i went straight on playing it to the end,some parts of it where mind blowing!with effects ,immersion,darkness and the heavy environment!

    Games like this,there are many but only some became masterpieces!

    i slash a 10/10
    (for greatness)
    (if the devs are seeing this...im waiting for the new game,surprise me)    … Expand
  10. Yazan4HD
    Aug 8, 2018
    10
    an experience I won't forget, it brings all the hidden feelings inside you in a terrorized version, disgust, hate and empathy, you'll feel more than you should in a video game.
  11. GingerCat77
    Feb 23, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In the mind of schizophrenic, addicted to the alcohol, grieving man. I feel sick playing this, but in the good way. This game really moved me to the core.… Expand
  12. oleksiy73
    Mar 3, 2019
    10
    Layers of Fear it's the best psychological horror I've ever seen!
    It is even hard to call an Indie game.
    Good horror moments,design that fits for my creative nature,amazing plot
    And...I got the moment with -75% and I bought it for only 65 UAH
    Truly amazing project,it deserves my rating 10/10
  13. garygreen
    Nov 2, 2020
    10
    the best horror game i play with the best graphic and the good soundtrack the best part i play
  14. Ewerton_World
    Sep 6, 2022
    10
    É um terror meio diferenciado, assustador, com alguns puzzles, pra quem gosta de Outlast, o Layers Of Fear pode ser um ótimo jogo também
  15. Trunks252
    Feb 18, 2016
    9
    Layers of Fear is exactly what it sets out to be; a trippy indie horror game. Inspired by P.T. and Amnesia, LoF has you walking through an ever-changing house that plays tricks on your mind - both behind your back and in plain view. There are many memorable set pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed progressing through; most notable of which was the nursery. There was a lot of effort put intoLayers of Fear is exactly what it sets out to be; a trippy indie horror game. Inspired by P.T. and Amnesia, LoF has you walking through an ever-changing house that plays tricks on your mind - both behind your back and in plain view. There are many memorable set pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed progressing through; most notable of which was the nursery. There was a lot of effort put into this game, and anyone who says otherwise is lying.

    While the game has many cool screen effects and the environment can transform in the blink of an eye, the game is not all that scary. There's hardly a sense of dread that is prevalent in many other horror games. What kees you playing (and in my case, totally immersed) is the sense of discovery and progression of the story. Not to mention the general creepiness of, well, everything in the house. A few jump scares did get to me as well. This is definitely a great horror game worth checking out, and one of my favorites to date.    … Expand
  16. CptAhnungslos
    Feb 21, 2016
    9
    I needed three attempts to leave the lobby/first floor.
    Not because of a technical bug, no, because the atmosphere got me right from the first step into the game.
    What I love about this game, is that I don´t have to run from crazy creatures or fight monsters,
    I can simply dive into the mad atmosphere and "enjoy" really good horror.
  17. Give_em_hell
    Dec 18, 2018
    9
    Good horror game. A must-buy if you love the genre and dark grotesque classical art. It's just on the border being of a walking simulator, but it's no problem since it manages to frighten you enough. Following the gameplay style of Amnesia and Penumbra series, the horror aspect mostly rely on hallucinations and ever-changing realities and distortions. The visuals are great, with greatlyGood horror game. A must-buy if you love the genre and dark grotesque classical art. It's just on the border being of a walking simulator, but it's no problem since it manages to frighten you enough. Following the gameplay style of Amnesia and Penumbra series, the horror aspect mostly rely on hallucinations and ever-changing realities and distortions. The visuals are great, with greatly detailed indoors, perfect dynamic shadows and lighting. Honestly I've never seen a better colored game before, it's over-realistic.… Expand
  18. SuperkenGaming
    Feb 16, 2016
    9
    Layers of Fear
    A story of obsession and loss
    There’s a lot to wrap your head around in layers of fear I’m still not even sure exactly what happened This is an adventure horror game where you play as an obsessed artist working on finishing his latest painting The game start out with you in your home, after walking around a bit you notice notes that set you on a journey of uncovering    Layers of Fear
    A story of obsession and loss
    There’s a lot to wrap your head around in layers of fear
    I’m still not even sure exactly what happened
    This is an adventure horror game where you play as an obsessed artist working on finishing his latest painting
    The game start out with you in your home, after walking around a bit you notice notes that set you on a journey of uncovering just exactly what’s going on or what went on
    This game is about 4 hours long if you take your time to uncover all of the mysteries, I even missed some.
    You’ll get a vague idea of the story if you did choose to rush through, but you’ll have a much better overall experience if you open all the drawers and read all of the letters and newspaper clippings... at least story wise...gameplay wise I’m not all too sure
    this game is creepy, exploring this house is unsettling, but I wouldn’t necessarily call this game scary
    There are plenty of jump scares, and it is possible to die, but it all feels inconsequential, I was never afraid to progress, maybe this is a personal courage thing, but I felt no anxiety while pushing through, it could be that I felt unthreatened while playing or it could actually come down to how the developers chose to deliver the story … Like I said earlier, if you want the full story you have to look through all the drawers and all of the cabinets, this kind of takes your attention away from the creepy experience going on around you.. instead of being immersed in the fancy tricks, and constantly changing rooms… you find yourself immersed in a drawer and looking for non-story doors to interact with
    I feel like this could’ve been fixed by telling the story with brief flashback style cutcenes attached to mandatory collectibles instead of optional collectibles…
    Or keeping them more as a well-hidden interactive secret, which they actually did for a handful of them...
    But ultimately I feel like the story and experience is delivered from eye level, so it’s such a massive design flaw to have interactive items below or above your line sight... you can’t really interact with objects in layers of fear, so having china cabinets to go through around every corner was unnecessary, and hurt the experience more than it helped,
    Especially for the ocd type that have to check everything
    Another complaint with collectibles is that the chapter select doesn’t tell you if you missed any, so if you want to uncover more of the story, you have to replay sections you might have scrubbed clean
    The overall story delivery is just a small hiccup though, because it’s still good
    but everything else layers of fear has going on for it in comparison is great
    I was really impressed with how frequently things would change around me out of nowhere, I would turn around and there would be a door that wasn’t there before, or a hallway I just walked down is now a wall, maybe a creepy painting or a doll, every time you walked through a door you would be somewhere new, there is no back tracking in this game, its constantly taking you forward which is very appreciated and is ultimately what will get its hooks in you
    the constant switching is hands down the highlight of the entire game for me, I’ve never seen anything like it, at least not at the level that its at here
    While I could’ve done without feeling like I’m Sherlock Holmes the whole time,
    I still feel like layers of fear delivers a creepily impressive and immersive experience well worth your time
    and maybe some of your hair, and blood, perhaps an eye
    I give Layers of Fear an 8.5/10    … Expand
  19. gameboy92
    Sep 29, 2018
    9
    one of the best walking sim horror (usually I don't like game like that ) game that keep me on my toes .. and it is the first game that build on unity engine that have less problem

    Story 10/10
    Realistic 8/10
    Graphic 9/10
    Game play 9/10
    Sound 10/10
    ---------------------
    Total 9.2

    Single player time max 4 h
    Worth to buy this game with $ 19.99 no you can wait to get it around $ 10
  20. DaniMayor
    Feb 24, 2016
    9
    this critic is in spanish

    Wow,me e pasado hace poco este juego y la verdad es que me a sorprendido y mucho. Este es un juego de miedo pero algo peculiar,usa mucho la repeticion y bebe mucho de P.T por no decir que es casi igual pero me gusta y mucho,el mirar hacia algun lado y al darse la vuelta ves que todo cambia es flipante de narices,de quedarse aplaudiendo en algunas ocasiones de    this critic is in spanish

    Wow,me e pasado hace poco este juego y la verdad es que me a sorprendido y mucho.
    Este es un juego de miedo pero algo peculiar,usa mucho la repeticion y bebe mucho de P.T por no decir que es casi igual pero me gusta y mucho,el mirar hacia algun lado y al darse la vuelta ves que todo cambia es flipante de narices,de quedarse aplaudiendo en algunas ocasiones de lo tremendo que es

    El miedito:

    En cuanto al terror te digo que es bueno,en algunas ocasiones recurre al susto facil(cosa que no me gusta) pero cuando estas con los cascos a tope y la habitacion a oscuras es facilisimo sumergirte en el juego y sentir de verdad miedo.

    Historia:
    Como no la historia tambien es buena,nose si por cosa propia(ya que me encantan las historias contadas con pequeños guiños,sutilezas y notas osea que no te cuenta la historia de sopeton)
    pero la verdad que es bastante buena y el final tambien.

    Graficos:

    Simplemente increibles,flipantes en algunos casos,para dejar la baba colgando

    Rendimiento:

    El rendimiento en general es bueno pero aveces da una caida de framerate que no deberia de ocurrir,alomejor si tienes un pc mas modesto no podras jugar este juego a 60 fps constantes

    En resumen es un juego corto (6 h max) pero intenso que no te va a dejar indiferente muy recomendado    … Expand
  21. Paulpolska
    Feb 25, 2016
    9
    Very good music and idea for gamplaying. Variable room system ++ music ++ history and ending very huge +. I waiting for another games by this studio. Good polish game
  22. qrpiech
    Mar 7, 2016
    9
    Surprises await at every corner, developers play with the concept of time and space - it's a blast. Would pay a lot of money to be able to experience it for the first time once more.
  23. jdavis3581
    Apr 5, 2016
    9
    guess I am the only one who really likes Layers of Fear. This is one of the best horror games that reminded me of Silent Hill 2. The reviewers have played too many games like Soma, and Alien Isolation, and blah blah blah blah blah. Give me a break. Mark my words the game will get glowing reviews in 5 years and will be a cult classic. This story is awesome, and the scares keep coming. Ifguess I am the only one who really likes Layers of Fear. This is one of the best horror games that reminded me of Silent Hill 2. The reviewers have played too many games like Soma, and Alien Isolation, and blah blah blah blah blah. Give me a break. Mark my words the game will get glowing reviews in 5 years and will be a cult classic. This story is awesome, and the scares keep coming. If you want to say it's PT guess what PT is a short game. To me the game is better than PT because the creators took the premise further. One needs to understand that when all of the Silent Hills came out they met mediocre reviews at best. The highest reviewed Silent Hill at the time was part 3 which received an 8. This generation does not appreciate this type of game and it's a shame. The music, atmosphere, the changing rooms felt fresh every time. This is the one game that has truly freaked me out since PT. I would have to say more freaked out. I give the game a 9.5. Tell these reviewers to be more objective.… Expand
  24. Puppet12
    May 6, 2016
    9
    ouah ! This games guys is pretty cool ! it's an experience in horror excelling. This is the kind of game this is the kind of game that reproduces 6 months for fear
  25. Visionary893
    Aug 31, 2016
    9
    It was great to play the first part of this game and now the DLC (Layers of Fear: Inheritance). I hope to see more from this game later on. Great Job!
  26. mr-NachoMen
    Aug 15, 2019
    9
    Layers of Fear is psychedelic bone chilling haunting experience of a game with amazing visuals (and it was build using the Unity engine). and a well executed premise.
    Despite of being short the game manage to be chilling at every second... every corner, every corridor will make you unease thank to it's sound design that will totally emerge you into this world inhabit by a mad artist.    Layers of Fear is psychedelic bone chilling haunting experience of a game with amazing visuals (and it was build using the Unity engine). and a well executed premise.
    Despite of being short the game manage to be chilling at every second... every corner, every corridor will make you unease thank to it's sound design that will totally emerge you into this world inhabit by a mad artist.
    Still... the gameplay is way to simple for being a walk simulator in which you can interact with the environment to add immersion into the game. Yeah... the game contains a few jump scares but as the rest of the game it's spooky by it's own i really didn't mind this jump scares sequences.
    If you love horror and you wish to give yourself a treat, this is the game for you.    … Expand
  27. Grachechkovski
    Jun 2, 2019
    9
    Terrific casual horror. Excellent background music, excellent visual distortion and work with paintings.
    In general, the idea of a corridor chorus, as well as its gameplay moments, is taken from P.T. (about which we all grieve), but the developers have managed to translate it into their own way.

    It's pretty creepy to play. And the level with the children's so also and really scary.
  28. Adrih
    Jun 1, 2019
    9
    Hours of terror, suspense, multiple endings, achievements, collectibles and a masterpiece of a soundtrack. The game brings an awesome story which tells the past of a painter that was driven mad, and you can see his sanity drain as the game goes on.
  29. FRIST_008
    May 8, 2023
    9
    отличный хоррор с великолепным сюрреализмом и наркоманией, которая творится на экране
  30. apokalipto
    Aug 21, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
38
#38 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 46
  3. Negative: 2 out of 46
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Jul 23, 2016
    40
    More an incoherent collection of jump scares than a horror game, Layers of Fear occasionally spooks but doesn’t make much of a lasting impression.
    Read full review
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    May 9, 2016
    86
    Gothic horror with a beautiful, strange setting and a strong embedded story. Linear, with a lot of hidden details. [May 2016]
  3. CD-Action
    May 1, 2016
    55
    Layers of Fear can send shivers down your spine, but it lacks a good story and moderation. It looks like developers could not decide which favourite horror motifs to use, so they used all of them and although the game started really well, after two hours I was already tired by the throng of predictable clichés and jump scares. [04/2016, p.57]
See all critic reviews »