True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 1

I've played several hidden object games in the past like those touch screen ones they used to have in bars and coffee houses. The True Fear games have higher production values than any other HOG I've played and I enjoyed them so much that I binged the trilogy over the course of a few days.

The first game is the shortest but it sets up the story very well and the locations were all interesting. I call this a HOG but it has elements of point-and-click adventure games, too, since there are puzzles and a stronger narrative.

The music is decent though it does loop eventually. It manages to enhance the spooky artwork.

There are some mild jump scares but nothing particularly shocking. I enjoyed this game primarily for its atmosphere.

The puzzles aren't too difficult but they aren't brain dead easy either, so it's a good balance. The sequels have more challenging ones, though this entry has the least amount of "moon logic" solutions.

While I can think of horror games with better stories this one was decent. It all ties together in an interesting way.

You will see a lot of Silent Hill references in this game so if you're a fan of that series you'll appreciate this.

If you're looking for a HOG you can't go wrong with the True Fear series.

The atmosphere is fantastic, the writing is evocative and unsettling and the adventure puzzles are challenging but not frustrating or logically bizarre. I've completed the main game and I'll be going back to do the bonus chapter and then try for 100% achievement completion once I'm done with the whole trilogy!

Yes, I recommend this game. It was great and a ton of fun! Not very scary, but overall a great HOG.

My biggest complaint is the "boss" achievement. I played this game through twice to get all the achievements, however I was not aware that in order to get this achievement, I have to get every single one on a single playthrough. This was not made clear at all and is incredibly frustrating. I'm not playing it through for a third time in a row, just to get it.

a review for the trilogy.

i recommend this game for everyone, i do. it's honestly one of the best games i've played in this combination of genres, horror, hidden object and such. i don't always love story decisions that's been done, which goes more for the third game, but i do want to make it clear that it was never a disappointment or a waste of time.

i wanted to highlight that both because of how long i've been invested in this series, and to praise its talent in storytelling despite any flaws. the locations are always a blast. the characters and tropes are well employed. the atmosphere is simply great. and the gameplay manages to stay fresh and interesting. some details, like the inventory bar has been improved since the first game.

i will also admit that the hint and skip functions are much obliged.

This game is an excellent start to the trilogy and I am interested to see where it goes from here.

i really enjoyed playing this game. now looking forward to the second part.

I've played this game so many times - this is my first on PC. That should tell you something because I usually have a really hard time revisiting games. The PC Version doesn't have microtransactions. This has mild horror elements/theming. There are no jump scares and little to no gore. This is not a difficult game even on the most advance setting, and I still enjoy it.

Creepy scenery with great music and ambiance. The story is interesting and has keeps me engaged. I like the hidden object gameplay more than the "adventure" style. The adventure style seems too much like the rest of the game, the hidden object style changes it up a bit. Beside the game being creepy it's very cozy vibes and relaxed for me.

This is an excellent hidden object game with a strong 'psychological horror' story, very good artwork and voice-overs, logical puzzles, a fast movement map system, and a hints facility if required. I don't normally like horror-themed games, but I thought that the images, music and jump-scares (and I did jump...) all suited the game and were integral to the story. This is the first in a trilogy and, very keen to know how the story progressed, I have since played the longer second part, but not yet the third.

My only two reservations concern the graphics controls (or, rather, the lack of them - my PC's fans went into overdrive throughout the game), and, more frustratingly, the achievements & profiles systems (each playthrough of the game is tied to a user-selected profile name and level of difficulty [from easy to expert]).

There are in-game achievements which are tied to a particular profile, but which also trigger Steam achievements, irrespective of profile. But the Boss achievement is only triggered if all other achievements are earned within a single profile so, basically, different profiles and non-Expert playthroughs are all irrelevant - you need a perfect, non-stop, playthrough in Expert mode of both the main game and the bonus chapter to get all of the Steam achievements. The profiles do not allow a partial playthrough either so if you do the main game perfectly but miss something or accidentally click on 'hint' in the bonus chapter, you have to replay the whole thing. (I was glad to see that the 'play without stopping' achievements were dropped from the second game, but all of the other profile frustrations remain, which is a shame as they leave a bad taste for are otherwise brilliant and enjoyable games.)

Fun point and click spooky game. Don't expect tension or consequences just puzzle fun. 6/10.

It's an okay HO game, but with some annoying flaws.
The major cons are:
- mediocre russian-to-english writing,
- silly supernatural story,
- cheap jump scares,
- good old brain-dead quest logic,
- tile locks everywhere, omg, really?

I wasn't sure if I recommend it or not, because there are some good bits, but then I realized that I don't want to play a bonus chapter or Part 2 which I own, so that's a nope, sadly

edit: Ok fine, I switch to recommended, it's not that bad, but jumpscares, especially this cheap, are not nice.

I played on casual and had a good time doing so. It was just creepy enough for some light fun and the story was relatively intriguing. It hooked me enough to purchase parts 2 and 3!

Above-average HOG.
The atmosphere, sound, and animated cutscenes are exceptionally good.
Puzzles are average; the use of some of the items can be considered illogical.
There was a game-breaking bug that forced me to restart the whole game, which made me realize that you have to act very slowly during the minigames or they might malfunction.
If you are aiming for achievements, you should play through the game at least twice: once on casual and once on expert; the latter is required for two achievements.

Exactly the kind of experience I was looking for! An excellent challenge - some pleasingly confounding puzzles / finds, but nothing too painful or ridiculous. Also not overly long. I actually found it recommended in the discussion section of a similar game - it's been tricky to find good ones with this flavour of gameplay, whatever this particular blend of HOG / point & click is. The story and mystery has drawn me in as well. Excellent game, and hopefully series!

Its got a really compelling story, interesting puzzles and clever hidden objects. I've played it more than once through because there's always something interesting I missed the first time. I would recommend to give it a try if you like creepy stories and well done hidden objects and puzzles.

As a die-hard hog enthusiast, my first impression was absolutely thrilling! Wow, just wow! For a hog game, the plot is captivating, and the visuals along with the 3D models are nothing short of stunning. Normally, these casual games can look pretty shabby, but this one takes the cake—it's truly magnificent and impressive!

Even for a hog, the plot is absolutely thrilling and brilliantly crafted! I have never played a hog game with a coherent and well-written plot more than this. It makes me want to dive in and play even more! The puzzles also are incredibly creative. It's my absolute second favorite, right after Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart! The excitement just never fades! ₊˚⊹ᰔ


[quote]You can find more detailed recommendations on my curator page Raghad's Choice.[quote]

I like the puzzles and the the whole theme. It's a great game. I like these games to distract myself and it drew me in. Love it!

Awesome! I really like the story and the puzzles! It is a great adventure!

Never heard of this series before. Randomly found out about Part 3 and that it had just come out as the final chapter. Part 1 and 2 were 90% off. I was looking for something casual that will also keep my attention. I don't mind HOGs as long as the objects are not needles in haystacks, and the solutions to puzzles have some logic. I believe this was originally released in 2014. It hasn't aged terribly. Story was interesting enough to keep me going. Atmosphere was pleasantly eerie without anything over the top. Great amount of content for the price. Diving straight into part 2. Highly recommend to casual gamers that are fans of horror, point and click, hidden objects, and puzzles.

I played this a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. I know it's old, but if you're tired of the rubbish Big fish games have been churning out this is for you. It's original, genuinely creepy and unsettling with an intriguing storyline. Yes, theres the age old "find this object to do this task" but it fits so well into the game its enjoyable. The puzzles are a bit simple, but overall its a great game and it's clear the creators have put their heart and souls into it and I haven't been this hooked on a series for a long time.

The reviews don't lie - this is truly one of the best HOG out there. I always saw people rank this game very high when talking about the best HOG and now that I've finally played it, I have to say I agree. It's unlike any HOG I've played before. The story is great! Unlike other HOG I was engrossed in it the entire time. It's not complex and it doesn't go off the rails. It follows a woman who gets a letter from her sister, who she hasn't heard from in 10 years. When she goes to their dilapidated childhood home, she uncovers shocking revelations about her family. The spooky atmosphere is fantastic. There aren't many jumpscares, but the story, eerie music, and environments do a great job putting you on edge. The animations and art style really impressed me. Most HOG look the same - fairly decent artwork, but iffy animation. This one really blew me away. Granted, it reminded me a lot of PS3 graphics, but that's not a bad thing! It really makes this game stand out from the thousands of HOG on the market. The puzzles themselves were good, not too frustrating, but also not easy. I really love this game and I can't wait to play the second and third entries in the series. If you've been wondering about this one, do yourself a favor and give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Not your typical HOG. Saw Gab Smolders play it, and I had to try. Great game. Great puzzles. I can't say enough positive things about this series.

Its a great game!

Decent story for a HOG, nice and moody art and puzzles that aren't too mind-wracking. A fun way to spend a few hours. There are some areas with some audio glitches but nothing that would spoil the experience.

Graphics superb and background sounds and music good. Play on expert and watch your background scenes.

WOW O_o Great o_O

Amazing storyline and I still get chills from the game every time i replay it.

Replaying this game to prepare for part 3 release, and I forgot to ever review it!

This & part 2 are the best HOGs ever made. Super interesting story/mystery, puzzles that are challenging yet not frustrating, beautiful environments, even the music is excellent. Only negative is that no other HOG that you play will ever compare. You've been warned.

Good, but some of the logic doesn't make sense.

I hadn't played a game like this for years. As an adult now, it was really fun to revisit a click and point horror game. Was it truly scary? No. The story is interesting though.

You play as a woman who got a strange letter to visit the old house where they used to live as little children. She remembers things the more you play and find objects. You have to solve rather easy puzzles to progress through. If it's too difficult, there is a skip or help button. She remembers having one sister... but she finds recordings of her mother that shook her world upside down.

At the start of the game, there were some cheesy supposed to be jumpscares. I bet middle schoolers would be scared to death about it. Not scary at all. The game is more mysterious than anything.

For every reason except scary horror, this game is worth it for some casual videogaming.

Solid HOG with an interesting story to go with it, and puzzles that were not too hard and not too easy.

Loved it. The map system is great, there's no "developer mind reading" puzzles. It's all pretty straightforward while still challenging. I got this because I read it was one of the scariest ones. It definitely is more scary by comparison, but it's not like it's Silent Hill or Amnesia. So if you like point and click with light scares, I recommend it. Played all chapters, excited to play the second part.

If you like point and click games, this one is great!

..

This game was a really fun and very creepy (in the best way) hidden object, adventure game!!

The plot was entertaining and kept the mystery alive and the puzzles are not too challenging, either. It is definitely enough to keep enjoying the game without getting frustrated or feeling stuck.

A really brilliant HOG / Adventure game, would 100% recommend!

This game is like a gnome i once knew short and boring and not to be trusted! has an apt title in that if you break it right down the true nature of fear is completely avoidable, Also the girl is pointing at the secret she keep[s up her right nostril ..Can you see it?? no cause its in the NEXT game!
ok so not really worth my time, id guess the cultist family story 4min in anyway! better than some click-mania mysterys, art is ok, but the story got me interested then well it buggered off on holiday while i sit clicking everything. Then every so often waves from the background like heeeeeey! yaaaaaa! INTRIGUE!! then just leaves you at the end going..
...yeah well that made limited sense didnt it! but ill guess well all have to wait & see what happens in the next exciting episode of ..NAH SOD OFF YA BORING SMEGGERS! So yeah like many of these half cocked clicky clacky storys it beckons you with a tale then leads you down an ally then looses you for the rest of the night!!!! BLOODY SPLITTER!!

I've played quite a bit of HOG genre games but THIS one is phenomenal, I just love everything about it! The story, characters, puzzles, atmosphere, artwork and even choice between game mods are simply amazing! Enjoyed every minute of this game, highly recommend this game for some palette refreshment especially after some poorly done overpriced HO games out there

Great soundtrack. Well designed, easy to navigate. Excellent game for the price.

I wish they would make more games like this

Great story, interesting puzzles. The most intriguing mystery puzzle game I have played in a while. Very dark.

Reddit got me interested in this game and they said it was one of the spookiest.
My take: Yes it's spooky and not annoying jump scares. The story is super interesting so it's certainly a gem.
Long story short, the protagonist got news from her sister and then she goes to investigate it and then finds out the harsh past behind her mother's demise. Also finds out she has another family member. A powerful family is involved in the whole ordeal and supernatural witchcraft from the looks of it. You don't understand who's the actual enemy and i liked the fact that having a second part is purposeful really. The game questions your sanity and the background's of the characters. There is also very interesting collectibles. The HOG scenes have nice mini puzzles which are innovative. The OST is superb, subtle sadness and spookiness. For a very old game, this has better 3D animations and good art than modern ones. There are a lot of locations to explore and I feel like there has been a lot of time invested into this game. I bought both part 1 and 2 on the spooky sale 2024 at a very low price.

The downside is the achievements which are kinda bugged, the achievement description does not match the task you have to do. There are threads in the discussions which handles the achievement getting and if you are interested you can refer to them. For me the ones that require you to not pause the game is not fair because I can't find time for this juggling a job, house chores, relationship etc. I don't know if i will try for the bugged one, a bit reluctant but i definitely would play the next part for the story!

Good.

played mobile version back in 2020s ..
love the storyline . and cant wait for the part 3 !

I've been a fan of this game before I even bought my laptop. I played it a lot on phone. When I bought it on Steam, I jumped on Expert difficulty immediately. Some things changed but it's still a great game.

A really cool and well made game with a captivating story. The features are good and the overall gameplay really nice. The whole atmosphere is really good and scary and the music does its part very well too. All in one a really good game. I can really highly recommend it.

Atmospheric with enough spooks!

Fun, solid horror/mystery adventure with an engaging (if trope-tastic) story and really immersive settings, music and voice acting. The art is beautiful, the sound design does a great job at keeping the tension up, and there are no big jumpscares or overt gore, despite there being several well-rendered corpses. Bonus chapter included, I got about 6.5 hours of playtime on easy mode--well worth the price, especially on sale.

There are three difficulty levels. I've only tried easy, which felt like it wasn't baby-level, but simple enough to relax with. I was happy that most of the clues led naturally to one another, which is often not the case with games in this genre. A handful used random game logic (e.g., I can't break this glass with the crowbar I already have, I need a hammer!) or gave no particular reason for the answer, but these weren't hard to solve through process of elimination. Most puzzles weren't hard either, though unfortunately there were a few where I was forced to use hints due to weak explanation of the mechanics and end goal, especially in Act 3 and the bonus chapter. Still, I was only really frustrated twice and made it through all but a few spots without help (and I'm definitely not a top-tier puzzler).

Despite its few flaws, this was a lot of fun overall, and I was engaged enough at the end to immediately wishlist Part 2.

This is above average on the Mountain Crime Requital scale.

Not super scary, but it had it's moments. I enjoy the story, even though our protagonist has no sense of safety sometimes, but the story has to happen, you know?

The puzzles were not overly difficult, and not too much of a breeze either, and I find that there was a good balance between the puzzles, the story and the hidden object bits. Highly recommended for a slightly spookier flavor of Hidden Object Game! :D

Honestly this is the best Hidden Object game I've played by far. The story is good and really gives you that eerie feeling of being alone. Something that other games rarely dish out, I got the chills while playing this, even when it was bright outside. I love the unique mechanic of finding items to pair with other items instead of the usual find what's on a list. Because that is what's fun about playing these games. I can't wait for part 3 to come out as this game has amazing visuals and you can tell the developers took their time to create such an enjoyable game. This game is a 10/10 in my eyes and I am so glad I came across this.

This game was surprisingly well done. While it wasn't quite a graphical masterpiece (and I didn't expect it to be), the story line was interesting and there was always something to do. I've played a quite a few games like this in the past but there isn't usually so much going on. I feel like I constantly had new goals and the game play never became stagnant. Would recommend!