SIMULACRA

6/10

Not particularly good, but pretty entertaining and frequently funny (intentionally or not). Taylor is my favorite sex pest.

An enjoyable experience you can knock out in a single afternoon session. While the concept and story were enjoyable, I didn't find the characters that interesting or likable. However it does do the immersive, point & click, detective elements quite well compared to other games in this genre.

6/10.

the story is really good , im planin to get the rest of the endings and moving onto the 2nd simularca game.

What an incredible short game. You really need your detective skills to track down Anna. There are various endings, so the replay value is there. I wish there were more ways to make input for the games, such as creating various profiles to get different "villains". Worthy of a buy and I grabbed the 3 games for a good price. Get it a shot, but get those research skills ready.

GODDAMMIT SIMULACRA OUTPLAYED ME
I'M SORRY TAYLOR
FORGIVE ME.

**Simulacra: A Creepy, Addictive Mystery (But Please, Give Me a Volume Setting)**

I hecking love the story in Simulacra. It’s immersive, unsettling, and keeps me hooked. So far, I’ve only completed one ending, but I’ll definitely dive back in when I feel like emotionally wrecking myself again.

That said, why is there no in-game volume setting? I had to manually adjust my mixer volume in Windows just to avoid jumpscares destroying my ears. It’s a small thing, but it makes a huge difference—please, devs, let me control my suffering levels properly. I also have problem on not seeing my own cursor in the game too

Despite that, I’m loving the experience so far, and I can’t wait to see what other endings have in store for me (or how badly I’ll mess things up next time). If you love eerie, found-footage style mysteries, this game is definitely worth playing!

I KEEP GETTING TRICKED BY THE SOUND EFFECT THO
THERE IS ONE TIME I GOT A KNOCK ON THE DOOR SOUND THAT SOUNDS LIKE MAD, I THOUGHT MY MUM IN LAW WAS MAD AT ME, I OPENED THE DOOR AND SEE NO ONE!

I was GLUED to this. I really really liked it and actually didn't want to stop playing. I wouldn't say it's scary but there is small jumpscares. I managed to Save Anna the first time but there was a sacrifice. There's multiple endings and it's definitely replayable. For such a cheap price. I thoroughly enjoyed this. 8/10. Look forward to playing the others.

Fun game for something quite different, a bit like a detective style game using a phone interface to get to the truth.

GOOD STUFF: To me, i enjoyed it for the novelty, and there are different endings for your choices.... They have tried some unique puzzle ideas, you do have to go back and forth through lots of phone based media to solve stuff, and the game often gives you options for hints, if you want them, when stuck instead of just straight delivering them to you after 2 seconds. They tried to capture how the current world of social media and dating can feel and added some light humour throughout the game. if you like solving crime style puzzles with a little mystery element added on top, it is worth the short playtime for a bit of fun.

BAD STUFF: However the ridiculous immaturity/selfishness/general mood of ALL the characters had me struggling to want to side with, save or even continue to want to interact with almost any of them as the game went on... It almost makes sense, as they are around 20yrs of age, that they would be a little naive, hot headed, horny and impulsive but yeesh.... waaaaay overboard, none of them ever understand if you do anything for the safety of yourself OR them, and so much of the dialogue has an extreme teen gossip feel, omg he said that you said that she did THAAAAT guurrrrrl im not talking for 2 mins to show I hate you!!! :O haha!
Similarly the options you can choose between often force you to move the game onwards in a way I would never even consider and would actively steer clear of if I was in this situation.... but I understand it's very difficult to set up enough paths for players to feel like they really have a choice with these things.... Still some work could be done to not feeeeeel like your responses are so forced in a certain direction. Maybe I missed it too at the start? But suggesting your character is unable to speak or something would help make some of the game moments easier to understand/improve immersion as well.

I really appreciate what the devs have done here, and hope they continue to make some fun games with a difference to the standard algorithm stuff that floods the markets these days. It would be great if they can find a way to let characters adapt to understand the players personality and choices a little more, it's so important to games like this where you are expected to solve a crisis situation if it feels even remotely like it was your actual choices as a person that led to the consequences you get :).

i was literally nice to taylor in every interaction and he still turned on me thats what i get for trusting a man

Simulacra Review: A Promising Start That Loses Its Way

Simulacra is an intriguing, story-driven game that draws players in with its early mystery and atmosphere. However, as the game progresses, it begins to lose momentum, culminating in an abrupt and unsatisfying ending. Despite this, the game is still worth experiencing for those who enjoy narrative-focused titles, though it has a few notable shortcomings.

The Good:

1) Compelling Start: From the beginning, Simulacra presents an engaging and mysterious premise that immediately captures the player's attention. The game’s atmosphere and pacing set the stage for an intriguing narrative.

2) Satisfying Puzzle Solving: For those with a keen eye for detail, solving the puzzles is rewarding. The game often challenges players to analyze small clues, and the sense of satisfaction upon uncovering key pieces of the story is one of its standout features.

3) Impactful Choices: The game does well in giving players the feeling that their choices matter. How you respond to certain characters affects their relationships with you, adding a layer of depth and emotional investment to the experience.

The Bad:

1) Repetitive Gameplay: Unfortunately, the gameplay starts to feel repetitive as the game progresses. The entire experience is confined to a phone screen, and while this fits the premise, it can become tiresome over time, as the game rarely deviates from this formula.

2) Lack of Explanation for the Antagonist: The game’s main antagonist remains cryptic, with little explanation given for their motivations or origins. This leaves players with more questions than answers, which can feel frustrating for those who prefer a clear narrative.

3) Abrupt Ending: One of the biggest letdowns is the ending. For a story-based game, the conclusion should feel like a natural payoff, but instead, it feels rushed and unfinished, leaving many of the game’s intriguing threads unresolved. The game’s narrative feels carried more by its strong start than by its finale.

The Ugly:

1) Repetitive Playthroughs: Replaying the game is a tedious process as players must start from scratch. There is no checkpoint system to revisit critical moments or alter the story’s outcome without going through the entire experience again. This makes multiple playthroughs feel like a chore.

2) Frustrating Achievements: Some of the achievements are either too obscure or require an unreasonable amount of time and patience to unlock. This might be off-putting for those who are not inclined to consult a guide or spend excessive hours grinding.

3) Annoying Sound Effects: While the sound design in Simulacra is generally effective, the game occasionally relies on loud, jarring noises in an attempt to startle the player. These moments feel cheap and detract from the otherwise immersive experience, disrupting the atmosphere rather than enhancing it.

Conclusion: 6/10

Simulacra has a lot to offer in terms of its mystery and narrative, especially for those who enjoy story-driven experiences. However, the lack of a satisfying ending, repetitive gameplay, and the absence of convenience features like a checkpoint system hold it back from being a truly great game. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of mystery and story-focused titles, but if you’re sensitive to flashing lights or sudden loud noises, it might be best to approach with caution.

Good game. I've always like this genre of movie and game such as all the simulacra games, s.i.m, and the movies searching and missing. I think the POV of phones, device cameras, computers, etc is a cool design for games and movies. Great game! The only thing I dislike is I just wish there was more to do, or more endings. It feels like with the prompts it gives you to text, you kinda get the same answer from the person your texting anyway. It would be cool if the endings we're also something to do with your journey and not just a couple choices at the end. But the game is still fun!

Not for me

Very fun playthrough, def not like other horror games more of a creepy thriller but you gotta use headphones because a lot of the interesting aspects come through binaural audio which really adds to the environment.

delicious

i think more horror games should include videos of a random fella singing like that

More boring than a spreadsheet :)

Bad writing and voice acting.

Only spent half an hour on it and just got annoyed at how bad the writing is. I don't think i'll ever finish this game.

If you want to try for yourself would recommend getting this on sale

not scary but for that price (got it in a sale for like 50ct) i cant complain. was fun to explore what the game has to offer and it was in a cool design/format

Man, I remember first seeing this on my deskmate’s phone back in high school. She was just checking it out, and I was like, “Wow, I wish we could play together!” She ended up buying the game (and even the sequel), but thanks to COVID, we never actually got the chance.

I’m not even sure what I found so fascinating about the game back then, but hey, it’s not horrible at least. It’s... alright-ish. If you catch it on sale, it’s worth grabbing to chill with for a bit. Nothing mind-blowing, but not a complete waste of time either.

What an adventure!! Even though I know exactly what's happening since I have watched "Markiplier" & "8bit-Ryan" play, I truly enjoyed it, teared up at the horror elements & finally having concepts that are relevant to present and the future we are headed towards. Great job game devs, this game has aged very well!!! Definitely all must try this game out atleast once!!

Super creepy, super engaging.
This game made a shiver run down my spine multiple times and gave me so many heart attacks for sometimes the stupidest reasons T^T

Terrible writing, can't say anything else. The characters aren't interesting and you can't even interact with them properly to call them out on their behaviour/actions, feels like you're being pulled along whenever someone tells you something even if it doesn't make sense. I wasn't expecting a grand story where you could freely make decisions or anything, but the amount of times I said out loud "Why are these my only options?" or "Why do I have to mention this information to this person?" in certain scenes was too high. More variety would have at least made it seem more realistic, since it currently feels like the player character has no personality and won't argue or support anything until another character says it. The mystery itself was alright, I was honestly interested in figuring it out but not at the cost of dealing with these characters and the writing.

Great game, literally first ending in and Im on the edge ofm y seat 10/10 would reccommend

Boring with subpar jump scares. No titties get shown either, womp womp.

Just played through one ending. I am a huge fan of horror and mystery, but sadly I am a wimp so horror games scare me. This game? was great. It was creepy enough to have me on edge but I was able to play it! I'll be doing the other endings soon. I also downloaded 2 and 3. I can't wait to play them this game was awesome

Very good game.
Totally worth the price.
A Friday or Saturday night, alone in the dark, grab a drink and enjoy this investigation.

Very nice story and settings. A bit railroaded but still enjoyable

I love games with this sort of conceit, and really had a fun time with this! I love games where the devs clearly really enjoy the project and have a passion for it, it's so refreshing. While I did enjoy this (the others aren't optimized for Steam Deck and the second is unsupported so I might have to wait to play the rest), I do have a few mild quibbles. First, the game could use a brief refresh as far as the writing -- the localization for English was iffy, and while I can ignore some grammar/misspellings with no problem, this did impact the gameplay in a few instances. Also, and I know this is the result of playing on a Steam Deck but it did say it was optimized and entering the text was a pain and very easily the one thing I disliked. I couldn't do the "timed section text entry" (if you know you know) not because I didn't know the answers (I did), but the entry was just so fiddly. Honestly those are really mild complaints, but the localization issues made the end a little hard to follow. But like I said, it's very minor as the game was enjoyable despite that. Hoping the rest come to Steam Deck soon, and hoping the devs keep making fun, unique games like this!

This is genuinely one of the best horror experiences that I have had. 10/10
If you are thinking about buying this game, do it, buy it, no questions asked, you will have a good time

i literally did every fucking thing the save both guide told me to and it DIDNT WORK

I really enjoyed this game. In 2025, this game's larger themes seem so much more apparent. The twist is great, it made me get the darkest ending, I believe. To the point that I may play it again to get another ending! The acting in the videos is a bit sus, but the sincerity pulls them all through.

sure it's fun but the idea that i have to completely start the entire game over because of one choice i made is disgusting. let us save when we want to so we can make new choices. i'm most likely never going to come back to finish because having to start from the beginning after playing for 4 hours is nightmarish.

yes kinda scary game good story line

So... this is one of those game I already watched someone (Jacksepticeye) play it, but 7 years is a long time and I forgot the fun little details.

Cons
-Oml, Greg and Cassie's voice actors... that was rough listening to. Taylor's cringe shower serenade tipped into a con for me.
-Some of the word puzzles were a bit tricky
--Just having picture and word puzzles is a bit weird for a horror game like this... but without it, it isn't really a game, I guess.
-Someone needs to check on Ashley, she is always drunk texting Anna...
-Anna is wearing the same thing in each of her vlogs... lol.
--Speaking of, boom mic appearance in one of those vlogs, and a man that isn't one of the actors as well in the vlogs.
-I'm fine with all the horror ambiance... but seriously... knocking?! I could understand for one certain scene, but those knocking cues makes me pause the game and make sure no one is knocking like a maniac on my office. The subtle knocks are worse than the banging knocking.
-Ofc one of the photos is Anna in a towel, lol.
-The most unbelievable thing? Even in 2017, a phone with only 6 apps, 3 of which are e-mail, text, and phone, is completely mystifying, lol. The other three are Internet, Tinder, and Twitter.
-One bad interaction with a certain character, and there goes three of the four endings. Bummer.

Pros
-I mean... it is an award-winning story. It went off of Black Mirror's coat tails, but who cares?
-Apart from the lack of apps... the phone looks lived in. It's a crappy phone that you have to do puzzles to read texts that are sent to you, so there's that, lol.
--The pictures that are just in there to give atmosphere truly did the job... namely because it isn't just Anna in the same outfit like the vlogs, lol. Actually made me like Greg for a second...
-The horror is ear-screeching and visual and audio jumpscares... so... not terrible.
-Right length of game, roughly 3 to 3 and a half hours.
-Pretty nice detective game
-Aside from Taylor's serenade, him, Anna, and Ashley's actors contributed nicely to the story

Honestly, its the length that is making me recommend it the most. Short story, in and out, and it makes running for the other endings less of a trudge.

A well made and engrossing game. a little to get used to and it feels like you cant let it go ( like one's mobile phone) unfinished.

2017-2018 i watch a live stream made by Highman with this game.my turn to play it:D

As a horror, don't expect for more than a couple of jump scares and sinister sounds, however what I do like about it is a gameplay which requires good memory, attention to details, seeking patterns and investigating clues like a detective.

It has some replayability as it has 4 unique endings which will also be required to get for the achievements. The first playthrough will take the longest time especially if you are not familiarized with this type of games, but after you unlock the new game plus where texts are received at a faster pace and already know the puzzle solutions then you can get the other 3 endings quite fast.

May take around 6-8 hours to get all achievements, highly depends on solving the puzzles and if you can figure out the correct choices to get the right outcome since sometimes you can easily miss it from not picking the right dialogue or not doing certain things at a specific stage of the story.

The detective work is fun, but the ending is just ridiculous

The characters are very NPC-ish and it has some very cheesy touches but it was very engaging. Experience worth the small price.

Awesome game. Loved it!

Got a good scare on two occassions :O
And the ending was a suprise.
Since the game allows for several different endings I will do another playthrough for sure. Looking forward to playing the next release as well as I already bought it :D

Good job game devs!

Silly game, silly script, with silly scary jumps.

FWICKIN MADE ME SHID MY DIAPIE, if you like games like immortality or her story you'll enjoy this although it's not as cinematic

i would 100% recommend this game, tons or replayability, gives you a good laugh at times. and the endings HIT, if you ever get stuck at a certain part there are many guides online to help so give the game a try

Got this on sale, pretty cool game, very cool idea :) I might get the 2nd one, i didn't finish this one yet, but still. Everything is so fun hahaha :3

Waste of time. Bad writing, bad acting, unlikable characters. Very little agency is felt, you have to just go along with the juvenile decisions the writers have dictated for you. Play Her Story instead.

Got hold of this game by buying the bundle, as I'm a fan of this game genre.
It's a nice and enjoyable game; you can get it very cheap due to the years it was launched. The voiceover people in this game could be a bit better as you can feel the scripted emotions behind it.
Finished and will try it again to see a different ending.

Sad to say that I had to refund this. The premise seemed solid based on the store page - trying to piece together clues to someone's disappearance when you only have their phone - and the general interface was well done, but that was about it. My first hour of playing this mostly consisted of:

• Listening to overdramatic, very slowly worded voice messages.
  
• Piecing together "corrupted" pictures and texts that had absolutely nothing to do with Anna's disappearance.
  
• Wondering if a proofreader was ever used for this game. Most of the articles and texts gave me the impression that English isn't the developer's first language. While I have nothing against that, coming across awkward grammar really took the immersion out of a mostly text-based game.
  
• Sitting through consecutive rounds of text-vomit finger-pointing from Greg and Taylor. I truly detest people who text at a rate of 50 messages/min when a single sentence would have sufficed. I didn't think it could get any worse, but in came the relationship drama...
  
[*] An overall disconnect between the gameplay and the plot. A girl disappears with clear hints of some non-human entity behind it, so why am I wasting my time investigating the sorry backgrounds of two garden-variety losers?

Maybe the game gets better beyond the 1.7-hour point, but I really didn't have the patience to sit through constant notifications from the Male MC Idiot Express while waiting for some actual horror story to happen. Honestly, I'd have been happier to just shut the damn phone off and actually set out to find Anna door to door. At least then the "investigation" would have felt more productive.

10/10 game, great acting and a really good storyline + a lot of endings which i like

Really cool game with a fun premise. Volume control would be nice since it was unreasonably loud but other than that I enjoyed it.

A bloody amazing game. My advice: Go in blind.