Gray Dawn

This is a very unusual experience that combines the plot and visuals into a very strong emotional connection for. The gameplay does not leave such strong impressions, but I like this kind of gameplay. And although I did not have a strong core at the end. But the impressions were very strong and the ending only emphasized them. It was very impressive.

I guess it's.. nice? The game is very creative and some of the locations and effects are stunning, but tbh I had no clue what I was doing or why. Even after reaching the ending, I only kinda understood the story. Additionally, I'm not really a fan of all that religious bogus layered on top of everything, but to each their own. I guess Gray Dawn is one of those games that are just "different" compared to the vast majority. Make of that what you will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL4VfbVF1bI

It was pretty good but not very scary. Kind of goofy.

7/10

Gray Dawn had tons and tons of potential, unfortunately the lack of budget and experience drags the entire thing down.

I really wanted to like Gray Dawn and I really did, at times. Excluding the character models, the game looks great, especially the architecture and the fine details, I mean, just look at the screenshots on this page. Most locations had tons of atmosphere and unique visual elements. The religious angle the story takes was occasionally thought provoking and inspiring. It was clear that whenever the developers were influenced by Romanian history and culture, you were looking at the high points of the experience.

Everything else though... Oof, were things rough. Absolutely abyssmal voice acting, including AI-generated voices thinly hidden behind audio filters. It was so bad, that I unironically think the game would benefit from having text only dialogues. The other option was to have naturalistic voice acting in Romanian, like with a minor character at the end of the game. And that leads to an entirely different problem Grey Dawn has: why is everthing such a nonsense mix of cultures, ideas, religions and places?
The "write what you know" principle exists for a reason. As I said before, whenever the game sinks into Romanian culture, it's clearly peaking. Why then, is the game set in England? Why are you playing as an Englishman, who for some reason seems to be a catholic priest? The Romanian influence exists in the game because of the main characters, a kid, who was born there. How did he even get to England? Why is a Catholic priest preparing an Eastern Orthodox service? Why does the game contain Egyptian gods, Lovecraftian tentacle monsters, possessed puppets and other completly unrelated things that stood out like a sore thumb? Who put a single jumpscare at the very beginning of the game, when the rest of the game is not even trying to be scary and aims for more of a somber tone?

Not everything was jarring, some things were "just" okay. The occasional puzzles were simple, clear and did not overstay their welcome. The music, while fitting, wasn't exactly memorable. The story felt... basic. A man tormented by guilt tries to overcome it by exploring a metaphorical representation of his memories and feelings. Also known as the story of every walking simulator ever. The game clocks at about 3-4 hours long.

I really wish the developers really leaned heavily into their culture and history. It seemed that, whenever they did, something really beautiful appeared on my screen. Instead, by trying to appeal to a broader demographic, or maybe lack of either experience or direction, Gray Dawn felt like another, generic walking simulator. It's worth experiencing, but do not expect anything special. What a shame...

the voice acting thoo

despite the fact this game was beautiful and u could tell there was a lot of effort put in it, i felt like the whole story was messy and the fact there are a lots of spelling mistakes in the loading screens just felt unserious to me. also even though i found david's and the priest's voice actings rly good, david's mothers voice acting was weird. it didn't feel realistic at all. but i do recommend that game regardless

10/10 This game is simply breathtaking. I don't remember last time i felt like that playing a computer game. It is a must have. Wonderful

Amazing surreal adventure and eastern Christianity vibes

An amazing game created by Romanian developers that shows parts of the Romanian culture, religious aspects and horror action.

Only played 90 mins but this game is like a magical fairytale mixed with subtle mind f***. Very well written and looking forward to playing more. Also very beautiful to look at. Reminds me of What remains of Edith Finch.

👾 Gray Dawn (🇷🇴 2018)

This independent walking priest simulator is really something. Sometimes very disturbing, other times filled with oddly beautiful imagery. The story relies heavily on Christian mythology and, no matter which ending you get, is unsettling. Technically is a bit flawed though.

🎮 Played on Steam (PC)
Rating: ✝️✝️✝️📿▫️

uhm, idk what to say...

noice game.
me romanian and ortodox, hehe.

my last words.
rip David.

- Priest smashes child (with car, don't get any wrong ideas!)
- An volcano erupts, endless meteors start falling down from the sky
- Frogs start raining from the ceiling
- Lots of warnings about sin, hell, and damnation
- More desecration and blasphemy happening
- Praise God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit! Amen!

10/10. 100% accurate priest simulator. Can recommend.

But in honesty, it has an unique atmosphere. It was a strange experience, but yeah, definitely unique.

Relatively short but worthwhile game I would say. Wanted to try a more horrorish game for once and fared well with Gray Dawn. You don't get chased by monsters and I personally expirienced only one bigger jump scare, so it's more the overall atmosphere and story that's keeping you on your toes.

Gray Dawn has its moments where the environments look quite nice, but that’s about it. Most of the time, the world feels hollow and lifeless, and the slow pacing doesn’t help. The story seems like it’s trying to be profound, but it’s shallow and poorly executed.

Overall, it feels unfinished and like a waste of time. Hard to recommend.

A priest who commited more sin that was good for him. What will be his fate? Let God and the Devil decide. Maybe they're even helping you a bit. A sweet Christmas time story :)

It's a strange game though. Storywise, it's very confusing up till the end. What's 'real', what's imagination. A lot of unanswered questions. It's also not really a horror. Sure, weird things are happening, but nothing is scary. What it is though, is fantastical and beautiful. The world, both real and imaginary, is very detailed and colorful. You can see they put tremendous work in designing objects and textures.

As far as puzzles go, they're all pretty easy. Mostly finding items and using them at the proper place.

Personally, I think it was a cool game to play. If you're looking for actual scares, this ain't it. It's basically a very beautiful, weird and interesting walking sim.

A bad preachy game that's not scary one bit.

Very underrated game, apart from the unique story and psychological religious horror theme which is a theme that you don't meet often or at all on the market, the game is filled with epic moments and beautiful Eastern Orthodox art and paintings.
The only downside is that it ends, despite the game being a little short it's clear as day that the devs poured they're heart and soul in every chapter and scene.

If you're a fan of psychological horror with deep emotional storytelling, Gray Dawn is definitely worth checking out. The game follows the journey of a troubled priest who’s grappling with the grief of losing his wife. As you play, you'll find yourself in a haunting, surreal world filled with Christian lore, biblical references, and religious symbolism. The game dives deep into themes of guilt, faith, and redemption, as you face moral dilemmas and confront visions of saints and demons. It’s a unique and thought-provoking experience for anyone interested in religious themes mixed with horror.

The gameplay is exploration-based, where you'll solve puzzles and uncover secrets scattered throughout the eerie world. While it can feel a bit repetitive at times and the controls might seem a little stiff, the puzzles are engaging and keep you invested in the story. There’s a nice balance of mystery and challenge that keeps you wanting to progress.

The atmosphere in Gray Dawn is where the game truly shines. The visuals are dark and dreary, with a color palette that emphasizes grays and muted tones, which perfectly sets the tone for a somber and eerie experience. The soundtrack and sound design create a constant sense of unease, and the emotional weight of the story is reflected in the world around you. As you explore, you'll feel the weight of the protagonist's inner conflict, making the entire experience both chilling and emotionally compelling.

Overall, Gray Dawn is a game I highly recommend if you’re into atmospheric horror with a strong narrative. It’s got a gripping story with plenty of Christian lore to make it stand out, and while it has a few gameplay hiccups, the emotional depth and eerie atmosphere make it a memorable journey. If you're looking for something thought-provoking with a spooky edge, Gray Dawn is definitely worth your time.

Very nice game. finished in the span of 3 sessions

Amazing atmosphere and a really good way to present the plot twist at the end

Inderesting game and story i enjoyed it... It was a bit ''meh'' the end but the overall game was nice. Nice graphs nice voice and it actually misleads you until the end only to slap you in the face.
If you are a holy person better stay away from the game.

9/10

P,S 3 hours for 100% get it on a good deal

I think it's pretty good. It's mostly what is termed a "walking simulator" but there are a few hidden object and light puzzle elements so that that's not all you do. I like that the story is a bit ambiguous. But the really selling point on this one is the neat visuals. The only thing I don't care for is that you can miss some of the collectibles without any warning which makes attaining the "good" ending impossible. I might be willing to replay the game to try and get it again, but I would want to do so after a while rather than right away, and then I think I'd be just as likely to miss the collectibles again.... But yeah, I'd recommend it if you like games like Layers of Fear, and play it mostly for the art.

6.5/10

screen shake and the way it blurs makes me feel sick .

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS
-> For 2018 the graphics are pretty good for an Indie game. Also the world is detailled and really well made. Some areas are really beautiful and made with passion.

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☑ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't
-> It's mostly exploring smaller areas, collecting items and solving puzzles that are well made. There are some smaller mechanics like changing the atmosphere in some areas but nothing too special. Although I liked that mechanic.

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf
-> The audio is good and so is the voice acting. But I think that the voice acting was kinda emotionless at some points.

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☐ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☑ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls
-> You can't die and just explore.

---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☑ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life
-> Interesting story about a priest who is accused to be a murder of children. The whole story has in a religious setting (obviously when you play a priest :D). Also you get a lot of background information and there are multiple ending (at least there are 2).

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☑ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☐ Worth the price
☑ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☐ Never heard of
☑ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☑ 6,5
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☐ 10

great game

Its pretty ight

Beautiful. Bizarre. Some ideas were great, others really bad. There's a good game buried underneath the lack of direction. If your catholic, I think it's still worth it. Very short. It's a walking simulator with veeeeery light puzzles.

Someone (probably)

I was very pleasantly surprised by this game. It's your average walking simulator, but this one is deeply rooted in orthodox christianity. The story is satisfying, and the visuals are amazing. There is so much symbolism, and so many surreal things happening, that it's impossible to comprehend the true meaning of it all. The pacing is perfect, and there is just so many cool things happening in this game. I would maybe consider this game a hidden gem.

Great atmospheric game, not really scary, at least for me, decent storytelling and amazing voice acting, especially the Romanian. It also looks good and has amazing world building, overall it's a great game made by small devs. Really recommend it.

It's 2024 and some Devs still cant get the basics right like being able to chose resolutions or at least a proper window mode.