Info about STASIS: BONE TOTEM:

Official game description:
Steam Deck Compatibility
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Valve’s testing indicates this title is Verified on Steam Deck. This game is fully functional on Steam Deck, and works great with the built-in controls and display.
About the Game
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Plunge into the depths of STASIS: BONE TOTEM, the latest installment in the STASIS anthology.  
**A new story, new characters, and a new underwater environment to explore.**  
Follow Mac and Charlie, a husband and wife duo, who make their living scouring the ocean for salvage. But, when they stumble upon an abandoned oil rig in the Pacific Ocean, they uncover a horrific secret that Cayne Corporation will do anything to keep hidden.  
As you embark on your adventure playing Mac, Charlie, and their trusty Super-Toy, Moses, you'll encounter an immersive narrative filled with spine-tingling horror and unexpected twists. Combining the thrilling storytelling of STASIS and a tense underwater setting, STASIS: BONE TOTEM offers a personal story that will test the limits of family resilience.  
Navigate through a massive underwater base, complete intricate puzzles, and solve an ancient secret concealed at the bottom of the ocean. BONE TOTEM features the same isometric, point-and-click gameplay that made STASIS a classic fan favorite, but with a new cast and a unique setting that will leave you gasping for breath.  
With stunning visuals, a music score by Mark Morgan, a screenplay written by a Hollywood ace, voice acting by veteran actors, and a gripping storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat - STASIS: BONE TOTEM is a must-play game for horror and sci-fi adventure fans.  
So what are you waiting for? Dive into the unknown and uncover the BONE TOTEM beneath the waves.

Release date: 31 May, 2023

Categories: Point-and-click Adventure, Puzzle Solving, Single-player Story, Psychological Horror, Exploration, Body Horror, Environmental Storytelling, Multi-Character Puzzle Solving


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Exceptional Atmosphere & Visuals (weight 0.92): Players consistently praise the game's art direction, detailed environments, and overall atmospheric presentation. The visuals, sound design, and voice acting are highlighted as key elements that create a deeply immersive and unsettling horror experience.
- Clever Puzzle Design & Mechanics (weight 0.81): The puzzle design is generally well-received, described as logical, intuitive, and satisfying without being overly frustrating. The unique mechanic of controlling multiple characters and seamlessly exchanging items is a highlight, enhancing gameplay and narrative progression.
- Compelling & Engaging Story (weight 0.61): The game's narrative is frequently lauded as compelling, engaging, and well-written, often surpassing expectations for the genre. Players found the story immersive, emotionally impactful, and filled with interesting twists, making it a standout feature.
- Strong Characters & Voice Acting (weight 0.6): The characters, particularly Moses, are consistently praised for being well-developed, relatable, and memorable. Their interactions, combined with excellent voice acting and strong writing, create deep emotional connections for players.
- Highly Recommended & Enjoyable (weight 0.54): Overall, players highly recommend the game, describing it as a fantastic and enjoyable horror adventure. It's considered a standout in the point-and-click genre, offering significant playtime and value for its price.
- Unique Sci-Fi World-Building (weight 0.23): The game's world-building is a major strength, blending sci-fi, Lovecraftian horror, and corporate dystopia themes effectively. This unique and detailed setting creates a fascinating and often terrifying backdrop for the story.
- Deep Themes & Emotional Impact (weight 0.22): The game delves into deep philosophical and emotional themes, including grief, love, and existential horror. It prompts players to reflect on complex issues, leaving a lasting impression and often evoking strong emotional responses.
- Significant Improvement Over Predecessors (weight 0.16): Players consistently note that this installment is a significant improvement over previous games in the series. It's seen as more polished, technically superior, and a strong continuation of the Stasis universe.
- Genre-Defining Point-and-Click (weight 0.09): The game is frequently hailed as a masterpiece within the point-and-click genre, often compared favorably to classic titles. It's seen as a refreshing and high-quality example that revitalizes the genre.

Common complaints:
- Puzzles are illogical and frustrating (weight 0.58): Many players found the puzzles to be illogical, overly difficult, or requiring 'moon logic' and excessive trial-and-error. This often led to frustration and the need to consult external guides, significantly hindering the gameplay experience. Some specific puzzles were also reported as bugged.
- Weak story and excessive dialogue (weight 0.48): The story was criticized for being overly linear, slow-paced, and often uninteresting or generic. Excessive and often unnecessary dialogue frequently interrupted gameplay, leading to frustration and a desire to skip conversations, which further detracted from the narrative experience.
- Clunky controls and tedious gameplay (weight 0.46): Players frequently reported clunky controls, especially for inventory management and character movement. The overall gameplay experience was often described as tedious, repetitive, and unintuitive, leading to a feeling of the game dragging on and becoming a chore.
- Poor voice acting and janky cutscenes (weight 0.18): The game's presentation suffered from poor voice acting, which was often described as mediocre, annoying, or immersion-breaking. Cutscenes were also criticized for being janky, poorly framed (too zoomed in), and disrupting the game's flow.
- Game is too dark (weight 0.12): A significant number of players found the game to be excessively dark, making it difficult to see environments, objects, and pathways. This visual issue often led to missed items and general frustration, with no in-game brightness slider to compensate.
- Annoying and missable collectibles (weight 0.09): The game includes annoying and missable collectibles that offer little value beyond achievements. This design choice, combined with a single-save file system, created frustration for players aiming for completion.
- Lacks horror and mystery (weight 0.08): The game was criticized for not being a true horror experience, failing to generate scares or maintain a sense of mystery. Its reliance on scattered lore entries and a lack of clear hints also contributed to a clinical and unengaging atmosphere.
- Unnatural item transfer mechanic (weight 0.07): The mechanic of transferring items between characters was widely disliked, described as unnatural, unrealistic, and a time-consuming chore. This system often broke immersion and added unnecessary complexity to inventory management.
- Overly long PDA entries (weight 0.06): Players found the PDA entries to be excessively long, often uninteresting, and containing too much text for the value they added to the story or lore. This led to 'log overload' and a disinterest in reading them.
- Unlikeable and annoying characters (weight 0.05): Many players found the main characters to be unlikeable, annoying, and generic. Their bickering and perceived idiocy made it difficult for players to empathize with them or stay invested in their journey.
- Mediocre visual quality (weight 0.04): Some players expressed disappointment with the game's visuals, describing them as not great, blurry, or having visible 'seams.' There were also reports of visual bugs and issues with default graphical settings.
- Overall boring experience (weight 0.04): A segment of players found the overall game experience to be boring, leading to a loss of interest and a desire to stop playing. This general dissatisfaction often stemmed from the combined issues of gameplay, story, and puzzles.

Gameplay feedback:
- Classic Point-and-Click Gameplay (weight 0.3): The game is a classic point-and-click adventure with an isometric top-down view, focusing heavily on puzzles and exploration. It features a generous hint system and avoids 'lunar logic' puzzles, making them generally logical but sometimes challenging.
- Multi-Character Puzzle Solving (weight 0.28): A core mechanic involves controlling three distinct characters—Mac, Charlie, and Moses—each with unique abilities (e.g., Mac for brute force, Charlie for crafting, Moses for hacking). Players must frequently switch between them and utilize their shared inventory to solve puzzles and progress the story.
- Challenging, Logical Puzzles (weight 0.18): Puzzles are a central element, ranging from straightforward item combination to more complex logic challenges. While some can be difficult and require careful environmental observation or reading hidden text, the game provides hints and even a full walkthrough to prevent frustration.
- Psychological Sci-Fi Horror (weight 0.12): The game is a sci-fi horror thriller with a strong narrative focus, emphasizing psychological horror, body horror, and gore rather than jump scares or combat. It explores dark, philosophical themes within its deep-sea setting.
- Shared Item Inventory (weight 0.11): The game features a unique inventory system where items can be freely and instantly transferred between the three separated characters. This mechanic is crucial for solving puzzles, as different characters may have specific uses or descriptions for items.
- Deep-Sea Narrative & Characters (weight 0.06): The narrative centers around a scavver couple, Charlie and Mac, and their sentient biotech teddy bear, Moses, as they investigate a derelict underwater research platform. Their relationships and the deep-sea setting are key to the unfolding story.
- Lengthy Playtime, Text-Heavy (weight 0.05): The game offers a substantial playtime, typically ranging from 12 to 20 hours for a first playthrough. This duration is often attributed to the extensive amount of text and reading required to uncover clues and lore.
- Interactive Point Highlighting (weight 0.05): To assist players, the game includes an active point highlighting function. This feature allows players to easily identify interactable objects and areas, preventing frustrating 'pixel hunting' often associated with the genre.
- Non-Punishing Death Mechanics (weight 0.05): The game features death scenes, often grotesque, but these are not punitive. An autosave system ensures players are reloaded just before a fatal mistake, encouraging experimentation without fear of losing progress.
- Limited Replayability (weight 0.04): The game is not designed for replayability or single-sitting completion. While the gameplay and controls may require a short adjustment period, there are no timed events, allowing players to progress at their own pace.
- Mac's Brute Force Abilities (weight 0.03): Mac, one of the playable characters, possesses unique abilities centered around brute force. He can disassemble objects, break obstacles, and use his cybernetic hand to force open doors or shatter glass, crucial for certain puzzles.
- Standalone Story Experience (weight 0.03): Players do not need to have played previous 'Stasis' games to understand the plot. The game provides sufficient in-universe documents and lore to make the story accessible as a standalone experience.
- Supporter Pack Content (weight 0.03): A 'Supporter Pack' is available, offering additional content such as a comprehensive guide with art, a hundred-page artbook featuring sketches and developer comments, the game's soundtrack, and desktop wallpapers.

Performance notes:
- Polished and Bug-Free Experience (weight 0.05): Players consistently report a highly polished experience with no significant bugs or performance issues. The game runs smoothly across various systems, including the Steam Deck.
- Minor Steam Deck Flickering (weight 0.03): While generally performing well on Steam Deck, some users noted flickering during cutscenes. This seems to be a minor visual glitch rather than a game-breaking issue.
- Steam Integration Issues (weight 0.02): Users reported that game achievements and playtime are not correctly synchronized or reflected on their Steam profiles. This impacts the meta-game experience for completionists.
- Improved Visuals and Cutscenes (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the enhanced visual elements, specifically mentioning more dynamic backdrops and engaging cutscenes. These improvements contribute positively to the overall aesthetic and narrative presentation.
- Low System Requirements (weight 0.01): The game is noted for its low system requirements, allowing it to run on older or less powerful computers. This broadens accessibility for players with diverse hardware.
- Manageable Game Size (weight 0.01): The game's installation size is considered reasonable by players, indicating it does not consume excessive storage space. This is a positive for users with limited disk capacity.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.72): The game is highly recommended by a large number of players, often receiving high scores and being considered a must-play. It is praised as a great, fantastic, and even brilliant experience, with many calling it a masterpiece within its genre.
- Ideal for Sci-Fi Horror Fans (weight 0.39): The game is particularly recommended for fans of sci-fi horror, Lovecraftian themes, and point-and-click adventure games. Players who enjoy titles like Alien, SOMA, or classic graphic adventures will find this game appealing.
- Anticipate Future Developer Titles (weight 0.15): Players are eager for future games from The Brotherhood, expressing strong support for the developers. Many look forward to new installments in the Stasis universe and other projects from the studio.
- Play Previous Stasis Games (weight 0.09): It is highly recommended to play the previous games in the Stasis series (Stasis and Cayne) for a fuller experience and better world-building. Some players even suggest trying the original Stasis first.
- Guide Recommended for Puzzles (weight 0.06): Due to challenging puzzles and extensive dialogue, players often recommend using a guide, especially if they prioritize the story over gameplay. Patience with point-and-click conventions is also advised.
- Good Value for Price (weight 0.04): The game is considered good value for its price, especially when on sale. Many reviewers feel it offers an AAA-like experience for a lower cost, making it a worthwhile purchase.
- Play for Character Moses (weight 0.02): The character Moses is specifically highlighted as a reason to play the game. This suggests a strong, memorable character performance or narrative arc involving Moses.

Other player notes:
- Rich World & Storytelling (weight 0.19): The game excels in world-building, immersing players in a detailed deep-sea setting that evolves from an oil platform to an ancient, lost world. The narrative unfolds through environmental storytelling and character interactions, creating a rich and surprising plot.
- Deep Thematic Horror (weight 0.11): The game is a sci-fi isometric horror experience, focusing on psychological dread and body horror rather than jump scares. It explores complex themes such as corporate greed, transhumanism, religion, and existential dread, reminiscent of 'Alien' or 'The Thing'.
- Standalone Universe Entry (weight 0.1): While set in the established 'Stasis' universe, the game offers a standalone narrative, making it accessible to new players without requiring prior knowledge of previous titles like 'Stasis' or 'Cayne'. It builds upon the series' themes but provides a fresh, independent story.
- Puzzles Can Be Challenging (weight 0.09): Some players found themselves needing to consult guides for puzzles, indicating potential difficulty spikes or obscure solutions. Despite this, the game was enjoyed on various platforms, including the Steam Deck.
- Highly Enjoyable Experience (weight 0.06): Overall player reception is positive, with many expressing enjoyment and anticipation for future titles from the developers. Despite some minor issues, the game provides a compelling experience that leaves players wanting more.
- Official Walkthrough Available (weight 0.06): Developers have proactively provided an official, free guide or walkthrough, accessible via Steam overlay or their website. This resource helps players navigate puzzles and progress smoothly, addressing potential frustrations.
- Intense Body Horror & Gore (weight 0.05): The game features significant amounts of body horror and gore, including graphic death scenes. This content is intentionally distressing and nauseating, serving the narrative but potentially disturbing sensitive players.
- Engaging Point-and-Click (weight 0.04): The game is firmly categorized as a point-and-click adventure, a genre that even players typically unfamiliar with it found engaging. It successfully blends thriller and horror elements within this classic gameplay style.
- Atmospheric Sound Design (weight 0.03): The game's audio design, including background soundscapes and music, is highly effective in building psychological pressure, unease, and a proper ambiance. It significantly contributes to the horror atmosphere.
- Excellent Voice Acting (weight 0.03): The English voice acting is consistently praised for its quality, effectively conveying character emotions and enhancing the overall narrative immersion. The voice actors are noted for their superb performances.
- Impressive Indie Development (weight 0.03): Developed by a small team of two brothers, the game is an impressive indie title. Its high quality and depth are particularly notable given its limited budget and small development team.
- Similarities to Disco Elysium (weight 0.03): The game shares visual and gameplay similarities with 'Disco Elysium', particularly its isometric perspective, lack of combat, and puzzle-driven mechanics. It also draws comparisons to 'SOMA' in its thematic depth.
- Brightness Calibration Needed (weight 0.03): Players noted that screen brightness might need adjustment on certain devices like the Steam Deck or TVs. It's recommended to configure display settings externally for optimal visual experience.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.34): Players found satisfaction primarily in the game's compelling story, well-developed characters, and logical puzzle design. The immersive world-building, high-quality voice acting, and overall polished presentation, including graphics and atmosphere, significantly contributed to a positive and rewarding experience. Improvements over previous titles and good value for money also enhanced player contentment.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Frustration stemmed mainly from illogical or 'moon-logic' puzzles that often required external guides, excessive darkness making navigation difficult, and clunky controls. Other contributing factors included lengthy, unskippable dialogue and PDA entries, repetitive elements, and occasional technical bugs that hindered progression.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment was frequently linked to the game's puzzles, which were often perceived as unintuitive or poorly designed, and a story that sometimes felt predictable or had plot holes. The use of AI art, a perceived lack of horror compared to expectations, and technical issues also contributed to a sense of unmet expectations, especially when compared to previous games in the series.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement was generated by the game's engaging story, compelling characters, and innovative gameplay mechanics. Players expressed enthusiasm for the immersive world, challenging puzzles, and the overall high quality of the experience, often leading to anticipation for future titles from the developers.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Players enjoyed the game for its engaging story, captivating atmosphere, and overall fun gameplay experience. The well-crafted characters, effective horror elements, and intuitive puzzle adventure aspects contributed to a consistently entertaining experience, even for those outside the genre's typical audience.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration was directed towards the game's high production quality, especially considering it's an indie title, with particular praise for its atmosphere, art design, voice acting, and compelling story. The developers' ambition, attention to detail, and significant improvements over previous entries were also highly appreciated.
- Engagement (weight 0.03): Engagement was driven by the game's captivating story, rich world-building, and intriguing puzzles. Players felt deeply invested in the narrative and characters, often finding themselves unable to stop playing until the story's conclusion, highlighting the game's ability to maintain interest and emotional connection.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance primarily arose from repetitive and lengthy dialogue, often featuring bickering or unlikeable characters, and subpar voice acting. Other sources included slow movement speed, frequent backtracking, and technical issues like limited camera views or shared inventory puzzles.
- Awe (weight 0.02): Awe was inspired by the game's exceptional world-building, unique and gripping story, and incredible art design and visuals. The high production quality, immersive atmosphere, and impactful sound design contributed to a sense of wonder and profound appreciation for the game's overall craftsmanship.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy was experienced through the overall positive game experience, including the satisfaction of solving puzzles and the emotional impact of the story. Players also expressed joy in discovering the series, finding a new favorite game, and appreciating improvements over previous installments.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players were pleasantly surprised by the unexpected high quality of the game, particularly its world-building, emotional depth, and engaging character interactions, especially for an indie title. The quality of writing and cutscenes also exceeded initial expectations, leading to a positive surprise.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation was shown for the game's ambition, unique setting, and the developers' dedication to their craft, including significant progress and attention to detail. The well-written story, compelling characters, high-quality voice acting, and effective atmosphere were consistently praised, along with thoughtful game mechanics.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Curiosity was sparked by the game's unfolding story, rich lore, and compelling world-building, driving players to continue playing to discover what happens next. The unique blend of genres and gameplay improvements also fueled a desire for further exploration of the game's universe.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement was derived from the game's unique elements, particularly the humorous aspects involving character deaths and the entertaining, often quirky, teddy bear character. Developer references and the shared inventory mechanic also contributed to lighthearted moments.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger was primarily directed at the game's overall design and perceived developer incompetence, particularly concerning frustrating puzzles that detracted from the enjoyment. Unlikable characters and constant, annoying dialogue also contributed to this negative emotion.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion was achieved through the game's compelling atmosphere, engaging story, and high-quality sound and voice acting. Players felt deeply invested in the narrative and characters, with attention to detail in literary text and in-game photos enhancing the sense of being fully present in the game world.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom arose from the game's perceived excessive length, repetitive puzzles, and dull or repetitive later stages. The slow pacing, extensive reading material, and monotonous gameplay and dialogue also contributed to a loss of interest.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game stemmed from a deep connection to its characters, the rich universe, and the immersive atmosphere. The combination of compelling story, evocative locations, and high-quality music and voice acting fostered a strong emotional attachment.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion was caused by certain confusing moments within the game, particularly regarding puzzle logic, the overall purpose and objectives, and the storytelling method. The expansion of the plot in the latter half also contributed to occasional disorientation.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief was felt upon the resolution of issues, such as the removal of AI-generated content or the completion of the game to escape bothersome voice acting. The availability of intuitive gameplay mechanics and developer-provided guides for challenging puzzles also brought a sense of ease.}