Info about Malice:

Official game description:
  
**MALICE** is a two-player, escape room-style puzzle game of exploration and co-operative puzzle solving with a Japanese horror theme.  
Play with a friend as a pair of travelers visiting a mysterious temple in modern-day Japan. When a sudden earthquake plunges you into the underground darkness where a foreboding mansion lies dormant and waiting, you must navigate the ancient house, discovering its secrets while surviving the malicious inhabitants lurking down every dark corridor and lingering within every room. Separated from your partner, both of you must rely on your communication skills, bravery, and pure wit if you want to escape the mansion and ever see the light of day again.  
NOTE: This game can only be played with two players  
**Unique Story and Lore**  
MALICE features a unique storyline that spans multiple eras, dropping players directly into the mystery. Players will journey to different locations of an ancient Edo era settlement, ending in an unspeakable dimension where something even more sinister lies waiting…  
Discover the history and secrets of the mansion and its inhabitants through hand-drawn cutscenes and numerous character interactions.  
**Atmospheric Environments**  
MALICE creates an intense, foreboding atmosphere with terrifying audio design and visuals that will completely immerse the player in the game world.  
The game art captures a unique mix of realism and stylization to give players a sense of the uncanny, enveloping them in a dream-like environment and enhancing the nightmarish experience of the mansion.  
**Challenging Puzzles**  
Players will face a variety of puzzles on their journey out of the sunken mansion. MALICE provides a mind-bending mix of logical, lateral, and decryption puzzles alongside old-fashioned mazes, all intensified by a two-player co-operative twist. Imagine a real life escape room completely unrestricted by physical constraints!  
**2 Player Coop**  
Malice is a two-player, mandatory co-op experience intended to be played with a partner. Maybe you’ll be safer in the depths with a friend… Who do you trust to help get you out alive?  
**3 Chapters of Gameplay**  
MALICE will consist of three chapters. Each chapter will provide 1+ hours of gameplay, scares, and puzzles.  
Players will be taken to different locations of an ancient Edo era settlement and ending in an unspeakable dimension where something more sinister lies waiting..  
All available now. Come test your wits

Release date: Nov 2, 2022

Categories: Puzzle Solving, Cooperative Multiplayer, Escape Room Puzzle, Atmospheric Horror, Exploration, Stealth Gameplay, Multiple Endings


- 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:
- Challenging and logical puzzles (weight 0.28): The game features a variety of puzzles that are both challenging and satisfying to solve. Players appreciate the logical nature of the puzzles and the enjoyment derived from solving them.
- Cooperative gameplay (weight 0.22): The game emphasizes cooperative gameplay, making it enjoyable to play with friends and enhancing the puzzle-solving experience.
- Well-done graphics and sound (weight 0.19): The game features beautiful graphics and impressive sound design, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- Enjoyable gameplay (weight 0.13): The game is enjoyable to play, especially with friends. The overall gameplay experience is satisfying and fun.
- Value for money (weight 0.13): The game offers good value for its price, providing substantial content that justifies the cost.
- Unique world and puzzles (weight 0.09): The game offers a unique world with a variety of puzzles, providing a fresh and engaging experience for players.
- Solid and high-quality game (weight 0.09): The game is solid and of high quality, providing a reliable and enjoyable experience for players.
- Good concept and interesting content (weight 0.09): The game has a good concept and interesting content, providing an engaging and enjoyable experience for players.
- Good Japanese dubbing (weight 0.09): The game includes well-done Japanese voice acting, adding to the immersion and enjoyment for players who appreciate this feature.
- Inclusion of Japanese culture (weight 0.09): The game includes elements of Japanese culture, adding a unique and interesting aspect to the gameplay.
- Strong pacing and storytelling (weight 0.06): The game features strong pacing and environmental storytelling, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
- Thought-provoking gameplay (weight 0.06): The game offers thought-provoking gameplay, challenging players to think deeply and strategically.
- Well-thought-out level design (weight 0.06): The game features well-thought-out level design, providing a structured and enjoyable gameplay experience.
- Interesting story (weight 0.06): The game has an interesting story, adding depth and engagement to the overall experience.
- Qualified puzzle game (weight 0.06): The game is a qualified puzzle game with a reasonable length and difficulty, providing a well-rounded and enjoyable experience.
- Focus on puzzle-solving (weight 0.06): The game focuses on puzzle-solving, providing a challenging and engaging experience for players who enjoy this gameplay style.
- Smooth and fast-paced gameplay (weight 0.06): The game offers smooth and fast-paced gameplay, ensuring an enjoyable and uninterrupted experience for players.
- Encourages observation and interpretation (weight 0.05): The game encourages players to observe and interpret their surroundings, adding a layer of depth to the gameplay.
- Explores complex themes (weight 0.05): The game explores complex themes, adding depth and interest to the overall experience.
- Natural growth and progression (weight 0.05): The game offers natural growth and progression, allowing players to feel a sense of advancement and achievement.
- Constant progress (weight 0.05): The game provides a sense of constant progress, keeping players engaged and motivated.
- Potential for sequels (weight 0.05): The game has potential for sequels or additional endings, adding to its long-term appeal and replayability.
- Enjoyable for fans of similar series (weight 0.05): The game is enjoyable for fans of similar series, providing a familiar yet fresh experience for these players.
- Multiplayer connectivity solutions (weight 0.05): The game provides solutions for multiplayer connectivity, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable co-op experience.
- Minimalist but sharp writing (weight 0.05): The game has minimalist but sharp writing, enhancing the overall narrative and gameplay experience.
- Quick restart after death (weight 0.05): The game features a quick restart after death, which is appreciated by players for its convenience.
- Bug recovery (weight 0.05): The game has mechanisms for bug recovery, ensuring a smoother gameplay experience.
- Successful completion (weight 0.05): Players find satisfaction in successfully completing the game, adding to the overall enjoyment.
- Pleased and horrified by jump scares (weight 0.05): Players are both pleased and horrified by the jump scares in the game, adding to the horror experience.
- Quick reconnecting (weight 0.05): The game features quick reconnecting, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted gameplay experience.
- Few jump scares (weight 0.05): The game features few jump scares, providing a balanced horror experience.
- Well-done ghost mechanics (weight 0.05): The game features well-done ghost mechanics, particularly at the beginning of the second chapter, adding to the horror experience.
- Perfect Japanese language support (weight 0.05): The game offers perfect Japanese language support, making it more accessible and enjoyable for Japanese-speaking players.
- Guides for Hiragana (weight 0.05): The game includes guides for Hiragana, making it more accessible for players learning the language.
- Includes Chinese language (weight 0.05): The game includes Chinese language support, making it more accessible to a wider audience.

Common complaints:
- Poor puzzle design (weight 0.43): The puzzles in the game are often criticized for being poorly designed, confusing, and overly challenging. Many players find them frustrating due to lack of context, excessive difficulty, and language barriers.
- Numerous bugs and clipping issues (weight 0.33): Players frequently encounter bugs and clipping issues throughout the game. These bugs range from minor inconveniences to significant problems that disrupt gameplay.
- Lack of horror elements (weight 0.26): The game is criticized for not being scary or lacking sufficient horror elements. Many players feel that it does not meet the expectations of a horror game.
- Poor overall experience (weight 0.22): Players report a poor overall experience due to various issues, including poor optimization and low game quality. This affects the enjoyment and playability of the game.
- Control and sensitivity issues (weight 0.21): There are significant issues with the game's controls, including bugs and lack of adjustable mouse sensitivity. This affects the overall playability and user experience.
- Frequent disconnections (weight 0.19): Players experience frequent disconnections, which disrupt the gameplay and cause frustration. This issue is particularly problematic in multiplayer modes.
- Lack of save features (weight 0.19): The game lacks sufficient save features, including no online save option and limited save points. This forces players to restart from the beginning of a chapter if they need to reset.
- Poor multiplayer functionality (weight 0.18): The multiplayer functionality is poorly implemented, with issues such as poor connectivity and difficulty joining friends. This detracts from the overall multiplayer experience.
- Item and progression issues (weight 0.14): There are issues with item management and potential progression bugs. These problems can hinder the player's progress and overall experience.
- Frequent frame drops and crashes (weight 0.13): Players report frequent frame drops and crashes, which negatively impact the gaming experience. These technical issues are a major concern for many players.
- High price and low value (weight 0.12): The game is considered overpriced by many players, who feel that it does not offer good value for money. This is a common complaint among reviewers.
- Unclear storyline (weight 0.09): The game's storyline is difficult to understand and follow. Many players find the narrative confusing and poorly executed.
- Poor enemy AI and physics (weight 0.08): The enemy AI and physics engine are poorly implemented, leading to a less immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
- Stiff controls and short gameplay (weight 0.08): The controls are described as stiff, and the gameplay is considered too short with insufficient content. This affects the overall enjoyment and value of the game.

Gameplay feedback:
- Cooperative puzzle-solving focus (weight 0.45): The game heavily emphasizes cooperative puzzle-solving mechanics, requiring players to work together to solve complex puzzles and riddles.
- Escape room-style horror puzzles (weight 0.21): The game features puzzles similar to escape rooms, combined with horror elements to create a unique and engaging experience.
- Chapter-based gameplay structure (weight 0.16): The game is structured into chapters, each with specific mechanics, puzzles, and challenges that players must navigate through.
- Resource and item management (weight 0.12): The game includes resource management and item collection as key mechanics for solving puzzles and progressing through the game.
- Exploration and stealth mechanics (weight 0.09): Players can explore the environment and use stealth to avoid threats, adding depth to the gameplay.
- NPC behavior and task guidance (weight 0.08): The game features NPC behavior and a task guidance system to help players understand what they need to do next.
- Multiple endings and Japanese theme (weight 0.08): The game offers multiple endings and is themed around Japanese culture, adding variety and a unique atmosphere.
- Balanced puzzle difficulty (weight 0.05): Puzzles are well-balanced in terms of difficulty, providing a challenging yet fair experience for players.
- Atmosphere and environmental design (weight 0.05): The game's atmosphere and environment are designed to immerse players in a horror setting, enhancing the overall experience.
- Voice chat communication (weight 0.05): The game supports voice chat communication, allowing players to coordinate and strategize more effectively.
- Hints from old notes (weight 0.04): Players can find hints from old notes scattered throughout the game, aiding in puzzle-solving and progression.
- Auto-save feature (weight 0.04): The game includes an auto-save feature, ensuring that players' progress is saved automatically.
- Random puzzle patterns (weight 0.04): The game features random puzzle patterns, adding variety and replayability to the gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Optimization and performance issues (weight 0.36): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to stuttering, frame drops, and frequent loading screens. These issues are particularly pronounced on low-end PCs.
- Frequent disconnections (weight 0.19): Players experience frequent disconnections, which can disrupt gameplay. Some users suggest using an accelerator to mitigate this issue.
- Bugs and control issues (weight 0.18): There are various bugs reported, including control bugs and issues with item management and puzzle synchronization.
- Crashes and stability issues (weight 0.13): The game encounters frequent crashes, which can be frustrating for players. However, some feedback indicates that technical performance is generally stable.
- Startup issues (weight 0.05): Some players have reported issues with the game starting up, which can prevent them from playing the game altogether.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for puzzle and horror fans (weight 0.25): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy puzzle-solving and horror elements. It offers a fun cooperative experience that combines both genres effectively.
- Play with friends (weight 0.16): The game is highly recommended to be played with friends, especially those who enjoy cooperative experiences and getting scared. Playing during the daytime is also suggested to enhance the experience.
- Buy on sale (weight 0.12): Several reviews suggest purchasing the game during a sale. This indicates that while the game is worth playing, it might not be worth the full price for everyone.
- Worth playing (weight 0.09): Despite some negative reviews, many players find the game worth playing. It is suggested not to be deterred by negative feedback.
- Immersive environmental design (weight 0.05): The game features an immersive environmental design that enhances the overall gaming experience. This aspect is highlighted as a significant positive point.
- Narrative exploration (weight 0.05): The game offers a rich narrative that players can explore. This adds depth to the gameplay and makes it more engaging.
- Recommended for casual horror players (weight 0.05): The game is suitable for casual horror game players, offering a balanced experience that is not too intense.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.37): Players are frustrated primarily due to the game's technical issues, including frequent bugs, poor optimization, and lack of save points. Additionally, confusing puzzles, unclear hints, and difficulties with multiplayer connectivity contribute to the frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.18): Disappointment stems from the game not meeting expectations, with players citing poor game quality, lack of horror elements, and a short game length. Issues such as bugs, poor modeling, and a disappointing ending also contribute to this sentiment.
- Anger (weight 0.12): Anger is mainly caused by the game's technical issues, including bugs, server issues, and poor graphics optimization. Players are also angry about the lack of basic features, high system requirements, and the game's pricing.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the game's horror elements, puzzles, and cooperative gameplay. The atmosphere, immersive graphics, and sound, along with satisfying puzzle difficulty, contribute to the overall enjoyment.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Joy is derived from the fun and interactive experiences with friends, including cooperative elements and enjoyable puzzle-solving. The overall fun and enjoyable co-op experience also brings joy to players.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction comes from the overall gameplay experience, despite some flaws. Players appreciate the good puzzle mechanics, strong atmosphere, and the feeling of accomplishment after solving puzzles.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement is generated by the game's puzzles, stability, and design mechanics. Players are also excited about the fun exploration horror and good co-op experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's atmospheric detail and narrative depth, which stand out as particularly well-crafted aspects of the game.
- Fear (weight 0.01): Fear is experienced through the game's horror elements, which effectively create a frightening atmosphere during gameplay.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the game's graphics, sound, and visuals, which enhance the overall gaming experience.
- Contentment (weight 0.01): Contentment arises from the good value for the price and the enjoyable experience of playing with a friend.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): Disgust is caused by the poor game quality and misleading comparisons to other games, leading to a negative perception of the game.}