Info about The Salesman:

Official game description:
NEW FROM CHROMA CORP
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HELLO! IT'S ME, **THE SALESMAN**, HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE LATEST GAME FROM **THE CHROMATIC CORPORATION**! **THE SALESMAN** IS AN ANALOG HORROR INSPIRED EXPERIENCE FEATURING ME, **THE SALESMAN**!
EXPERIENCE CORPORATE TERROR AS YOU LOSE YOUR JOB AND HUNT FOR A NEW ONE IN THIS PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR ADVENTURE! TRY YOUR BEST TO PULL YOURSELF UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAPS, KIDDO!
FEEL THE RUSH OF SUBURBAN LIFE! COOK RAMEN NOODLES! CONSUME CONTENT! BUY BUY BUY!
FEATURES INCLUDE:
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*   HAUNTING SUBURBAN ATMOSPHERE!
*   A PLETHORA OF CHARMING SALESMAN ADVERTISEMENTS!
*   FULLY VOICE ACTED STORYLINE!
*   SELLING ALL YOUR EARTHLY POSSESSIONS!
*   RAMPANT CONSUMERISM!
*   FLUSHABLE TOILETS!
*   AND SO MUCH MORE!

Release date: 13 Nov, 2025

Categories: Psychological Horror, Single-player Story, Atmospheric Horror, Walking Simulator, Social Simulation, Choice-based Narrative, Task-based Gameplay


- 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:
- Highly Praised Short Experience (weight 0.99): Players overwhelmingly enjoyed the game, finding it a genuinely fun, sweet, and engaging short experience. Its low price (often $5 or less) was frequently cited as excellent value for the content provided, especially considering it's a debut title from a new studio.
- Masterful Psychological Horror (weight 0.46): The game excels at creating an unsettling, creeping psychological horror atmosphere rather than relying solely on jump scares. While it does feature effective and well-timed jump scares, its strength lies in building tension and making players question choices, creating a lasting, thought-provoking sense of dread.
- Potent Social & Economic Satire (weight 0.33): The game received strong praise for its sharp, relevant social commentary on corporate greed, capitalism, and an ad-saturated world. Players found the in-game ads and their subtle transformation genuinely horrifying, entertaining, and effective in conveying a relatable, almost realistic critique of modern societal issues.
- The Salesman is a Star (weight 0.18): The character of "THE SALESMAN" was a significant highlight for many players. His goofy, entertaining, and sometimes unsettling presence, along with his memorable antics, made him a fan favorite and a standout part of the game.
- Engaging References and Easter Eggs (weight 0.14): The game was noted for being packed with numerous references to other creators, "Bad Ideas" projects, and hidden easter eggs. Players enjoyed discovering these details, which added another layer of charm and personality to the experience.
- Compelling Game Concept (weight 0.13): Reviewers consistently praised the game's unique and interesting core concept. The novel idea behind the game, combined with well-executed small design details, contributed significantly to its appeal and made for an an intriguing experience.
- Memorable Credits and Music (weight 0.11): The game's credits sequence, particularly the accompanying song, stood out as a highlight for many players. It was often described as "amazing," "a banger," and a strong finish that significantly enhanced the overall experience.
- Strong Developer Support & Hope (weight 0.1): Many players expressed enthusiasm for supporting the indie developers (Bad Ideas Productions) and showed faith in their future projects. There was a clear appreciation for their debut effort and a desire to see them continue to create more games.
- Hilarious Character Writing (weight 0.06): Players frequently highlighted the comedic quality of the game's writing, especially the main character's commentary. This element contributed to many laughs and was appreciated for balancing the horror with humor.

Common complaints:
- Game too short, repetitive, and linear (weight 0.97): Players widely criticized the game for its extreme brevity (often an hour or less), repetitive "walking simulator" gameplay, and oppressive linearity with very few meaningful choices. This led to a boring, unengaging experience that felt like a series of chores rather than a game, lacking replayability and impactful narrative branches. The slow, tedious build-up in the first half further exacerbated these issues, making the payoff feel inadequate.
- Critical bugs, missing settings (weight 0.67): Players encountered several significant bugs, including game-breaking soft locks (e.g., when moving the fridge), issues with in-game videos not loading, general glitches, and unresponsiveness. The absence of essential quality-of-life settings, such as a mouse sensitivity slider, FPS cap, or graphical options, also detracted from the overall player experience.
- Poor value for money (weight 0.55): A significant number of players felt the game was overpriced for the content offered, explicitly stating it was not worth its $5 price tag. This sentiment stems directly from the perceived brevity, repetitiveness, and lack of engaging gameplay or impactful choices.
- Weak horror, preachy themes (weight 0.26): Many players did not find the game scary, noting a lack of effective horror elements and underwhelming jump scares. Additionally, the game's social commentary on capitalism was perceived as heavy-handed and preachy, further undermined by what seemed like ironic in-game advertisements for other products, detracting from its intended message.
- Annoying ads, excessive waits (weight 0.16): The in-game advertisements, especially the repetitive and loud Chroma ads, were widely criticized as annoying and intrusive. Furthermore, mandatory and lengthy wait times for simple actions like microwaving food or making coffee were found to be boring and contributed significantly to the game's perceived tedium and slow pacing.
- Underutilized "Salesman" character (weight 0.07): Feedback indicates a desire for more depth and interaction with "The Salesman" character. Players felt the concept was poorly executed, with the character often feeling underdeveloped or overshadowed by repetitive daily tasks, leading to disappointment and a sense of missed potential.

Gameplay feedback:
- Very short, story-driven experience. (weight 0.17): The game is consistently described as extremely short, often completable in under 1.5 hours, with many players finishing it in less than an hour. Its pacing is a slow burn, focusing heavily on narrative over traditional gameplay, akin to a visual novel.
- Single choice determines endings. (weight 0.16): The game's narrative culminates in a singular, late-game decision that typically leads to two different endings. Players frequently complete both endings within the game's short playtime, highlighting the limited branching narrative.
- Repetitive walking simulator tasks. (weight 0.09): The core gameplay loop involves simple, repetitive domestic tasks, such as walking around the house, taking photos, and performing the same actions for consecutive in-game days. This defines the game as a 'walking simulator' with limited interactive depth.
- In-game ads and routine tasks. (weight 0.07): A unique gameplay element involves unskippable 'ads' appearing on household appliances and integrated into accepting new items, serving a thematic purpose rather than being real advertisements. This is complemented by routine tasks like eating ramen every night.
- Explores unemployment and societal issues. (weight 0.06): The game's narrative centers on a protagonist dealing with unemployment, financial struggles, and debt, stemming from an unjust dismissal. It incorporates in-game emails and clear messaging to discuss broader real-world issues, giving it a strong thematic focus.
- Minor structural and discovery details. (weight 0.04): Players noted minor structural elements like levels being called 'days', the presence of easter eggs, and two main characters. Some also observed opportunities for 'sequence breaking' with proper direction following.
- Uneasy atmosphere with few jumpscares. (weight 0.03): The game aims to create a sense of unease and tension rather than relying on frequent frights. Players noted there are only a few, sporadic jumpscares, indicating a focus on psychological atmosphere.
- Unique and specific interactions. (weight 0.02): The game includes distinct, memorable interactions such as physically moving a fridge out of the house and reading want ads on the computer for progression. These contribute to specific narrative beats or task requirements.
- Affordable low price point. (weight 0.01): The game is noted for its very low price, comparable to a cheap snack or toy. This positions it as an accessible experience, likely justifying its short length for many players.

Performance notes:
- Presence of gameplay bugs (weight 0.05): Players reported encountering several bugs, ranging from minor, non-game-breaking glitches to more significant issues such as a softlock in the doomscroll section and a non-functional 'Talk to the salesman' prompt.
- Excellent framerate performance (weight 0.03): Players experienced very high and stable framerates, often exceeding 450 FPS even on laptop hardware, indicating strong performance optimization for the game.
- Vibrant Steam Deck visuals (weight 0.01): The game's colors were reported to display very well and vibrantly on the Steam Deck OLED screen, highlighting good visual fidelity and optimization for that specific handheld device.
- Normal hardware temperatures (weight 0.01): The CPU and GPU temperatures were reported to operate around 75 degrees Celsius during gameplay. This indicates typical and acceptable operating temperatures for hardware under load.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Experience (weight 0.29): A large number of players thoroughly enjoyed the game, giving it high ratings and enthusiastically recommending it to others. Many considered it a very good or even the best game they'd played recently, indicating strong positive reception.
- Conditional Recommendation, Low Content (weight 0.28): Many players recommend the game conditionally, often citing its short length, lack of substantial gameplay, or specific issues like movement and Linux compatibility. Some suggest the game is worth a refund after completion or advise watching a video walkthrough instead of playing, implying a lack of replayability or deep engagement.
- Good Value at Low Price (weight 0.11): The game is frequently recommended due to its affordable price, particularly when on sale. Reviewers felt it was a worthwhile purchase for its cost, suggesting it's an easy recommendation for those with a small budget or looking for a quick, inexpensive experience.
- Niche Genre Appeal (weight 0.08): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy specific genres or themes, such as atmospheric, introspective psychological experiences, horror, tension-building, or satire about the corporate world. Fans of specific styles, like FNaF games, also found it appealing.
- Support Indie Developers, Excitement for Future (weight 0.07): Many players purchased the game primarily to support the indie development studio, with some explicitly mentioning 'Johnny boy'. There is also significant anticipation for the developers' future projects and upcoming releases, recognizing this game as a solid first effort.
- Expand "THE SALESMAN" Lore (weight 0.04): Feedback specifically mentions the in-game character 'THE SALESMAN', suggesting interest in expanding its lore or even creating a prequel. This indicates a desire for more content related to this specific aspect of the game.
- Add Alternate Endings (weight 0.03): Players express a desire for additional alternate or secret endings, believing that well-made new conclusions could significantly enhance the game's overall score and replayability.
- Request FPS Cap Setting (weight 0.01): A specific technical request was made for the inclusion of an FPS (frames per second) cap setting within the game's options. This suggests a desire for better control over performance and potentially to resolve related issues.

Other player notes:
- Enthusiastic support for developers (weight 0.33): A significant portion of feedback expresses strong support for the developers, particularly JonnyRaZER and Bad Ideas Productions, as this is their debut game. Players are highly excited for future projects like 'Limp Knight' and hope this game enables more ambitious endeavors from the studio.
- Short playtime, fair price (weight 0.26): Players consistently note the game's short length, often completing it in under an hour. This brevity is generally accepted as fair value given the low $5 price point, making it an accessible and quickly consumable experience.
- Desire for more content/features (weight 0.25): Players suggest adding more endings or DLC content to extend the game's replayability. Specific ideas include the ability to interact with the salesman character (e.g., buying items) and additional minor gameplay elements or quality-of-life adjustments like skipping cooking.
- Leverages creator's universe (weight 0.2): The game incorporates references, lore, and internal jokes that resonate well with fans of Jonny RaZoR and his content creators. This approach enhances the experience for the target audience familiar with their other work.
- Linux compatibility and critical bug (weight 0.04): There is a request for an official Linux build to ensure players on that platform can have the intended experience. Additionally, a specific game-breaking bug was reported on Day Seven, occurring when interacting with the office computer.
- Limited language support (weight 0.01): The game is currently only available in English. This limitation could restrict its accessibility and enjoyment for a broader international audience not proficient in the language.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.26): Players felt satisfied due to the game's overall quality, especially considering its price and status as a debut title, offering good value for money. They enjoyed the engaging story, effective horror elements, humor, atmosphere, and well-executed social commentary, which often exceeded expectations and left a lasting impact.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Disappointment stemmed primarily from the game's short length, perceived lack of content, and repetitive gameplay, particularly in the early sections. Reviewers also expressed dissatisfaction with unoriginal UI, predictable or unsatisfying endings, and the game's failure to deliver sufficient scares or fully utilize its potential as a video game.
- Frustration (weight 0.09): Frustration was caused by numerous technical issues such as game-breaking bugs, poor optimization, and inability to load in-game videos. Players also found the slow pacing, repetitive gameplay, drawn-out waiting segments, and annoying in-game ads to be sources of significant annoyance and difficulty.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement arose from the game's effective jumpscares, tense atmosphere, and engaging storytelling, leading to strong recommendations. Players also expressed anticipation for future projects from the developer, and a desire to replay the game or engage with its community, especially for speedrunning.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Players found enjoyment in the game's blend of horror and satire, its funny and scary moments, and the overall engaging experience. Specific elements like the credits song, voice acting, in-game ads, easter eggs, and the character of THE SALESMAN contributed significantly to this positive feeling.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Joy was frequently experienced due to the game's humor, effective jumpscares, and general entertainment value. Players found the mix of horror and hilarity delightful, appreciating the game's writing, unique concept, and specific memorable moments like THE SALESMAN's dances and unexpected references.
- Amusement (weight 0.05): Amusement was generated by the game's comedy, satirical elements, and relatable jokes, often stemming from the in-game ads and meta-commentary on corporations. Reviewers found characters like The Salesman entertaining, and appreciated the intentional 'annoying' aspects, like the microwave door detail, as part of the humor.
- Desire (weight 0.04): Players expressed a strong desire for more content, including additional endings, secrets, and interactive elements to enhance game depth. They also wished for minor glitches to be fixed and essential quality-of-life settings like an FPS cap or mouse sensitivity options to be implemented.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation was directed towards the game's anti-capitalism message, critical themes, and well-crafted elements like the soundtrack, writing, and hidden details. Many reviewers valued the effort and speed of development by the small team, especially for a debut horror title, and appreciated supporting indie developers.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom was primarily caused by the game's repetitive nature, slow pacing, and gameplay consisting mostly of waiting and menial tasks. Reviewers felt the experience was like doing chores or watching a boring movie, with a lack of engaging interaction and variety in tasks.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise arose from the game's effective jumpscares and its ability to be scarier than expected. Players were also surprised by the shockingly accurate portrayal of job search anxiety and the game's unique capacity to induce lasting dread.
- Mild disappointment (weight 0.02): Mild disappointment stemmed from the game's short length and slow start, which some felt resembled a lower-quality experience. The game also did not meet expectations for traditional horror, leading to a desire for more significant scare moments.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope was expressed for the developer's future games to be better and for continued improvements through updates, realizing the game's full potential. Players anticipated more content, additional endings, and wished for the developer to continue making more games.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players felt anticipation for future creations from the developer, Bad Ideas, and eagerly looked forward to their upcoming game releases. There was also a hope for future updates to the current game, demonstrating a desire for ongoing engagement with the studio's work.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance was caused by minor gameplay nitpicks, the long microwave wait time, and the repetitive nature of the Chroma ads. Bugs and specific 'preachy' messaging also contributed to a general feeling of irritation among players.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players expressed love for the game's overall style, its psychological horror elements, and the quality of its voice acting, writing, sound design, and UI details. The character of THE SALESMAN, with his blend of goofy humor and scary presence, was a particular highlight.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Curiosity was sparked by the game's interesting concept and a desire for more content and depth, particularly regarding THE SALESMAN's unexplained abilities. Players often wondered if there were secret endings or additional lore to uncover.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arose from game-breaking bugs that prevented progression, as well as a strong dislike for the game's overall poor quality and perceived lack of scary elements. Some reviewers found the game's design and execution frustratingly inadequate.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe was inspired by the game's masterful execution of psychological horror and its profound thematic depth, which sometimes led to a shift in the reviewer's perspective. The unique experience and impressive talent behind the game contributed to this feeling.
- Support (weight 0.01): Players felt compelled to support the developers, often citing their desire to encourage indie creators. This support manifested in purchasing the game, recommending it to others, and even considering repurchasing it when in a better financial situation.}