Distrust: Polar Survival

Item: Distrust: Polar Survival
Rating: 52
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-06-29

Summary

Simple, engaging design with minimalist art style
Repetitive, shallow gameplay and story
Lacks horror and tension despite atmosphere
Severe technical and co-op bugs
Strategic survival management gameplay
Best played in co-op mode

Emotions

Satisfaction25%Frustration25%Disappointment23%Enjoyment5%Boredom5%

Reviews (sample size): 206
Helpful reviews: 80%
Unhelpful reviews: 20%
Protest reviews: 0%

52%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
48%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 479
Negative points: 715
Gameplay points: 1076
Perf. points: 23
Rec. points: 115
Misc points: 226

Point	Description	Importance
Simple, Engaging Design Description Reviewers consistently praise the game's well-executed concept and design, noting its ability to deliver a simple yet engaging and challenging gameplay experience that is both fun and dynamic. Importance 84%	Reviewers consistently praise the game's well-executed concept and design, noting its ability to deliver a simple yet engaging and challenging gameplay experience that is both fun and dynamic.	84%
Immersive & Eerie Atmosphere Description The game excels in creating a strong, memorable atmosphere, often described as pleasant, suspenseful, and conveying a sense of solitude, fear, and hopelessness. This is significantly enhanced by excellent sound design, including ambient sounds, eerie effects, and a fitting soundtrack. Importance 24%	The game excels in creating a strong, memorable atmosphere, often described as pleasant, suspenseful, and conveying a sense of solitude, fear, and hopelessness. This is significantly enhanced by excellent sound design, including ambient sounds, eerie effects, and a fitting soundtrack.	24%
Robust Co-op Mode Description The cooperative mode is a significant highlight, allowing up to three players to share the challenging survival experience. Its availability and continuous refinement by developers are seen as a major plus, extending the game's lifespan. Importance 17%	The cooperative mode is a significant highlight, allowing up to three players to share the challenging survival experience. Its availability and continuous refinement by developers are seen as a major plus, extending the game's lifespan.	17%
"The Thing" Inspired Description The game's plot, atmosphere, and aesthetic are strongly reminiscent of John Carpenter's 'The Thing', appealing to fans of the movie. This inspiration contributes significantly to the game's unique feel. Importance 12%	The game's plot, atmosphere, and aesthetic are strongly reminiscent of John Carpenter's 'The Thing', appealing to fans of the movie. This inspiration contributes significantly to the game's unique feel.	12%
Intense Hardcore Survival Description The game delivers a challenging and high-pressure survival experience, forcing players into difficult decisions and making them "suffer" in various ways. Real-time strategy elements contribute to the constant tension. Importance 11%	The game delivers a challenging and high-pressure survival experience, forcing players into difficult decisions and making them "suffer" in various ways. Real-time strategy elements contribute to the constant tension.	11%
Strategic Resource Management Description A core gameplay element involves challenging resource management, forcing players to prioritize, micromanage, and calculate risks. The game skillfully blends survival with strategic elements, often feeling like an RTS. Importance 8%	A core gameplay element involves challenging resource management, forcing players to prioritize, micromanage, and calculate risks. The game skillfully blends survival with strategic elements, often feeling like an RTS.	8%
Accessible & Low Specs Description The game is highly accessible, playable with just a mouse and suitable for laptops due to its very low configuration requirements. This makes it available to a broad audience. Importance 7%	The game is highly accessible, playable with just a mouse and suitable for laptops due to its very low configuration requirements. This makes it available to a broad audience.	7%
Extensive Language Support Description The game offers robust multi-language support, including official Chinese, Polish, and Turkish localizations, and Russian voice acting. This broadens its appeal to international players. Importance 7%	The game offers robust multi-language support, including official Chinese, Polish, and Turkish localizations, and Russian voice acting. This broadens its appeal to international players.	7%
Clever Madness Mechanic Description The game features an original and engaging "madness" mechanic, where characters can go insane, leading to unique and clever distortions. Exploring these symptoms is highlighted as an enjoyable aspect of gameplay. Importance 5%	The game features an original and engaging "madness" mechanic, where characters can go insane, leading to unique and clever distortions. Exploring these symptoms is highlighted as an enjoyable aspect of gameplay.	5%
Active Developer Support Description The developers are praised for their continuous refinement, bug fixes, and attentiveness to the player base. This responsiveness, including the addition of features like co-op, is seen as a positive sign for the game's future. Importance 5%	The developers are praised for their continuous refinement, bug fixes, and attentiveness to the player base. This responsiveness, including the addition of features like co-op, is seen as a positive sign for the game's future.	5%
Difficulty Becomes Easier Description While initially challenging, some reviewers note that the game becomes significantly easier after a few hours of play, once core mechanics are understood. This suggests a potentially short learning curve or a drop in long-term challenge. Importance 5%	While initially challenging, some reviewers note that the game becomes significantly easier after a few hours of play, once core mechanics are understood. This suggests a potentially short learning curve or a drop in long-term challenge.	5%
Excellent Value for Price Description Many reviewers emphasize the game's excellent value, especially when purchased on sale or at its budget price. It's considered a high-quality survival game that offers significant entertainment for its cost. Importance 5%	Many reviewers emphasize the game's excellent value, especially when purchased on sale or at its budget price. It's considered a high-quality survival game that offers significant entertainment for its cost.	5%