Penitence
Genres: Puzzle, Escape Room, Horror, Mystery, Atmospheric, Thriller
Play modes: singleplayer
Release Date: 15-6-2022
Developer: Violet Angel Interactive
Our verdict
6/10
- Difficulty: Easy
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 1–2 h
Penitence is a free, first-person horror puzzler from Violet Angel Interactive. You return home to investigate your daughter's death and the demon that haunts you, exploring the house, reading notes and solving environmental puzzles. Mechanics like an instant film camera and a working VHS player set it apart. It suits solo players who want a short, slow-burn horror escape room for an evening.
Steam reviews are mixed, with 15 positive out of 26. The one detailed review praises the dark mood, sound design and a story that only reveals itself gradually, rewarding players who take their time. SteamSpy tags lean on escape room, horror, atmosphere and demons, with hidden-object searching also prominent.
The mixed score suggests it does not land for everyone, and with so few written reviews the reasons are hard to pin down. It is short, around two hours, and the puzzles are simple by design. Since it is free, it is an easy try for horror fans who like slow tension; puzzle fans after tough challenges will find little here.
Pros
- Free to play
- Instant camera and VHS player used as puzzle tools
- Tense atmosphere over cheap jump scares
Cons
- Mixed reception with few detailed reviews
- Simple puzzles and a short two-hour run
About
Thank you for supporting my first video game! I started making this to learn visual coding in Unreal Engine, and begin my game development journey. It's short (45min - 2hrs average playtime), but a good pass time for those who enjoy atmospheric horror, or want a light introduction to the horror video game genre. I am always looking for ways to improve, so constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you for playing and being apart of my journey!
