Morphine

Morphine is an indie psychological horror exploration game developed solely by Kerem Kumbasar. It attempts to depict the harrowing experience of a bullied high school student through surreal, psychedelic visuals and a narrative involving bullying, psychosis, and violence. While the concept and subject matter are commendable and emotionally weighty, the game suffers from numerous execution flaws.

Players report poor English translations, confusing character name swaps, and an inconsistent storyline that detracts from immersion. The gameplay is basic with simple walking, item interaction, and minigames like lockpicking, but lacks challenge or threat. Technical issues such as crashes, glitches, and poor optimization further hamper the experience. Despite its ambition and some creative ideas, the game’s pacing, graphics, and horror elements are underwhelming, leading many to recommend it only on deep discounts or for those interested in unique, offbeat indie titles. The developer’s passion is evident, but the final product feels unfinished and unpolished.

Highlights

Players appreciate the unique and brave attempt to explore school bullying and psychological trauma in a video game format.

The story, while flawed, is recognized for its emotional depth and real-life inspiration from the developer’s experiences.

The atmosphere and some artistic elements, including lighting and surreal visuals, receive praise for creating a creepy, unsettling mood.

The game’s minimalistic puzzles and exploration mechanics are functional, and the lack of player death reduces frustration.

Some reviewers find unintended humor and charm in the game’s quirks, making it an entertaining experience for certain audiences.

Criticisms

The game is heavily criticized for its poor English translation and grammatical errors, which confuse the plot and reduce narrative impact.

Technical problems such as frequent crashes, severe FPS drops, bugs, and glitches disrupt gameplay flow.

The character name confusion near the ending frustrates players and clouds story clarity.

Graphics and animations are described as subpar or primitive, with lighting sometimes making environments too dark to navigate easily.

Jump scares are deemed ineffective or laughable, and the horror atmosphere is weak.

Gameplay is seen as basic, slow, and occasionally tedious, with some minigames being frustrating or pointless.