The Initiate

The Initiate is a first-person puzzle adventure set in a mysterious house where the player must solve a variety of logical puzzles to escape. The game offers a suspenseful atmosphere with subtle horror elements, but no jump scares or combat, making it ideal for puzzle enthusiasts who enjoy exploration and note-taking.

Players praised the game's well-designed puzzles, engaging voice acting, and immersive environment, emphasizing the need for patience and observation. However, the story was often described as minimal or underdeveloped, with many unresolved plot points and a somewhat disappointing ending. Technical issues such as bugs, glitches, and occasional crashes were reported, especially near the game's conclusion, which sometimes hindered progress. The save system and controls also received mixed feedback, with some players finding them unintuitive.

Despite its flaws, The Initiate is considered a worthwhile experience for fans of escape-room style games, particularly when purchased on sale. It has a dedicated following eager for its sequel and post-game ARG content.

Highlights

Players highly praised the intricate and logical puzzle design, which offers a satisfying challenge without being unfair. The atmospheric setting of the house, combined with creepy yet subtle audio and excellent voice acting, creates an immersive and suspenseful experience. The game's graphics were generally described as decent and fitting the mood, while the exploration mechanics encouraged thorough investigation. Many appreciated the game's length as appropriate for its price and enjoyed the variety and non-linearity of puzzles. The post-game ARG and additional content were also noted as exciting extensions for puzzle fans.

Criticisms

Common criticisms include technical issues such as bugs, glitches, and crashes, some of which were game-breaking, especially near the ending. The save system was considered clunky, relying on in-world save points and sometimes causing puzzles to reset. The controls lacked remapping options and had awkward moments with character movement. Several players found the story underdeveloped and unsatisfying, with many plot threads left unresolved and the ending feeling rushed. Some puzzles were criticized for being too reliant on finding hidden clues rather than true problem-solving, and one timed puzzle frustrated players due to lag and difficulty. Finally, the game was noted as resource-intensive and lacking advanced graphics settings.