Got a key straight from the dev over Twitter/X DMs and it was a fun time! Good timed/not over done jumpscares. Sound design was really good. Lighting was a little dark by default but a bump to brightness made it perfect (the dark corners... oof). The story was surprisingly good as well! I kinda saw the end coming, but even so, it was executed well. This genre of horror games is quite flooded these days but this was certainly one of the better ones.

Also, if you finish this under 2 hours and refund the game, you are a piece of sh!t.

Although I recommend this game, it does come with a big BUT...

I received this game for free through the developer providing me with a steam key and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, however I must be honest in my review. For a small indie dev, I will never speak harshly about a game but there are definitely a few areas of the game I think could be improved. Starting with the very beginning of the game, I found myself wandering around and clicking everywhere on my screen because I had no idea what I was looking for until I found a key just out of sight on the corner of a desk. Shortly after, in the first house in the woods, I found myself wandering again with no idea where to go because the game is so dark (even at 100 brightness) and I could barely see the path needed to continue. After the first two sections, you end up in the main house and the rest of the game progresses pretty smoothly, you find bits and pieces of lore, solve a couple puzzles, and eventually make it to the end. It could just be a "me" thing but I felt lost with the story and still can't quite make sense of what happened. My main critiques would be that the game is too dark, the story didn't make much sense to me, and there is an over-reliance on jump scares. I barely felt "tension" in this game and instead I was met with sudden very loud scares. I'd recommend this to others only if they went into the game knowing how to avoid the "wandering around aimlessly" part. Graphics were good (as expected with Unreal Engine) and I hope future games by this developer can address what I wrote in my review.

I was given this game via a friend as she believed i would be interested. This game was bland, the atmosphere boring, the "jumpscares" very predictable and completely unnecessary. The entire point of a "Psychological horror" game is to provide a uneasy, overwhelming environment that makes the player feel a sense fear without the need of jumpscares or cheesy interactions(i.e the demon or wendigo running across the screen randomly or an unnecessary close up on the decapitated head.) Too much focus on the demon and not the actual environment, a lot of the game didn't make sense and it seems like you tried to fill in the blanks. There was no real mystery. In short here is the conclusion:

Pros-None
Cons- Horrid atmosphere
cheesy jump scares
unbearable walking animation
forced or overused assets
no real psychological feeling or presence
no real solid plot or direction.

2/10 it needs a lot of work.

Had me on edge majority of the time. Fantastic atmosphere, decent jumpscares, and the storyline is great! Fair bit of puzzles as well to get your brain working. Definitely would recommend picking up especially if you're looking for something short but interesting and scary.

Also, big thank you to the developers for sending me a copy ❤

I really liked the game. Especially the graphics and sounds are great. I definitely recommend playing with headphones. The story is impressive, especially the ending.

The strongest aspect of this game is it's engine, outside of that the story is bare, tedious and often confusing if you think about it for too long. They seemed to want to go with a retro indie 'the horrors are in your own head' approach, but there are elements in the game that contradict it's own narrative.

Game play it's also incredibly bare, the most involved it gets is when you get into the main house, but then there isn't much tension to be had, once you figure out that the most the game has in terms of horror is jump scare, there isn't really much to the game at all.

As for the actual horror, there are parts where the game can be tense and there are some actual cool scary ideas in here, somewhere, but a lot of it is just stuff you have seen before in other horror games and done much better.

If I had to say anything, it's a walking sim with a few puzzle elements.

Got a free steam key for the game the dev over on twitter

Game looks great but is too dark at times and has a fish-eye lens that cant be disabled
Got a bit confused trying to figure out what I was supposed to do at times since it's hard to see...

The movement feels slow, running being a walking pace and crouching/uncrouching being very slow in general. Camera also feels a bit slippery though it is probably supposed to feel more "smooth", it would be nice if there was a way to disable it.

Main complaints: just needs to increase movement speed (or at least run speed) slightly and give an option in graphics settings to disable fish-eye lens and smooth turning.

I was approached by the developers via twitter to try this game out for free.

I give this game a solid 3/10.
Perma-fish eye lense makes the game very disorienting.
The story doesn't make much sense.
You receive a flashlight at some point of the game but it stops working and you have to depend on a lighter for the rest of the game. Mind you, most of the game is almost completely dark. So that gap between flashlight and lighter was VERY troublesome.
It took me a minute to figure out that the character has limited sprint. There is no signs apart from just stopping. No heavy breathing, or a meter. I assumed the game was just being buggy.
Monster was supposed to be some sort of flesh monster but then turned into a butcher of some sort? That part wasn't consistent either.

I did enjoy this, the creepy vibe, the spooks made me jump for sure.
The story was good and quite moving. The graphics are pretty good.
I did get stuck at one point but that was my eyes not noticing a specific thing lol
Big thanks to the developers for the key, I am really grateful to have received it so thank you!

Exanimum: The Silent Call - It is a first-person indie psychological horror game. Yes it is indeed!

I received this game from the Developers via X (Twitter) & it's a BIG 12 Points from me! the atmosphere, the feelings, the jump scares where just absolutely perfect! A short game, yes! But it's does really give you the scares in just the right places <3

The events that happened to Jason and his daughter Jessica in this game are really on the terrifying and bizarre side! I think We play as Jason & we venture deeper into the depths of his mind it seems. An unsettling silence & some kind of entity/demon that make one be on the edge through the entire game! However, fear is silently approaching with every step they take, relentlessly pursuing them.


Thank you for giving me a key to this game & thank you again for making an absolute spot on of a game!
//Jonathan Aka Foxy_Andariel