Propnight, in its current state, for sure needs work. Having first played prior to release in an open beta test, I fell in love with the design and gameplay as it provided a fresh and interesting take on the 4v1 genre by mixing the classic horror component found in other similar genres, such as Dead by Daylight, with a compelling and satisfying prop hunt element. With that said, it's heartbreaking to have to write this negative review.

I'm unfortunately sad to have to say that the work previously referenced that the game needs has taken the form of completely overhauling almost every aspect from the visual design to the gameplay systems, which nobody asked for or wanted, into something that no longer represents the state in which it originally launched. This is a major red flag worthy of undoing any credibility, and an undertaking I don't think I've ever witnessed for a game post-launch.

Instead of simply, and I'm sure more easily, iterating on the original vision and concepts therein, the upcoming revitalization update currently known as Propnight Reborn (that is at the time of this review in beta) turns this into a mundane, bland, and (more) frustrating and imbalanced game fundamentally changing the art style and mechanics in the process. This subsequently results in an experience so far removed from the one available since launch.

Despite overwhelming community feedback on Discord negatively receiving this revitalization, and a very small minority embracing it, the developers are doubling down on their commitment to this new vision and disregarding opinions of the majority, unwilling to acknowledge that this is not a direction that makes any sense. They remain fully intent that once this update is more complete the original version as we know it will no longer be accessible.

For those excited about their next game, The Day Before, I would advise extreme caution and a lengthy post-release observation period before considering spending anything, based on how this game has been treated. Do not support a company that will fundamentally change the state of something you invested money into to the point where there is almost no recognition of how it originally was, it should be outright illegal.

I will personally never support anything from this company again after this experience unless this planned update is abandoned or made strictly optional and they start to seriously consider community feedback in a new way than they have. Ultimately it was worth the risk given the enjoyment I did have and as an insight into how their future games are likely to be handled, as it has saved me money.

[b]Propnight[/b], in its current state, for sure needs work. Having first played prior to release in an open beta test, I fell in love with the design and gameplay as it provided a fresh and interesting take on the 4v1 genre by mixing the classic horror component found in other similar genres, such as [b]Dead by Daylight[/b], with a compelling and satisfying prop hunt element. With that said, it's heartbreaking to have to write this negative review. I'm unfortunately sad to have to say that the work previously referenced that the game needs has taken the form of completely overhauling almost every aspect from the visual design to the gameplay systems, which nobody asked for or wanted, into something that no longer represents the state in which it originally launched. This is a [u]major[/u] red flag worthy of undoing any credibility, and an undertaking I don't think I've ever witnessed for a game post-launch. Instead of simply, and I'm sure more easily, iterating on the original vision and concepts therein, the upcoming revitalization update currently known as [i]Propnight Reborn[/i] (that is at the time of this review in beta) turns this into a mundane, bland, and (more) frustrating and imbalanced game fundamentally changing the art style and mechanics in the process. This subsequently results in an experience so far removed from the one available since launch. Despite [u]overwhelming[/u] community feedback on Discord negatively receiving this revitalization, and a very small minority embracing it, the developers are doubling down on their commitment to this new vision and disregarding opinions of the majority, unwilling to acknowledge that this is not a direction that makes any sense. They remain fully intent that once this update is more complete the original version as we know it will no longer be accessible. For those excited about their next game, [b]The Day Before[/b], I would advise extreme caution and a lengthy post-release observation period before considering spending anything, based on how this game has been treated. Do not support a company that will fundamentally change the state of something you invested money into to the point where there is almost no recognition of how it originally was, it should be outright illegal. I will personally never support anything from this company again after this experience unless this planned update is abandoned or made strictly optional and they start to seriously consider community feedback in a new way than they have. Ultimately it was worth the risk given the enjoyment I did have and as an insight into how their future games are likely to be handled, as it has saved me money.