Horror visual novelsHorrorCosmic and Lovecraftian horror
Buried: An Interactive Story
Rate itA logging crew, a blast in the woods, and a hum coming from under the ground.
- Platforms
- PC, Mac, Linux
- Stores
- Steam
- Price
- Paid
- Rated
- Very Positive on Steam (95% of 160 reviews); Metacritic 71 for the iOS version from 4 critics, with TouchArcade at 4 of 5 and TIME at 3 of 5; JayIsGames called it supremely creepy and well written
- Length
- about 3 to 4 hours for a first read (TouchArcade)
- Players
- 1
- Controls
- Mouse only: read and click a choice when one is offered
- Made by
- Bromoco Games
- Released
- 2016
What frightens Logger Roger Hastings wakes alone in the night woods after explosions leave perfectly round holes in the ground and a throbbing hum in the air, with his crew gone and a friend's scream the last thing he remembers. Told in text over dim photographs and a haunting soundscape, his search leads into dark concrete corridors, blood on the floor and something that should have stayed hidden, and your choi
Content: blood, violence, character deaths.
Buried is an interactive horror story by Bromoco Games, told in text, photographs and sound across five chapters. As logger Roger Hastings you wake in the woods to find your crew missing and search for them, choosing how to face danger, whom to trust and who lives or dies.
About Buried: An Interactive Story
Buried: An Interactive Story was made by Bromoco Games and released on phones and then on Steam in January 2016, for Windows, Mac and Linux. The mobile versions are no longer on the app stores; the Steam release is the one still sold.
You play Roger Hastings, a logger working a remote forest with his crew. He wakes on his back under the night sky, hours after an explosion, with a ringing in his ears and a memory of his friend Dennis screaming. The crew is gone. Destructoid describes what follows: explosions that leave perfectly spherical holes in the earth and an ominous throbbing hum, and a search that leads underground.
There is nothing to steer but the story. Text appears a little at a time over a photograph of each place, the music and ambient sound carry the mood, and at key moments you pick one of two choices: search for the crew or look at the wreck, bring an injured man with you or leave him. TouchArcade noted that decisions from the first minutes came back hours later, and that the game is not afraid to kill characters.
Critics were split. JayIsGames called it supremely creepy and well written and a good evening's read, TouchArcade liked its consequences and its unseen monsters, while TIME found it a decent branching sci-fi yarn with no real game in it and Destructoid faulted the writing. It suits players who like reading their horror and making hard calls, more than those looking for puzzles or action.
How to play Buried: An Interactive Story
- Buy Buried on Steam and start a new story.
- Read as the text appears over each photograph; it advances on its own.
- When two choices appear, click the one you want; there is no going back without restarting.
- Follow Roger through the five chapters and see who is still with him at the end.
- Play again and choose differently to see other outcomes.
Screenshots
Tips
- Play with headphones; the soundscape does much of the work.
- Think about early choices; some come back hours later.
- There is one story in progress at a time, so finish a run before restarting to try other choices.
- Set aside an evening; a first read takes a few hours.
Questions
How long is Buried: An Interactive Story?
TouchArcade put a first read at three to four hours; replaying to see other outcomes adds more.
Is Buried a game or a book?
An interactive story: you read text over photographs and make choices that change what happens, with no puzzles or action.
Does Buried have multiple endings?
Your choices decide who lives or dies, and critics note alternative outcomes worth replaying for.
Is Buried on mobile?
It first came out on iOS and Android, but those versions are no longer on the app stores. It is sold on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Ratings and reviews
No ratings yet. Be the first to rate Buried: An Interactive Story.
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