Psychological horror Surreal horror 2D horror Horror puzzle Short horror

DISTRAINT 2

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A man's guilt turns rooms to rot as he walks a dreamlike road back from despair.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Stores: Steam, GOG
Price: Paid
Rated: Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (95% of 4,956 reviews); 4.5 of 5 on the PlayStation Store (351 ratings); 4.4 of 5 on GOG (94 ratings)
Length: About 2.5 hours
Players: 1
Controls: Keyboard or gamepad: move left and right, interact, use items from the inventory.
Made by: Jesse Makkonen
Released: 2018

No. 24 of the horror games about depression

Get it on Steam PlayStation Store Xbox Nintendo Switch GOG Humble Store

What frightens Price, who sold his humanity to win a partnership, walks through a world shaped by his guilt. Rooms rot around him, fleshy growths hang from ceilings and a shadowy spectre follows, but the scenes swing between haunting and hopeful. It is more disturbing than frightening, with no combat and few sudden scares.
Content: blood, violence, strong language, adult themes, suicide themes, depression.

DISTRAINT 2 is a 2D psychological horror adventure by Jesse Makkonen and the sequel to DISTRAINT. You play Price, a man who sold his humanity for a partnership, as he walks hand-drawn, dreamlike places built from his guilt, collecting items and solving light puzzles. It deals with depression and loss, mixes its dread with dark humour, and takes about two and a half hours.

About DISTRAINT 2

DISTRAINT 2 is the sequel to DISTRAINT, made by the Finnish developer Jesse Makkonen and released on Steam in November 2018. Ratalaika Games later ported it to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in July 2020, and to Nintendo Switch. It follows on from the first game; the PlayStation version includes a brief summary of it, and reviewers suggest playing the first one before.

You are Price, who got his partnership at McDade, Bruton & Moore by taking people's homes. The game is side-on and hand-drawn: you walk left and right, talk to people, pick up items and use them to solve simple puzzles that open the way forward.

What frightens is how the world bends around Price's conscience. A quiet room turns to rot with a skull-faced figure in a chair, a bathroom hangs with fleshy growths, a park at night holds a giant stone head and a foggy notice board is pinned with contracts. Then the mood turns, and a sunlit garden or a café table offers a moment of calm. Music is written for each scene, and the store promises its share of dark humour.

It suits players who like story-led horror with little challenge and a lot of mood, in the line of The Cat Lady or Neverending Nightmares, and who want something to finish in one evening. It deals openly with depression and suicidal thoughts.

How to play DISTRAINT 2

Play the first DISTRAINT, or read its story, before you start; the PlayStation version includes a short recap.
Walk left and right through each scene and examine what you can.
Collect items and use them from the inventory where something blocks the way.
Talk to the people you meet; they point you to the next place.
Follow Price's story to its end in one or two sittings.

Screenshots

DISTRAINT 2 screenshot: Price in a rotting room by a glowing old TV, dark growths hanging from the ceiling and a skull-faced figure in a chair

DISTRAINT 2 screenshot: Price in a grimy tiled bathroom by a toilet and washing machine, fleshy growths hanging from the ceiling

DISTRAINT 2 screenshot: a family of three at a dining table by floral wallpaper and red curtains, one saying: Don't be silly, honey.

DISTRAINT 2 screenshot: a red-lit park at night with benches, a street lamp and a giant stone head of a bearded man

DISTRAINT 2 screenshot: Price at a foggy notice board under a red glow, saying: These are... contracts?

DISTRAINT 2 screenshot: Price beside a pale moustached man on a sofa in a corridor between doors 20 and 22, told he is looking for Mr. Blackwell

DISTRAINT 2 screenshot: Price at a table with a bearded man outside a café, grey-faced diners at the tables around them

Tips

Examine everything: most puzzles are solved with an item picked up nearby.
Play with sound on; the music is written for each scene and marks when it turns.
Expect at least one sliding tile puzzle; take it slowly.
The game deals with depression and suicide, so keep that in mind before you play.

Questions

How long is DISTRAINT 2?

About 2.5 hours for the main story according to HowLongToBeat and GOG; achievement sites report 1 to 2 hours.

Do I need to play the first DISTRAINT?

It helps. The sequel continues Price's story, reviewers advise playing the first game before, and the PlayStation version includes a brief summary of it.

Is DISTRAINT 2 on consoles?

Yes. Besides Windows on Steam, GOG and Humble, it is sold on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Is DISTRAINT 2 scary?

It is more disturbing than jumpy: grotesque scenes and a heavy sense of guilt, with some dark humour and hopeful moments. It has no combat.