The Devil is in the Details
Developer: Hideworks
Publisher: Hideworks
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X (Reviewed), PlayStation 5
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $9.99 USD – Available Here
Overview
There has been a rise in a certain type of puzzle genre that many may have missed if they generally only play on consoles since the genre itself has thrived on PC and has only recently started to appear on other platforms. This happens to be the “anomaly-spotting” genre where players tend to be tasked with keeping an eye out for changes within an environment or people and then picking out what’s wrong. There are a number of extremely popular types that have risen to great heights but Hideworks’ The Devil is in the Details is looking to try to put its own spin on things, by dialing the horror notch up to maximum and putting players through as much of a wringer as they want to in this complex and interesting take on the genre.
Story
Players are given very little information to start with when they awaken within their first “trial” and are introduced to the Arbiter, a mysterious figure that is meant to be the “game master” of sorts that players will report to when they want to start each round and check their guesses. The Arbiter will also commentate on various things that the player can examine, or even things that aren’t highlighted to examine, throughout each stage and taunt the player as well. It’s only through reading some notes scattered throughout each of the four trial locations that players can start to gather together at least some of the story and how they ended up inside of the “Devil’s Game.”
Obviously we won’t spoil that here, but it is interesting to note that some thought was given to not only give players a bit of extra context to the world of the game, including some rather humorous tidbits involving poodles and the fact that the Arbiter really shines as a great consistent addition, but have even provided additional puzzles players can tackle as well that are not only quite obscure but each have a story of their own that players can infer. While we won’t go into detail about any of them here, it is worth noting that all four locations have a mystery that is unique to their setting and players can only solve that mystery using the rounds they have available. Completing a trial will reset progress but it is worth noting that the game also offers players a “Cozy” mode that we will go over later that makes uncovering and solving these side-story puzzles far simpler and a welcome addition to a game that actually tries to provide some context to its horror filled hallways.
Gameplay
At its core, The Devil is in the Details is very simple. Players are given a time limit for each round and they must not only memorize what “haunted” objects are in each location during the “Observation Phase” but they must also utilize this time to then trigger the “Ritual Phase” where players are then given a certain number of “talismans” that signify how many of the haunted objects have been altered in some way, placing a talisman on each until none remain. These talismans are oddly invisible but do highlight the object with a red glow when placed and can be removed if the player changes their mind. Initially players may only need to worry about two or three objects being swapped with another but as the trial’s stages advance, more rooms of the location open up and additional haunted objects are added and removed to the point that at some levels of stages players must try and remember over a dozen different objects and what has changed.
Interestingly enough, while some of these changes are as simple as swapping a chair for a different kind of one or shifting the contents of a table around, some are far more complicated, like the flickering pattern of lights on a television set, the tune playing on a piano, and more. If the player makes a mistake they are instantly failed and slain by the Arbiter, though thankfully the trials all feature checkpoints at certain stages so failing doesn’t automatically mean starting from the beginning, but at the most recent checkpoint even if it means losing a couple of stages. Players can also make use of a variety of items depending on the trial that will help them throughout their time, with each item resetting at a new checkpoint. These include a health potion that will allow players to make a mistake safely, potions that restore lost time, and even orbs that deploy a destructive field that will slay most demons within their limited range, slaying them for the stage and restoring some time as well.
As for the demons, they come in all shapes and sizes depending on the trial and while they may not kill players directly most of the time, they can lead to players failing a stage as being attacked or running into a demon will drain the player’s already limited time. Demons can be blocked by things such as gates, defeated by the aforementioned orbs, or simply run away from but that doesn’t mean that they are the only threats to contend with. Alongside the demons are various traps that once again vary from stage to stage and drain the player’s time when hit by them. Some can be disabled while others cannot, but it once again depends on the trial. To make things even more complicated, there are various “tricks” that can be randomly activated as well by the demons or even potentially the Arbiter themselves. These tricks range from inverting the player’s movement, to turning the screen grayscale, flipping the screen entirely, and much more and vary wildly from run to run.
This means that as much as The Devil is in the Details is an anomaly spotting game it is also a survival game since players will need to constantly fight against the clock. That is unless they are playing on “Cozy” mode. This version of the game will turn off nearly every element of horror in the game and any danger that they may face. This includes turning off the numerous randomized jump scares that might appear around corners or screaming terrors through the speakers as well as the demons, tricks, and time limit. Failing to recognize the properly altered items will still result in failure but it does allow players to hunt for the aforementioned side-quest activities as well as freely looking for the Arbiter mini-figures that are scattered through every trial for fun. In fact, The Devil is in the Details has a third mode entirely that happens to be custom and every story and trial can be completed using any of the difficulties. Custom allows players to do things such as removing the time limit but keeping all scares, demons, and tricks in for those that want to be spooked but not beholden to a time limit for example. This level of customization is quite welcome as it not only allows players to ramp things up if they feel like intensifying the challenge or bumping it down a bit if they find the time limit or traps a bit too much of a pain, as the traps tend to be more annoying than an actual challenge.
Audio & Visuals
It is nice to note that while The Devil is in the Details may not be the most intricately designed game, each of the four trial locations players explore have their own unique designs and layouts including creepy themes and elements that only intensify the further players make it through the trials. At the same time, the level of horror and gore is kept to a fairly high standard since players never know what they might see next between jump scares and screams, though the designs of the demons feel a bit uninspiring.
Generally players will only hear from the Arbiter of the games and thankfully his voice work is handled incredibly well, with a chilling level of disconnect to fit with his puppet-like frame. The screams and howls that happen from time to time fit the atmosphere perfectly as well as there is only a subtle bit of background music that works well throughout the game, keeping players on edge as they navigate demon infested halls looking for that last haunted object.
Overall
The Devil is in the Details takes a genre that is simple on its surface and puts its own unique spin on things to try and make it as scary as possible while also offering players a chance to experience the mysteries of the game however they want. They can take it on as intended, as a simple anomaly spotting game with far more challenging puzzles beneath, or any combination of the two. Solid spooky designs and atmosphere help make this all the better even if some of the gimmicks are more annoying than enjoyable.
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