Ella's Nightmare
Loading critic reviews...
Deals
Finding deals...
Live Streams
Finding live streams...
About Ella's Nightmare
Ella's Nightmare is a point-and-click adventure puzzle game from GamemancerStudios that drops you into a spooky, linear storyline. You play as Ella, exploring a house room by room, solving environmental puzzles to escape before a shadowy creature catches you. The game launched on July 1, 2026, exclusively for Windows PCs. It’s a single-player affair with branching paths leading to different endings. The vibe is tense and claustrophobic, relying on slow-burn horror and clever challenges. Think of it as a modern twist on classic adventure games, where every click matters and the clock ticks down as you search for solutions.
Gameplay
You control Ella with a standard point-and-click interface, interacting with objects, people, and the environment to figure out clues. Puzzles range from rearranging items to decoding messages, often requiring items found in earlier rooms. The house itself is a maze, each room hides secrets, but the creature’s proximity is tracked by a pulsing sound and flickering lights. Time is a factor: solve too slowly, and the creature closes in. The game forces backtracking, so you’ll revisit spaces with new tools or insights. Inventory management is simple but critical; you’ll swap between a flashlight, keys, and scribbled notes. The creature’s AI adapts, so repeated encounters can change based on your previous actions.
What Players Think
PlayPile community members rate it 4.3/5, with 78% “Completed or Playing.” Critics gave it an 88, praising its “atmospheric design and tense pacing.” Average playtime is 5.2 hours, but 62% finish fully. Community moods lean tense (42%) and curious (33%), with mixed feedback: “The puzzles felt clever but occasionally frustrating,” says one player. Another wrote, “The alternate endings made me replay it twice.” Achievement completion is 89% on average, with the toughest being “Escape Without a Scratch” (17% success rate). Price is $19.99, placing it in mid-tier indie pricing.
PlayPile's Take
Ella’s Nightmare is best for fans of methodical, story-driven adventures. The puzzles are smart but sometimes obtuse, and the short runtime might leave some wanting more. At $20, it’s a low-risk buy if you enjoy tense exploration and don’t mind limited replay value. Achievements add incentive, especially for the ending chase. It’s not a genre-defining title, but for its price, it delivers a solid, spooky experience. If you’ve played games like The Witness or The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, this one will feel familiar but fresh.
Game Modes
Single player
Achievements
Loading achievements...
Similar Games
Finding similar games...