Ire: A Prologue
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About Ire: A Prologue
Ire: A Prologue is a tense stealth puzzle game from ProbablyMonsters, set on a derelict 1986-era ship stuck in the Bermuda Triangle. You play a lone survivor trapped in a time loop with a monstrous pursuer, forced to hide in objects and solve environmental puzzles to break the cycle. The game launched October 28, 2025, exclusively on PC. It’s a single-player experience where every second counts, you’ll dodge a creature that patrols the ship on fixed schedules, using limited hiding spots to survive. The core hook is simple but brutal: if the monster finds you, the loop resets. It’s not horror in the jump-scare sense, but a psychological pressure cooker that leans on claustrophobic pacing and minimalist design.
Gameplay
The game plays like a high-stakes game of tag. Each session starts with you exploring the ship’s corridors, scanning for safe spots, barrels, cabinets, even walls. The monster has set patrol routes you can memorize over retries, but its path shifts slightly each loop, forcing you to adapt. Puzzles involve manipulating the environment (e.g. rerouting power, unlocking doors) to delay the creature or create new escape routes. Controls are precise but demand focus: a single misstep, like hiding in a spot that vanishes when the monster passes, resets your progress. Sessions rarely last longer than 15-30 minutes, but the pressure to optimize each run keeps you hooked. The lack of combat or dialogue means every decision feels weighty, from timing your movements to choosing which puzzles to prioritize.
What Players Think
PlayPile community ratings average 8.7/10, with critics scoring it 8.2/10. 47% of players finish the game, with an average playtime of 8.5 hours. Moods are overwhelmingly tense (78%) and eerie (65%), though 32% call it claustrophobic. Review snippets praise the "masterclass in tension" and "loved the looping mechanic," while critics note the "overly punishing difficulty spikes." Achievement data shows 50% of players hit 75% completion, with the full 100% requiring 24 achievements. The game’s short runtime divides players, some call it "a perfect short horror burst," others feel "it ends too quickly." The most common gripe? The monster’s patrol patterns become repetitive after 3-4 loops.
PlayPile's Take
Ire: A Prologue is a $29.99 thrill ride best suited for players who love tight stealth mechanics and minimalist horror. The looping structure is clever, but the 8-hour average playtime and 47% completion rate suggest it’s not for the easily frustrated. If you enjoy methodically outsmarting AI patterns (think Portal’s logic puzzles meets Slender’s dread), it’s worth the price. The 24-achievement cap for 100% completion adds replay value, though the repetitive monster behavior might wear thin. Skip it if you prefer open-world exploration or combat-heavy experiences. This is a short, sharp experience that nails its core idea, but don’t expect it to stick around in your library long after you finish.
Game Modes
Single player
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