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About The Third
The Third is an adventure game from Manas Games, released November 12, 2025, on PC. Set in a cursed temple, it follows a story where two entities have been reborn and a shadowy third remains. Players explore ancient ruins, solve environmental puzzles, and avoid dangers tied to forgotten gods. The game blends slow-burn exploration with tense survival moments, emphasizing discovery over combat. It’s a single-player narrative-driven experience that leans into eerie atmospherics and cryptic lore.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around navigating the temple’s shifting corridors, uncovering secrets through item interactions and puzzle-solving. Players often backtrack with new tools to open previously locked areas. Encounters with hostile entities require stealth or quick reflexes, there’s no traditional combat. The camera often shifts to third-person during action sequences, adding disorientation. Sessions balance methodical exploration with sudden scares, and the story advances through environmental storytelling and fragmented texts. It’s not fast-paced but rewards attention to detail.
What Players Think
The Third has a 4.1/5 PlayPile rating, with 82% of players completing it. Average playtime is 10.5 hours, and 68% of reviews call it “spooky but fair.” Community moods highlight tension and curiosity, though 25% mention pacing issues. One user wrote, “The atmosphere kept me hooked, but some puzzles felt repetitive.” Critics praise its “creepy worldbuilding” but note linear design. There are 33 achievements, with 42% of players earning all. Completion spikes at 72 hours post-launch, suggesting strong replay value.
PlayPile's Take
At $29.99, The Third is a mid-length pick for fans of slow-burn horror and narrative exploration. It’s not a technical showcase but excels in mood and mystery. The 33 achievements add incentive to revisit the temple, though limited combat might disappoint action-oriented players. If you enjoy figuring out cryptic stories through environment and puzzle-solving, this is a solid, if occasionally uneven, experience.
Game Modes
Single player
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