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About Those Who Dwell
Those Who Dwell is a narrative-driven psychological horror game built around eerie atmosphere and folklore. Developed by Midnight Forge and released in 2025, it drops you into a labyrinthine cave system where digging too deep has awakened something ancient. You play as a lone explorer armed with a flickering light source, piecing together the fate of those who vanished. The game leans heavy on isolation, with environments that shift when you blink and shadows that seem to breathe. Its single-player campaign is all about figuring out cryptic stories through environmental clues and shrine restoration. A slow-burn horror experience that prioritizes mood over jump scares.
Gameplay
You spend most of your time navigating dimly lit caverns, managing your light source which drains over time. Shrines scattered throughout the caves require puzzle-solving to reactivate, each restoring fragments of the world’s history and extending your light’s lifespan. Movement is deliberate, every step crunches, every blink leaves you vulnerable to unseen threats. The caves feel alive: walls pulse, paths rearrange, and whispers follow you. Combat isn’t a thing; survival hinges on light placement and timing. You’ll backtrack often, retracing steps with new information to unlock progression. Controls are simple but precise, emphasizing exploration over action. The tension builds as darkness closes in, forcing you to balance curiosity with self-preservation.
What Players Think
PlayPile users rate it 4.2/5, with 72% completion among those who started. Average playtime is 8 hours, though 38% report finishing in under 6. Community moods are split between “uneasy” (42%) and “gripped” (29%). Critics praise the “haunting atmosphere” and “light mechanic adding real tension,” but some note repetitive shrine puzzles. A popular review says, “The ending left me unsettled for days.” Only 12% of players have unlocked all 25 achievements, with the final one requiring a 100% shrine restoration. The game’s 88% Metacritic score underscores its polarizing but memorable design.
PlayPile's Take
Those Who Dwell is a $29.99 slow-burn horror best for players who enjoy walking simulators with psychological weight. The 25 achievements (400 points) mostly reward exploration over skill, so completionists will find value. It’s not a game for action fans, this is about sitting with discomfort and parsing environmental storytelling. The 22% drop rate after 3 hours suggests it’s either love or hate, but the 42% “uneasy” mood metric proves it lingers in your mind. Worth a playthrough if you have 6, 10 hours to spare and don’t mind a game that leans into ambiguity.
Game Modes
Single player
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