Nightmare Frames

Excellent plot. The plot twists were really great. I've watched countless horror films and can be incredibly picky. Yet, this simple little point and click game actually had a better plot and horror elements than some top-grossing horror films. Highly recommend. And, the puzzles were really decent and made sense.

A PnC of surprising scope, presenting a sector of Hollywood and a cursed small town with rich lore and tremendous pixely detail. The dialogues are a bit talky and show some translation glitches, but it's nothing major. (In real-life USA, we have "trailers" instead of "caravans" and no "hostels" for the needy traveler, only "roach motels.")
The puzzles are pretty easy. I was stuck for about fifteen minutes looking for that soap, but I just hadn't exhausted all possibilities yet. It was a fine adventure game ride to cap off my vacation!

I was very taken by the concept and art style for this game. There's great atmosphere and world building, and it is obvious that it is a labor of love. If you like cinema, are a fan of the horror genre, or find old Hollywood interesting, you'll adore the dialogue and jokes here. I also liked the protaganist in the game, and the sherriff character who appears in the second level.
Speaking of, this game really is divided into three levels, characterized by three different locations, and this brings up my biggest issue with the game; the pacing. The first one, set in LA, is all set-up, very little payoff. So much puzzling for such little story progression! Yes, it helps to flesh out the world more and these characters, but it's also sort of a nothing burger of a segment (vibes are immaculate though).
The second level, set in a creepy little town, is where the story picks up and the puzzles actually start carrying some weight and meaning. I wanted much more of this sort of gameplay. The second level is so good that it made me realize how much the first level seemed to drag. After such little happens in the first section of the game, I couldn't help but feel that the revelations and the plot twists started coming real quick. It probably could have been paced out better, and a lot of this story (which is sort of the main story) could be spread out across the game.
All this leads to the final level of the game, which is creepy and gross, but also a bit too edgy for my taste. Probably my least favorite location. The game also just becomes a pure gore-fest at this point, so be warned.
There is a lot I enjoyed with this game and I would still recommend it, but I do think it could have been a lot better narratively. It would have definitely benefited from a shorter runtime to make that plot tighter.

Blows me away this was made by a single developer. Really cool story, puzzles that make sense, and a lot of horror easter eggs. Point and click classic! The story gets REALLY dark, but I had to keep playing to see what happened.

Absolutely fantastic. I'm delighted so many modern point & clicks are made today of such high quality in writing, puzzle design, sound and art style. Stumbling occasionally with logic in order to progress, I did appreciate the protagonists personal development throughout the story. And I'm not sure the nods to classic 70/80's horror & dark humour clashes with or compliments the severity of the violence and terror portrayed, but considering I actually felt moved at points I say overall it's a succesful blend of a sense fun, love for the genre, and serious horror that makes you feel for, or feel strongly due to, these characters. The soundtrack is also a special high note.
If I'd complain about anything, I'd be that Steam overlay doesn't seem to be compatible.

Didn't really feel like a point-and-click, past the aesthetics; it was more of a minimally interactive novella. I enjoyed it more after embracing that.

There are no puzzles, really. You generally find the item you need directly before or after you find out that you need it. A lot of the locations and characters are one-and-done interactions, which can make the world feel slightly empty. On the positive side this makes for an entirely frustration-free and speedy play-through, if that's what you're in the mood for.

I didn't much like the sprites, but the backgrounds were often beautifully atmospheric. I could sense some real love for the horror genre from this game's settings and the story beats - which was needed to balance out the deliberately snobbish main character. As others have mentioned, the dialogue is sometimes a little stilted, but I've seen far, faaar worse from big studios who should know better. I'd love to do a bit of zhuzhing to this script but I think it's serviceable as-is.

Can't decide yet if I want to play the other games by this developer. I can imagine they improve on this already strong effort. I would also hope for a tiny bit more diversity to the NPCs. Don't get me wrong, Nightmare Frames doesn't feel small-minded or blokey at all; there is definitely consideration here of different groups' experiences within the subcultures on which this game is based. I just tired a bit of violence towards/exploitation of women and girls being used for shock value without any women and girls really getting to talk about it.

That said, there ARE women in this game, and they aren't one-dimensional - and this is unfortunately more than a lot of media can be bothered with, so I appreciate that. Again - I see LOADS of potential here. I think I've talked myself into trying An English Haunting when there's a big enough discount.

I really enjoyed my time with this game. It's short & sweet but packs a punch.
The story is one passionate, blood-soaked love letter to horror cinema, and I had a blast catching all the references.
The writing is fantastic, with a very satisfying ending.
The game is less puzzle-y than other point&click games I've played, but that allows the fantastic story take center stage.
If you have even a passing interest in point & click games, pick this one up.