Distraint cover art

Distraint

A narrative horror walk with light item puzzles and no skill ceiling.

Here's the argument for where this game sits - disagree freely.
Match your experience?
EXECUTION1 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE1 /10OPTIMIZATION4 /10

the cheat-test profile

The four axes - the argument

Each axis is rated on its own - how far one cheat would trivialize the game here. They don't trade off; low on all four means the game is an experience, not a contest.

  1. Execution

    cheat: Aimbot - perfect inputs

    1/10

    Walking and clicking, no dexterity test

  2. Reads

    cheat: Out-predict an adaptive opponent

    0/10

    Horror beats are authored, nothing adapts

  3. Variance

    cheat: See what's hidden / map the RNG

    1/10

    Scares are scripted-but-unknown on first play

  4. Optimization

    cheat: A perfect solver / coach

    4/10

    Simple item puzzles are the only systems layer

How to read this

Each axis is named by the cheat that would break the game along it. Execution is the hands. Reads is out-thinking an adaptive opponent. Variance is hidden information & RNG. Optimization is the solvable systems layer. A game's region is the top one or two axes.

These four aren't one rating split four ways - they're independent 0-10 questions. A 9 on one axis takes nothing from the others, and a game low on all four isn't missing data: it's telling you there's no skill here to cheat.

The basis is how the majority actually plays this game - not a niche mode or a personal run. For a game with very different modes (a story campaign versus ranked multiplayer), that's the version most people mean.

Compare with

Similar games

see all โ†’

Ranked by shared genre first, then by how closely the cheat-test profile matches - a cross-genre tag means a pick matched on skill profile alone.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War cover art

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Pure Optimization ยท narrative puzzle adventure

E
R
V
O
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
The Neverhood cover art

The Neverhood

Pure Optimization ยท claymation adventure

E
R
V
O
The Neverhood

Game details

Released
2015
Developer
Jesse Makkonen
Platforms
PC
Modes
Single player
IGDB critics
65/100
IGDB users
75/100
PuzzleAdventureIndieHorror