Waking up dazed and alone in a room with a gun is bad. Finding out the windows have been bricked up and the front door is locked is worse. And finding out that you're not alone after all? Well, that's not as comforting as you might think in Inculcation, a horror game with action elements that may have you questioning your own eyes.
For the most part, Inculcation plays like a standard point-and-click adventure, letting you navigate by clicking your way around the screen to move locations, manipulate your environment, and interact with your inventory. The gun you'll find isn't just there to be used as a paperweight, and you can fight back by firing quickly at enemies whenever you find one, clicking on the screen to aim and shoot. Three shots will bring one down, but the same is true for you; luckily, there are strange syringes laying around that can help restore your health. Because everyone knows ingesting mystery pharmaceuticals when you wake up in a hostile nightmare world is the sensible thing to do, naturally.
The puzzles in Inculcation are a little odd, but not unreasonably so. With the exception of one frustrating occasion where I was required to pick a lock by treating it like a game of Operation, typical puzzle-solving abounds. Well, you know, typical in a "Seriously? Is that a stomach? Seriously?" sort of way. At least instead of being expected to think like MacGyver with an abstract collection of items, you tend to wind up doing things like finding a light bulb for a lamp, or superglue to repair an item.
Mixing a relatively sedate genre like the point-and-click with an action game is a tricky thing to pull off, not because the two types are mutually exclusive, but because people who are fans of either one tend to expect certain things out of their gaming experiences. Action gamers will find Inculcation too slow and unvaried, and point-and-click fans may be put off by reflex-required shooting sequences. What Inculcation does do right is atmosphere. A creeping sense of wrongness that tightens the muscles across your shoulders. While for the most part the game prefers to go for the loud, startling scares, it also manages to unsettle you just as often with strange sounds and imagery.
Inculcation claims to be inspired by some of the giants of the survival horror genre such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill (and, I would argue, Killer 7), and fans of those games will likely recognise a tip of the hat or two to them as they progress. On its own merits, Inculcation is a flawed but satisfying creepy treat for an evening alone, best played with the lights off and the sound turned up. Just remember to check underneath the bed and inside all the closets first. Oh, but there's probably nothing there... right?
good game. took a while to figure out the
number for the blue clock hand
but after clicking everywhere twice I finally found it.
Overall, I'd say this game was far better than my first minute or so would have lead me to believe.
My one problem was, that although I know it is supposed to be dark, I found myself having to tilt my laptop screen to unusual angles in order to see what was going on at all in some scenes. Overall, though, when a slight color problem is the worst thing I have to say about a game, that means it is a pretty darn good game.
That was unsettling, excellent timing for a game of this nature! None of the puzzles were exceptionally difficult,
mostly just memorization that got a bit frustrating since I hated backtracking to find more random spooks in the halls, but that just adds to the atmosphere
Overall it was worth the look, not to mention turning the volume on my TV up afterwards :)
Surprisingly enjoyable, with some pretty good puzzles. For once the ending was almost plausible too!
I'm not sure I agree with the grading
I only used two syringes and died once at the end, but I got an F
A very nice game, an interesting ending, and creepy with the baby crying and strange clown
hopefully a walkthrough is not far down the road.
Nice. Took a couple of tries to get the feel of it, but overall a good game. Good length, too - enough to be interesting, not long enough to be tedious.
4/5
I seem to be stuck in a new dwelling with
a clean and a dirty sheet tied together, and access to only one room (with a crib). I can't figure out how to get out of the house, and there are no more items that I can seem to pick up, ideas?
Username,
You've got to go back downstairs and get an allen wrench from the tool box under the stairs. You know, where you got the dirty sheet.
This is just frustrating. I'm enjoying the puzzles, but I keep dying and having to start over. A couple of save points would really make this game a lot more enjoyable.
ok, so im stuck, and im sure iknow the way out, but i just cant see it. so i have:
the pliers, the red blue and yellow hands, and thats it, i have access to all the rooms, ive used the slot room, the scale room, the trap room, and im guessing there is a way to get the green hand off of the wall in the bus...but im just not sure
so, can anyone help me? please?
Who else jumped during the
lockpick game?
really scared me!!!
Riuzaki:
You have to click and drag to move the statues together as per the plaque. I think it's the only point in the game where you have to drag.
Is it possible to find
the second number in the combination lock, or do you just guess it like I did since it opens automatically?
It's so hard to tell when Adventure games like to do both.
Wow, loved the ending!
But one question
Was it intended to imply that these scientists let the test subject kill the other people he saw as mannequins? Didn't quite get if he just imagined shooting them or if that really happened.
Black Drazon, the numbers for the combination are
- In the wardrobe which opens mid-way through the lock picking
- On the side of the bathtub
- In the room with the TV. Use the ultraviolet globe on the lamp to reveal it
I jumped in the same spot as you too, Ken :D
at the oven
it says: "I need to turn the oven on" all I can do is to turn on the gas... well, hat is the difference?
plastic bag is tied on the fuse...
Adrenaline filled shooting + cerebral problem solving = bad combination.
I'm getting the oven problem too.
Even when it says it's on, it tells me I need to turn it on.
Hello, spook fans! For those of you having trouble with the oven,
there is a switch on the wall you need to turn on, AND one on front of the oven itself. (One of the dials above the open oven door.) Clicking on one will give you the message "I've turned on the gas" while the other will say "I've turned on the oven". Both of these need to be on.
I hope that helps. If need be, I can upload a picture of both switches.
Hey guys,
Is it possible to
solve the clock-hands puzzle
too soon? I'm stuck now with only two visible rooms, two items
(Full) Bag of Flour and Bolt Cutters
and I can't see how to continue, although I've
turned the power back on
. Help?
Just noticed there is a walkthrough link right in the author comments for the game.
(And the answer to my previous question is YES).
Personally, I like the action/horror combo. Nice change of pace from your typical ETR.
great point and click game pretty scary in places , great sound effects , took a bit of thinking , unusual ending
look forward to part 2
absolutely loved the ending of this game.
whole thing in general was great and very entertaining.
not too, too difficult in puzzles; just right for me.
mndchisel, i had the same problem with the lighting as well. but other than that, i agree: it's a great game!.
I've seen "Ransom" games here before and he looks like "Jay" wearing goggles! Just an observation...
jimbog:
If you're thinking of the traditional American ABCDF grading system, you can probably expect your diploma in the mail after all - I got an E.
Parmeisan,
Same thing happened here!
I climb up the pit and he says the door is locked.. in the walkthrough he just goes to the elevator without mentioning any of this!
So close to the end.. how frustrating! I'm not gonna play it all again!
Hey guys,
There's a walkthrough link on the author comments on the Newgrounds page. You can also find a link to the walkthrough on the main menu of the game, and also in the pause menu (press the little square in the top-right of the inventory).
I'm just updating the game to fix the final bugs. For those having trouble with the clock face puzzle:
You need to get the flour from the kitchen, put it on the scales, and press the "-" button until it weighs 1.2KG. Then go to the room with the clock face puzzle, take the blue-jewelled clock hand off the scales and replace it with the bag of flour to even the scales out again. Now you can use the clock hand! Good luck.
Oh and I've never made a Flash game before so I doubt you've seen me before, NikkiNox... must be a different Ransom :)
To Peter,
If no-one has already answered you or if you haven't yet worked it out, the oven
needs to be switched on at the wall, above right, and then turn on the gas
I've given up. I found navigating around the rooms frustrating. I only seem to be able to access the kitchen, bathroom, foyer and the room I started in. Found it too confusing and unable to locate any of the items mentioned above. Only managed the oven puzzle.
I have to say, the tan silhouettes with squigglies in them weren't especially scary or interesting. They weren't matched to the environment. I'd have liked to see more things like the clown, which would have still fit the plot.
Steakhouse:
As far as I can tell, he was shooting actual people that he saw as "paper dolls" or "mannequins". Such as the person who left the note on the couch about the key in the fireplace. So basically as far as anyone else knew, he was walking around in someone's house, shooting a family and the tenants of a nearby apartment building.
How do you do this? It's impossible?!
That was a very interesting game. Not impossible but you have to use your head and remember things. I do enjoy a horror game where it makes you think fast.
i love the game and this site.
the gamer god
I can't believe you folks had trouble with this. I went through the whole thing in 45 minutes alone without the walkthrough. The puzzles were self explanatory and the action was good. I'm surprised at the comments as I always need your walkthroughs and this time I did it all alone. Hmm that kinda feels good. Thanks for all your help in the past however. P.S.
the numbers for the clock puzzle are given during the game. in the bathroom 300 blue (on the poster in the stall)in the second kitchen 90 green(the tag on the bus)in the chained room 120 red (on the wall next to the bus) don't remember where i got the 240 yellow though
And i got spooked with the jump out too but waxed him anyway. Also got an F presumably for taking too long. Peace
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