Neil Gaiman's Wayward Manor - Review

Neil Gaiman's Wayward Manor is out on Mac. So what is it really like?

I went into this game with pure anticipation due to Neil Gaiman bringing out a horror comedy game. I was really looking forward to it having loved his previous work. The game was released, and I dived in with high expectations. I found that it only supported a maximum resolution of 1920x1080, not an issue it's still HD. The narration starts and I fill with joy as I listen to Neil Gaiman narrate the plot while characters are shown on screen. The game certainly has a rather funky art style. It instantly reminded me of newspaper comics strips that made fun of politicians with their eccentric facial features. I started off with a really good impression of the game, sure the graphics looked dated but the art style and music suited it somehow and it seemed fine. The puzzles start off slow and get more complex, but sadly there is no free roaming as a ghost. You're limited to a single room at a time for your ghostly deeds of frightening the denizens out of their abode. Then, things went south rather quickly. I experienced a bug that locked the level, unable to knock over a vital bottle. No problem I say, I'll just reload the level, and sure enough it works and I continue my spectral adventure. More bugs, and then more, items clipping, clicks not registering and then...then dreaded chapter 3, part 2 where the game refuses to continue after spooking everyone. Five retries later and I was still stuck, not to worry I'll quickly email the developers. Sure enough they respond in kind and have patched the level. I can still not continue. Sadly once again the same happens, this time the puzzle items are broken and you're unable to catch a drunk patriarch dancing to scare him. Several tries and the same issue. Sadly due to limited gameplay with many puzzles just reusing the same items over and over again; broken puzzles, and game breaking glitches galore I cannot recommend the game. My first impression video is in direct contrast to what I have come to realise the game is like upon playing it to near completion. ( I cannot finish it due to the puzzle bugs) The writing, although good, is also not to the level one has come to expect of the Author, leaving you wanting more. The games needs more polish, better gameplay, and much more depth sadly. It's shame, as Wayward Manor had so much potential, although it seems Neil despite being a brilliant author does not know how to make a game. I hope that in the future he will make a second attempt, and that everyone gets what they want: a successful and good game.

Available on Steam

Mac System Requirements