When sharing my playthrough, I said that The Night is Grey will be difficult to review.

I tried the demo for Whalestork Interactive’s project some time ago during one of the digital expos, although it’s difficult now to recall which one. Its digitally-painted artwork and puzzles were a big draw but it was the creepy storyline which made me add the title to my wishlist.

Recently completing the full game after a Steam summer sale purchase has left me feeling conflicted though. On one hand, there are a lot of missed opportunities here which prevent The Night is Grey from reaching its full potential. But on the other, there’s something it does so incredibly well that it almost makes me want to forget about its flaws. Let’s get into the review and I’ll try to explain.

On that note, I should highlight that the following post contains spoilers for the game. If you haven’t yet played and intend to do so, consider navigating away now and coming back later.

The title begins when an unassuming, middle-aged man named Graham finds himself alone in a forest filled with strange wolves. He stumbles across a lodge while fleeing for his life where he meets eight-year old Hannah. She has been waiting for her mother to return for some time now, and Graham realises that she won’t survive without her help. He manages to persuade her to join him on a perilous journey through a building site, mine and park, towards the safety of her grandparents’ house in the village.

This overview of the narrative and the experience shared in the demo imply that The Night is Grey is a horror game. With talking wolves and other dangers lurking in the dark, this isn’t an unreasonable expectation. However, the reality is for more complicated than that. Negative Steam reviews complain about werewolves not making an appearance but the horror is subtle and psychological. I wouldn’t necessarily say this was a problem, but it’s worth noting that the demo isn’t entirely representative of the full release.

The Night is Grey, video game, screenshot, Graham, mine, office

There are also several narrative elements later in the game which hint at a science-fiction premise. For example, when Graham finally arrives in the village, he discovers that a research team have set up camp there while searching for a mysterious compound in the water. These plot points are never expanded upon and ultimately have nothing to do with the game’s conclusion; and even if they did, it would only complicate the story unnecessarily. This then raises the question: do they need to exist at all?

The Night is Grey is a point-and-click and its user interface (UI) is exactly what you’d expect from an adventure. Right-clicking on an item causes Graham to share his observations, which are usually sarcastic or self-deprecating, and left-clicking on them will result in an interaction. The volume of dialogue isn’t surprising or unwelcome, but having to click to advance several words at a time impacts the flow of the gameplay. Although it isn’t a deal-breaker, the addition of an auto-advance option would have been nice.

Most of the puzzles are enjoyable and provide a good level of challenge which will keep even experienced adventurers entertained for a while. Inventory objects are usually combined with information found in documents to solve them. For instance, there’s an office in the mining area that Graham wants to access but unfortunately the door is locked. Getting in requires finding a working identity card, along with the correct number combination related to it, which must then be translated into a colour code.

On the downside, there are puzzles where failing will result in the protagonist’s demise and put you back at the last autosave point. I would have appreciated some warning of this; death situations aren’t common in modern point-and-clicks and it was rather unexpected. In the mine itself, you must navigate through a frustrating maze while only being able to travel a few screens at a time due to a leaky oil lamp. Fail to fill up regularly and Graham will fall to his death before being placed right back at the start.

You’ll come to learn more about both Graham and Hannah while journeying with them through The Night is Grey, but in very different ways. The latter’s background in revealed in a more direct manner as the girl is happy to tell Graham about her mother and preferences. He on the other hand is more reserved, and his history is only revealed in fragments when he reminisces about his past. While we discover that his father used to work in a mine and passed away when he was young, we never truly find out where he’s from.

The Night is Grey, video game, screenshot, Graham, Hannah, mine

His caginess isn’t obvious at first. The protagonist is likeable in the opening scenes, though average and unremarkable, and seems like a person who has stumbled into a terrible situation. However, his constant self-punishing inner monologue about his own worthlessness becomes grating at the title progresses and this elicits a fascinating reaction in the player. There’s a part of you that wants to dislike Graham for his continuously negativity about himself, but there’s another which starts to sympathetically wonder if he may actually be right.

The truth turns out to be far darker, and it’s impactful due to the clever way that Whalestork Interactive tell their narrative. Graham’s motives seem pure at first as he appears to be a man who wants to protect an innocent child. But when you put the pieces together and realise that the first scene isn’t actually the start of the story, and that the true beginning occurs just after halfway through, the plot’s depth becomes apparent. This recontextualises his actions and makes the experience so much more haunting.

Although he remains unlikeable and it’s impossible to forgive him for what he does, it’s difficult to not feel some level of compassion for Graham. During a particular conversation, he’s asked the question ‘When is love a crime?’ and his answer signifies how much emotional trauma he has been subjected to over the years. I’ll point out here that nothing bad happens to Hannah and Graham safely takes her to her grandparents. But the game does contain mature content and implies a history of physical and mental abuse, so it won’t be suitable for everyone.

The Night is Grey starts out wearing the disguise of a werewolf horror then evolves into something darker and psychological. It has its flaws but the developer’s clever narrative twist gives it weight and impact. Graham’s story may be an uncomfortable experience by the end, but it’s also a compelling one which will leave you thinking.