Coincidences
Jen's Review
Coincidences ended up being exactly what I expected... and honestly, that's not a bad thing.
I originally added this game to my wishlist after seeing it in the upcoming releases. It looked pretty decent from the trailers. Not like it was going to be the next horror masterpiece, but good enough to catch my attention.
After playing it, I'd say that's exactly where it landed.
The story follows a character who, after getting hit with a sudden rent increase, moves into a suspiciously cheap house that's tucked away deep in the middle of the woods. Now, if you're anything like me, alarm bells are already going off. A house in the middle of nowhere that's unbelievably affordable and has work nearby? If it sounds too good to be true... it probably is.
Turns out, there was a very good reason the rent was so cheap.
The atmosphere does a solid job of building tension throughout the game, and there are quite a few good jumpscares mixed in along the way. There are even a couple of moments that had me scrambling in full panic mode, which is always a plus in a horror game.
While it may not be one of the biggest or most polished horror titles out there, I don't think it was ever trying to be. It's a shorter indie experience that knows what it wants to do and executes it well enough to keep you entertained from beginning to end.
Overall, I had a good time with Coincidences. It's not going to crack my list of all-time favorite horror games, but it's also nowhere near the bottom. If you're looking for a fun, shorter indie horror game with a creepy atmosphere, a handful of solid scares, and a story that keeps you curious, I'd say it's definitely worth the time and money.
Kayla's Review
The game that I’ve been impatiently waiting on for what feels like forever. I remember seeing this pop up on my Steam calendar back in January or February, watching the trailer over and over thinking, “Man… this actually looks pretty decent,” even though it didn’t show a ton. Something about it kept pulling me in and BOY DID IT DELIVER. Coincidences was SUCH a fun ride.
Your character moves into a new home, and his landlord also hooks him up with a job at a convenience store. Simple, right? WRONG. Because there is a whole lot of sinister nonsense happening everywhere. Almost immediately, your character starts having nightmares and visions, weirdos are running up on him HOT in the store, and from the jump you can tell something is seriously off. I’m obviously not going to spoil anything, but whewwww… the story gets WILD.
The house in the game is one I think a lot of us recognized, which honestly didn’t bother me at all because of how it was used here (yes, it’s the same house from Claire). The additions and changes made it feel unique to the story, and it was done REALLY well. I also remember seeing some negative reviews early on about buggy mechanics, but either updates fixed that or somebody simply wasn’t doing something right because the game played super smooth for me. The mechanics were clean and simple, the graphics looked great, and the audio design was fantastic. And the MUSIC? Absolutely creepy as hell.
Now let’s talk about the puzzles… SHEEEEEESH. The puzzles in this game are NOT easy. The devs make you WORK for it. But they’re also incredibly well designed and never feel impossible. You really have to lock in, calm the anxiety, and pay attention. Once you get the hang of them, you realize how much fun they actually are. The music box puzzle in the store, the final hallway/music box puzzle… there was SO much thought put into these.
Did I threaten to rage quit a few times? Absolutely. My chat knows I’m dramatic, okay? But did I actually quit? No. Mainly because chat had my back and some newer followers who had watched other streamers play were giving me spoiler-free tips to keep me moving. SHOUTOUT to chat for that. Seriously though, these were probably some of the most memorable in-game puzzles I’ve ever played.
Also… the Demon in this game? Absolutely terrifying. I hated every second that thing was on my screen. Respectfully.
Overall, I genuinely LOVED this game. The jumpscares landed, the graphics looked great, the mechanics were smooth, the audio design was fantastic, and the amount of effort poured into both the story and the puzzles was incredibly noticeable. This ended up being one of those games where it wasn’t just me having fun... the entire stream vibe was on point because chat was just as invested as I was, and we LOVE a game that can do that.
If you’re a streamer or gamer looking for something that’ll make you “ship your pants” while also forcing you to actually use your brain, I cannot recommend Coincidences enough.
