ROUTINE - The Horror of Waiting and Enduring
ROUTINE is a game I’ve waited on for some time now. Long enough that expectations stopped being reasonable. When it finally released, I was confronting years of anticipation and not just horror
What I found was something haunting, oppressive, and deeply committed to discomfort. But also something that doesn’t always respect the player’s endurance.
That Crushing Atmosphere of Routine
ROUTINE’s abandoned lunar base is one of the most suffocating spaces I’ve explored in a game. There’s very little music, long silent corridors, and constant mechanical noise that makes every step feel wrong.
That tension works incredibly well early on. I found myself moving slowly, afraid to make noise, afraid to turn corners. But over time, the lack of variation made long sessions feel draining rather than thrilling.
Movement and Controls That Add Stress the Wrong Way
Movement feels heavy by design, but sometimes it tips into clumsy. Turning quickly or reacting under pressure can feel unresponsive, and when death comes because your body didn’t move how your brain expected, the fear turns into frustration.
The horror is effective, but the controls sometimes fight the experience instead of supporting it.
Storytelling That Withholds Almost Everything
ROUTINE tells its story through implication. Logs are sparse. Visual storytelling carries most of the narrative weight. I respect the restraint, but there were moments where I wanted just a bit more context to ground what I was experiencing. I think that ambiguity can be powerful but it can also feel distant.
Can you turn off the head-bobbing?
Yes. The game includes an option to disable head-bobbing in the settings, so the camera won’t sway as you walk. This can help reduce motion sickness or discomfort for players sensitive to camera movement, this was really killing me in the start but just turn it off if it makes you feel uncomfortable.
If you enjoy horror games that have great atmosphere and silence, check out my review Amnesia: The Dark Descent – What Makes Games Terrifying? where tension slowly turns into psychological fatigue.
Ongoing Bugs and my Workarounds
Common Issues I have come across
- Crashes or the game closing unexpectedly on launch.
- Puzzle glitches with puzzle interactions (e.g, keypad puzzles not working as expected).
- UI placement issues with a controller where some interactive elements can be off-screen or hard to grab.
Workarounds & Tips
- If the game crashes at startup, ensure your graphics drivers are up to date and verify the game files via Steam or your platform’s tool (common troubleshooting for many PC games).
- For puzzles that seem bugged, double-check in-game clues (e.g., UV light hints) before assuming a glitch, as some puzzles rely heavily on environmental hints.
So, how melty is it?
Anticipation Phase – 8/10
Years of waiting amplify expectations.
Early Exploration Fear – 9/10
The atmosphere delivers immediately.
Mid-Game Tension Plateau – 9.5/10
Slow pacing starts to drain momentum.
Mechanical Frustration – 10/10
Controls clash with immersion.
Emotional Aftermath – 9/10
Unforgettable, but exhausting.
Total Melt Score: 9.1/10
ROUTINE wants to unsettle you and leave you alone with that feeling. I admire the commitment, even when it frustrates me. After such a long wait, the flaws stand out sharply, but the experience lingers long after the screen goes dark.
For official information and updates visit the official ROUTINE page.
