Drink Human Beans Delivers Tense, Satirical Horror, Though Repetition Slows Its Momentum (Review)

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DRINK HUMAN BEANS is a horror game that instantly creates a feeling of unease and hostility. Right from the start, it uses bizarre visuals and unpredictable happenings to make you feel like reality is unstable. The game doesn’t bother with explanations or a gentle introduction; it simply throws you into a strange situation and expects you to make sense of it, offering little help along the way.

The game generally succeeds in creating the right atmosphere and overall message, but it also highlights a major flaw. DRINK HUMAN BEANS builds tension and unsettling horror through a compelling story and presentation, however, constantly repeating the same actions quickly becomes tedious. I was invested in the story and eager to see what would happen next, but often frustrated by the slow, repetitive tasks required to progress.

Rating: 4/5

Pros Cons
Intriguing, choice-driven story with different endings Repetitive tasks that drain momentum
Repetition reinforces corporate horror theme Slow pacing that tests player patience
Audio cues unsettle very effectively Limited gameplay variety beyond chores
Dark, oppressive environments that build tension Delayed story shifts that reduce early engagement
Fully embraces its surreal, satirical vision Horror relies mostly on atmosphere over gameplay

A Surreal, Slow-Burn Story That Rewards Patience

Initially, DRINK HUMAN BEANS is incredibly confusing. The game feels like a wild, unpredictable experience, filled with strange happenings, jarring changes in mood, and moments that don’t seem to make any sense. It can be overwhelming at first, feeling completely random. But the more you play, the more you realize these chaotic, surreal scenes actually tell a story about a man struggling with the harsh and impersonal realities of today’s job market and corporate world.

Okay, so I’m playing this horror game where I’m just a regular guy living with a roommate, but things are getting seriously weird with them. Honestly, the whole story revolves around my roommate and how they’re changing – it’s super unsettling. The game is structured around days, and each day slowly builds the story, revealing little bits and pieces. It’s not a typical day-by-day thing, though, which keeps me on edge. I like how it messes with what I expect to happen each ‘new day’ – it’s really effective at building tension.

The story starts deceptively simple, but quickly becomes much more complex, and that’s what immediately grabs your attention. Your choices – or even your lack of them – lead to multiple different endings. As you play, the game subtly changes how you view earlier events, making you question everything you thought you knew. Despite some frustrating parts, I kept playing because I was determined to unravel the mystery and see how it all connected. While the story is somewhat unusual, it’s not random, and once you start to understand the bigger picture, DRINK HUMAN BEANS becomes truly captivating.

Subtle Audio Design Carries the Game’s Most Unsettling Moments

The audio in DRINK HUMAN BEANS is solid, though not spectacular. It doesn’t feature any particularly memorable music, but it’s also free of any jarring or poorly-produced sounds. When things are quiet, the game effectively creates the atmosphere of a small, gloomy apartment with realistic background noises.

The audio design is at its best during the game’s strangest and most dreamlike scenes. At crucial moments, voices and sounds seem to come from beyond the game world, whispering directly into your ears. These moments are genuinely creepy, particularly when using headphones, and they’re key to building a sense of dread. Personally, I found these sections the most unsettling part of the game, and they created a much more effective psychological horror experience than any sudden jump scare.

The sound design isn’t flashy, but it consistently enhances the game’s mood and central ideas. It’s subtle when it needs to be, and more prominent when it should be – a perfect approach for a horror game like this.

Repetitive Walking-Sim Gameplay Undercuts an Otherwise Compelling Experience

The gameplay in DRINK HUMAN BEANS is where the experience started to fall apart for me. It relies heavily on repeating the same actions, and while this seems deliberate, it quickly became tedious. Although the story changes a bit with each playthrough, what you actually do remains largely the same. I spent most of my time doing repetitive tasks like washing dishes, making coffee, solving simple puzzles, and constantly running to pick up packages from a delivery room that felt unnecessarily far away.

Sometimes, the game interrupts its normal flow with a strange, unexpected activity where you shoot enemies with a gun while waiting for the story to continue. It quickly becomes clear this isn’t meant to be a serious gameplay element; it’s more about adding dark humor and revealing what’s going on inside the main character’s head. It’s funny the first time you see it, but it doesn’t really become a captivating part of the game itself – it’s there to support the story.

This horror game focuses more on creating a creepy mood than on startling the player with frequent jump scares, though there are a few. However, the slow pace, repetitive movement, and focus on simple tasks become tedious rather than building suspense. I found myself spending a lot of time just walking through dark areas, waiting for something to happen, before any real changes began. It’s disappointing, because the story itself is quite good, but the game’s structure, which relies heavily on exploration, often gets in the way of enjoying the narrative.

Oppressive Atmosphere and Corporate Satire Are Clear, Even When the Pacing Falters

Even though I didn’t enjoy the way the game plays, I have to admit it’s completely dedicated to its central ideas. The bleak mood, the same tasks over and over, and the feeling of having no control all clearly connect to the game’s message about working for corporations, the job market, and how people can lose themselves in their careers. It’s a very thoughtful game, and the repetitive nature isn’t a mistake – it’s intentional.

It’s a delicate balance between building a strong atmosphere and frustrating players, and in my opinion, DRINK HUMAN BEANS sometimes leans too far towards the latter. While the game creates a good mood, it requires a lot of patience, particularly at the beginning. Players who can handle a slow pace and repeated actions to uncover a deeper story will probably enjoy it. However, others might lose interest before the game’s full potential is revealed.

DRINK HUMAN BEANS is a compelling but flawed horror game. While the story and ideas kept me interested, the gameplay was often frustrating. It’s a game with a strong message, delivered with conviction, but it demands patience from the player. This difficulty actually works in its favor, making you feel as stuck and overwhelmed as the character, trapped in a bizarre, coffee-obsessed corporate world with no escape.

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2025-12-17 22:11