Othercide puts players in the role of a mother who creates three dolls to fight back against an army of monsters. The game mixes tactics, horror and grief into a single package, and it mostly lands.
Trailer, via Focus Entertainment.
The Dolls
Each doll has a distinct set of abilities, and players switch between them mid-fight to change the flow of combat. The dolls can:
- Block attacks
- Trigger counterattacks
- Chain combos together
Switching between them forces players to think about positioning and timing in ways that most tactics games do not demand.
The combat system rewards patience. Players who rush in without planning often lose. Those who hold back and build up chains tend to win. This pacing suits the tone of the game, which leans heavily on dread rather than action.
Grief and Design
The story centers on a mother who has lost her children and now fights to protect her last child from the same fate. That loss runs through every scene, shaping how players approach each fight. The game does not explain everything, and some players will find that frustrating.
The level design supports the tone. Each area feels empty and isolated, which fits the mother’s loneliness. The enemy designs vary enough to keep fights fresh, even though the basic shape of combat stays the same across the game.
Where It Falls Short
Othercide is not without problems. Some fights feel repetitive, especially in the middle stretch of the game. The difficulty spikes in unexpected ways, and a few encounters require precise knowledge of enemy patterns that the game does not teach clearly.
The controls also show rough edges. Dodging and blocking sometimes fail at key moments, which can cost a player dearly during a tight fight. These issues are not fatal, but they pull focus away from the game’s strengths.
Schedule and Structure
The game follows a clear structure, moving through a series of chapters that build toward a final confrontation.
| Chapter | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the dolls and basic combat |
| 2 | Introduces new enemies and the dolls’ full range of moves |
| 3 | Expands the battlefield and introduces the game’s central mechanic |
| 4 | Builds toward the final confrontation |
The schedule holds together, but the pace slows in the middle chapters. Players who push through will find the payoff worth it.
Final Word
Othercide succeeds because it commits fully to its emotional core. The horror elements, the grief, and the tactical combat all serve the same purpose: to make the mother’s struggle feel real. The technical rough edges are real, but they do not sink the whole project.
The game earns a 7.3 out of 10.
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