When it comes to indie games that are looking to scratch the itch of fans looking for something with horror vibes, there’s no question that there are plenty of choices out there in the eShop, but many of them are lackluster at best. Whether the issue is paper-thin plotting, a lot of walking around wondering what you’re supposed to be doing, clunky mechanics, an over-reliance on cheap jump scares, or often a combination of all the above, those searching for well-made experiences may be disappointed.

Somewhat consistently with others in the space, The Green Light initially feels like it could be off to at least a modestly-good start. Playing as someone trapped in a thankless job, working for an overly demanding jerk of a boss, I could at least sympathize with his plight to a degree. It then quickly transitions into what’s beginning to feel like a universal walking-simulator-as-horror title template though, with you stuck stumbling around and looking for the next thing you’ll need to find to complete some task, with the tedium punctuated by periodic jump scares.

Oddly enough, featuring the abrupt audio hits paired with what can sometimes be perplexingly-weird imagery, I would at least say the jumpy moments did manage to surprise me, so the game at least had that going for it over titles that often telegraph what’s coming a little too clearly. That said, vague directions and objectives can at times lead to you simply feeling stuck, while combing through environments hoping to stumble on whatever it is you need to find or do. This can be all-the-more frustrating when you either find a key spot too early that simply hasn’t been triggered by you doing something else first, or interactions you need to work through that feel mechanically clumsier than they should be. There are absolutely worse examples of the genre out there, but with titles like this it’s easy to just end up feeling indifferent about it all.