BrokenLore: Don't Lie

BrokenLore: DON’T LIE is a short psychological horror experience built around an unreliable narrator and the blurred line between reality and imagination. Its unsettling atmosphere, strong visual metaphors, and effective sound design create some memorable moments, particularly when Junko’s favorite game, Fantasy Boy, begins invading her reality. However, the limited gameplay, repetitive progression, and roughly two-hour runtime make the experience feel too brief.

Brokenlore Don’t Lie follows in the footsteps of the studio’s previous works and delivers a very short indie game that relies primarily on atmosphere and visuals. With sparse gameplay and a lack of new ideas, anyone interested should give it a try for its story and message—and because what they’ve seen in the trailers has caught their attention. If you’re looking for gameplay that will hook you, you won’t find it here. But if you’re someone who enjoys a great atmosphere and decent horror, you should give Brokenlore Don’t Lie a try.

BrokenLore: DON’T LIE delivers a creative horror experience that proves the developers’ boldness in trying fresh, distinctive ideas. While it lacks a truly unique artistic direction, it confirms that the BrokenLore series is on the right track and maturing with each release. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a smart, intense psychological horror experience.

I wasn’t expecting much from BrokenLore: DON’T LIE, and I still left disappointed. I can easily blame myself for still not being able to understand what terrifies Japanese culture. But the experience here doesn’t feel complete, and with only a two-hour runtime, it was a blessing that it ended so quickly.

BrokenLore: DON'T LIE is at its best when it relies on atmosphere and Junko rather than cheap scares. Its psychological horror and striking contrast between reality and fantasy stay with you, even if restrictive exploration and an overly open ending hold it back.

BrokenLore: Don’t Lie is an interesting, albeit flawed, addition to the ever-expanding BrokenLore franchise. It can miss the mark a bit with its puzzling and some of the visual issues are jarring, but it has enough unique ideas and an intriguing narrative that help make it worth checking out if you’re already a fan of the previous releases (and especially BrokenLore: Don’t Watch). As a standalone horror game, it stumbles a bit too often to be an absolute must-play, but it’s still an enjoyable release in the genre that shows that the BrokenLore franchise isn’t running out of ideas yet.

BrokenLore: DON'T LIE ends up being one of the weakest entries in the franchise, abandoning much of the tension that defined previous games in favor of limited and unexciting combat mechanics. On top of that, performance issues on PlayStation 5—such as minor stutters and bugs during progression—can also be bothersome and ultimately hinder the experience for some players.

BrokenLore: DON'T LIE is a real return to form for this horror anthology, with loads of gorgeous environments and an engrossing story.

BrokenLore: Don’t Lie is a compelling addition to the franchise, offering an intriguing new perspective on its growing web of interconnected anthologies. Junko’s psychological descent, the mysteries surrounding Elysium, and the connections to the other protagonists give the game plenty of intrigue, especially for players already familiar with the series. However, the short runtime means that Junko’s backstory, the mythology behind the yokais, and Elysium are not explored as deeply as they could be. Even with these shortcomings, Don’t Lie adds meaningful pieces to the larger BrokenLore narrative and gives returning players another perspective worth seeing. It may leave some questions unanswered, but for those already invested in the franchise, there is enough here to make Junko’s story a worthwhile addition.

BrokenLore: DON'T LIE is another entertaining episode in the BrokenLore series. With an interesting premise that begs you to question what is real and what is a delusion, alongside a unique mixture of twisted realities to explore, it remains captivating from beginning to end. This is only one small piece of the puzzle, but it is worth experiencing.