There’s a lot to say about Signalis and a lot I want to keep hidden. Signalis is a game with secrets. Its secrets have secrets! I love Signalis. This game permanently colonized a part of my brain, and I will never be the same.

Signalis is one of two sci-fi games I had on my shortlist for a long while. I didn’t know much going into Signalis. I knew it had queer themes, and I knew the main character was a robot. There was a lot, however, that caught me off guard. Signalis is a survival horror masterpiece taking its cues from Silent Hill 2 and other classic horror games. You play as a Replika, an android, named Elster. All told, this is about as much as you should know before you play Signalis. You’ll have the best experiance with this game going in blind.

Signalis is not a traditional game, so I can’t discuss it in a traditional fashion. Instead, I can tell you why I love this game, give you one warning before you play, and give you two brief examinations of its story. Dive in. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

5 Things I Love About Signalis

1. The Title Screen

If you can’t make it past the title screen, this game is not for you. Never before has a game so thoroughly prepared me for what I can expect without a line of dialogue.

Elster’s eye stares out from the screen, blown up to huge proportions. A three-tone alarm blares out repeatedly, insistently. As you startle, moving your controller or mouse, Elster’s eye follows, tracking your movements. There is an intense, indescribable atmosphere.

However, what captured me most was not simply the music, the unsettling atmosphere, or even Elster’s eye-watching. It’s the reflection in the center of her eye. Is that… you?

2. Unreliable Narration

During the introductory act of Signalis, of the earliest items you’ll pick up is the photograph of a woman. When the game advances and you progress to the next section, it is the only item you retain in your inventory. It is the same photograph, right? Are you sure?

Signalis is not a normal game and it does not play fair. Signalis will pull the rug out from under you if you’re not paying attention. 

For another example, consider your signal receiver, one of the core items in Signalis (hence, the name). You’ll use this item to unlock safes, escape deadly fights, and even unlock a secret ending. How do you acquire the signal receiver? You get it during a sequence that suddenly shifts to first person, seems to happen in the past, and is entirely disconnected from what you were just doing.

Signalis refuses to divulge its secrets and its story without a struggle. The game has secrets, and the characters within it do as well. Players will need to work hard to uncover those hidden secrets. 

Signalis is a story that could only be told this way. One of the great pleasures of Signalis is uncovering as much as you can. Some truths are revealed in due time. Other times, the truth is harder to string together, but there if you pay attention. Sometimes, the secrets of Signalis are utterly undecipherable.

3. This Space Intentionally Left Blank

You won’t understand this until you play the game, but the accompanying image is a perfect representation of Signalis’s setting. You’ll see it at many points throughout the game, usually at dramatic moments. This image is a perfect integration of narrative and visuals.

In Signalis, the narrative elements of the world are not shy about butting into your gameplay experience. Your inventory size will be limited by it. Your screen might be obscured by screens like the one above. The entire game is affected by the setting.

I find the setting of Signalis to be incredibly compelling. As you explore the levels of Signalis, environmental storytelling will tell you about the society Elster lived in. Slowly, you’ll uncover horrifying elements that are all too real that enhance the story Signalis sets out to tell.

4. Keys to the Mystery

Like many classic survival games, Signalis ties its advancement to puzzles you’ll solve to unlock rooms. In typical gaming fashion, you’ll collect keys to unlock doors and go to the next area.

Unlike normal games with puzzles to unlock doors, Signalis is not content to do something simple. You’ll find keys to doors in sections hours before the section where they’ll be useful. Some keys will be found, not in physical space, but in flashback segments. Signalis delivers an engaging experience and ensures that unlocking a door is never so simple as getting a key.

I love the puzzles in Signalis. Running back and forth through halls to collect the right items once you found the appropriate pieces was an intense experience I won’t soon forget. Each puzzle also revealed a piece of the larger narrative and slowly started to reveal what this game was truly about.

5. Cigarette Wife is my Jam

The music from Signalis is absolutely fantastic. All of the music in the game serves to heighten the moment it accompanies and does so perfectly. Put together, the OST for Signalis creates something wholly unique to create an unforgettable experience.

One of the highlights of Signalis’s soundtrack is its use of classical music. These songs paint a perfect portrait of the setting of Signalis. The use of “Die Toteninsel” and “Swan Lake” within this piece are iconic. The use of “Ständchen” in particular holds a special place in my heart as it accompanies some of the most touching moments in the game.

My favorite song in Signalis, however, would undoubtedly be “Cigarette Wife.” This song is intense, dramatic, and represents a powerful shift in the game’s narrative. “Cigarette Wife” uses the sound of breathing to blend the machine and the mechanical. It feels incredibly evocative of Elster and the experience of being a Replika. I have returned to listen to this absolute banger of a song more times than I can count. 

1 Warning to Impart

Signalis is not for everyone. This game lands unmistakably within the horror genre and contains some content that may be triggering. The warning that precedes the title screen of the game is not messing around. This game does contain some disturbing imagery and handles some distressing topics.

Signalis has some truly nightmarish elements to it that may truly unnerve you. The enemies are horrifying. There are strong themes of eldritch horror that may not be for you. If you’re going into this game, keep yourself safe. Take breaks, pace yourself, and if the distress is too great, stop playing if you need to. I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a great time, but not if it’s going to cause you severe emotional distress.

2 Stories to Tell

Signalis is not a game that divulges its mysteries easily. Signalis has a lot to say. Honestly, there are many, many stories being told at once. However, there are two stories it tells most ardently. While these narratives might be considered something in the way of light spoilers, these are two ways you can center yourself going forward. Signalis is a game that goes to some very crazy places. It helps to have a guide.

Signalis Tells a Love Story

As I said earlier, one of the few things I knew about Signalis going into it is that it had queer themes. From the very opening act of the game, you’ll be guided by the photograph of a woman. You’re trying to find her. You made her a promise.

Over the course of Signalis, Elster’s promise may be the only thing you’re certain of. The photograph is your clue forward. Your one lifeline to something concrete. You’re trying to find the woman in the photograph. You’re trying to keep your promise.

Signalis tells a deeply emotional love story that made me sick with emotion. It is the story of a love that is poignant, heart wrenching, and beautiful. You have a promise to keep, and with a gun in her hand, Elster intends to keep it by battling whatever horrors stand in her way.

Signalis Crafts an Eldritch Nightmare

Something eldritch, dark, and unspoken stalks the pixels of Signalis. I’m not joking, or exaggerating. As much as Signalis is a story of love, and promise, and devotion it is a story of something strange and horrifying and unknownable.

In the opening act of Signalis, you’ll spy The King In Yellow, sitting on a desk. This is not an accident. It is entirely reasonable to interpret this game as being influenced by Hastur itself. Yes, I understand that sounds insane. This game will do that to you. 

There is something in this game. It is never truly seen, and barely understood. Only the secret “Artifact” ending actually seems to confirm its presence, but perhaps it has always been watching…

A short trip on YouTube will pull up a slew of videos talking about how hard Signalis is to understand. Some even just straight up say the game drove them to madness. This isn’t an accident. Signalis invites this reaction. This game will leave you questioning, clinging to what vestiges of answers you have, knowing you will never grasp the full truth.

Put simply, this game is a descent into eldritch horror. While some parts of this game make logical sense (especially after completing one playthrough) others simply don’t. There are questions we never get the answer to. This is intentional. Part of the domain of eldritch horrors is that they are fundamentally incomprehensible. Therefore, it makes sense that we never really understand exactly what’s going on.

Signalis is not a game understood with logic. It is a game that makes you feel. So it is best understood by feeling. You may not be able to explain what you find here, but some part of you will understand. I left this game feeling moved and changed.

w a k e   u p.

Signalis is one of my absolute favorite games I’ve played this year and maybe one of my favorite games of all time. I rate Signalis a nine out of ten, only dropping a point due to some interface choices that can make the game challenging at times. Despite this, if you like mysteries, eldritch horrors, or strange, convoluted plots that slowly unravel themselves, this game is for you.

Signalis is a game that has inspired diehard fans and driven people to manic deep dives to attempt to understand more. It is a game with a lot to love that draws you in. Remember your promise and wake up.