When comparing SOMA vs The Room, the Slant community recommends The Room for most people. In the question“What are the best short games on Steam?” The Room is ranked 2nd while SOMA is ranked 21st. The most important reason people chose The Room is:
You'll have to find clues, interpret symbols, use correct items in appropriate places to unearth the mystery of the room.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro A horror game for Sci-Fi enthusiasts
SOMA is set in the future, so it has all that futuristic goodness. Things like robots, AIs, underwater laboratories, diving suits designed to endure immense water pressure, and much more. SOMA is a thoroughly enjoyable Sci-fi experience.
Pro Great atmosphere
SOMA’s atmosphere is a combination of various things. It can be the feeling of loneliness when you’re exploring a rundown and desolate lab. The feeling of anxiety as you trek along the seafloor and you’re only surrounded by muffled sounds and the bubbling of the water. The feeling of fear as you dive deeper into the ocean and the sun becomes more distant. It’s an extremely immersive atmosphere, which is something that many modern horror games don’t have.
Pro Thought-provoking story
Like many horror stories, it delves deep into uncovering the central mystery of what’s going on. There are many unsettling events and revelations along the way, bringing up philosophical questions about consciousness and identity. It’s the type of story that sticks with you long after you’ve finished it and is worth experiencing at least once.
Pro A good variety of puzzle types makes sure that the game never repeats or gets tiring
You'll have to find clues, interpret symbols, use correct items in appropriate places to unearth the mystery of the room.
Pro Immersive
Pro Great atmosphere is set by the wonderful music and well done design
Due to an excellent choice of music and incremental telling of a dark story, the game creates a nice bit of tension and a creepy vibe in an otherwise simple and calm game.
Pro Amazing graphics allow for a level of detail not always found on mobile games
The Room has very detailed graphics that show the intricacies of all the items.
Cons
Con Not for mainstream horror enthusiasts
SOMA focuses heavily on psychological horror by maintaining suspense and creating a very creepy atmosphere. If you’re looking for jump scares, gore, and other thrill-inducing horror aspects you might be sorely disappointed.
Con Very linear level design
While other horror titles have branching paths and open areas you get to explore, SOMA is very linear even in its ocean exploration sections. This feels like a failed opportunity to create an even better game.
Con No HUD (head-up display) or map
You have to memorize the layouts of the underwater facilities, since there is no HUD or overlay map system. Even though there are several computer terminals scattered through the game that provide access to rudimentary maps, there's no way to save them.
Con The control scheme can get slightly frustrating
The touch controls of navigating in 3D can be difficult at times.
Con Should be free
Con Ends abruptly
The Room is relatively short. Experienced players will be able to beat it in less than two hours. And it ends abruptly. Luckily there is a sequel.