Have you ever been sitting at work, staring at your desk and wondering what life would be like if you could escape into another world? Personally, I’ve often imagined being a vampire, living in a beautiful gothic setting and doing whatever it takes for the person I love. Admittedly, that probably says quite a lot about my taste in books, but who doesn’t enjoy a little dark romance?
Developed by Ongun Ayhan and published by Joygame Select, Pale Incense is an upcoming gothic simulation game that combines running a perfume shop with the rather unusual responsibility of hunting humans to save your dying wife. By day, you’re a respectable businessman creating fragrances for customers, but once night falls, you’re roaming the streets searching for your next victim.
As somebody who enjoys simulation games and has a particular weakness for anything involving vampires and romance, I was immediately intrigued by the concept. There’s something quite appealing about managing a business while secretly living a completely different life, especially when the story involves love, immortality and a few morally questionable decisions.
Having experienced the demo, I found plenty to appreciate, particularly its beautiful Victorian-inspired setting and unusual combination of activities. However, while the idea behind Pale Incense is promising, some of its mechanics left me feeling more confused than I would have liked.
till death do us part
Pale Incense takes place in a gothic city that appears heavily inspired by Victorian London. Although the game doesn’t establish an exact year, the architecture, clothing and general appearance of its surroundings suggest a setting somewhere around the nineteenth century. It’s a fitting choice for a story involving vampires, forbidden love and the rather unpleasant consequences of attempting to cheat death.
You play as Edmund, a vampire who spends his days creating and selling perfumes from his shop. However, behind his seemingly ordinary business lies a heartbreaking situation involving his wife, Johanna.
Unlike Edmund, Johanna is human, meaning she cannot escape the inevitable reality of growing old and eventually dying. Unable to accept the thought of losing her, Edmund attempts to transform his beloved wife into a vampire so they can remain together forever. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan.
Johanna’s body cannot withstand the transformation, leaving her gravely ill and dangerously close to death. Desperate to save her, Edmund must gather human essence from his victims to create the treatment she needs to survive.
I really liked this premise because it gives an otherwise ordinary business simulator a darker purpose. Rather than simply running a shop to earn money, you’re also trying to save somebody you love, even if that means sacrificing innocent people along the way. There’s something tragically romantic about Edmund’s determination, although I’m not entirely convinced Johanna would approve of his methods.
Unfortunately, the story doesn’t develop much further within the demo. Once the tutorial is completed, the main objective remains focused on saving Johanna, with very little additional narrative to explore. I would have enjoyed learning more about their relationship and the events leading up to her failed transformation, particularly because the concept has the potential to deliver an emotional storyline.
For players expecting a heavily story-driven vampire adventure, the demo may feel somewhat limited. However, I think the premise works well enough to support the simulation elements, even if the characters and their relationship could benefit from further development in the finished game.
perfume by day, blood by night
Pale Incense revolves around two very different activities: managing your perfume business during the day and hunting humans once darkness falls. I enjoyed the contrast between these responsibilities, as it gave me something different to do depending on the time of day.
Before beginning, you’re presented with four difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, Hard and Nightmare. I appreciated having these options, particularly because not everybody approaches simulation games in the same way. The demo also allows you to skip certain activities, meaning you can concentrate on the shop or the nighttime hunting when you prefer, although both remain important to Edmund’s overall objective.
running the perfume shop
During the day, your main responsibility is creating fragrances and selling them to customers. You begin by obtaining ingredients, either by purchasing them or heading outside to forage for materials such as citrus, rose and lavender.
Once you’ve collected your ingredients, you can begin producing individual scents by selecting different methods, temperatures and durations. I liked having several options to experiment with, as I initially expected these choices to influence the quality or characteristics of whatever I created.
Unfortunately, this is where I encountered my first major frustration.
The tutorial doesn’t properly explain how these settings affect the finished product. I tried experimenting with different combinations, hoping I would eventually notice a difference, but I couldn’t establish what certain changes were supposed to achieve.
The same issue continued when I started combining scents to create perfumes. You can adjust the percentage of each fragrance using sliders, choose different bottles and alter additional production settings. On paper, this sounds like an interesting crafting system with plenty of opportunities to experiment.
However, the game provides very little feedback to help you understand whether you’re making a good decision. For example, certain combinations display labels such as Common or Uncommon, but it wasn’t clear whether these referred to the perfume’s value, quality or customer preferences.
I don’t mind figuring things out for myself, especially in simulation games where experimentation is part of the enjoyment, but I would have appreciated a clearer explanation of how everything connects. Without that information, the different settings sometimes felt more complicated than they needed to be.
Once you’ve created your perfumes, you can begin selling them to customers, which was one of the more enjoyable parts of the experience.
Each customer has particular requirements, encouraging you to consider what they’re looking for before offering them a fragrance. I liked this because it gave me a reason to think about what I was selling rather than simply handing over whatever happened to be available.
The trading interface also displays the minimum and maximum amount a customer is willing to pay, alongside an indication of how favourable the current deal is. This was a feature I particularly appreciated, as it removed much of the guesswork from negotiating and helped me understand whether I was getting a reasonable price.
There’s also a rather entertaining mechanic that allows Edmund to use his vampiric abilities to influence customers through hypnosis. Depending on the situation, you can attempt to increase their sense of urgency or calm them down, potentially improving the outcome of a sale.
These abilities require blood points, although the demo didn’t make it particularly clear how to obtain them. I also struggled to notice any meaningful difference when experimenting with hypnosis, which was disappointing considering how interesting the idea sounded.
It’s certainly a mechanic that suits the game’s vampire theme, but I think it needs clearer explanations and more noticeable feedback to make using it feel worthwhile.
I also encountered a frustrating issue where certain interactions required several attempts before they responded properly. This became particularly annoying when serving customers, as they could leave before I managed to complete the action I was trying to perform.
Hopefully, this is something that can be improved before the full release, as the shop management itself is enjoyable when everything works as expected.
when night falls
Once the sun goes down, Edmund’s responsibilities become considerably more sinister. Instead of creating lovely fragrances and dealing with customers, you’re heading into the streets in search of human victims.
Your objective is to feed on unsuspecting people and collect their human essence, which is needed to create the treatment that could save Johanna. After attacking somebody, you can hide their body in the drainage system before making your way to a nearby boat and returning home.
It’s certainly a dramatic change from selling perfume.
I enjoyed having this darker side to the gameplay because it gives Pale Incense an identity beyond its shop management mechanics. You’re not simply earning money and expanding a business; everything you do is connected to Edmund’s desperate attempts to keep his wife alive.
Once you’ve returned home, the essence you’ve collected can be used towards creating Johanna’s treatment, providing a clear reason to continue venturing out after dark.
However, I would have liked the nighttime activities to feel a little more intense. Hunting victims should be one of the most exciting parts of playing a vampire, but the lack of atmospheric audio means these encounters don’t always feel as dramatic as they could.
There is also a customisation system that allows you to purchase furniture and make changes to your living space. Although I liked having the option, I didn’t spend much time experimenting with it because I preferred reinvesting my money into the perfume business.
With bottles and ingredients constantly needing to be purchased, decorating the house felt less important than keeping the shop running. The selection of furniture was also fairly limited in the demo, although it’s a feature that could become more interesting with additional options.
I enjoyed the variety offered by the two different sides of Edmund’s life. The perfume business was particularly appealing to me as a simulation fan, while the night time hunting added an unusual twist. My main criticism is that some of the systems need better explanations, as there were occasions when I spent more time trying to understand what something did than actually enjoying it.
a beautiful gothic world
If there’s one area where Pale Incense really impressed me, it’s the visual presentation.
The game features an attractive, realistic art style that captures the gothic atmosphere beautifully. From the architecture and furniture to the clothing worn by its characters, everything contributes to the feeling of being transported into a nineteenth-century city.
As somebody who enjoys gothic fiction and period settings, I absolutely loved this aspect of the game. The darker colour palette, detailed interiors and carefully chosen lighting create an environment that feels appropriate for Edmund’s unusual lifestyle.
One detail that particularly stood out to me was Johanna’s character animation. While she’s lying unwell in bed, you can actually see her breathing, which makes her condition feel more believable. It’s a relatively small touch, but one that I appreciated because it helps communicate her vulnerability without relying entirely on dialogue.
I also liked the amount of attention given to the furniture and surroundings. The perfume shop feels like a place where somebody genuinely works, while Edmund’s home reflects the darker circumstances surrounding his personal life.
The lighting deserves particular praise, especially during the nighttime sections. I’ve played plenty of games where darkness makes it almost impossible to see what’s happening, often leaving me squinting at the screen rather than enjoying the environment.
Thankfully, Pale Incense manages to maintain its gloomy atmosphere without making visibility a constant problem. I could appreciate the surroundings and navigate the streets comfortably, which made exploring at night much more enjoyable.
There was, however, one visual issue that I found irritating. The text displayed underneath the quest information occasionally changes size depending on what is being shown. Sometimes it becomes so small that reading it comfortably is difficult.
I couldn’t find an option to adjust this within the settings, and I think having a consistent font size or additional text accessibility options would be a welcome improvement.
Apart from that, I was genuinely impressed with the graphics. The visual design is easily one of Pale Incense’s strongest qualities, and it does an excellent job of bringing its gothic setting to life.
a little too quiet
Unfortunately, while Pale Incense looks beautiful, I don’t think its audio makes the most of the atmosphere that the developers have created.
One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the voice acting. Although there isn’t a great deal of spoken dialogue in the demo, the performances I heard were clear and convincing, with a formal delivery that suits the game’s period-inspired setting.
It’s a shame there isn’t more of it, because I think additional voiced conversations could help bring the characters to life, especially when it comes to Edmund and Johanna’s relationship.
My biggest criticism is the lack of background music and environmental sound effects. There were several occasions when I felt the world was simply too quiet, particularly during activities that should have been more suspenseful.
The nighttime hunting sections are a perfect example. You’re supposed to be stalking the streets as a vampire, searching for victims and gathering the resources needed to save your wife. It sounds like the ideal opportunity for unsettling music, distant footsteps or other sounds that make you feel as though something could go wrong.
Instead, I often found the atmosphere lacking the tension I expected.
I don’t think Pale Incense necessarily needs a constant soundtrack, as silence can be extremely effective when used properly. However, additional ambient noises and music during important moments would make the experience feel more alive.
It’s particularly noticeable because the visuals already establish such a convincing gothic setting. With stronger audio to accompany them, I think the game could become considerably more immersive.
final thoughts
Pale Incense has an interesting concept that immediately appealed to me. Combining perfume shop management with the secret life of a vampire is certainly unusual, and I enjoyed experiencing both sides of Edmund’s existence.
The gothic setting was easily my favourite part of the demo. I loved the attention to detail in the environments, the beautiful lighting and the realistic character designs. Johanna’s breathing animation was particularly memorable, as it helped communicate the seriousness of her condition despite her limited involvement in the story.
I also enjoyed running the perfume shop, especially creating fragrances and negotiating with customers. The ability to see how much somebody is willing to pay is a useful addition, and I liked having the freedom to experiment with different ingredients and combinations.
However, the crafting system needs better explanations. Several mechanics were introduced without enough information about what they actually did, leaving me experimenting without knowing whether my decisions made any difference. The hypnosis feature suffered from a similar problem, as I struggled to understand its effectiveness or how to obtain the blood points needed to use it.
The journal could also benefit from further proofreading. I noticed several grammatical mistakes, including incorrect capitalisation and words such as “mices” instead of “mice”. Some sentences were difficult to understand altogether, which was disappointing considering how much care appears to have gone into the game’s visual presentation.
Although the journal becomes less important after the tutorial, unclear instructions can make learning the game unnecessarily difficult. Improving the writing would make the whole experience feel more polished.
The occasional interaction problems were another frustration, particularly when serving customers. Having to repeat an action several times only for somebody to leave before I could finish was irritating, and I hope these issues are addressed before release.
I would also like to see more variety in the audio. The voice acting is enjoyable, but the limited music and environmental effects prevent the nighttime sections from feeling as suspenseful as they should.
Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy the Pale Incense demo. I have always been drawn to simulation games, and the combination of running a perfume business and living as a vampire offers something a little different from the usual shop management experience.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to somebody looking for a heavily story-driven adventure filled with quests and complex characters, at least based on what the demo currently offers. However, players who enjoy crafting, managing a business and exploring unusual settings may find plenty to appreciate.
Pale Incense has a lovely gothic atmosphere and an interesting idea at its heart, but its mechanics need clearer explanations and its presentation could benefit from additional polish. With those improvements, I think the finished game could offer an enjoyable experience for fans of both simulation games and vampire fiction.
As for me, I’ll happily return to Edmund’s perfume shop when the full game releases. After all, who wouldn’t want to sell beautiful fragrances during the day and embrace their inner vampire at night?
Preferably without having to explain all the missing customers.
A preview code for Pale Incense was provided for preview purposes.
Positives
✅ Beautiful Gothic Atmosphere – The Victorian-inspired architecture, clothing and lighting create an immersive setting that suits the vampire theme.
✅ Unique Gameplay Combination – Running a perfume business during the day and hunting humans at night gives the game an interesting identity.
✅ Detailed Character Designs – Small touches, particularly Johanna’s breathing animation, bring additional realism to the experience.
✅ Enjoyable Shop Management – Creating fragrances, fulfilling customer requests and negotiating prices provides satisfying simulation gameplay.
✅ Promising Voice Acting – The spoken performances complement the setting and add personality to the characters.
Negatives
❌ Poorly Explained Mechanics – The crafting options, perfume quality labels and hypnosis abilities lack sufficient guidance.
❌ Limited Audio – Minimal background music and environmental effects leave some scenes feeling unnecessarily quiet.
❌ Interaction Issues – Certain actions require repeated attempts, which can become frustrating when dealing with customers.
❌ Writing and Grammar Errors – Mistakes within the journal and unclear sentences make some instructions difficult to follow.
❌ Limited Narrative Development – Beyond Edmund’s attempts to save Johanna, the demo provides little additional story or character development.
❌ Inconsistent Text Sizes – Quest information occasionally becomes difficult to read due to changes in font size.
Hi, I’m Tasha, a 26-year-old gamer and writer from Northern England with a passion for storytelling and discovering new games. I enjoy a wide variety of genres, particularly cosy games, puzzles, simulations and action-adventure titles. Outside of gaming, my interests include creative writing, digital art, music and learning new languages. As a writer for IndieCritical, I aim to deliver honest, engaging reviews that share my personal experiences, highlight what makes each game unique and help readers discover their next favourite adventure.
