Sagebrush
A downloadable game for Windows and macOS
AVAILABLE NOW FOR PC AND MAC!
"I met Anne first, waiting for the bus. I asked her what she was selling and she laughed and said nothing, nothing at all, that what she had to offer was free for anyone who wanted it bad enough. I asked her what had helped her. She just said 'James.'"
Sagebrush is a first-person narrative adventure about exploring the compound of an apocalyptic Millenialist cult in remote New Mexico years after they collectively took their lives in a mass suicide event.
In Sagebrush, you'll investigate the long-abandoned Black Sage Ranch, the former home of Perfect Heaven, an apocalyptic cult formed in the early 1990s under the guiding hand of the prophet Father James.
Inspired by Real-World Apocalyptic Cults
Based on extensive research into cult groups both famous and obscure, large and small, Sagebrush avoids simplistic motivations and easy answers. The members of the Flock are diverse and complex people with varied needs, hopes, and fears.
An Immersive, Lo-Fi 3D World
Sagebrush features an evocative low-poly, low-resolution, less-is-more art style that combines retro aesthetics with modern technology, along with a fully-realized soundscape and an original ambient musical score that immerses you in the remote New Mexico desert.
A Whole Compound to Explore
Black Sage Ranch is yours to wander, from the trailers that housed the cultists, to the halls where they gathered for food and prayer, to the old mines that stretch out below the compound, untouched for nearly a century.
Uncover the Real Story
Find notes, recordings, and belongings that give insight into the people who lived at Black Sage Ranch. What did they believe? Why did they join? Were they happy? And why did they choose to end it all?
Estimated Play Time: 60-120 minutes
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $6.99 USD. Your purchase comes with a Steam key. You will get access to the following files:
Comments
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Wow, what a riveting story and depth. I was recommended by the owner through Reddit. It delivered, what a fun mature story line with gut wrenching revelations. Great work!
Amazing game. Thank you.
Incredible, haunting game. The heavy and oppressive atmosphere throughout the game had me anxious, but despite that I just couldn’t stop playing; I had to know what had happened, where the story was going. And it did not disappoint. It was all a terrible car accident that I couldn’t look away from. At the same time, I feel the game doesn’t overstep its boundaries: the game is uncomfortable, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t feel that it ever crosses the line into being shocking for the sake of it.
A great story, graphics and music that lend themselves well to it, and good acting all come together to create a game with no scares that is still one of the scariest games I’ve played.
Played this today, had no idea what to expect. Loved it! Only 1 thing I would change: James' voice acting performance wasn't charismatic enough for a cult leader
Loved playing this game, chilling game that never had a jumpscare but still unnerved me with a chilling atmosphere
I love this game on ps5! Even got the platinum trophy, leaves me wanting to see more to the story.
Hey, this game is really special, the soundtrack really stuck with me and i’d love to have it as a reference for a proyect i’m working on, any idea where i could find the sources for it?
Game made me extremely uncomfortable, well done.
It's a well written, gripping narrative game, it took me about 90 minutes to complete. No bugs to speak of, the gameplay is pretty linear and it's hard to get lost as long as you read and pay attention to all the notes.
Trigger warning: Several mentions of self-harm, murder, brainwashing, and one reference to pedophilia.
There are no jumpscares, the spooky elements are entirely environmental and situational.
hi I bought this last year with a bundle I think? just wondering how to get/generate the steam key since I really wanna go for achievements as well :)
I don't think steam keys work with bundle games, unfortunately they only seem to work with individually bought games.
that's a shame :(
Yeah, I had the same issue with No Delivery, the dev gave me the exact instructions but it didn't work for the bundle version there either
Loved this game. The atmosphere is just so well done and it feels really good to slowly put the pieces together to what happened. It is a bit more than 2 hours long, but it's definitely worth the money
Must play if you're interested in true crime!
Thanks for the amazing story; this game was such a good surprise!
This was on sale, I bought it and was thoroughly surprised! It's a great game with a creepy atmosphere that lingers with you even after completing it. Excellent work!
Absolutely stunning game that took me by surprise. Superb work in showing how easily people get sucked into cults, and how hard it is to leave even after you've left the compound.
I really enjoyed playing this (even if I got stuck a few times).
Wonderful work! The storytelling style through not only words, but also the implications given by scenery, objects, setting, lighting--It's just a gorgeous and emotional piece.
Loved this!
Got this a while ago in the bundle, very good game! Thank you for making!
I found the male voice actor a bit lackluster and the game is obviously just one big key hunt, but I still think this is a very well done psychological horror game
Amazing story! Enjoyed this a lot.
Excellent story and I love the whole lofi environment. It's sad to know that this type of story plays out again and again in the real world. A good game and a good cautionary tale.
Absolutely incredible game.
I did have an issue with finding the Rectory 2nd floor key. I don't know if there was a hint I missed, but I had to turn to a walkthrough to find it.
The horror atmosphere really got to me, especially in the Church and the Mines. There aren't any overt jump-scares, but a few of the times when a door would automatically shut, or a floorboard would creak, it would give me quite a fright.
I nearly quit at the section after the Church tape, as it was getting a bit much for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it, as the ending is superb.
I rate it 9/10.
Yes, there was. The hint is in Lilian's trailer.
I like the idea of this and the story started great but I think I might have a bug of some kind? I couldn't really continue beyond the community hall. Maybe I didn't look hard enough but i couldn't find the key for the gate.
You can find the gate key in the room with the record player (walk in via the front doors, and it's the first door on the left), and it can be used to open the gate. It's on the side of the bookshelf, on the opposite side of the room from the ping-pong table. Best of luck!
Thanks for the tip. I did try that but i couldnt pick up the key is what I meant.
Good exploration journey of a game! The story was well written and had a satisfactory ending.
Crashes when you interact with the crates
also, why does it say 12/15 tapes? when did that happen and how to get the other 3?
this was incredible, thank you.
That was fucking fantastic.
nice short game, about 1,5-2hours of gameplay. Great atmosphere and music. 8,5/10.
I finished this game yesterday.
I really appreciated the overall experience, the sense of exploration and query you have within, as well as the environment depicted and this horror sauce treated that way.
I REALLY hope you may continue by producing other exploration games like this. Totally loved the setup and the gameplay! Congrats!
Great game! Loved the atmosphere.
Wow heavy stuff but very good
Very nice. Recommended 👍
Wow such an amazing game! I enjoyed it very much. The story was easy to follow and really set the tone of the game, the graphics reminded me of an old horror PS1 game which I liked a lot. The ambience was wonderful and had hints of horror - and tied up nicely at the end. Took me 2 hours to finish in one sitting. I recommend playing it!
this game blew my mind. literally cant explain how incredible this was. 100% in my top give games i played. just wow. absolutely recommend. some lines in this game just had me thinking about them for hours afterwords. fantastic
Fantastic game! It's really haunting, yet grounded in its presentation. This one is a treat for those into dark, narrative-focused games. There's a lot to chew on if you're interested in religion, too.
Hi, I'm really interested in your game, but I wanted to make sure before playing that there is no gore/jumpscares. I understand that the game delves into unsettling themes, but I just wanted to know if it was scary.
extremely mild spoilers:
there are no jumpscares, no gore - just low poly bloodstains and flies.
there's nothing visually disturbing, but there are many mentions of acts of violence associated with cults--torture, self mutilation, sexual exploitation--if reading/hearing any of that bothers you.
Great game! Didn't intend to but finished it one sitting, couldn't stop. 10/10
I'm so glad I got this game, and I loved the narrative. The chill, eerie, and creepiness were the best part. The only thing that lacked was the soundtrack, the game often got too quiet at times. Either way its a 9/10 for me!
Excellent atmosphere and story. It raises awareness for a very scary reality for some people, and it's sad to know that things like this exist. This game was definitely eerie toward the end. I only had to look up one hint to find the lock to the rectory gate because I didn't see it, but otherwise, I got 15/12 tapes and completed it in a couple of hours without help. 10/10