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Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller
Developer Phoenix Online Studios
Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is a 4-part episodic point-and-click graphic adventure game released by Phoenix Online Studios for multiple platforms. Funded through Kickstarter in 2011, four episodes were released for Microsoft Windows and OS X with the first two also for iPad. Jane Jensen, the creator of the Sierra On-Line Gabriel Knight series, was a story consultant for the development of the game. The first… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
226 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 22, 2026 · last updated Oct 23, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
75
LovedLoved
143 positive · 47 negative
95% range 69–81%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 143 | 47 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 1 | 30 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
454 of 563 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
75% recommend · 144 yes, 47 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 191 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (678 of 822 positive).
Players praise the captivating story and unique psychic abilities. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note technical issues like glitches and clunky controls. [1][4][5] The game is recommended for fans of point-and-click detective adventures. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
Although this game isn't without merit, ultimately I still can't recommend it. The story is well written, and kept me playing to the end, if only barely. The art and audio aspects are okay, nothing spectacular. The character models and animations are mostly just plain awful. But the worst parts are some of the mechanics/controls and puzzle designs, which are often really aggravating and at times downright dumb, and …
- [1]
Although it was glitchy and the movement lagged, this game hits all the marks for me. Cognition is a classic point-and-click game where you play as Erica Reed, an FBI agent who has a strong intuition ability that has slowly developed and made her able to see the past whenever she touches anything. One night, Erica got a message from a serial killer whom she'd been investigating. He kidnapped her brother, and she had …
- [2]
I'm writing this review after I have completed full story and all branches (if we can call these small choices to get achievements) and it took me ~30 hours to get everything done. I consider it as too much time spent (could finish average RPG or couple of adventure games by that time) but it was well worth my time. I'm impressed with this game, it brings new faith in modern point&click games. Captivating plot where …
- [4]
This is "Saw: The Game" with it's interesting torture devices and poor people getting tortured by an unknown serial killer. Don't try this at home (or outside in that matter). As much as I wish the killer was just your regular next door cereal killer, this game wouldn't have come to light if that were the case. First things first: the game's pretty buggy and it used to crush on me so often in the beginning that I …
- [10]
A twisty and satisfying tale of a psychic FBI agent rescues this adventure from some unsatisfying puzzles, which rely heavily on tiny pieces ordered just so and series of overly specific dialog triggers. There are a few good ones in there, but by and large they're of the fiddly and annoying minutely tiered type that ever deprive you of classic point 'n' click "a-ha!" moments by unveiling yet another step of the same …
Summarised from 34 of the 226 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
75% of the 191 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller. The complaint that keeps coming up: some puzzles are fiddly and unsatisfying. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Overall, Cognition has been viewed positively, with praise given to the story, production values, audio and music. Upon release, reviewers commented on graphical issues, such as clipping issues and erratic walking animations, but these have since been patched. Erica's use of cognitive powers as a gameplay mechanic was positively received by fans and reviewers. Critical reception generally increased as the series continued, excepting the final episode which received mixed reviews. During the online release party for the final episode, The Cain Killer, Phoenix suggested that a second season is planned.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 226 · most liked firstMy paper on hierarchical plans is out in Cognition!🎉 tldr: We ask participants to generate hierarchical plans in a programming game. People prefer to reuse beyond what standard accounts predict, which we formalize as induction of a grammar over actions. authors.elsevier.com/a/1kBQr2Hx2x...
neutral · AI labelView post →Information / Review English Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is an Adventure game developed by Phoenix Online Studios. Gameplay / Story The story begins with a hectic prologue. Erica rushes to a cemetery to rescue a hostage from the clutches of a serial killer. But the dramatic staging backfires: Since I can look for side cutters, shovels and other objects without time pressure, the excited music doesn't fit at all and is annoying after a few minutes. The first case takes place some…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Are people bad randomizers in general, or only in some contexts? In our new paper, now in press at Cognition, we found that 'socializing' randomization — in this case by pitting people against each other in a live game of Battleship — dramatically improved randomization behavior 👇🏼
neutral · AI labelView post →There's one Team Hoi game that's still confined in the Amiga hardware environment: a small-scale, cogwheel-based puzzler called Cognition. I think @reiniervanvliet.eurosky.social doesn't have the source files of it anymore, but it might be possible via disassembly… archive.org/details/cogn...
neutral · AI labelView post →Although it was glitchy and the movement lagged, this game hits all the marks for me. Cognition is a classic point-and-click game where you play as Erica Reed, an FBI agent who has a strong intuition ability that has slowly developed and made her able to see the past whenever she touches anything. One night, Erica got a message from a serial killer whom she'd been investigating. He kidnapped her brother, and she had to ignore her superior's advice and rush to help her. Alas, she failed to do…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Me with a copy of Sanibel by @elizhargrave.bsky.social that I bought on Sanibel by the lighthouse at Sanibel. Good game, and one I think I’ll use for a Game Day in my Cognition of Gaming class. (Also, great vacation spot!)
neutral · AI labelView post →My current stat names for my heroic OSR game: Physicality Anger Speed Lies Cognition Love
neutral · AI labelView post →I love adventure games and detective stories, so I thought this would be a perfect match for me. Unfortunately there was very little I liked in this game. Good things: while a catch-the-serial-killer themed story and protagonist's talent for seeing helpful visions are not exactly original ideas, they are still a solid set-up for an interesting game. The story handles building up and maintaining suspense and tension very well. The game also has a convenient feature for showing hotspots, so…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →guest reviewer Zahaara is as baffled as I am by the love for Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller: nebula.tv/videos/innue...
negative · AI labelView post →Story was good. All four episodes have unique gameplay features. Graphics was good. There are some creepy things i hate in each and every episodes. After Adam Wolfe this is my favourite point and click story game. Overall good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You arrive at the crime scene. Nobody is wearing gloves and is allowed to touch everything with their bare hands. There is something under a shelf! Looks important! Lets grab it! We are not going to use this in Court right? So no need to bag it or do any kind of documentation. Hey forensics guy, just found this, can I keep it? Suuuure. Pssst photo dude, maybe you wanna take a picture of the evidence? Nah Im good being useless. That officer that was standing outside is in here too. Why…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →⚠️New review on video games for cognitive citizen science! "From Players to Participants: Citizen Science and Video Games to Understand Cognition" arxiv.org/abs/2604.24321
neutral · AI labelView post →My open access article "Hello, Worlds: A Ludic Theory of Cognition" is out today in Games & Culture 🎉 Drawing on a wide array of sources, I make the case that cognition is inherently ludic & enactive, meaning both game & world are brought forth through play. 🔗 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Is this the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 1990's again? What's with all the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ logic? I'm at the interrogation part with Goodman, he's a homeless man who won't talk to me unless I get him some food. I have a full box of doughnuts, but I can't give them to him, doughnuts are not food I guess. Fine I'll get him an egg sandwich. His response is that he's not "that hungry", ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, you live on the street you probably eat ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ for breakfast, eat the damn sandwich or starve for all I care. I remember…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Social Cognition Lab grad students brought their A game to #SPSP2026. So proud of their hard work!
neutral · AI labelView post →God I am like. Still in love with the idea of Lobotomy Corporation's Cognition Filter. What a fucking cool way to have an in-game reason for the game having the art style that it does.
neutral · AI labelView post →Due to inconsistent writing and annoying controls, I'd say this game is a no-go for typical lovers of the point-and-click, detective/thriller genres, BUT that being said, it depends on your own personal taste and patience. This game is FOR you if you: - love beautifully drawn comics/cutscenes - really enjoy endless plot twists and never expecting where the game will take you - are a gore/thriller enthusiast - like episodic adventures that ultimately tie together a main storyline - enjoy lots…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Brimming with Unrealised Potential Touted as the spiritual successor to Gabriel Knight, I really wanted to love this. An intriguing murder mystery/supernatural crossover setup, a strong female lead and Jane Jensen as a story consultant. This has a lot going for it. However, I never really felt that this had the heart that some of the best adventure games have, such as Gabriel Knight and the Blackwell series. You're plunged into the action from the get-go, but I missed those quieter,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game saved my life. I am 43. My ex-wife and I have a daughter together, and adopted our son together. They are now both 4 years old. When we were going through our separation, I found myself lost and miserable. I was self destructive. I got so mad one day from everything spiralling out of my control that I punched some concrete in a moment of overwhelming emotion. That caused me to break my 5th metacarpal in my right hand... my working hand... my games hand.. the hand that I held and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Although this game isn't without merit, ultimately I still can't recommend it. The story is well written, and kept me playing to the end, if only barely. The art and audio aspects are okay, nothing spectacular. The character models and animations are mostly just plain awful. But the worst parts are some of the mechanics/controls and puzzle designs, which are often really aggravating and at times downright dumb, and make playing this feel like a chore. The game also freezes regularly. Also if…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Where to start? 1 The protagonist is the most unlikeable character especially when she pulls a gun and threaten her partner. Okay her brother is in danger, but to treat your partner in that way?? 2 No way of skipping cut scenes annoying when it is maybe the third time after failing a sequence. 3 Movement is slow and lagging with freezes every now and again. 4 The voice acting is awful. I enjoy adventure games and wanted to like this one, but no for me there is nothing to recommend it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its like if 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris were a puzzle game! manipulate gravity in the alien world of Cognition Method
neutral · AI labelView post →i would like to recommend this game because its great except there are 2 chapters missing and i paid full price for all the chapters. no help was offered or money returned. things get confusing without these missing pieces. i know this is a problem for a lot of people who paid for this game and as of yet it doesnt seem to have been fixed. i couldnt even find a way to purchase missing chapters.....idk.....so we were all just ripped off i guess. i kept thinking they would eventually offer a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Where the hell did this come from? I've loved and played many point&click adventures over the years. Thought I've pretty much seen them all. From the LucasArts era past Broken Sword, all Wadjeteye games to more recent titles like Kathy Rain. It's 2025 now and I had never even heard of this before. Found it in a reddit list because I literally ran out of adventure games or so I thought. It's damn good. Awesome protagonist. Erica curses when she wants to and doesn't mince words which is a huge…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can see the fun of it, but the constant crashes ruins the overall experience.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really recommend this to anyone who likes good adventure and detective games! However, do keep in mind that the story is very intense, including some visual imagery that could upset some
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story is interesting and intriguing. The game mechanics are sometimes annoying since you go back and forth to the same locations for minor items which unlock after certain requirements. The game crashes a lot and I do not recommend it if you have little patience for gamebugs and graphic glitches. Overall it's a pretty ok game, but finishing it was a chore for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm writing this review after I have completed full story and all branches (if we can call these small choices to get achievements) and it took me ~30 hours to get everything done. I consider it as too much time spent (could finish average RPG or couple of adventure games by that time) but it was well worth my time. I'm impressed with this game, it brings new faith in modern point&click games. Captivating plot where you as FBI agent have to clean bloody mess and find a killer of your brother,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When I started playing Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller in 2016 the game's unusually brutal and violent nature caught me unaware and scared me away (the fact that the pace of the game slowed down after the opening events was also one of the reasons why I stopped playing it). When giving it a second chance more than 2 years later, I was positively disappointed. After having finished it I must say this is the goriest adventure game I have ever seen - many characters ended up getting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cognition is a BAD game, don't waste your precious TIME on it. Just having a bearable story and a somewhat mystery is not enough to make a game. A game must be functional to be enjoyable but if the game is abhorrently designed, then what's even the point? If you really want to experience the game, you can just watch a walkthrough on Youtube.. As I understand, Cognition is the first game by Phoenix Online Studios made in 2011 through Kickstarter for $34,000. Where did all that funding go for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So, this is a point-and-click adventure/detective game, be mindful of the following themes: Murder, violence, guns, kidnapping, death, blood, dismemberement/light gore In this game, you play as Erica Reed, an FBI agent investigating murder cases. You get personally involved in a murder case and... it all goes downhill from there. If you've seen the show Stitchers and liked that concept, you'll like this game. Erica is a "Psion", someone with mental powers. She can see the past when she touches…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't think P&C adventure games should be synonymous with "relaxing", take-as-much-time-as-you-need, no failure state games, that consist only of puzzle-solving loops and are basically casual games that you can play 'on the side', while doing something else...like waiting in a CS:GO queue or reading a newspaper. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis not only had failure states where you could die, but it also had interactive sequences like fist fights and even car chases. Those 'genre…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is "Saw: The Game" with it's interesting torture devices and poor people getting tortured by an unknown serial killer. Don't try this at home (or outside in that matter). As much as I wish the killer was just your regular next door cereal killer, this game wouldn't have come to light if that were the case. First things first: the game's pretty buggy and it used to crush on me so often in the beginning that I almost gave up on it. The fix: right click on game, select "properties", in the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a "OK" detective game. It feels almost like a movie sometimes. But I really dont like the super slow animations and it takes forever to load new scenes. And I really hate the timed reaction scenes >.<
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →3 years ago I made pre;COGNITION and I said "This is it, this is the last time I ever use RPG Maker XP" Anyway, please play this game I worked on in RPG Maker XP it's pretty good. eeveeexpo.com/threads/9671/
neutral · AI labelView post →#sleradio #indiemusic #newmusic music added to SLE Radio 2026 week 15 Inward of Eden - Consequence is a Glitch - Game of Fools - Ghost of Amelie - Slow Burn Cognition - The Game - The Washed Here Come The Mummies - Road Trip - Nomadic Life - DTF - Rubber Meets The Road - Backdoor
neutral · AI labelView post →started a new voices of za void playzhrough. on day 2. resume save, moving boxes out of za basement.. .. INSTANTLY snatched by za Cognition. game wasn't open even 5 minutes.
neutral · AI labelView post →-Incredibly buggy -Crashes very often -Archaic UI design -Incredibly slow animation (also awful animation) The only positive is the story but guess what? I didn't get to finish it because of how often the game crashes. Very strongly not recommended.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is piece of art and should be in museum of the best videogames of humanity. Big thanks to Phoenix Online Studios. You're legendary!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pros + well written, exciting, dark and intriguing story with some twists and turns. you re an female FBİ agent who has some cool psychic powers and investigating multiple serial murder cases + when you press to space, hotspots highlighted so no need to pixel hunting + well thought and clever puzzles + there is a map + fun to watch and exciting comic book style cinematics + nice atmosphere + two playable character. you can switch between them. + decent voice acting + realistic and well…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is both technically, visually and story/character-wise a nightmare.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to give this game a positive review, but after episode two it massively goes downhill. The puzzles become too complicated, unfollowable and basically unachievable without a walkthrough. Which ends up making you lose interest in plots/subplots. Game play is slow which gets tedious and boring, this game could have been great if they kept it simple and didnt keep over complicating already complicated constructs. Sorry.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm kind of shocked I haven't written a review for one of my favorite point and click games already. It took me ~20 hours long to finish, and the story had me glued to my seat the whole time - I highly recommend going into the game blind and just letting it take you along for the ride. The gameplay mechanics are distinct and unique, as the main character Erica has psychic abilities to see some of the past and memories at crime scenes, which makes the scenes fun and thrilling, even though it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →only own episode 2 for some reason, i may have gotten it for free from something. crashes when i launch the game 100% of the time after picking chapter play time is afk card farming
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great point and click mystery
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A twisty and satisfying tale of a psychic FBI agent rescues this adventure from some unsatisfying puzzles, which rely heavily on tiny pieces ordered just so and series of overly specific dialog triggers. There are a few good ones in there, but by and large they're of the fiddly and annoying minutely tiered type that ever deprive you of classic point 'n' click "a-ha!" moments by unveiling yet another step of the same damned puzzle. You have to bait the player along by letting him bask in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7520163/]You can find hundreds of other reviews through our Curator page "Gabriel Knight -- The New Class" Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller has the kind of title that wants to leave nothing to the imagination. It’s a game about Erica Reed. She is staring in a tale that might succinctly be described as a thriller. Also, she has the power of Cognition. It’s a good game with occasionally dodgy animation. I give it a gracious 4/5. My job would be so…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the Best games I've ever played in my Life!!! And I've played hundreds. It kept changing just enough to keep it consistent and familiar, yet fresh. The Four chapters made the game nice & long. The characters, storylines and "abilities" made the game an Amazing experience. The Detective part was great, the locations were very good and the dialog was Stellar. I can only hope there will be more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →+ Great Story. + Protagonist is a Psion. + Puzzles migrate with Psionics. - Interface is Rigid. Player have to exit from some screens to use powers or items, and that’s why player would miss something important. It is a shame that people think the game is slow-paced (even though the story cut to the chase from beginning).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Animations are somewhat annoying. The story starts off pretty stilted and felt forced, although that improved. There's a fair bit of pointless back-and-forthing. Moving around the FBI office is annoying since movement is slow and the space is too large to fit the scene. Overall I would've given this thing a Yes. Then I played through part 4. New, frustrating mechanics. Very frustrating puzzles. I just quit and uninstalled, game unfinished. As much as I want to see the end of the story, the game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game starts slow and I'll admit I almost uninstalled it because of how clunky and slow it was, but once I got about an hour in the game really shines. The puzzles are pretty good, dialogue and music are great. And it does telltale type consequences better than most telltale games did.Not only that, each episode has heaps of different abilities to use to solve puzzles. Highly recommend if you like point and click adventure games. 8.2/10 might play again in 10 years
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good click adventure game. Awesome story, design and sound. You can earn achievements. And you can get trading cards.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game #64 2.10.2018. Wish I could give this game a "neutral" rating Its times like these that I really wish Steam had a “Neutral” rating for a review score. Cognition: An Erica Reed thriller is not a bad game, however, it’s not that great a game either, at least in my opinion. First of all: HOLY COW! It’s been over a month since my last review. You’d think that it would be normal for me to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →not really vibing with the ending.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is amazing. Of course due to it's age, it's not so intuitive as I would expect, but you can finish it without checking a walkthrough. The storyline is wonderful, puzzles are ok, animation and characters are good.. I recommend
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite its age, a very solid point and click adventure game. I did have a glitch where some tabs of a journal never rendered, so I needed a walkthrough to get a safe combination. Good voice acting too, and the main character sings the theme song which is pretty cool.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unlike highly trained FBI agent Erica Reed, I do not need psychic powers to know the killer left through the bloodstained open door.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game felt like an adventure I needed, which I just found by accident. To be honest, I didn't anticipate it to be this enjoyable. It's one of those charming stories that gets better with age, just like wine.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Please don't buy this game, it's a waste of your time and money. Terrible overall story. Unlikable characters. Awful backgrounds. Bad 3D. Annoying puzzles. Torture porn just to be edgy. Unsatisfying conclusion. Samey music throughout. Bugs and glitches galore. Just don't. About the best thing I can say is that the writing has moments of shine where it piqued my interest and had me wondering where the story was going, but ultimately those fleeting moments didn't add up to anything worthwhile.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I know i am terrible with point and click, so i used a guide quite a few times.. the story is fine, but there are some things that really got on my nerves. I click to talk to someone : < I'm too far >... fine just walk there and talk on your own ! I know i will need an item so i click to pick it up, and i can't, but hey a few talks later I can. Why can't i just take it for later ! I want to show someone to a character, but I can't because I first have to sit in front of him, and then select the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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