Dread Nautical
Fun game, if you can get over some annoyances. The story is good. The battles are fun.
Bad things:
Low replay value.
Part of your party can get stuck outside of a room when you get “ambushed”. This makes for the annoying practice of “rushing characters into a room at the start of a fight”. Gotta do that as fast as possible… and it is very silly and annoying.
A threat system starts up when you hit floor 10. The game is way more fun without it. I don’t want to think about how to collect loot after a battle in the least possible amount of steps (because threat goes up with every move) It doesn’t make the runs more interesting, it just makes it more annoying, and you have to keep going straight towards the exit on every map.
– Real player with 45.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Lovecraftian Roguelike Games.
Dread Nautical bring tactical and survival challenges to play. you can search for supplies and gears. you can choose if you wish to engage the enemies or sneak pass them to complete the floor. I find this game to be fun and challenging. Also who and how many survivors you recruit affect your gameplay in term of food and dividing resources.
– Real player with 21.9 hrs in game
Paradox Vector
The most exciting and admirable aspect of Paradox Vector is unquestionably the art design, which is not only unique, but a true joy to look at. All the colors and shapes build up a very stylized, but beautiful environment which is exciting to explore to the last detail.
Apart from that, many other aspects of the game may or may not cause… 𝘮𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 feelings in certain players - depending on their gaming taste or temperament - like the enemy AI, the layout of the levels, the sometimes unbalanced difficulty, the sharp contrast between the first and second half of the game, etc. But even with the hit and miss parts, I think Paradox Vector is still worth to play. Recalls many great and interesting aspects of old (FPS) games combining with a truly unique aesthetic.
– Real player with 11.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Lovecraftian Retro Games.
I’m not too far into Paradox Vector but I’m very much enjoying the old school vibe of the game. Think 80s Tron combined with a prison-labyrinth setting. The game has proved quite challenging due to HP restores being limited, however the dev has noted this and adding some extra nodes to make the game a bit less daunting at the start. (Even though I died a lot, I actually enjoyed how punishing it felt, reminded me of the good old days)
There’s no real soundtrack to the game from what I’ve encountered, but the creepy ambience adds to the atmosphere. It actually surprised me with how many jump scares it’s given me. Prepare for plenty of brain-bending areas that will play tricks on your mind as you try to navigate your surroundings.
– Real player with 7.0 hrs in game
Forgive Me Father
Score: 7.5 / 10
Price/Value: FULL
Time: 2-ish hours
Difficulties played: Extreme
A retro Lovecraft themed FPS that I was really glad to see got a demo in the last Steam Next Fest - one of my favourites - and the main product is more of that eldritch goodness.
You play a priest coming to an Innsmouth style town looking for answers and packing some serious faith lead. You will have access to upgradeable weapons in the form of a:
- Knife (bread and butter weapon)
– Real player with 8.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Lovecraftian Shooter Games.
tl;dr, good game at present, can be a great game with some improvements - solid 7/10 currently. I really liked it and I’m looking forward to more.
Detailed pros, neutrals & cons below, but includes some spoilers as to content.
Pros
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Game controls very well. Character is fast and fluid, which suits the backpedal/strafe style required.
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Gunplay is excellent, guns have good feedback and they feel effective.
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Graphics are excellent. Enemy design is unique and enemy telegraphing is fairly clear. Level aesthetics are varied.
– Real player with 3.4 hrs in game
Sinistrous
Introduction
Discover an ancient dungeon and battle eldritch horrors in this Lovecraftian deck-builder. Play as either the Warrior, the Witch, or the Rogue and enjoy strategic turn-based combat as you carve your way through mind-bending labyrinths. With each new adventure you will face a unique and randomized assortment of mystifying events, phantasmal environments, and perplexing creatures. There are more than 100 unique cards featured in Sinistrous and each class introduces new mechanics and distinct play styles for high replayability. Seek out the Darkness, question your sanity, and uncover the secrets of Carcosa.
Features
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Play as three cultists with their own unique skill sets while fighting your way through an unpredictable Lovecraftian world.
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Make critical decisions in an attempt to preserve your sanity, or satiate your lust for lunacy and unlock your cultist’s untapped potential.
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Customize your deck with over 100 ‘Cards’ and game-changing ‘Runes’ as you strategize against enemies of shapes and sizes unbeknownst to man.
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Experience events that make you question reality as you explore and unveil the secrets of Carcosa.
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Enjoy a dark, gritty art style featuring fully animated heroes, enemies, and more.
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Experience a hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack that fuses orchestra and electronica.
Siphonophore
I was a beta tester for Siphonophore so I’ll go into a bit more depth about the game.
TL:DR - I enjoyed my time with the game, The gameplay loop is simple and fun, Boss fights are challenging and the game’s story kept me interested while at times a little confused.
Gameplay/Difficulty
You start off with a basic cannon like weapon which you will be using for a majority of the game with new weapons and colour upgrades becoming available once you have defeated each boss. You also have a dash ability that can be used to propel you short or long distances with momentum affecting how far you travel. The creature also has some weapons to deal with enemies and is more useful against the bigger enemies you encounter.
– Real player with 13.3 hrs in game
Tip: Hold E and use scroll wheel to enable progress.
So far I don’t think it’s a masterpiece. The gameplay is lacking due to the large number of enemies, important indicators communicated exclusively through the HUD, and near complete lack of distinction between food and foe.
However, it’s worth playing. The aesthetic and sound design are just like in the trailer, and the dialogue while probably thoughtless gibberish is entertaining to read (except in the extended tutorial that entirely misses the core issue).
– Real player with 1.7 hrs in game
Dreadful Shadows
Looks super promising, cant wait to see where it will end up!!
– Real player with 309.0 hrs in game
The Victorian style really caught my eye the monsters seem decent and the game play looks compelling, its really nice to see so many indie game devs these days breathing fresh air in an otherwise stale market, keep up the good work
– Real player with 91.8 hrs in game
10 Dead Doves
10 Dead Doves is a short, singleplayer, fixed-perspective horror story set in the heart of the Appalachian wilderness.
it’s 2004. The mountains are much older. Your name is Marcus Stetson, a seasoned backpacker who wants to relive the glory days of hiking the harsh Appalachian Trail– but you want more. You pool your resources together with your long-time trail buddy, Sean, to embark on one final outing, but your bond, will, and wits are put to the test when you receive a series of cryptic messages from a haunting, bird-like figure in your dreams.
Features
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Explore a fully realized short narrative full of mystery, heart, and mortal terror.
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Experience a thrilling psychological horror campaign with secrets tucked into every corner.
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Navigate the Wren’s peculiar Dove Dreams, and uncover multiple endings that will affect both your past– and future.
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Discover horrifically beautiful environments and uniquely flawed characters, all designed with charmingly disturbing ’00s-inspired 3D graphics.
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Grass.
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███ ███████████.
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Full voice acting and subtitles.
Explore the dark recesses beyond The Fence and attempt to survive the belly of the beast.
Brimstone Brawlers - Early Access
Very promising game!
The game is beautiful, really good gameplay mechanics, nice rythm, interesting characters, this is a lot of fun no matter if you want to play it casually or if you want competitivity, both works really good!
Almost single developer so it’ll take a bit of time to reach its full potential but nothing can go wrong with so much passion! Dev is actually really active to take all the feedback from players (i’d say everyday) and really efficient so this is really reassuring to see that :).
– Real player with 79.7 hrs in game
I am not one to leave reviews, but this indie game really struck me.
I currently have a little over 5 hours in this game and I simply can not get enough and am pleasantly shocked by how much this game has to offer from replayability and skill cap ceilings. Talk about being competitive and enriching, every character has their own unique playstyle and combos that allow you to try to perform and perfect yet such a simple idea that I was able to pick up on the concepts immediately and over time have found out more and more things as I played, making me feel like I am growing with the game which is always incredibly fun.
– Real player with 26.6 hrs in game
Deadly Cosmic
It’s a short but very cool game, I liked the creatures and the mystery in the plot, I also liked the little moments of humor. In fact I wanted the game to be bigger because I was very involved, but it makes sense for the price. From my point of view it is a game that worth it!
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
Loved the premise of the game, and the graphics definitely give it that unique feel and add to the creepy vibe. I had a little trouble with the perspective, especially when there was a creature just off screen that I could no longer see because of the change in perspective, but you learn to maneuver and function quick enough.
Took me a while to find and operate the toilet… longer than I would like to admit. Overall, I would definitely recommend playing through this one, it is worth it!
Here’s some gameplay if interested (first stream terminated with no warning and I had to restart the stream)
– Real player with 1.9 hrs in game
Morkredd Prøve (Demo)
Dark and shadowy style like Limbo/Inside. Slow paced puzzle game for two with splitscreen co-op makes it a good title to play with someone who is not a hardcore gamer. :) The free demo is reasonably long, if you want to get a taste of the game first.
– Real player with 3.2 hrs in game
What’s not to love about 2 friends screaming about their nightlight.
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game