You know, I understand that not every game will satisfy everyone but it feels an awful lot like someone organized a vendetta against this game, regardless of how good it is. That said, I personally LOVE this game. The gameplay can be summarized as Roguelike with procedurally generated levels made up of discrete rooms connected by hallways. All of the action happens in rooms, and there is an auto-mapping feature that keeps you informed of how the rooms connect to each other as you explore. The game does a lot of things right for the horror genre -- you don't get a 'sanity gauge' just some graphical hints and cues from your character as to how they are coping; Much of the damage done by enemies is damage over time so fights have consequence even after you've won; enemies will group up and swarm you if you don't deal with them quickly, and many are capable of charging right to you if you aren't actively taking cover. I play on Easy mode since I'm not a fan of twitchy gameplay and I'm in it for the story, and I'm finding it to be a fair challenge. The theme is what really sets this game apart. Clearly, the designers have read the source material well. The enemies that come from elements of Lovecraft's work are instantly recognizable, and the ones that aren't still fit the theme well. The clues sprinkled throughout the game will make references to characters and features from stories in a sensible way and the game rewards players for having a balanced sense of caution versus managed risk when interacting with 'clickables' and the choices presented. There are, of course, concessions to gameplay but at least there is an attempt to provide appropriate diagesis. The hub is strongly implied to be Yithian, which has implications for those who have read the stories, and the appearances of the gear shops are just priceless. This is a well-designed game that was clearly someone's love letter to classic horror literature, and it's Roguelike done right!
