A Place, Forbidden

About

"A Place, Forbidden" is a free first-person horror-puzzle game set in a cursed library. Players must navigate a variety of puzzles and uncover the story through notes and books scattered throughout the library. With a heavy emphasis on atmosphere and existential terror, players must uncover the mystery of how they arrived at the Library of Ouroboros and why they feel like they're being watched. The game is currently available on Steam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 290 reviews

atmosphere51 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Great atmospheric horror with a unique Lovecraftian theme and engaging story.
Challenging yet rewarding puzzles that encourage exploration and critical thinking.
The game is free, making it an excellent value for the quality of experience it offers.

Some puzzles can be confusing or lack clear hints, leading to frustration.
The low-resolution graphics may not appeal to everyone and can cause motion sickness.
The game lacks a save feature, requiring players to replay sections to achieve different endings.

atmosphere
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
26%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, often described as thick, creepy, and reminiscent of classic horror aesthetics. Reviewers appreciate the absence of cheap jump scares, instead highlighting the game's ability to build tension through environmental storytelling and intriguing visuals. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the gameplay experience and contributing to a sense of dread and curiosity throughout.
- “The atmosphere is nice and spooky; it has a nice sense of dread like you expect something to come out at you at any moment.”
- “The visuals, the audio, the atmosphere... everything about this was gripping and memorable.”
- “It says it's Lovecraftian, but for me, it clearly fails to capture the atmosphere, instead being a lot more comparable to PT (but way less scary), from which it clearly draws inspiration.”
- “The atmosphere drowns you in immediately, as you wake up not knowing how you got here and what follows is your spiral into the neverending library, followed by an inscrutable sense of dread until you either swing wide the gates of knowledge the human mind was never supposed to comprehend or fail miserably, doomed to an eternal oblivion somewhere between the walls of realities.”
- “There's no atmosphere, just things that were being set up to be creepy.”
graphics
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic PS1-style aesthetic that effectively enhances the horror atmosphere, with many players appreciating the retro, low-poly visuals. However, some users reported performance issues, such as low frame rates and motion sickness, which detracted from the experience. Overall, the visuals are seen as a stylistic choice that complements the game's eerie setting, though opinions on their execution vary.
- “The atmosphere is great and unique, I enjoy the rough graphics too.”
- “I love the retro low-poly graphics!”
- “The graphics in a place, forbidden are reminiscent of PS1 horror games, the atmosphere is immersive and adds to the nostalgic experience.”
- “Personally, I can run Portal 2 very nicely, but I can hardly get more than 5 frames when walking, which made the cluttered room 3 practically unplayable with an Intel i7 graphics card.”
- “Walking simulator reusing low-resolution graphical assets for levels that somehow used 90% of my NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 when fullscreened.”
- “Graphics are awful (not really to blame, it was a stylistic choice I presume), and yet my CPU and GeForce went up to 70°C at least, the whole time.”
story
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The story in "A Place Forbidden" is described as immersive and intriguing, often conveyed through notes and books that players must read to piece together the narrative. While some find the storytelling convoluted or reliant on typical horror tropes, many appreciate its Lovecraftian elements and the atmospheric depth it adds to the gameplay. Overall, the game is praised for its well-developed lore and the integration of puzzles into the narrative, making it a compelling experience for those who enjoy story-rich horror games.
- “The story behind it all was captivating, and I seriously suggest you read every bit of information you come across; it paints a brilliant picture.”
- “The atmosphere is unnerving, the story is interesting, and the puzzles are challenging (but not super frustrating).”
- “An incredibly well hidden surprise of a horror game with fantastic atmosphere, puzzles, and story!”
- “It relies heavily on reading notes and 'books' for a lot of the story, puzzles, and atmosphere building.”
- “Don't get me wrong -- I can tell a lot of effort went into it, and there is certainly potential, but I felt that the story got too convoluted in the end.”
- “While there is more to the story... barely a story at that, there really is no given idea what is needed.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The gameplay is characterized as simple yet effective, primarily involving exploration and puzzle-solving within a well-crafted, atmospheric setting. While some puzzles can be challenging and may require guidance, the overall experience is engaging and polished, offering a nostalgic feel reminiscent of 1990s PC games. Players appreciate the focus on story and atmosphere, making it a solid entry in the casual horror genre.
- “It's a free game that offers 2-3 hours of good gameplay, plus about one more if you're an achievement hunter like me.”
- “Very creepy but cool gameplay and atmosphere.”
- “The gameplay is simple yet effective, the atmosphere is thick and well-done, it's very polished, the writing is fantastic, and it creates the deepest dread I've experienced in a long time.”
- “Which, to my surprise, did not affect gameplay too much and gives the game a 1990s PC game feel, yet burns the brain with lots of tough logical puzzles.”
- “As the setting of a library may suggest, most of the game's gameplay, horror, and story happens through books, so it will be a lot of reading and solving puzzles and riddles.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, with players reporting significant lag and performance issues even on capable hardware. Many feel that it requires an unnecessarily powerful PC for its visual quality, indicating a clear need for improvements in optimization.
- “I only wish the game was better optimized, because a computer able to run RE2 Remake without issue shouldn't have a game like this lag.”
- “Very unoptimized, needs way better PC than how it looks (yeah, yeah I know, low-fi... even worse then!).”
- “I usually enjoy these types of games, but dear lord is this game unoptimized.”
- “I only wish the game was better optimized, because a computer able to run RE2make without issue shouldn't have a game like this lag.”
- “It's clearly very poorly optimized.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is mixed; while some players report encountering bugs and glitches, others have experienced a smooth gameplay experience with only minor issues like typos and occasional character movement problems. Overall, many users find the game stable enough to recommend, especially for horror fans.
- “It's an okay walking simulator, I guess, but it's buggy.”
- “As for bugs, glitches, controls, and things of that nature, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary really, aside from a few typos and a couple of times where you might get stuck on an object, but that was mainly from me messing around trying to climb over or on top of places I shouldn't be.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily due to its multiple endings and rewarding puzzles, which encourage players to explore different outcomes. However, once the puzzles are solved, the short length may limit the incentive to replay beyond achieving all accomplishments. Overall, while there are elements that support replaying, the experience may feel less engaging after the initial playthrough.
- “Beautiful retro art style, original and rewarding puzzles, and multiple endings means decent replay value.”
- “Replayed once to snag all of the achievements because it's pretty short once you've already worked out all of the puzzles, but not much replay value past that.”
- “The game has at least 2 endings to my knowledge, presumably depending on how many puzzles you solved and how much forbidden knowledge you found, so there is some replay value, too!”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The music in the game contributes to the overall atmosphere but lacks standout tracks, making it a solid yet unremarkable aspect of the experience. While it enhances the horror elements, it does not elevate the game to the level of other notable titles in the genre.
- “The soundtrack is there and adds to the atmosphere, even though I don't recall anything that stands out.”
- “The soundtrack is there, adds to the atmosphere, but I don’t recall anything that stands out.”
- “The music doesn't leave a lasting impression and feels forgettable.”
- “While the music fits the theme, it lacks originality and fails to enhance the overall experience.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and mismatched, with some noting that while it can feel repetitive, the overall atmosphere can still make the experience enjoyable.
- “It just felt all mismatched and tedious to me.”
- “The second one where I did the 100% was tedious, but I still liked the atmosphere.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the emotional depth of the game, highlighting how it evokes strong feelings and provides a unique, immersive experience.
- “I enjoy new experiences, and I loved the way this made me feel.”