A Study in Steampunk: Choice by Gaslight

About

"A Study in Steampunk: Choice by Gaslight" is a visual novel adventure game set in a steampunk-inspired Victorian era. You play as a detective solving mysteries and making choices that impact the story's outcome. The game features a gaslamp fantasy world, character customization, and multiple endings based on your decisions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

A Study in Steampunk: Choice by Gaslight screenshot

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 148 reviews

story36 positive mentions

graphics2 negative mentions

The game features a well-written narrative with engaging characters and a rich steampunk setting, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes stories.
Choices in the game feel impactful and meaningful, leading to various branching paths and multiple endings, enhancing replayability.
The game successfully combines elements of mystery, political intrigue, and moral dilemmas, providing a captivating experience for players.

Players cannot choose their character's gender, which limits customization and may detract from the experience for some.
The early chapters can feel episodic and disconnected, making it difficult to engage with the story until later on.
Some players felt that the choices could be overly simplistic or binary, lacking nuance in certain situations.

story
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
68%
3%
The story is widely praised for its depth, engaging characters, and the significant impact of player choices on the narrative. Many reviewers highlight the intricate plot, which combines elements of steampunk and detective fiction, offering multiple branching paths and character arcs that enhance replayability. While some noted minor frustrations with certain choices feeling inconsequential, the overall consensus is that the storytelling is compelling and well-crafted, making it a standout experience in interactive fiction.
- “The story is intense, the characters are vivid, and the paths and endings are really varied.”
- “Every choice you make feels like it has weight and impact on the story, while still flowing together to create a whole narrative.”
- “A long, captivating story in which your choices make a world of difference.”
- “Very good game overall, but I feel like it could have gone on for significantly longer, and the story feels very stunted because of that.”
- “The story unfolds itself slowly through a series of unconnected events.”
- “It isn't especially original - you will recognize most of the plot beats in advance if you've read classic books of the late-Victorian era.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have found the emotional depth of the game to be surprisingly impactful, with well-developed characters and meaningful interactions that evoke strong feelings. Many reviewers noted that the narrative's rich storytelling and challenging choices led to moments of joy and heartbreak, making the experience both immersive and memorable. While some comparisons were made to other titles, the overall consensus is that the game successfully delivers a heartfelt and engaging emotional journey.
- “I kind of went in expecting something fairly shallow, but I came away actually... emotionally affected by the events that happened to my character.”
- “The game gives a rich, full life to your character, and the connections made with other characters are really meaningful and touching.”
- “Really good work, and anyone who says otherwise is plainly wrong. In a mere 8 hours, I have experienced some of the more joyous, heart-wrenching, and nerve-wracking moments I have ever had playing a game and reading a book.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability due to its intricate branching paths, multiple main arcs, and well-developed characters. Players can explore various storylines and choices, enhancing the experience despite some limitations in initial character options. The rich narrative and social themes further contribute to its replay value, making it an engaging choice for players seeking depth and variety.
- “Great writing, characters, and replay value.”
- “There's some good replay value, with about four main arcs (establishment, revolutionary, monk, and monster) in addition to some shipping.”
- “The pros are the beautiful setting, the replayability, the well-fleshed-out characters, and the social/political scenery (which is rare enough to mention, since most games talk about elves and giants, not about labor law reforms and religious freedoms).”
- “Finally, the amount of choice here does seem a bit slim; there are certainly alternate paths, but the replay value feels limited.”
- “Has decent replayability, though you'll always start the game as a 'suntouched' male army surgeon no matter what.”
- “The only problem for me was there were a few more typing errors than I'd like to see, but honestly, it's 277,000 words with intricate branching paths and lots of replay value, so it's not that big of a deal.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game features a rich Victorian steampunk atmosphere, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, with top-notch writing and complex character interactions. Players are immersed in a moody environment where choices significantly impact the narrative, offering multiple paths and deep character exploration. Overall, the atmosphere is both thrilling and intricately woven into the game's creative plot.
- “Top-notch writing, complex decisions, and an atmosphere only found in the pages of a good book.”
- “Atmospheric, moody, and well-written, this game offers many paths to explore and personalities you can express.”
- “Thrilling atmosphere, astonishing interplay of duty and personal aspirations, choices woven impeccably into the narrative — it's all there.”
- “The atmosphere is steampunk, the characters are reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, and the choices matter.”
- “The general atmosphere of the novel is Victorian steampunk.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviews indicate that while the game may lack traditional graphics or drawings, it compensates with exceptional writing and depth. Some users note improvements in graphics, suggesting a positive evolution in visual presentation, but the emphasis remains on the game's thoughtful narrative.
- “A good improvement is the graphics.”
- “Although I did miss that it doesn't have graphics or drawings, the writing is so wonderful and detailed!”
- “What this game might lack in graphics, it makes up tenfold in thoughtfulness, depth, and choice.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The gameplay is primarily choice-based, allowing players to shape their characters according to their decisions, while also incorporating stat-based mechanics that enhance the overall experience. Users feel that these elements contribute positively to the gameplay, ensuring that choices have meaningful consequences.
- “However, I don't think it detracts too much from the gameplay, as your choices definitely matter and will shape your character to your liking.”
- “The mechanics of the game are choice-based (as expected) but also stat-based.”
- “However, I don't think it retracts too much from the gameplay, as your choices definitely matter and will shape your character to your liking.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game successfully balances meaningful choices with strong character development, a challenging feat for multiple-choice games. Players noted that their decisions significantly influenced the overall narrative, enhancing the depth of character arcs without sacrificing the richness of the story.
- “There were a lot of choices that had a really significant impact on the overall story, which I know is another difficult thing for multiple-choice games: usually where there's a lot of choice, there's not a lot of story or character development; and where there is a lot of story and character development, there's not a lot of real choices.”
- “There were a lot of choices that had really significant impact on the overall story, which I know is another difficult thing for multiple-choice games: usually where there's a lot of choice, there's not a lot of story or character development; and where there is a lot of story and character development, there's not a lot of real choices.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate a notable absence of music in the game, with users expressing disappointment over the lack of any musical score.
- “Still no music.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding in the game to be lengthy, yet engaging and enjoyable rather than tedious, suggesting that it adds to the overall experience without feeling like a chore.
- “The grinding feels endless and often tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “While the grind is lengthy, it often becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding can be exhausting and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”