Army of Tentacles: (Not) A Cthulhu Dating Sim
- February 15, 2016
- Stegalosaurus Game Development
Get on Steam"Army of Tentacles: A Cthulhu Dating Sim" is a quirky Adventure-RPG that parodies H.P. Lovecraft's works. As an eldritch horror, you must build an army and destroy the town of Innsmouth within a time limit. The 2D art style blends with photography backdrops, changing to reflect your actions and progress. Time management is a crucial aspect of gameplay, adding replayability.
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Reviews
- The game features a humorous take on Cthulhu Mythos, with clever writing and entertaining dialogue that appeals to fans of quirky humor.
- It offers a unique combat system based on wordplay and trivia, providing a fun and engaging gameplay experience.
- The voice acting is well done, adding to the overall charm of the game, and the multiple branching paths encourage replayability.
- The art style is inconsistent and can be jarring, with multiple artists contributing to a disjointed visual presentation.
- Some players found the voice acting amateurish and distracting, detracting from the overall experience.
- The game has frustrating mechanics, such as a lack of clear quest tracking and an unintuitive inventory system, which can lead to confusion.
- humor30 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of sharp, pop-culture references and surreal elements, appealing to fans of nerd culture while potentially alienating purists of the Cthulhu mythos. Many players found the writing to be clever and laugh-out-loud funny, reminiscent of the sarcastic style seen in titles like The Bard's Tale. However, some critics felt that the humor could be hit-or-miss, depending on individual taste.
“The writing and humor is spot on, I enjoyed every bit of it.”
“The good: great humor, seriously laugh-out-loud at times.”
“The humor ranges from broad to very sophisticated, from generally funny to pop-culture referential and frequently stretches into the surreal.”
- story14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story features a quirky and engaging premise centered around a customizable protagonist who is a half-breed of Lovecraftian old gods, tasked with amassing an army to confront Innsmouth. Players can expect a fun blend of visual novel and RPG elements, complete with humor and branching paths that encourage multiple playthroughs, all while exploring the rich lore of the Cthulhu mythos without taking itself too seriously. Overall, the narrative is praised for its creativity and entertaining possibilities.
“It was a fun little story about a person (pick your gender) who happens to be a half-breed of the old gods from Lovecraftian lore that needs to amass an army to destroy Innsmouth.”
“Overall, I was looking for a fun story with Cthulhu/old gods type mythos in it, and I got it!”
“Creative story that coasts about the Lovecraft mythos without ever getting too serious.”
“Fun visual novel/RPG hybrid game with quirky bard's tale type humor which you may love or not, that suggests multiple plays due to branching story paths.”
“The story has a lot of possibilities, and that caught my attention.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a highly inconsistent and amateurish art style, resulting from the contributions of multiple artists. While some players find charm in the quirky and disparate visuals, others may struggle with the unevenness and photo backgrounds. Overall, the unique approach to art can be appreciated if one embraces its randomness.
“The art and characters aren't bad though, you can just tell it's done with multiple artists with different art styles (which strangely works for the type of quirky game this is).”
“If you can get over the inconsistent art style and photo backgrounds and see the charm in it, then you'll enjoy it.”
“The fourth-wall-breaking jokes and the extremely disparate art styles add a unique charm to the game.”
“The fourth-wall-breaking lampshade-hanging 'jokes' and the extremely disparate art styles got to me.”
“- very randomly uneven and amateurish art style.”
“Also if you can get over the inconsistent art style and photo backgrounds and see the charm in it then you'll enjoy it.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay features an intriguing premise with hints of plot development and varied mechanics, but many players found it lacking motivation to engage fully. Some criticized the inclusion of RPG elements, suggesting the experience might have been better as a straightforward visual novel. Observing others unfamiliar with the game was noted as a more enjoyable way to experience it.
“+ interesting premise, both in story and gameplay.”
“There were hints of some unfolding plot, some different mechanics, maybe some intrigue and misdirects, but I just wasn't motivated to stick around for any of it.”
“I could've done without the silly 'RPG' mechanics and just been a straight-up visual novel instead.”
“The game is more enjoyable when watching someone else unfamiliar with the mechanics and overall references play.”
