At the Mountains of Madness

About

"At the Mountains of Madness" is a lovecraftian horror adventure game. Players explore an ancient Antarctic city, solving puzzles and fighting off monstrous creatures. The game features a rich atmosphere and a gripping story, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+15

20%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

story7 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game has a visually stunning environment that captures the atmosphere of Lovecraft's story.
There is potential for a deep and engaging RPG experience, especially for fans of Eldritch horror.
The freezing mechanic adds an interesting layer to gameplay, enhancing the survival aspect.

The game has been in Early Access for over 5 years without significant updates, leading to concerns of abandonment.
Numerous bugs and performance issues make the game nearly unplayable, including severe frame rate drops and character movement glitches.
The voice acting and dialogue are poorly executed, detracting from the overall immersion and storytelling.

story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The game's story, inspired by Lovecraft's "The Mountains of Madness," is criticized for its vagueness and lack of coherent narrative structure, leaving players feeling lost and disconnected. While the atmosphere is praised for capturing the essence of Lovecraftian horror, the execution suffers from poor voice narration, animation, and significant plot holes, leading to an overall disappointing storytelling experience. Many players express hope for future improvements but currently recommend caution, especially for those not deeply invested in Lovecraft's works.
- “In terms of atmosphere, I think the dev team did a great job of recreating the atmosphere of Lovecraft's story.”
- “Great atmosphere, good storytelling, and also based on 'The Mountains of Madness' as it plays after the events in the story.”
- “All in all, I only recommend this if you are a huge Lovecraft fan, and want to support the devs. You can see that they put effort into it; the atmosphere is somewhat good, but they really must focus on storytelling, as it is one of the core principles of Lovecraftian pieces.”
- “The game has the worst voice narration, animation, loading times, and major holes in the story to the point of being incomprehensible.”
- “No narrative guiding you through the story, no notes explaining anything.”
- “There is a bit of dialogue and a bit of text, but it's not enough for telling a story.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its faithful recreation of Lovecraftian elements and storytelling, while others criticize it for lacking depth and immersion due to poor voice acting and gameplay mechanics. While there are glimpses of a compelling atmosphere, many feel that significant improvements are needed to fully realize its potential and align with the core principles of Lovecraft's works. Overall, it appeals primarily to dedicated fans of Lovecraft, but broader audiences may find it lacking.
- “In terms of atmosphere, I think the dev team did a great job of recreating the atmosphere of Lovecraft's story.”
- “Great atmosphere, good storytelling, and also based on 'The Mountains of Madness' as it plays after the events in the story.”
- “Yes, there was a bit of action in 'The Mountains of Madness' (the novella), but it should be only a small aspect, where story, setting, and atmosphere should be the focus.”
- “Atmosphere, scares, gameplay...even the ability to finish the game are all sorely missing from the experience; and seeing as the last update was years ago at this point, it seems safe to say that it will remain this way.”
- “The voice acting is terrible, and if this is more than a placeholder, it is a big minus, as atmosphere is so important in H.P. Lovecraft games in my opinion, and this ruins any immersion.”
- “Yes, there was a bit of action in the novella, but it should be only a small aspect, where story, setting, and atmosphere should be the focus.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the environmental visuals and lighting are commendable, overall quality is often described as sub-standard or mediocre. Animations are frequently criticized as dreadful, and some users find the graphical issues detract from the overall experience, despite a compelling story. Overall, the game's graphics seem to be a low-budget effort that some players can overlook if the narrative is engaging enough.
- “The graphics are decent and the lighting is really good.”
- “The one positive I have for this game is that it has great graphics when it comes to the environment.”
- “Weird flashy graphics.”
- “The graphics are sub-standard, but I could get past that if the story were engaging.”
- “The longer you wander...the more fragile and thin your desperate mind becomes...as the insipidness of the graphics and terrain and animation wear you down and down...you realize you've truly reached: the mountains of madness!”
- “Turning down the graphics had no effect on the frame rate either time, just made the game look even worse.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The game's optimization is currently criticized for severe performance issues, with players experiencing low frame rates and significant bugs, even on capable systems. Many users express disappointment, feeling that the game is not ready for release and that the current state does not justify its price, despite hopes for future improvements. Overall, the initial impression is that the developers need to address these optimization concerns urgently.
- “I will keep an eye on this and hope it can get improved a lot, as in another half a year or year of changes to the performance, layout, voice acting, mechanics, UI, etc. If it does perform better eventually, I might change my review, but right now, this just isn't worth the money they ask for.”
- “Of course, this is something that could be fixed in early access via optimization, but it leaves the initial impression that the developers have no idea how to go about doing that.”
- “I am aware that optimization doesn't usually happen until the very late stages of development, and it might improve the performance, but right now, it runs terribly on a system that can run many current or very recent triple-A titles at medium to high settings.”
- “I am aware that optimization doesn't usually happen until the very late stages of development, and it might improve the performance, but right now, it runs terribly on a system that can run many current or very recent triple-A titles (Division, Witcher 3, GTAV, Hitman, etc.) at medium to high settings.”
- “I am sorry, but if this is considered close to being ready for release, it really deserves a downrating, especially at the current price. I don't mind big problems in an early access game if I know it's the very early stages, but 18 EUR to get into early access for a game that has severe performance issues and other bugs just isn't okay.”
- “Even though I paid a dollar, this feels like I wasted that money because since July the game is still a buggy, unoptimized mess.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with users finding the mechanics bland and unengaging, particularly criticizing the "freezing" mechanic as eventually annoying. Many reviewers express disappointment in the overall experience, citing a lack of atmosphere and scares, and some feel that the game is not worth its price given its current state. There is hope for future improvements, but as it stands, the gameplay is seen as a significant drawback.
- “The 'freezing' mechanic is kind of neat, but after a while, it just gets annoying.”
- “Once you collect the plot-mandatory flashlight and walking stick and get into the main gameplay, you're dumped in a dark, hideous-looking ice cave.”
- “I will keep an eye on this and hope it can improve a lot, as in another half a year or year of changes to the performance, layout, voice acting, mechanics, UI, etc.”
- “Atmosphere, scares, gameplay...even the ability to finish the game are all sorely missing from the experience; and seeing as the last update was years ago at this point, it seems safe to say that it will remain this way.”
- “I found the gameplay extremely off-putting to the point where I couldn't go on.”
- “The gameplay is pretty awful and bland so far.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting it as unfinished and plagued by numerous bugs, including a problematic HUD and poor character movement. Despite some appreciation for the story, many feel that the overall experience is marred by its lack of optimization and persistent issues, leading to a sense of wasted investment.
- “Unfinished, buggy, and completely broken.”
- “After starting the game, I could overlook the mediocre graphics and sloppy character movement, the buggy HUD, and interaction with the environment because the story matters, right?”
- “Even though I paid a dollar, this feels like I wasted that money because since July, the game is still a buggy, unoptimized mess.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound effects in the game are generally well-received, with users noting their quality and effectiveness.
- “The sound effects and music are pretty good.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is primarily derived from its amusing bugs, which some players find entertaining; however, many feel that these comedic elements do not justify the game's price.