This Book Is A Dungeon

About This Book Is A Dungeon

This Book Is A Dungeon is a single player role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by NathanMeunier and was released on October 9, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Auto-cannibalism. Demonic Seduction. Occult Rituals. Bloodfeasting Worms. This dark, horrific Twine-based dungeon crawler pairs edgy interactive fiction with grisly pixel art and light RPG elements. Navigate this sprawling narrative-driven labyrinth bristling with otherworldly doom.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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Reviews

74%Audience ScoreBased on 228 reviews

story40 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

Exceptional writing and atmosphere with a strong Lovecraftian and horror theme that deeply engages players.
Unique blend of interactive fiction and minimalistic pixel art that encourages player imagination and exploration through text.
Multiple branching paths, numerous ways to die, and multiple endings contribute to replayability and player experimentation.

Lack of save system and checkpoints leads to frequent and tedious repetition of previously read text after death.
No music, sound effects, or audio elements, combined with slow paced and sometimes unskippable text, can cause frustration and reduce immersion.
Simplistic and poorly implemented combat, minimal gameplay mechanics, and a relatively short length limit overall game depth.

story
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions
The story is a dark, Lovecraftian horror narrative praised for its creative, gruesome imagery, immersive atmosphere, and well-written, engaging storytelling with multiple branching paths and endings. However, some find the plot underdeveloped or disjointed, with pacing issues and limited player choice that detract from overall enjoyment. Despite its flaws, it is recommended for fans of interactive fiction seeking a creepy, story-driven experience.
- “This is not a restrained ghost story but a deliberately grotesque mixture of occult imagery, supernatural creatures, bodily horror, violence, parasites, mutilation, and other unsettling concepts.”
- “All of the paths are well thought out and fun to figure out, the descriptions and atmosphere are horrifying, storytelling and artwork are phenomenal.”
- “The story is brilliantly Lovecraftian and engrossing, particularly the work that went into the collections of books and tomes in the library section.”
- “There's a bit of story attached but it's an incoherent word salad not worth reading.”
- “Considered simply as a story, this book is a dungeon is not great.”
- “There is not only little meaning to the meager story, but also little sense in the deaths that the protagonist endures, which also force the reader to start from the beginning of the story every time.”
graphics
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27% positive mentions, 67% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions
The graphics are minimalist and pixelated, evoking a nostalgic, old-school choose-your-own-adventure aesthetic that some find charming and fitting to the dark, horror-themed narrative. While lacking in animation, sound, and high graphical fidelity, the visuals effectively complement the atmosphere and storytelling, though some users note occasional display issues and a desire for more visual polish. Overall, the modest artwork enhances the game’s identity without overshadowing its strong writing and immersive text-based experience.
- “Its gruesome writing, branching decisions, frequent deaths, puzzles, multiple endings, and minimalist artwork create an experience with a strong identity.”
- “An engaging choose-your-own-adventure style fantasy/horror title with charmingly unique pixel graphics.”
- “Pixelized artwork is really nice, those monsters feel alien and evil.”
- “The graphics are rudimentary, with no music or sound to speak of.”
- “Basically a 'choose your own adventure' game on PC with some basic combat, no sound, very limited graphics, and puzzles that require note-taking.”
- “As it is, the game is one notch above a straight text adventure from the 80s, and only because of the fairly basic graphics.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11% positive mentions, 78% neutral mentions, 11% negative mentions
The game lacks any in-game music or sound effects, which many users feel would significantly enhance the atmosphere and immersion, especially given its Lovecraftian and horror themes. While some appreciate the silent experience or provide their own background music, most suggest adding an original soundtrack or ambient sounds to elevate the mood and overall enjoyment.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “A few suggestions to the dev/author for next time: how about some music to further invoke that eldritchean atmosphere?”
- “There is no sound or music, just endless reading and clicking.”
- “One notices right away that there are no sound effects or music, which are powerful and important tools for creating the appropriate atmosphere in any medium that is not restricted to visuals (or even just text) alone.”
- “It lacks music or sound effects which I think could really push this into another level; I would recommend something creepy while you explore the dungeon.”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, creepy, and immersive qualities, enhanced by strong, atmospheric writing and evocative pixel art that evoke horror and psychological tension. However, the lack of sound or music and occasional frustrating gameplay elements slightly diminish immersion. Overall, the game creates a compelling, grim, and unsettling mood that is a major draw for fans of horror interactive fiction.
- “The main draw of tbiad is its atmosphere; presenting interesting spaces that are reminiscent of a TTRPG one-shot with a horror theme.”
- “The literature contained within tbiad is dark and atmospheric, and the entire twisted experience is supplemented by equally demented, but gorgeous pixel art.”
- “A text-based choose-your-own-adventure with occasional illustrations, this game excels in its writing and atmosphere, which variously play with Lovecraftian, psychological, and body horror.”
- “One notices right away that there are no sound effects or music, which are powerful and important tools for creating the appropriate atmosphere in any medium that is not restricted to visuals (or even just text) alone.”
- “However, the brilliant writing and creepy atmosphere is marred by the game's lack of basic feature for a PC game, a Steam title even.”
- “And what should characterize the gameplay by itself, which is a kind of dungeon crawler game where you're looking for the exit of it, ruins part of this atmosphere, even if the game itself is very short: there are a total of two actual turn-based battles with some monsters, where your only choice is to "attack" the enemy in order to beat it, survive and continue the dungeon, and you will never lose any of these two fights because, who wants to lose in a game where, if you lose, you have to restart and re-read parts of the story you've already experienced, thus causing forced repetitive boring gameplay?”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12% positive mentions, 76% neutral mentions, 12% negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily an interactive-fiction experience with light RPG and puzzle elements, structured around navigating through text-based choices with minimal mechanical complexity. While its unique narrative and atmospheric design are praised, the gameplay is often criticized for being repetitive, overly reliant on trial-and-error, lacking meaningful combat depth, and suffering from frustrating mechanics like no save function. Overall, it appeals mainly to players patient enough to engage with its story-driven, choose-your-own-adventure style rather than those seeking traditional or action-oriented gameplay.
- “Developed by Nathan Meunier and published by Plug In Digital, it is a deliberately unconventional horror experience built around interactive fiction, light role-playing mechanics, puzzles, and repeated experimentation.”
- “Light RPG elements add some mechanical structure to the reading and decision-making, complementing the interactive-fiction foundation.”
- “Gameplay more or less consists of traveling through the various dungeon floors, and interacting with puzzles and entities in a manner akin to a choose your own adventure.”
- “Cool aesthetic, but pure trial-and-error gameplay.”
- “It should be a telling sign to any developer if their product is less mechanically complex than a paperback book; it's not qualified to be called a video game.”
- “And what should characterize the gameplay by itself, which is a kind of dungeon crawler game where you're looking for the exit of it, is what ruins part of this atmosphere. Even if the game itself is very short (I made all the possible choices/mistakes in around 4 hours of gameplay), there are a total of two actual turn-based battles with some monsters, where your only choice is to 'attack' the enemy to beat it, survive and continue the dungeon. You will never lose any of these two fights because, who wants to lose a game where, if you do, you'd have to restart and re-read parts of the story you've already experienced, causing forced repetitive boring gameplay?”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and slow due to repetitive trial-and-error progression, unskippable text segments, and the lack of save functionality requiring long uninterrupted play sessions. While the game offers some shortcuts to bypass repetitive clicking, the slow pacing and repetition can disrupt immersion and become a source of frustration for players.
- “Repeatedly revisiting material after unsuccessful choices may become tedious for players who dislike trial-and-error progression.”
- “Additionally, since large segments of text cannot be skipped, playthroughs to discover alternative paths can get really tedious.”
- “A short, sweet horror game, but the mildly tedious repetition after failing kinda breaks the horror immersion.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions
The game offers high replayability through numerous alternate paths, hidden interactions, puzzles, and multiple endings that encourage exploration of different choices. However, some randomized elements may frustrate players seeking consistent outcomes. Overall, despite its short length, the variety of potential outcomes makes each playthrough feel fresh.
- “Despite its short-lived nature, the content is highly replayable due to just how many outcomes are possible at nearly every twist and turn; whether it's discovering a new death, a different way to handle a situation, or an alternate ending.”
- “High replayability value with different pathways on almost every choice you make.”
- “Secondly, from what I could tell, at least one choice was randomized (there's a hole in the wall near the start of the game where I found a switch/lever one time and got bitten by insects the second try). While they could say it helps replayability, the idea that you'll probably never be able to learn what definitely will not kill you really bugs me.”
- “Needs achievements for replayability”
- “Replay value comes from uncovering alternate paths, unusual deaths, hidden interactions, puzzles, and multiple conclusions.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by its playful and absurd scenarios, such as running away being more dangerous than fighting, which players find delightfully childish and genuinely funny, especially when shared with others.
- “It's funny that running away from an enemy serves more danger than fighting said enemy.”
- “My partner came over and we played it together and we were laughing our asses off at how completely childish it is.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game offers limited optimization features, lacking complex character classes, extensive equipment customization, or advanced tactical combat, so players seeking deep optimization should temper their expectations.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game delivers a few hours of enjoyable, feel-good entertainment, offering a wholesome and emotionally uplifting experience.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability with only minor typos or small glitches that do not significantly impact the experience. Additionally, the lack of music is not seen as an issue by some players who prefer reading without it.

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Play Times

4h Median play time

3h Average play time

2-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

This Book Is A Dungeon is a role playing game with horror theme. Common tags for This Book Is A Dungeon include indie, trading, pixel graphics, text-based, choose your own adventure and others.

This Book Is A Dungeon is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing This Book Is A Dungeon.

This Book Is A Dungeon was released on October 9, 2015.

This Book Is A Dungeon was developed by NathanMeunier.

This Book Is A Dungeon has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked This Book Is A Dungeon for its story but disliked it for its music.

This Book Is A Dungeon is a single player game.

Similar games include Vlad the Impaler, Omen Exitio: Plague, Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road, Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2, Disturbed and others.

This Book Is A Dungeon

Platforms

Games Like This Book Is A Dungeon

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Death Mark

Reviews

story

graphics

music

atmosphere

gameplay

grinding

replayability

humor

optimization

emotional

stability

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