Boreal Tenebrae Act I: "I Stand Before You, A Form Undone"

About

In "Boreal Tenebrae Act I: 'I Stand Before You, A Form Undone'," players are drawn into a dying town's dream-like world, inspired by PS1-era games and "Yume Nikki". As the town's sickness grows, players must solve a murder, find Sarah, and complete a ritual, uncovering deeper truths along the way, set against a haunting musical backdrop by Guidewire. This retro-style adventure combines horror elements with intricate narratives in an interweaving community story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Boreal Tenebrae Act I: "I Stand Before You, A Form Undone" screenshot

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 36 reviews

story8 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game features a unique art style and intriguing story that captivates players.
It has a surreal atmosphere with compelling themes and a nostalgic retro aesthetic reminiscent of PS1 games.
The soundtrack and sound design enhance the overall experience, adding to the game's mysterious and spooky vibe.

The game is plagued by numerous game-breaking bugs that can halt progress and frustrate players.
It ends abruptly with a 'to be continued' message, leaving players without a satisfying conclusion.
The save system is inadequate, with limited slots and issues that can lead to lost progress.

story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The story of *Boreal Tenebrae* is a magical-realist narrative that follows a group of friends in a small, troubled town grappling with an otherworldly infection, while exploring themes of debt, loss, and societal power dynamics. Players can switch between characters, allowing for intersecting storylines that enhance the game's mysterious and atmospheric quality. Despite some bugs affecting gameplay, the compelling plot and unique art style have garnered praise, leaving players eager for the continuation of the story.
- “The story of the game is fairly strong with good characters and great plot twists; unfortunately, this game is just act one of the story and so ends with a 'to be continued.'”
- “The atmosphere is mysterious and spooky, the story is intriguing, and the retro style is charming.”
- “A unique art style and intriguing story make this game well worth it.”
- “The story also talks about topics like debt, uncertainty, apathy, and loss.”
- “You can easily miss parts of the story, or play them out of order so it seems weird.”
- “Systems of power play a big role in every story in Boreal Tenebrae, tangibly through threats of violence and death but also intangibly through poverty, desperation, and exhaustion.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The game's graphics are praised for their unique art style and retro aesthetics reminiscent of PS1 games and 2000s TV shows, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While the visuals are engaging and colorful, some players noted the presence of game-breaking bugs that detract from the enjoyment. Overall, the graphics are a significant draw, contributing to the game's charm despite its rough edges.
- “The main appeal of this game is most likely the visual design, a large amount of video filters over very vivid colors and appealing character design, with great prerendered cut scenes.”
- “A unique art style and intriguing story make this game well worth it.”
- “With its cassette tape-like aesthetics, the game at times feels like you're watching a forgotten home movie of people you never met.”
- “The game is executed in the vein of a PS1 game, with low-quality, yet endearing graphics, and a heavy amount of puzzle-solving, via using/combining items in your inventory found throughout the game.”
- “Visuals kinda remind me of 2000’s TV shows that would be on during that time.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its surreal, dreamlike quality, enhanced by charming retro graphics and atmospheric sound design. Reviewers highlight its mysterious and spooky elements, with a unique blend of storytelling that creates an immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as intense, psychedelic, and full of personality, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “Perfectly nails the dream atmosphere, great surreal exploration game.”
- “The atmosphere is mysterious and spooky, the story is intriguing, the retro style is charming.”
- “This game had everything to be one of the best indies I've ever played in my life: it has a surreal, intense, psychedelic, and magnificent atmosphere, with its own philosophy.”
- “I feel bad because I do like the concept and atmosphere of this 2.5-3 hour game (reminds me a lot of Serial Experiments Lain anime)... and what's there is enjoyable.”
- “The atmosphere is mysterious and spooky, the story is intriguing, the retro style is charming (though I ended up bumping the resolution up a bit).”
- “+ gloomy, mystical atmosphere.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The gameplay is generally considered passable, with simple puzzles and a generous hint system, but lacks the challenge and polish some players desire. While some find the mechanics reminiscent of classic horror games, the experience is marred by potential game-breaking bugs, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the narrative. Despite these issues, the gameplay is seen as intentionally designed to enhance the game's themes and atmosphere.
- “Some might consider the gameplay and the game systems amateurish or not polished enough, but I will argue that it is highly intentional to enhance the game's narrative and themes.”
- “Nice atmospheric adventure game with Grim Fandango-style gameplay.”
- “The mechanics of the game resemble the 'Alone in the Dark' series, only there are no action elements.”
- “As for the gameplay, it’s passable; there’s not really much risk for failure. Some of the puzzles are pretty simple (there's no real Silent Hill 2 hangman puzzle, which I would have appreciated), but there is a generous hint system if you get stuck.”
- “I'll have to satisfy myself by watching some gameplay from a lucky player who had the privilege of not encountering any major bugs throughout their journey, so that I can enjoy the narrative, which, I repeat, seems to be incredible.”
- “It's a new type of horror game; on top of the gameplay, you're in constant fear of the many game-breaking bugs you'll encounter.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's soundtrack has received high praise for its excellence, with many players expressing a strong appreciation for the music, even purchasing it post-game. However, there are mixed feelings about certain tracks, with one song noted for being particularly unpleasant. Overall, the music and sound effects effectively contribute to an unsettling atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is excellent, and I purchased it immediately after completing the game.”
- “Great music and sounds.”
- “One song in particular hurts my ears, and I dreaded being in that area.”
- “The music is quite disappointing.”
- “Music and sound effects are at just the right level of unsettling.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is frequently described as being plagued by bugs and glitches, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these stability issues, many players appreciate the game's personality, atmosphere, and story, indicating that the enjoyment may outweigh the technical shortcomings for some.
- “However, regardless of everything I like about this game, it is extremely buggy.”
- “The problem, however, is that it's buggy all over the place.”
- “Encountered a few glitches along the way.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game excels in visual design and character aesthetics, reviews suggest that character development may not be as strong, focusing more on appealing visuals and cut scenes rather than deep narrative growth or complexity.
- “The character designs and color work are great!”
- “The main appeal of this game is most likely the visual design, a large amount of video filters over very vivid colors and appealing character design, with great prerendered cut scenes.”