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Carnival

Carnival Game Cover
100%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
gameplay, replayability
100% User Score Based on 55 reviews

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Carnival Game Cover

About

Carnival is a single player action game with horror, mystery and historical themes. It was developed by Beyond Booleans and was released on August 25, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

After agreeing to take on what seems like a mundane story about the unique city and its planned road bridge, journalist James Maynard finds himself uncovering a disturbing underbelly to the local customs, and a hideous core to the notion of Venetian pride. Not even the might of Mussolini can truly kill the Carnival. Winner of Best Lines of Dialogue - Adventure Games Of The Year 2025. C…

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100%
Audience ScoreBased on 55 reviews
story26 positive mentions
  • Exceptional atmospheric storytelling with a compelling, well-researched narrative set in historically rich 1930s Venice.
  • Strong, haunting soundtrack and sound design that perfectly complements the eerie and immersive folk horror mood.
  • Beautifully crafted pixel art, especially the detailed and expressive character close-ups, enhancing the game's unsettling atmosphere.
  • Puzzles are generally very simple and rudimentary, offering little challenge and limited gameplay depth.
  • Pixel art resolution is low and lacks some detail, making it occasionally difficult to spot important objects without hotspot highlights.
  • Some minor bugs and repetitive sound effects (notably loud footsteps) can detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is widely praised for its atmospheric, slow-building horror set in 1930s Venice, with richly detailed writing and strong thematic depth that captures Lovecraftian pacing and mood. Players appreciate the blend of historical research, character realism, and meaningful choices leading to multiple endings, all supported by minimal but effective puzzles. Though the plot touches on familiar horror tropes, the narrative’s execution, immersive ambiance, and emotional engagement make it a standout and memorable experience.

    • “A masterclass in atmospheric storytelling, with an ending that delivers on the promise of everything that comes before it.”
    • “The dev really understands that the heart of Lovecraft is his pacing; the story starts off quite normal, with beautiful details as you explore Venice and do your job as a journalist (and that isn't just thrown away, the dev keeps the journalist role central to the action) and then the slow buildup of dread as you move inexorably towards something horrific... it is truly a joy to see a game developer who actually gets Lovecraft and, not only that, created something worthy of its own place in the mythos and the canon.”
    • “It’s very much narrative-focused and light on gameplay, but the amount of research put into it is astounding, and along with the detailed close-up character portraits and the brilliantly atmospheric soundtrack, it is easy to ignore its few hiccups and let yourself be swept along by an increasingly dark story.”
    • “The slightly unnerving feeling it lets grow stronger bit by bit is nicely done, even though, as is often the case with this type of story, the eventual horror isn't all that scary once it's revealed.”
    • “I can't say the plot about traditionalists worshipping an ancient chthonic horror is fresh or original, but otherwise it's a great, atmospheric little game.”
    • “Because of this structure, the game leans heavily on dialogue and storytelling rather than traditional puzzle-solving.”
  • atmosphere
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game excels in creating a dense, unsettling atmosphere, masterfully enhanced by its haunting soundtrack, detailed pixel art, and Lovecraft-inspired storytelling. While the writing receives mixed feedback for occasional amateurishness, the rich historical context and immersive audio-visual design consistently draw players into a creepy, suspenseful experience. Overall, atmosphere is the game's standout feature, praised as both its core strength and defining characteristic.

    • “A masterclass in atmospheric storytelling, with an ending that delivers on the promise of everything that comes before it.”
    • “Competently written, with multiple references to Lovecraft stories (Music of Erich Zann), it captures the spirit and atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “Dripping with atmosphere and suspense and brilliantly crafted by Beyond Booleans (a solo dev!).”
    • “I think the writing is generally hit or miss, and while the effectiveness of the atmosphere depends on your engagement with the historical context of the game, the script has an early internet creepypasta amateurishness that I could not detach myself from.”
    • “Yeah, buddy, most of the spooky stuff here is delivered through an oppressive atmosphere, but it also has jumpscares that it earns.”
    • “I want to say that most of the weight pulled here is in that aesthetic appeal, though that's neither denying the story (which is roughly equivalent to most of Lovecraft's work in quality) nor the soundtrack (which is a major component of the previously mentioned atmosphere) their inherent positives.”
  • music
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in this game is widely praised for its haunting, atmospheric, and highly adaptable qualities that perfectly complement the Lovecraftian horror theme and pixel art visuals. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's eerie elegance and its significant role in creating a foreboding and immersive mood throughout the game. Despite minor issues like overpowering sound effects at times, the soundtrack is considered a standout element that deeply enhances the game's unsettling atmosphere and narrative experience.

    • “The soundtrack is going to be the most praised aspect of this game, and for good reason: it is highly adaptable and fits almost every scene perfectly, matching the atmosphere with a rugged elegance.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal, and hits all of the eeriness you'd want for a horror game.”
    • “The super lo-res visuals are incredibly evocative, the music is pitch perfect in every scene, and what to say about the writing, which blends the most mysterious aspects of Venetian history with the unsettling whispers of ancient rites that to this day haunt the city's alleyways?”
  • graphics
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's pixel art graphics are highly atmospheric and carefully crafted, effectively enhancing the eerie and unsettling tone while evoking a nostalgic point-and-click aesthetic. Though some players found certain details too minimal or small, the visuals, especially in close-ups and key scenes like the carnival, are praised for their evocative quality and artistic care. Overall, the pixel graphics blend seamlessly with the mood and storytelling, making the simple aesthetic a strong asset rather than a limitation.

    • “The pixel graphics worked really well and every pixel was used to maximum effect.”
    • “The pixel-art sceneries are truly beautiful and the pixel art works perfectly to blur some of the most disturbing or explicit scenes.”
    • “The pixel graphics are well made and the gameplay feels like home.”
    • “The pixelated art style serves the purpose, though sometimes I missed some objects or details and it would have been nice to have a little more "there" there.”
    • “Actually great game in terms of substance if you don't mind its simple aesthetic, I mean as far as I am concerned the pacing and the tone was perfect, the only thing that holds this game back is scope, the writing is good, but it's not voice acted, and the art is a bit too small, even though you did a good job with it.”
    • “In these moments, the game presents their faces in far more detail, almost as if you’ve suddenly stepped into another, more graphically advanced title.”
  • gameplay
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is straightforward and simple, with puzzles that are easy to solve and a strong focus on narrative and meaningful decision-making. While more complex gameplay could enhance the experience, the compelling story, detailed visuals, and atmospheric soundtrack effectively engage players despite the light and familiar gameplay.

    • “Where it lacks are the puzzles, which are rather simple and easy to solve as long as you pick up everything along the way, but I don't think it really needs more complexity in gameplay as the focus is the narrative and you get enough interactivity by making decisions that feel like they matter.”
    • “It’s very much narrative-focused and light on gameplay, but the amount of research put into it is astounding, and along with the detailed close-up character portraits and the brilliantly atmospheric soundtrack, it is easy to ignore its few hiccups and let yourself be swept along by an increasingly dark story.”
    • “The pixel graphics are well made and the gameplay feels like home.”
    • “The puzzles are rather simple and easy to solve as long as you pick up everything along the way, lacking complexity, but the focus is on the narrative with enough interactivity through impactful decisions.”
    • “The gameplay is very narrative-focused and light on interaction; although the research and atmosphere are impressive, the gameplay elements are minimal.”
    • “Gameplay remains simple and familiar, offering little challenge or innovation.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's multiple endings enhance its replayability, encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Carnival is a action game with horror, mystery and historical themes.

Carnival is available on PC and Windows.

Carnival was released on August 25, 2025.

Carnival was developed by Beyond Booleans.

Carnival has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Carnival for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Carnival is a single player game.

Similar games include The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, Unavowed, ASYLUM, The Last Door: Season 2 - Collector's Edition, The Last Door: Collector's Edition and others.