Cassiculus

About

Cassiculus is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Craig Lawrence and was released on June 25, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

This terrifying first-person horror experience immerses the player into a world of isolation, fear, paranoia and claustrophobia as you make your way through the Oberon Cave. Throughout the game, you will experience atmospheric environments, disturbing audio and horrifying visuals. Delve deep into the Oberon Cave In a remote cave deep in the wilderness a team of amateur spelunkers set out to expl…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

story9 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a great atmosphere and sound design, effectively immersing players in a tense horror experience.
As a free game, it offers a surprisingly engaging narrative and visuals, making it worth the short playtime.
The character interactions and realistic reactions enhance the storytelling, creating a compelling experience despite its simplicity.

The gameplay is overly linear with minimal player interaction, often relying on cutscenes that take control away from the player during key moments.
There are significant bugs that can halt progression, which detracts from the overall experience and can lead to frustration.
The story lacks depth and clarity, leaving players confused about their objectives and the game's purpose.

story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it compelling and atmospheric, while others criticize it for being simplistic and lacking depth. Many appreciate the immersive environment and visuals, but feel that the narrative is underwhelming and offers little in terms of player interaction or emotional connection. Overall, while it may provide a brief and enjoyable experience, the story's limitations prevent it from being truly engaging.
- “It's a really compelling story line, and if the bug gets fixed, I would highly recommend it.”
- “This game features an engaging story, atmospheric environments, well-crafted horror sounds, and impressive visuals.”
- “If you appreciate a game that builds tension through its environment and storytelling rather than action, 'cassiculus' will deliver a chillingly memorable journey.”
- “Walking simulators are supposed to have story, but this one has close to none - no motivation, no real clue why you are doing what you are doing.”
- “We see a lack of story which limits the emotional connection or even tension for us to experience during the game.”
- “Worth a try solely because it's a free game, but brings nothing of value to the table story-wise.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
20%
15%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, characterized by impressive visuals, effective sound design, and a blend of tension and suspense. While some players noted that certain cutscenes felt lengthy, the overall ambiance—especially in the cave—successfully evokes feelings of paranoia and dread. The combination of atmospheric environments and well-crafted audio elements contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature despite its narrative shortcomings.
- “Great atmosphere and tension.”
- “Tense atmosphere throughout, excellent sound design and ambient soundtrack, nice little narrative with solid voice acting to go with it.”
- “The general atmosphere is a bit silly at first because of all the animals, but once you get into the cave, it builds suspense. It doesn't quite give that feeling of claustrophobia that other people told me it would, but it looks very realistic and adds a ton to the game.”
- “The game fantastically surrounded us within a soundscape that built an atmosphere of emptiness and loneliness and also occasionally drew us to the fact that we weren’t alone.”
- “I think the game has much better atmosphere outside of the cave.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
68%
19%
The gameplay is heavily criticized for being overly linear and lacking meaningful interaction, with players primarily walking through corridors and watching cutscenes rather than engaging in combat or puzzle-solving. While the atmosphere and suspense are noted, the absence of real gameplay mechanics and emotional connection diminishes the overall experience, making it feel more like a passive movie than an interactive game. The limited mechanics, such as breaking rocks or lighting fires, do not compensate for the lack of challenge or variety, leading to a disappointing gameplay experience.
- “The difficulty is modest, rated by me at about 3 out of 10, thanks to its straightforward, linear gameplay and clear objective: finding your missing brother and his friends.”
- “There's no combat, although there are some mechanics with breaking rocks or catching something on fire to clear your path. You can't die, and all the danger is in cutscenes. It's very linear but realistically so; there's no choice, and the fate of your character is sealed, making the game feel like a movie you're just watching, and it's terrifying.”
- “I love the idea of a cave being the setting for a horror game, but this game was a big disappointment. It is nothing but linear corridor after linear corridor leading to nothing but cutscenes. There's no gameplay, just cutscenes, no encounters, no combat, no real threat; you do nothing in this game.”
- “The unclear theme makes the mechanics of this game, which is the exploration of the cave, somewhat uninteresting.”
- “Most of your time will be spent walking along one specific pathway and watching cutscenes play out; not much in terms of actual puzzle solving, combat, or any other gameplay mechanics.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality, especially considering its status as a free title, with many reviewers highlighting impressive visuals, atmospheric environments, and effective use of resources. While some noted that the visuals may not be the absolute best, they contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience, enhancing the overall atmosphere and tension. Overall, the game's graphics are a strong point, complementing its sound design and narrative elements.
- “I didn't experience any glitches, flickering, bleeding through, etc., so graphics-wise, this game does it well.”
- “As a free game, 'cassiculus' excels in creating a deeply immersive experience with its meticulously crafted environments, eerie sound design, and spine-chilling visuals.”
- “The game was absolutely amazing; graphics, lighting, sound effects, general sound direction, how the scenes are set up, the voice acting, the actual tension and pacing of the narrative, and both outside and inside the cave were just incredible.”
- “Controls are not good, hinting about what to do next is not good, graphics are decent for an old game.”
- “While the game does have decent effort placed into the aesthetics and writing, with a pretty okay visual style, decent voice acting present, and an okay story, the biggest reason why I can't recommend this game is that the game offers far too little in terms of player interaction or influence, in that there's far too little for the player to really do in the game.”
- “But what it lacks in story, it makes up for in atmosphere and visuals.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound design in the game are highly praised for their immersive quality, creating a tense atmosphere complemented by a beautiful ambient soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the excellent sound design and solid voice acting, which enhance the overall narrative experience.
- “The music and sound design for this game is spectacular—super immersive and even beautiful in certain areas of the cave.”
- “Tense atmosphere throughout, excellent sound design and ambient soundtrack, nice little narrative with solid voice acting to go with it.”
- “Great music.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mixed emotional experience, with some finding tranquility in the game's atmosphere despite its horror genre, while others criticize the lack of a compelling story that hinders emotional connection and tension, ultimately affecting overall enjoyment.
- “Never have the sounds of bats and dripping water made me feel so happy and tranquil (and while playing a horror game at that!).”
- “Without the emotional connection or even dread we require during the gameplay, it becomes difficult to enjoy more of the experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report positive optimization experiences, highlighting smooth performance with no noticeable lag, tearing, or stuttering during gameplay.
- “The performance was good for me; I experienced smooth panning movements with no lagging, tearing, or stuttering.”
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I appreciate how the developers focused on optimization, resulting in a stable frame rate and quick load times.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted as amusing yet quirky, with players finding certain elements, like a funny spider, particularly entertaining. Overall, the comedic aspects are appreciated for their oddball charm.
- “That was pretty funny but still weird.”
- “Haha, funny spider.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a high level of stability in the game, noting the absence of glitches, flickering, or graphical issues, which contributes to a smooth gaming experience.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has low replayability due to its short length and lack of a compelling story, which limits players' motivation to revisit it.