Dark Arcana: The Carnival

About

"In Dark Arcana: The Carnival, explore two intricately designed worlds to uncover the mystery of the Evil One and prevent its invasion of your reality. Solve hidden object puzzles and minigames, aided by a charming monkey companion, across a breathtaking and twisting storyline. This Collector's Edition includes a bonus chapter for additional gameplay."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 358 reviews

story110 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Engaging story with unexpected twists and a spooky carnival atmosphere.
Variety of puzzles and hidden object scenes, with the option to play an alternative matching game.
Good voice acting and well-designed graphics that enhance the overall experience.

Game is relatively short, taking only about 3-4 hours to complete, and requires multiple playthroughs for all achievements.
Some hidden object scenes and puzzles are repetitive, leading to a lack of challenge.
Mislabeling of items in hidden object scenes can cause confusion and frustration.

story
268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The story in "Dark Arcana: The Carnival" is generally well-received, featuring a mix of supernatural elements and a love story set against a spooky carnival backdrop. While some players found the plot engaging with unexpected twists, others noted it was somewhat predictable and typical for the hidden object genre. The inclusion of a bonus chapter adds depth, providing closure and additional lore, though opinions vary on the overall execution and complexity of the narrative.
- “The story is really good.”
- “The extra chapter also has a good story and some background lore on the main story's happenings.”
- “The story follows a lady detective trying to find a missing woman and understanding what's happening at a spooky circus, where the lady went missing, and beyond.”
- “The story is awful, even more so than usual.”
- “Any frequent player of these kinds of games should be used to the bad storylines, but this is just not even remotely challenging at any point.”
- “The story only served as a transition between puzzles.”
graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
43%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful artwork and creative hand-drawn visuals, while others criticize the dated graphics and lack of detail compared to modern standards. Many players appreciate the atmosphere and thematic appropriateness of the visuals, but those seeking high-quality, vibrant graphics may find the game underwhelming. Overall, the graphics are considered decent for an older title, with a few standout elements that enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are wonderful all through the game and has a great and easy to follow storyline.”
- “Artifex Mundi always has such beautiful artwork, and I'm delighted that they're applying that to the horror genre!”
- “The hand-drawn art was creative and scenes were so aesthetically fun (in a haunted, scary carnival sort of way).”
- “If you love being 'wowed' by detailed colorful graphics, look elsewhere; this game will underwhelm you.”
- “If you can't tolerate old graphics and old resolution, then don't play.”
- “Graphics are a bit dated, but overall, the game looks decent.”
music
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The music in the game is generally praised for its eerie and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the spooky carnival setting. While many players appreciate the moody background tracks and the inclusion of downloadable soundtracks and wallpapers, some find certain pieces repetitive or annoying over time. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's ambiance, though it occasionally overshadows dialogue in key scenes.
- “The music is very fitting: eerie, atmospheric, and chilling.”
- “Great voice acting, decent story, excellent music, and excellent animation.”
- “I liked the spooky-circus-themed music and the art is very good.”
- “Music was a background noise for me.”
- “Sounds are really good, but parts of the music might become annoying after some time.”
- “They used the same exact music over and over in the background.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
67%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by traditional hidden object mechanics, offering a mix of logical puzzles and repetitive scenes, with some unique features like monkey mechanics and alternative gameplay options. While it provides a relaxing experience for a few hours, many players noted the lack of challenge and the recycling of minigames across different titles. Overall, it is seen as enjoyable but best experienced on sale, as the gameplay duration is relatively short and not particularly innovative.
- “Gameplay here is solid and the puzzles are logical, as long as you're paying attention to the surrounding clues.”
- “Good scenes, good gameplay variety; the only thing missing is a fast travel option.”
- “While, as they all are, it is overpriced, on sale this can be a relaxing few hours of fun with simple, but not boring gameplay and a better-than-average story.”
- “Like all hidden object games, the gameplay is simply a matter of pointing and clicking on static images.”
- “The gameplay itself was quite easy though, so if you're looking for a challenge this probably isn't the game for you.”
- “Tldr: even higher quality hidden object games end up recycling the same minigames and mechanics and reskinning different art and simple thin storylines on each.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by moody background music and a creepy carnival setting. Reviewers noted the effective use of jump scares and chilling soundscapes, which contribute to a satisfying and engaging experience, despite some criticisms regarding the game's length and animations. Overall, the combination of visuals, sound, and thematic elements creates a compelling and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “Everything about it, from the eerie atmosphere to the creepy music to the puzzles was enjoyable.”
- “The music is very fitting: eerie, atmospheric, and chilling.”
- “The carnival setting was interesting and atmospheric with some darker imagery sprinkled throughout.”
- “The atmosphere was a little creepy (it is a haunted carnival after all) and the music/art is not bad.”
- “The game seems a little on the short side, but the story and the well done eerie atmosphere does tend to make up for it.”
- “The usual uncanny-valley animations don't really detract; the plot, the overall atmosphere, sounds, music, and backgrounds are wonderful.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mix of entertaining and tedious, particularly during replay for achievements. While the gameplay features an enchanting story and setting, the repetitive tasks and some confusing object names contribute to a sense of tedium. Despite these drawbacks, fans of the genre may still enjoy the experience.
- “Can get tedious.”
- “Replay (to win all the Steam achievements) gets tedious, but overall fine.”
- “As the last word, [i]Dark Arcana: The Carnival[/i] is an okay HOG with a nice little story, enchanting setting, and somewhat tedious gameplay.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has been consistently noted for its low replayability, with users indicating that it offers almost no incentive to play again after the initial experience.
- “The replay value for the game is low.”
- “Almost no replay value.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a bonus chapter that provides significant closure and evokes feelings, transitioning from a simple and strange beginning to a more complex and emotionally engaging narrative as the story progresses.
- “The bonus chapter provides great closure, and it's even a little emotional.”
- “It started off just plain weird and basic, but became more complex and emotional as the story unfolded.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game's optimization is lacking, with users reporting performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Many players have experienced frame rate drops and stuttering, suggesting that the game may not be well-optimized for various hardware configurations. Overall, the optimization appears to be a significant concern among the player base.
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting no glitches, lag, or crashes during gameplay.
- “The game ran fine, there were no glitches, lag, or crashes.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is appreciated for providing a light-hearted alternative within its genre, making it a refreshing addition for players seeking a fun experience.