Desert of Vice

About

“‘Desert of Vice’ has it all: surreal scenes, a spooky mystery, coffee and donuts.” - Waypoint VICE“For those looking to get lost in a realm where their sanity will be tested as they work deeper into an intriguing story, it offers some otherworldly mysteries to unravel.” - Indie Games Desert of Vice - a horror text adventure game. Solve the mystery of an isolated town in the middle of a desert …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

story5 positive mentions

Desert of Vice offers a compelling Lovecraftian narrative with a unique atmosphere, enhanced by its art style and soundtrack.
The game features multiple endings, providing replayability and encouraging players to explore different choices.
It has a helpful hint system that assists players in navigating the text-based commands, making it accessible despite its limitations.

The command input system is overly restrictive and inconsistent, often requiring players to type specific phrases that can hinder exploration.
The game feels more like an interactive story than a true text adventure, with limited choices that can lead to a sense of being railroaded.
The single save system can be cumbersome, making it difficult to revisit different endings without starting over.

story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The story of "Desert of Vice" is characterized by a classic Lovecraftian style, offering a compelling narrative that unfolds through exploration and player interaction, leading to multiple endings. While some players appreciate the intriguing plot and atmospheric presentation, others find the lack of meaningful choices and a more interactive experience detracts from their engagement. Overall, it is seen as a short, text-based adventure that may appeal to those seeking a narrative-driven experience rather than a traditional game.
- “The game has an interesting storyline which doesn't tell you everything in the beginning; instead, it lets you explore and find out things on your own.”
- “Brilliant text quest with intriguing plot, thrilling atmosphere, handy hint system, and nonlinear gameplay (with a bunch of endings).”
- “Desert of Vice is a mysterious horror adventure story that unfolds into its multiple available endings through text-based input from the player.”
- “A kinetic novel that drags its own story down given how there isn't a convenient way to save the game to get these slightly different endings.”
- “It's less a game and more a slightly interactive story, and unfortunately without choices it didn't hold my interest well enough.”
- “The mood and the preview make it seem like it should be really, really good, a clever little gem, but unfortunately as someone who's played old text games, I felt like I was getting railroaded into someone's story rather than playing my own.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
22%
11%
The music in "Desert of Vice" is widely praised for enhancing the game's supernatural noir themes, creating a tense and mysterious atmosphere that complements its visuals and storytelling. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as minimalistic yet fitting, contributing significantly to the overall immersive experience.
- “Despite these criticisms, Desert of Vice has an undeniable mystique about it with an art style and soundtrack that complement its supernatural noir themes.”
- “The music and sounds make the atmosphere.”
- “The music is quite nice; the tense and mysterious atmosphere of the game becomes palpable through the music.”
- “While the game is not completely text-based, as it has both visual design and a soundtrack, the gameplay is pure text where the game responds to your input.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
The graphics of "Desert of Vice" feature a simplistic and psychedelic art style that enhances its supernatural noir themes, creating a unique aesthetic that complements the game's narrative. While some users note the visuals could benefit from quality-of-life improvements, the overall presentation is described as fitting and intriguing, with a minimalistic soundtrack that aligns well with the game's atmosphere.
- “Despite these criticisms, Desert of Vice has an undeniable mystique about it with an art style and soundtrack that complement its supernatural noir themes.”
- “I really like the story, the visuals, and music.”
- “It can be described as a choose-your-adventure horror story, with nicely drawn artwork and befitting music.”
- “The artwork is rather simplistic, giving the game the most basic of appearances.”
- “The artwork is rather psychedelic and simplified, giving the game the most basic of appearances and rough surface, but also adds to the mystery of the story as it unfolds.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its engaging and tense qualities, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack that contributes to a unique and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the combination of an intriguing plot and effective sound design as key elements that draw players in, although some feel the game could benefit from further development. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that significantly enhances the gameplay experience.
- “The music and sounds make the atmosphere.”
- “Great atmosphere and music.”
- “It manages to conjure up an atmosphere very much its own and for that it deserves praise.”
- “The music and sounds create a unique atmosphere.”
- “It manages to conjure up an atmosphere very much its own, and for that, it deserves praise.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The gameplay is primarily text-based, requiring players to input commands that influence the nonlinear narrative, which features multiple endings. While the intriguing plot and thrilling atmosphere enhance the experience, the repetitive nature of typing similar text across playthroughs can blur the distinctiveness of the endings. Overall, the game combines engaging storytelling with a helpful hint system, making it a compelling text quest.
- “The gameplay is pure text where the game responds to your input, complemented by visual design and a captivating soundtrack.”
- “Brilliant text quest with an intriguing plot, thrilling atmosphere, a handy hint system, and nonlinear gameplay with multiple endings.”
- “The game features nonlinear gameplay with six different endings, providing a unique experience with each playthrough.”
- “While some of these endings can differ greatly from each other in terms of fleeing versus running away, the separate endings blur together given the mechanic of having to type all of the same text out each playthrough.”
- “While the game is not completely text-based, as it has both visual design and soundtrack, the gameplay is pure text where the game responds to your input.”
- “And nonlinear gameplay (with six endings).”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game features multiple endings and a variety of gameplay options, enhancing its replayability and encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes.
- “There's also multiple endings, which gives the game significant replayability, especially since you're offered a lot of variation in how to approach different tasks.”
- “The game encourages you to explore different strategies and choices, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With various character builds and story paths, I find myself coming back to the game to experience all it has to offer.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making the multiple endings feel more like a gimmick than a reason to replay.”
- “Once you've experienced the story, there's little incentive to go back, as the gameplay doesn't change significantly.”
- “While there are different paths to take, they often lead to the same outcome, diminishing the overall replay value.”