Desolatium

About

Desolatium is a single player survival puzzle game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by SUPERLUMEN and was released on April 5, 2024. It received negative reviews from players.

In this graphic point-and-click adventure, you get to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a friend through the eyes of 4 different characters, each with their own characteristics. Uncover the mystery as you’re led toward a dark path filled with Lovecraftian myths and creatures. Are the ‘old ones’ they read about truly real? Be careful what you ask for, because the answer might lead you to …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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27%

Audience ScoreBased on 15 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Desolatium features a unique and visually striking art style that combines photorealistic environments with stylized illustrations, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The game successfully captures Lovecraftian themes of cosmic horror and existential dread, providing a narrative that encourages exploration and curiosity.
The audio design enhances the overall experience, using ambient sounds and unsettling music to deepen the sense of unease throughout the game.

The gameplay suffers from outdated mechanics, with cumbersome navigation and a lack of meaningful puzzles, often reducing the experience to tedious pixel hunting.
Voice acting is inconsistent and often cringe-worthy, with actors mispronouncing key terms and delivering lines that feel forced and unnatural.
The story is convoluted and disjointed, making it difficult for players to engage with the characters or understand their motivations, leading to a lack of emotional investment.

story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The story of "desolatium" is ambitious, featuring multiple protagonists whose intertwining narratives explore themes of cults, rituals, and ancient powers, reminiscent of Lovecraftian horror. However, many players find the storytelling disjointed and convoluted, with a lack of clarity regarding character motivations and objectives, leading to confusion and disengagement. While the atmospheric elements and psychological depth are praised, the fragmented presentation and reliance on lore-heavy notes may alienate those seeking a cohesive narrative experience.
- “As the narrative unfolds through multiple protagonists, each with their own perspective and motives, the story widens into a web of mysteries involving cults, rituals, forbidden knowledge, and an ancient power lurking just beyond perception.”
- “The storytelling approach is ambitious, as the player alternates between four main characters whose individual investigations intertwine.”
- “For players who enjoy narrative-driven horror that values mood and mystery over action, desolatium offers a journey worth taking—a descent into madness that feels as much like a fever dream as it does a story.”
- “But the story... it's so disjointed and convoluted that you don't know who you are playing or what their aim is.”
- “There was potential, but the story lost me after a while.”
- “The story is almost non-existent and presented in pieces.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The graphics of the game are often praised for their beautiful art style and photorealistic elements, creating a visually striking experience that enhances the overall atmosphere. However, some players criticize the execution, noting issues with character models and limited interactivity that detract from the immersive potential. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, they are not enough to compensate for the game's other shortcomings.
- “The visuals, sound, and pacing combine to produce a slow, creeping dread that stays with you long after the credits roll.”
- “Visuals: I kept making screenshots of the opening act, as the art style is beautiful.”
- “[b]+ visuals[/b]: the locations are 360-degree photographs with additional art over it.”
- “While graphically pretty, the game is poorly executed.”
- “Instead of using whatever program that was used, they should've hired some graphics people to make the character models look better.”
- “Unfortunately, the visuals seem to be the only worthwhile thing about this game.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
The gameplay is characterized by traditional adventure design, focusing more on mood and aesthetics than on engaging mechanics, which can detract from the experience. While it features moral choices that enhance immersion, the limited interactivity and uneven writing may frustrate some players. Despite its shortcomings, the point-and-click puzzle-solving elements and strong atmosphere contribute to an ambitious artistic vision.
- “These choices are often moral rather than mechanical, forcing you to weigh curiosity against self-preservation or loyalty against reason.”
- “The gameplay, however, leans heavily into the conventions of traditional adventure design.”
- “Even when the gameplay falters or the writing feels uneven, the sense of atmosphere remains consistent and potent.”
- “It may not possess the mechanical refinement of modern adventure titles, but it compensates with an artistic vision that is both immersive and ambitious.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Desolatium excels in creating a deeply immersive atmosphere that prioritizes psychological tension over traditional jump scares, effectively drawing players into its hauntingly realistic environments like abandoned churches and shadowy corridors. Despite some gameplay and writing shortcomings, the game's commitment to maintaining a consistent and potent atmosphere enhances the overall experience, making it a compelling atmospheric adventure.
- “This approach creates an immersive atmosphere, as if you are standing in real, decaying places—abandoned churches, shadowy corridors, and derelict homes that feel eerily plausible.”
- “Rather than rely on traditional jump scares, Desolatium aims to unnerve the player through psychological tension and atmosphere, allowing its dread to grow gradually through discovery and implication.”
- “Despite these issues, Desolatium maintains an admirable commitment to its atmosphere and story.”
- “Even when the gameplay falters or the writing feels uneven, the sense of atmosphere remains consistent and potent.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's branching narrative structure enhances replayability by allowing players to make choices that lead to different endings, encouraging multiple playthroughs to explore various outcomes.
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the diverse character interactions and multiple storylines that keep you engaged.”
- “The game encourages experimentation with different strategies, making it rewarding to revisit and try new approaches.”
- “The branching narrative structure, while not revolutionary, adds a layer of replay value as your decisions subtly alter the path toward one of several endings.”
- “After completing the game once, I found little incentive to go back and experience it again; the choices felt superficial and didn't significantly change the outcome.”
- “Despite multiple endings, the core gameplay remains the same, making subsequent playthroughs feel repetitive and uninspired.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with one user expressing frustration over the overall experience, including dissatisfaction with the physical rewards received for their financial support.
- “There is no character development; the puzzles are more archaic than Cthulhu itself. What really frustrates me is the $5 plastic DVD I received after pledging $120 for a collector's box.”
- “The characters feel flat and uninteresting, making it hard to care about their journeys or decisions.”
- “I expected a rich narrative with deep character arcs, but instead, I got one-dimensional characters with no growth.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report experiencing various glitches that affect the overall stability of the game, indicating that performance issues may detract from the gaming experience.
- “The game is plagued by constant glitches that disrupt the experience.”
- “I encountered numerous stability issues that made it nearly unplayable.”
- “Frequent crashes and bugs have severely impacted my enjoyment of the game.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally considered mediocre, described as not particularly engaging or memorable, with a monotonous and sluggish quality that fails to enhance the overall experience.