Skip to main content

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait Game Cover
53%Game Brain Score
story, music
grinding
66% User Score Based on 32 reviews

Platforms

PCWeb BrowserWindows
Play Now
Buy NowGet on Steam Buy NowGet on itch.io Store
Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait Game Cover

About

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait is a single player casual simulation game with horror, drama and historical themes. It was developed by Midworld and was released on June 23, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Game + Audiobook = Gamebook Play a book! Digital Gamebook is an audiobook with unprecedented possibilities in the world of audiobooks. Gamebooks focus on what is most important in books: stimulating your imagination and experiencing the story. You can listen to the story like a classic audiobook and also take on the role of the story’s hero. During a dangerous journey, the main character and hi…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait screenshot
Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait screenshot
Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait screenshot
Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait screenshot
Skip User Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews
story8 positive mentions
grinding1 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and immersive storytelling experience through sound, with two modes: story mode and exploration mode.
  • It features great music, environment sounds, and a 3D audio system that enhances immersion, allowing play even with eyes closed.
  • The game is free and includes achievements, making it a no-cost opportunity to experience Edgar Allan Poe's work in an unusual format.
  • Gameplay requires pressing spacebar frequently, which some find distracting and mood-breaking.
  • The voice acting and narration often include mispronunciations and lack enthusiasm, detracting from the experience.
  • The interactive elements and controls can be confusing or frustrating, with little guidance on progress or direction, and some users experienced glitches.
  • story
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is generally described as a short, intriguing experience with good music and art direction, though some find it confusing or difficult to follow due to gameplay mechanics and pacing. Players appreciate the immersive atmosphere but suggest experiencing the story in exploration mode or as a simple audiobook for better engagement. Overall, it's a decent narrative that could benefit from clearer presentation and smoother controls.

    • “It's like an audiobook in many ways, but since you can move the speaking character, it feels more like it's your story.”
    • “The game is a brilliant storytelling with great music and environmental sounds which has two game modes: story mode for following the story, and explore mode where you have to recognize the direction of the source and follow this to explore the rest of the story.”
    • “Decent short story with good music and art direction.”
    • “This audio active gamebook does nothing to really help enhance or clarify the story.”
    • “If anything, the gamebook leads to further confusion due to switched wording, needless tapping on the screen in order to progress the story, and overall lackluster art and voice narration.”
    • “The only problem I have is that I don't always know when to press space to move on in story mode.”
  • music
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for being lovely, eerie, and enhancing the storytelling experience. It complements the art direction and environment sounds well, contributing to an immersive atmosphere. Some users noted interactive elements linked to the music that affect gameplay.

    • “The game is a brilliant storytelling experience with great music and environmental sounds.”
    • “Nice picture in the beginning and the music is lovely with an eerie feel to it.”
    • “Great music and short audiobook.”
  • gameplay
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is minimal and primarily involves clicking through dialogue, with some users finding it basic but enjoyable as a story interlude. However, the quality of the writing detracts from the experience for some, raising questions about its publication. Story mode is generally preferred for a more fitting experience.

    • “It's way more immersive and has more gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay is basic but a fun interlude to the story.”
    • “Out of the two modes of gameplay, I found the story mode to be more fitting for the type of experience I wanted to have.”
    • “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the grinding aspect tedious and slow, as progressing through the game feels like laboriously clicking through text rather than simply enjoying a seamless narrative, making the experience feel cumbersome and repetitive.

  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor is dry and niche, appealing to a very small, specific audience. It may not resonate widely, limiting its overall comedic impact.

Skip Game Offers

Buy Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait

Games Like Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait

Zarie: The Story of Sin Image
67%24reviews

Zarie: The Story of Sin

2023Action
PCWindows
Games like Zarie: The Story of Sin
Five Stages of Pink Image
98%62reviews

Five Stages of Pink

2022Action
LinuxPCMac OS+1
Games like Five Stages of Pink
Elsewhere High: Chapter 1 - A Visual Novel Image
72%53reviews

Elsewhere High: Chapter 1 - A Visual Novel

2017Action
PCMac OSWindows
Games like Elsewhere High: Chapter 1 - A Visual Novel
Dagon Image
96%4.9kreviews

Dagon

2021Casual Simulation
PCVirtual RealitySteam Deck+1
Games like Dagon
Autumn Spirit Image
73%29reviews

Autumn Spirit

2024Action
PCWindows
Games like Autumn Spirit
More games like Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait is a casual simulation game with horror, drama and historical themes.

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait is available on PC, Web Browser and Windows.

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait was released on June 23, 2022.

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait was developed by Midworld.

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Gamebook Edgar A. Poe: The Oval Portrait is a single player game.

Similar games include Zarie: The Story of Sin, Five Stages of Pink, Elsewhere High: Chapter 1 - A Visual Novel, Dagon, Autumn Spirit and others.