Eldritch
- October 21, 2013
- Minor Key Games
- 4h median play time
Eldritch offers enough potential for different powers and paths to avoid boredom
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Get on itch.io StoreEldritch is a single-player horror shooter game with first-person action inspired by roguelikes, immersive sims, and H.P. Lovecraft's works. The game boasts awesome gameplay, a good story, pretty visuals, and an exceptional soundtrack. With randomly generated levels, unlockable shortcuts, and replayable content, Eldritch offers a challenging and immersive experience filled with humor and atmospheric dread.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Xbox
Reviews
- Eldritch offers a unique blend of roguelike mechanics and Lovecraftian horror, providing a fun and challenging experience.
- The game features randomly generated levels, which keeps gameplay fresh and encourages exploration.
- The atmosphere is well-crafted, with effective sound design that enhances the sense of dread and immersion.
- The graphics may be off-putting to some players, resembling a simplistic Minecraft aesthetic.
- The game can feel repetitive after a few playthroughs due to limited enemy variety and item options.
- Permadeath can be frustrating, as dying means losing all progress and items, which may deter some players.
- graphics215 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of Eldritch are characterized by a simplistic, blocky aesthetic reminiscent of Minecraft, which some players find charming while others consider it a drawback. Despite the low visual fidelity, many reviews highlight how the graphics effectively contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere and Lovecraftian themes, creating a unique blend of nostalgia and tension. Overall, while the visuals may not impress everyone, they are often seen as fitting for the game's style and gameplay experience.
“For what Eldritch may lack in visual fidelity and complex systems, it more than makes that up in its uniform aesthetic and generally engaging design.”
“The graphics are very simple but communicate the environment and atmosphere well.”
“Despite its simple graphics, this game sets a deeper and more foreboding mood than many AAA games with budgets the size of the sun.”
“The whole thing is bland and the visuals are tiresome.”
“The graphics are terrible, the gameplay is downright bad.”
“Most of all though, and this is entirely on me, I just find the minecraft-homage graphics very ugly and distracting from the experience.”
- gameplay211 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this first-person cosmic horror roguelite is characterized by its blend of simple mechanics and creative freedom, allowing for a satisfying and engaging experience. While the procedural generation and permadeath elements enhance replayability, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time. Overall, it offers a fun mix of stealth, exploration, and combat, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplistic design and occasional frustrations with level layouts.
“It's a first-person cosmic horror roguelite; it's so much fun, the atmosphere is fantastic, and the gameplay lets you get so creative.”
“The amount of freedom and tools you get results in some interesting emergent gameplay.”
“The gameplay is simple, but it works very well and can be very tense whether you're stealthing or running for your life.”
“Cool idea completely ruined by some of the most boring gameplay you'll ever have the misfortune of experiencing.”
“A very uninteresting game that has nothing of value going on for it, which is a shame because the idea behind it is cool, but the game is so unbalanced, the controls are unintuitive, the whole gameplay loop feels very repetitive and boring.”
“But the issue is that once everything stops being fresh and new, the shallowness of the gameplay is revealed.”
- atmosphere129 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its effective blend of cosmic horror and Lovecraftian themes, creating a sense of dread and tension that enhances the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the haunting sound design, minimalist visuals, and quirky enemy designs that contribute to an immersive and eerie environment. Despite some criticisms regarding simplicity and repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere is a standout feature that captivates and engages players throughout their adventures.
“Great atmosphere for a Lovecraft game, where many in the genre are spooky and focus too heavily on Cthulhu. This creates an ever-foreboding sense of dread at what lurks beneath the dungeons through the ambiance and lore.”
“The accomplished atmosphere of Lovecraftian dread, addicting systemic elements, enjoyable creature designs, and downright horrific moments all make for an incredible experience.”
“The atmosphere is surprisingly immersive.”
“Boresome procedurally-shat dungeons, zero atmosphere, little depth and lacking variety in everything.”
“The story and setting are clearly Lovecraft inspired, but you won’t be getting much more than a glimpse of the atmosphere found in those macabre tales.”
“Eldritch's greatest strength, the genuinely alien nature of the random levels, the strange monsters that can't always be killed, and the crushing atmosphere instantly undo the game the moment you know how to avoid all the traps and deal with all the monsters.”
- story71 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as minimal and somewhat lackluster, with many reviewers noting its reliance on Lovecraftian themes and atmosphere rather than a deep narrative. While some players appreciate the intriguing elements and the way the gameplay allows for personal storytelling, others find the plot to be simplistic and underdeveloped, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay experience. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with potential that is not fully realized.
“Very deep story, very fun gameplay.”
“As for the story: this game gets what Lovecraft is all about more than plenty of other 'Lovecraftian games'.”
“Lovecraft, with entertaining gameplay, an intriguing story, and phenomenal sound design.”
“The mood is not there, the story is cookie cutter, no drama.”
“While the game presents a somewhat quirky and amusing environment in the first minutes of gameplay, this is by no means enough to carry the audience forward through its ill-defined world and non-existent story, well, outside that of 'you are trapped in this world, escape.'”
“The story has a bit of potential, but the delivery (text screens that pop up narrating the action) is completely uninvolving.”
- replayability62 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many praising its randomly generated levels and dungeons that offer significant replay value, particularly for speedrunners and achievement hunters. However, some players feel that once the game is completed, it lacks enough variety and depth to encourage multiple playthroughs, leading to a perception of limited replayability despite its roguelike nature. Overall, while many find it highly replayable, others express concerns about repetitiveness and a lack of new experiences in subsequent runs.
“Unbelievable replay value due to the randomly generated dungeons/areas.”
“The game has a good amount of content and decent achievements, along with a ton of replayability.”
“The replay value is huge; and despite--possibly even because of--the simplistic graphic style, this game will keep you on edge as you traverse each area.”
“I don't see a lot of replay value in this for a roguelike; if you beat it once, I don't think many people will play it again.”
“Only downside for me is a lack of replay value since there is limited build customization and only a few different maps and enemy types.”
“Ultimately, it's a very spooky and fun game to begin with, but it has little replayability.”
- music46 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and creepy qualities, effectively enhancing the Lovecraftian horror experience. Many players appreciate the ambient soundtrack, which creates a sense of tension and immersion, although some note a desire for more varied music throughout the gameplay. Overall, the sound design, including both music and sound effects, is considered a strong point that contributes significantly to the game's unique atmosphere.
“The atmosphere and music is great and the gameplay is solid.”
“The soundtrack and sound design really pulls it together into something amazing and creepy.”
“The ambience, the music, the beasts, the graphics, all the Lovecraftian feel... I didn't expect so much pure fun for such a low price.”
“I wish the music was a bit better; it doesn't really fit with a Lovecraftian horror ambience, but I can always mute it and play my own music, so no real loss there.”
“Sound: 6/10 - I don't actually remember any music, but the sounds and ambiance are fantastic.”
“Good for a couple of hours, thanks to addon campaigns, as well as fluent motion and accelerated, bhop-encouraging jumps, but the barebones content (including repetitive rooms, enemy patterns, and items), nullification of all progress upon death, comically bad art and sound design (nice ambient music, though, especially in the main menu/final level) quickly leaves a sour aftertaste.”
- humor24 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a blend of eerie and comedic elements, providing moments of levity amidst its Lovecraftian horror. Players appreciate the funny voicework and quirky interactions with creatures, which add a lighthearted touch to the otherwise tense atmosphere. While the game is primarily a horror experience, it successfully incorporates humor that enhances the overall enjoyment, making it both creepy and entertaining.
“Very immersive and funny game that has an average to hard difficulty level, which is great!”
“Full of creepy creatures and funny moments.”
“It's a funny/scary and challenging game, definitely worth the money (I paid 2.50 or so).”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can be enjoyable in short bursts, it often becomes tedious and repetitive over time, especially due to confusing map generation and reliance on RNG. Many reviewers note that the grinding for supplies and powers can feel excessive, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Not bad at first, but the confusing map generation and RNG quickly becomes tedious.”
“The game is very, very easy, relying mostly on grinding for supplies and unlocking powers and such.”
- stability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates good stability, particularly on the Steam Deck, though users have noted occasional bugs and glitches, particularly with specific elements like the lizard statue. Despite these minor issues, the overall experience remains enjoyable.
“Also runs great on Steam Deck!”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
“My only criticism is the lizard statue in the second book; those are very buggy and inconsistent at times. Otherwise, it's an excellent game.”
“The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there. It is pleasant all the same.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of enjoyment and emotional engagement with the game, highlighting its familiar mechanics and Lovecraftian themes that evoke feelings of nostalgia and tension. The stealth elements and unique opponents contribute to a sense of immersion, though some players acknowledge the emotional weight of the experience may require a more mature mindset to fully appreciate.
“I personally adore this game; the way it is very familiar to games like Dishonored made me feel right at home. The stealth mechanics and how you could use everything to your advantage were wonderful to work with, and I am glad I picked this game up when it was on sale.”
“I really liked the Lovecraftian theme, the exploration, and the dangerous and original opponents that sometimes made me feel as if I was in an Amnesia game.”
