Eldritchvania

About

Eldritchvania is a single player platformer game with a horror theme. It was developed by DeathCount Games and was released on February 9, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

In Eldritchvania, you will explore unearthly ruins, solve arcane riddles and pick up your sword against the indescribable horrors that lurk amidst the forgotten depths of our world. Beware the creeping grip of madness as you uncover secrets not meant for the eyes of men. Developed by @Scimitri and @NathanAuckett. With music by @NikSudan! Over 70 hand drawn rooms to explore! Countless enemies …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Eldritchvania offers a unique Lovecraftian twist on the Metroidvania genre, featuring clever puzzles and a rich atmosphere that fans of La-Mulana will appreciate.
The game is completely free, providing a solid experience with engaging gameplay and a variety of secrets to discover, making it an excellent value.
The art style and sound design contribute to an immersive experience, enhancing the overall enjoyment of exploration and puzzle-solving.

The controls can feel clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating platforming challenges that may deter some players.
The save system is punishing, with limited healing options and sparse save points, which can result in significant setbacks after difficult encounters.
Some puzzles may be overly cryptic or require extensive backtracking, which can lead to a tedious gameplay experience for those unfamiliar with the genre.

gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its innovative mechanics and engaging puzzles, while others criticize its clunky controls and frustrating backtracking. Players appreciate the integration of sanity mechanics and the unique atmosphere, but many find the lack of healing options and sparse save points to be significant drawbacks. Overall, while the game offers interesting concepts, its execution leaves room for improvement in terms of fluidity and player experience.
- “Gameplay is nothing short of amazing.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and there are some riddles that I can even call hard (especially with snake heads).”
- “Eldritchvania manages to put a unique spin on the concept by incorporating some novel features, like a sanity balancing system that seemed reminiscent of the health management of La-Mulana, but also introduced some innovative aspects of its own, both mechanically and environmentally.”
- “I can't enjoy getting engrossed in the puzzles if every minute of gameplay annoys me.”
- “No healing mechanic or heal items in the first 20 minutes created a sort of soft lock at the saving place with 1 hit of HP. The starting gameplay loop was a frustrating experience that isn't focusing on the player's skill but more so on patience to deal in clunky ways with clunky rooms.”
- “Saves are sparse and there is no auto-save feature, meaning you can walk in a wrong place, die, and lose 20 minutes of gameplay time, including cutscenes and dialogues, which have to be repeated again.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
31%
16%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the unique and stunning art style that complements the game's atmosphere, particularly its Lovecraftian elements. However, others criticize the visuals as subpar for a PC title, noting clunky controls and inconsistent hitboxes. Overall, while the artwork is appreciated, many feel that the graphical execution could be significantly improved to enhance gameplay.
- “I'm amazed by the effort the developers put into it, as well as the stunning artwork.”
- “The art style is unique and very pleasant.”
- “Graphically, the atmosphere of r'lyeh's madness is perfect.”
- “While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunky control scheme to the less than cutting-edge graphics.”
- “Even though the game looks pretty bad (and decent visuals are a minimum requirement for any game), we can be fairly sure this is not an asset flip.”
- “Many times you can look past feeble looping music, crummy platforming, confusing graphics, rough edges, and so forth.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring a mix of exploration and themes of sanity and madness that enhance the atmosphere. While some find the narrative to be somewhat cliché, it is still considered interesting and well-integrated with gameplay elements. Overall, the story contributes positively to the experience, despite some critiques regarding movement mechanics.
- “Speaking of that, I quite liked the mix between ruin exploration and the mythos' themes of sanity loss and madness, which felt well integrated with the gameplay and general atmosphere.”
- “The puzzles are challenging but far more accessible than La Mulana, and the story is also quite interesting.”
- “The gameplay feel itself is very crucial and in some cases I can see it worked around with strong points like visuals, sounds, or story, but here I believe the game feel should be worked on a lot more to feel attractive.”
- “Cool art and story, annoying movement mechanics hold it back from being great.”
- “The game really does expect you to check every nook and cranny and pay attention to small details in order to solve its puzzles, many of which are mandatory to continue the story.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its effective blend of dark themes, stylish graphics, and a well-integrated soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the unique approach to mythos elements, particularly the treatment of Cthulhu, and note the intriguing mix of humor within the creepy ambiance, which adds depth to the gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as immersive and memorable, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The story, atmosphere, gameplay, puzzles, and controls are pretty good.”
- “It is a really cool game with a dark atmosphere and stylish graphics.”
- “The atmosphere is great and really stands out.”
- “The music is decent, and it complements the atmosphere well.”
- “I want to point out the addition of a small amount of humor to the lingering creepy atmosphere; it may seem strange, but it turned out very interesting, and because of the mood swings, it becomes doubly funny.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music in the game features a pleasant half-ambient theme that enhances the atmosphere, though some users note that the looping can be short and repetitive. Despite these shortcomings, many players still appreciate the overall quality of the music, especially considering the game is free.
- “There's a nice background half-ambient music theme.”
- “The music is decent, and it complements the atmosphere well.”
- “Overall, I would still recommend it though, especially since it's free and I like the music.”
- “That first music loop is really short, too.”
- “Many times you can look past feeble looping music, crummy platforming, confusing graphics, rough edges and so forth.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of this platformer to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the random respawning of enemies and the repetitive task of collecting coins for purchases. The game's simplistic art style and overall execution contribute to a negative experience, making the grinding feel more like a chore than an engaging mechanic.
- “It is a small game yet very tedious.”
- “Enemies respawning randomly when you leave the room is annoying, as is grinding coins to buy something from the shop.”
- “Sadly, it's not a very good game and is more tedious and frustrating than anything.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits minor visual glitches at the edges of the screen, which can be resolved by switching to windowed mode; however, this may slow down room transitions. Players are generally advised to remain in fullscreen mode and overlook these visual issues.
- “There are frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “The game suffers from significant lag during intense moments, which can be frustrating.”
- “Just a minor visual glitch on the edges of the screen, which you can fix by changing to windowed mode, but then the room transitions slow down a bit. I'd recommend sticking to fullscreen mode and just ignoring the visual glitches.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively blends humor with a creepy atmosphere, creating an intriguing contrast that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the mood swings that make the humor feel both unexpected and engaging.
- “I want to point out the addition of a small amount of humor to the lingering creepy atmosphere. It may seem strange, but it turned out very interesting, and because of the mood swings, it becomes doubly funny.”