Goetia

About

"Goetia" is a single-player horror point-and-click game with an intriguing story set in the abandoned village of Oakmarsh. The game features sensational gameplay, delightful graphics, and an awesome atmosphere, accompanied by a sensational soundtrack. However, be prepared for some grinding. The story revolves around the mysterious disappearance of the village population during WWII, with the ruins of Blackwood Manor holding potential answers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 647 reviews

story213 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that create an engaging and eerie experience.
Intriguing story with a rich narrative that unfolds through notes and journals.
Challenging puzzles that require critical thinking and exploration, providing a rewarding experience.

Some puzzles are overly complex and illogical, leading to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs.
Lack of clear hints or guidance for certain puzzles, making it difficult to progress without external help.
The ending may feel anticlimactic and does not fully resolve the story's mysteries.

story
456 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
52%
2%
The story in the game is widely praised for its intriguing and atmospheric narrative, often described as a captivating ghost story steeped in themes of grief, love, and the occult. Players appreciate the depth of the lore, which is primarily conveyed through documents and journals, although some find the storytelling convoluted and the puzzles overly challenging. Overall, while the narrative is engaging and well-crafted, it can be difficult to follow without a guide, and some players feel it lacks emotional connection or clarity in certain plot points.
- “The story is captivating, intriguing, and very well put-together; a ghost story with strong Lovecraftian vibes, rooted in actual demonology.”
- “The story revolves around grimoires, the conjuring of demons and spirits, set in mid-20th century Britain, you wander as a ghost around a large manor and its surroundings that seem empty yet inhibited, in a search for the unholy studies of your family, trying to make sense of it all.”
- “Goetia is a beautifully crafted mystery: the graphics, the music, and the story are all a delightful exploration of Victorian suspense, tragedy, and quiet horror.”
- “It's sleep-inducing story doesn't nearly justify the effort to actually solve all the insanely overwrought puzzles.”
- “I had no emotional connection to the character or to the story, so finishing the game was more out of principle than necessity.”
- “The game can be really monotonous, and the story really falls flat.”
atmosphere
222 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
24%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting and gothic qualities, enhanced by beautiful art direction, immersive sound design, and a compelling narrative. Players appreciate the eerie, melancholic ambiance that complements the challenging puzzles and exploration of a Victorian-era mansion, creating a captivating experience that draws them into the story. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and engagement.
- “Goetia is a point-and-click adventure that stands out for its haunting atmosphere and complex puzzles.”
- “The atmosphere, music, and sound design all nail the crafted creepy atmosphere.”
- “As intimate and melancholy as it is dark and bleak, Goetia utilizes its muted color palette with gothic architecture and sparse lighting to create an atmosphere akin to the works of Edgar Allan Poe.”
- “In addition, the music is repetitive, and the atmosphere is just dilapidated, rather than grim.”
- “For me, I was reaching for the walkthrough guide, which took me right out of the game's charming atmosphere every time.”
- “This contributes to the oppressive atmosphere, but it's not just window dressing: this belief leads directly to the game's central horror/tragedy.”
music
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and immersion. However, many players noted that several puzzles require a solid understanding of musical theory and notation, which can be frustrating for those without a musical background. While the soundtrack is generally appreciated, some found it repetitive and felt that it could have better matched the game's historical context.
- “The subject matter is unique and really pulls me in, and the music is wonderful.”
- “The soundtrack is haunting, providing the perfect ambiance for this kind of game; I think I liked a few tunes so much that I'm going to be looking them up on YouTube in the next couple of days.”
- “Goetia is a beautifully crafted mystery: the graphics, the music, and the story are all a delightful exploration of Victorian suspense, tragedy, and quiet horror.”
- “The puzzle difficulty ranges from simple to next to impossible, as some of the puzzles require musical knowledge and sharp hearing.”
- “Let's just say that if you're not a trained musician, you're going to be in some trouble.”
- “Summing up: I found it frustrating because of the lack of logical sense, the misleading tips, and the excessive music-related puzzles (including having to reproduce music heard in one room on an instrument in another room, with several punch sheet options. Really tiresome.)”
graphics
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art style and atmospheric design, often described as beautiful and haunting. Players appreciate the detailed environments and the way the visuals enhance the storytelling, creating an immersive experience. While some critiques mention minor issues with animations and puzzle clarity, the overall aesthetic and artistic direction are highlighted as standout features that contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The graphics are gorgeous, and the beginning was really strong.”
- “Goetia is a beautifully crafted mystery: the graphics, the music and the story are all a delightful exploration of Victorian suspense, tragedy and quiet horror.”
- “The strong atmosphere of all locations is enhanced by the stunning detail of the beautiful art style.”
- “The sphere, in my opinion, is a disconnect to the little girl ghost, and I felt cheated by the cheap graphics.”
- “The game could use better graphics (no animations of other demons, c'mon!).”
- “Graphics decent for what it is... soundtrack was neither spectacular nor was it cumbersome.”
gameplay
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of innovative mechanics and frustrating design choices. While some players appreciate the unique spirit possession feature and engaging puzzles, others find the gameplay tedious, with inconsistent mechanics and vague objectives detracting from the experience. Overall, the game offers interesting ideas but suffers from execution issues that can hinder enjoyment.
- “The gameplay itself is smooth and intuitive.”
- “Absolutely fantastic game, brilliant gameplay, great story and superb atmosphere.”
- “Aside from the hidden items to search all over the place that is part of every classic point-and-click adventure (no pixel hunting!), there are a bunch of different kinds of puzzles to solve that keeps the gameplay interesting and the more the story unfolds, the more you want to go on.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is extremely tedious and boring, and after about an hour and a half, I just couldn't get into the story enough to care to play it any longer.”
- “One of those games that aren't hard because of the puzzles themselves, but the programmed mechanics.”
- “(Pulling an object into the exact right position when there is no indication that is necessary. Nothing happening after you click on something except that the cursor changing if you click on it again before leaving the screen) I've been playing adventure puzzle games for decades, and the mechanics are really making this one not fun.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with players noting excessive backtracking, poorly designed maps, and a lack of clear guidance on item usage. Many reviewers found the gameplay to be boring and time-consuming, often resorting to walkthroughs to navigate the convoluted puzzles. While some appreciated the challenge of certain puzzles, the overall sentiment leans towards a negative experience due to the overwhelming tedium involved.
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is extremely tedious and boring, and after about an hour and a half, I just couldn't get into the story enough to care to play it any longer.”
- “The end result is a good-looking, but extremely tedious experience in which the gamer backtracks a lot, clicks on a lot of stuff, and reads, reads, reads.”
- “Since this is largely random and your movement speed is constrained, this is tedious in the extreme, and I would wager that nearly all the players who complete the game use a walkthrough to save the trouble and annoyance.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews on the emotional aspect of the game are mixed; while some players found the writing to be superb and emotionally engaging, effectively blending real-life and supernatural horror, others felt a lack of connection to the characters and story, leading to a sense of obligation rather than enjoyment in completing the game.
- “Tying this real-life horror in with the supernatural horror grounds the game and increases its emotional punch.”
- “The writing is superb, too--emotionally engaging without ever becoming melodramatic.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd and unexpected elements, such as the cut-out eagle head, which elicited genuine laughter from players. Overall, the comedic aspects contribute positively to the gaming experience, leaving players eager for more amusing encounters.
- “I hope the other demons will look better because I was laughing so hard at the cut-out eagle head!”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is reported to be somewhat buggy, but players indicate that they might tolerate these issues if the story were more engaging.
- “A little buggy, but with a better story I could suffer through the bugs.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its low replayability, with multiple users expressing that they do not intend to play it again.
- “I won't play this again; the replay value is too low.”
- “I won't play this again; the replay value is too low.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Character development is praised for its quality, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere and gameplay; however, some players feel that the ending fails to meet the expectations set by the character arcs.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters throughout the game.”
- “I was genuinely impressed by how the character arcs evolved, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
- “The depth of character development really enhances the overall experience, making the story feel personal and engaging.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is hindered by ambiguous puzzles, which can lead to player frustration; addressing these issues could significantly enhance the overall smoothness of gameplay.
- “If the developers were to address some of the ambiguity surrounding certain puzzles, the game would run smoothly and without undue frustration for the player.”