Goetia

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 319 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • music
Goetia Game Cover
If you’re comfortable with the high difficulty of its puzzles, Goetia is an enjoyable adventure game with a dark and intriguing story.
Starting at $1.55Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store Get on Apple Store

"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.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 319 reviews
story104 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that create an engaging and eerie experience.
  • Intriguing story with a rich backstory that unfolds as you progress through the game.
  • 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.
  • Technical issues such as bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to lost progress.
  • story225 mentions

    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 and complexity of the plot, which unfolds through various documents and notes, although some find it challenging to follow without a guide due to its non-linear structure and the cryptic nature of certain puzzles. Overall, while the storytelling is compelling and beautifully presented, some players feel that the execution could be improved, particularly in terms of clarity and pacing.

    • “The highlights are definitely the visuals, the soundtrack, and the story, especially with how it presented lore in such a simple yet engaging way.”
    • “The story is captivating, intriguing, and very well put together; a ghost story with strong Lovecraftian vibes, rooted in actual demonology.”
    • “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 a sleep-inducing story that 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 story started off well, but it got spread out too quickly into a bunch of different lines that it's too easy to lose the relation between them.”
  • atmosphere110 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting, gothic quality, enhanced by beautiful art direction, evocative sound design, and a compelling narrative. Players appreciate the immersive experience of exploring a dark, mysterious mansion filled with intricate puzzles and rich lore, although some find the puzzles frustratingly difficult. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as captivating and integral to its storytelling, making it a standout in the point-and-click genre.

    • “Goetia is a point-and-click adventure that stands out for its haunting atmosphere and complex puzzles.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, graphics are really neat.”
    • “It's beautiful and atmospheric, with some good moments.”
    • “The music and sound effects make for some depressing atmosphere.”
    • “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.”
  • music108 mentions

    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 music theory and notation, which can be frustrating for those without musical backgrounds. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, some found it repetitive or lacking in variation, yet it still contributes significantly to the game's eerie ambiance.

    • “The highlights are definitely the visuals, the soundtrack, and the story, especially with how it gave story and lore in such a simple yet engaging way.”
    • “The music is haunting and really does give you certain clues – for example, certain sounds would alert me that I had 'unlocked' something above and would have to go explore for that clue.”
    • “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.”
    • “The final few puzzles take this to the extreme, either using obscure symbolism or relying on a knowledge of music (including sight reading), which can very quickly become annoying.”
  • graphics77 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style and atmospheric design, creating a captivating visual experience that enhances the storytelling. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful, detailed environments and the effective use of color and mood, contributing to an immersive atmosphere. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, with a blend of artistic creativity and engaging aesthetics that resonate well with players.

    • “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.”
  • gameplay50 mentions

    Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of innovative mechanics and frustrating design choices. While some players appreciate the unique features like spirit possession and the engaging atmosphere, others criticize tedious puzzles, inconsistent mechanics, and a lack of clear guidance, leading to a less enjoyable experience overall. The game is noted for its aesthetic appeal and narrative, but many feel that the gameplay could benefit from more logical puzzles and improved interaction mechanics.

    • “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.”
    • “Some of the interaction mechanics are fiddly, but overall this is a high recommend for the aesthetics and narrative alone.”
    • “Aside from the poor puzzle design, the gameplay was solid.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often citing the need for excessive backtracking and unclear objectives as major drawbacks. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay becomes monotonous, with some resorting to walkthroughs to alleviate the annoyance of navigating complex maps and solving convoluted puzzles. While some appreciate the challenge of difficult puzzles, the overall sentiment leans towards the experience being more tedious than enjoyable.

    • “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.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mixed emotional impact, with some players feeling no connection to the characters or story, while others praise the game's ability to blend real-life horror with supernatural elements, enhancing its emotional depth. The writing is noted for being engaging and impactful without veering into melodrama.

    • “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.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd and unexpected elements, such as the comically designed eagle head, which elicited genuine laughter from players. Overall, the game's quirky visuals contribute to its comedic appeal.

    • “I hope the other demons will look better because I was laughing so hard at the cut-out eagle head! Holy cow!”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch; I found myself chuckling at every quirky character and ridiculous situation.”
    • “The witty dialogue and hilarious scenarios kept me entertained throughout my playthrough!”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game is reported to have some bugs, but players feel that a stronger narrative could make the experience more tolerable despite these stability issues.

    • “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “I encountered several glitches that disrupted my gameplay.”
    • “The stability issues really detracted from what could have been a great game.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game has low replay value, with users indicating they are unlikely to play it again.

    • “I won't play this again; the replay value is too low.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return.”
    • “The lack of varied outcomes makes it feel like a one-and-done experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is praised for its quality, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and gameplay; however, some players feel that the ending fails to meet the expectations set by the character arcs.

    • “The atmosphere and gameplay are spot on, and the character development is exceptional, though the ending does not live up to the build-up.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Reviewers suggest that improving clarity in puzzle design would enhance the game's optimization, leading to a smoother experience and reducing player frustration.

    • “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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

74% average critic score

Buy Goetia

Play time

20hMedian play time
20hAverage play time
20-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News