Illusion Carnival

About

Illusion Carnival is a single player role playing game with horror, fantasy, drama, comedy and others themes. It was developed by KiZ and was released on July 11, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

To Contact UsJoin our Discord server! (Link on the right side of the store page) We welcome your inquiries at [email protected] If you encounter a bug that prevents progression, please try returning to the main menu and re-entering the game. About the GameThis game marks the inception of the "Illusion Carnival" series. Content warning: flashing lights and themes of p…

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,859 reviews

graphics318 positive mentions

stability15 negative mentions

The game features a stunning and unique paper-cutout art style, with vibrant colors and detailed character designs that are widely praised.
The soundtrack fits the carnival and psychological horror themes excellently, contributing greatly to the immersive atmosphere.
The story and characters are engaging and mysterious, effectively blending whimsical charm with darker psychological elements, which hooks players despite some confusion.

Some players find the gameplay simplistic, with bullet hell combat and puzzles lacking depth or challenge, and occasional clunky controls.
The fast-paced dialogue, no chat log, and awkward English localization make it difficult for some players to fully understand or keep up with the story.
Visually intense effects, such as flashing lights and glitching, can cause discomfort or nausea for some players and may hinder readability and gameplay focus.

graphics
560 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning, unique, and charming art style, blending whimsical, cute, and eerie elements into a visually captivating experience. Many reviewers highlight the impressive character designs, vibrant 2.5D paper cutout aesthetics, and immersive atmospheric visuals that contribute significantly to the game's appeal. While highly regarded, some note occasional visual overwhelm and minor graphical bugs, but overall the graphics are considered a major strength and a key reason to play.
- “Genuinely some of the most incredible visuals in a video game I have ever seen, definitely vying for #1.”
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning, breathtaking, heartstopping, pure magic.”
- “With an incredible paper cut-out art style to match the creepy-fun atmosphere of the carnival and characters that are immediately lovable, Illusion Carnival feels like an instant genre-defining classic.”
- “Please add graphics settings please.”
- “I have a very low-end laptop, and I would really like more graphics options instead of just slightly lower resolution.”
- “The only issue that I have is that there are some graphical bugs, and it got to the point that I legit thought my GPU was artifacting.”
story
386 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The story is widely praised for its intriguing, creative, and engaging narrative, blended with unique psychological horror and whimsical elements, though some find it confusing or hard to follow at times. Reviewers appreciate the well-developed characters and the mix of humor and disturbing themes, with many eager for future chapters to further explore the plot. While the storytelling style is unconventional and sometimes vague, it effectively complements the game’s striking visuals and atmosphere, creating a captivating overall experience.
- “Absolutely amazing visuals and extremely captivating storytelling!”
- “The story and the characters are all amazing and memorable, the music is magical and immerses you into this world, the gameplay is fun and unique and the art is straight up out of an art museum.”
- “The story, while very much just getting started, has me extremely excited to see what is next to come.”
- “The biggest flaw in the game is the story; if you're invested in story games, then don't play this. Some parts of the game are also repetitive, but if these flaws are fixed, then it'd be positive 100%.”
- “The story was quite hard to follow along, and most of the dialogue is just 'ohnoyou'retrappeddidyouseethatdidyouhearthatglitchglitchglitchwewanttoeatyouglitchglitchglitch'.”
- “The story is confusing and I didn't understand a thing from what was happening.”
music
204 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The music in this game is widely praised for its atmospheric, carnival-inspired soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's eerie and whimsical tone, enhancing immersion and emotional impact. Many reviewers highlight its excellent fit with the art style and gameplay, with memorable boss fight tracks and mood shifts that keep the experience engaging. While a few note some repetitiveness and use of stock music, overall the soundtrack is regarded as a major strength and a key factor in the game's unique and captivating aesthetic.
- “Usually it was happy carnival music then it'd abruptly shift into creepy carnival music, genuinely made me feel like I was in the game and experiencing all this trippy weird stuff and I loved that.”
- “The music is genuinely great and lovely to listen to while playing and the music really sets the mood.”
- “A breathtaking art style that will have you stopping to admire it constantly and fantastic music that fits each scene perfectly, what's not to love?”
- “Audio was decent, but (from what I know) all of the tracks are stock music, so there's not much to give the game credit for there.”
- “There were some segments where music could start getting somewhat repetitive, especially with it being circus-toned music a lot of the time, but it wasn't much of an issue.”
- “The music varies heavily in quality as there wasn't a single composer for the game.”
gameplay
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The gameplay in this game is generally described as unique, charming, and easy to grasp, blending light puzzle-solving with bullet hell combat inspired by titles like Undertale. While many praise its fun, engaging mechanics and smooth flow, some find it simplistic, repetitive, or occasionally clunky, with a desire for greater complexity and depth in future chapters. Overall, the gameplay effectively complements the game's strong art style and storytelling, making for an enjoyable though not overly challenging experience.
- “The gameplay stands out with a unique art style, engaging character interactions, and light puzzle-combat gameplay that feels fresh and creative in every stage.”
- “The visuals, art style, and character designs are incredible; gameplay is a good mix of many different things – you'll be solving puzzles one second, and then playing a bullet hell the next.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are smooth and engaging, the graphics are visually impressive, and the sound design perfectly complements the atmosphere.”
- “The gameplay is pretty simplistic and a little clunky; it lacks substance.”
- “At most I can greatly appreciate the visuals and character designs, but I could not find entertainment in the gameplay itself when it feels so scattered. I also personally find the "glitching out" psychological horror trope to be bland when overused.”
- “One problem I have with the game though is its gameplay feels a bit lackluster (especially the whole shocking bit of it) and the character animations are a bit stiff with how they moonwalk all over the place.”
character development
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
32%
Reviews consistently praise the game’s character design as unique, aesthetically stunning, and integral to its charm, often highlighting how it complements the art style and atmosphere. While the gameplay and story pacing received mixed comments, the well-crafted character visuals and their development remain a standout, creating strong player attachment and enhancing the overall experience.
- “I personally love this game, with its stunning visuals and art style character development that gets you attached to them in a short time, and easy game controls.”
- “You can tell so much care and effort went into the plot, the character designs, the music... something about this game is so nostalgic, and it definitely offers a unique experience that really can't be found anywhere else.”
- “The character designs are beautiful and mesh perfectly with the environments, and I love how distinct the protagonist is.”
atmosphere
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
43%
7%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of creepy, whimsical, and surreal carnival vibes, brought to life through stunning art, captivating visuals, dynamic sound design, and immersive storytelling. Players appreciate the eerie yet charming mood created by the paper cut-out art style, glitch effects, and a fitting, thematic soundtrack, which together cultivate a mysterious and engaging experience. While generally lauded as atmospheric and visually striking, a few note minor inconsistencies in audio balancing but agree the overall ambiance is a standout feature that deeply enriches the game world.
- “Despite being free to play, it offers a surprisingly polished experience with positive community reception — the Steam reviews are overwhelmingly positive, praising the story, atmosphere, and stylization.”
- “Gorgeous visuals; I love the twisted creepy circus-like fairytale-like whimsical atmosphere — it's so perfect. The fourth wall breaks, amazing OST, charming characters, and the 2D paper graphics make it truly unique.”
- “With an incredible paper cut-out art style to match the creepy-fun atmosphere of the carnival and characters that are immediately lovable, Illusion Carnival feels like an instant genre-defining classic.”
- “The game constantly tries to build an air of mystery through visual glitches and sound distortions, creating a 'creepy atmosphere' but it's in vain.”
- “Art, design and atmosphere as a whole is truly fascinating, though for some people it might be too much.”
- “This atmosphere in the game never ends.”
humor
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its humor, blending witty dialogue, funny characters, and playful moments with an engaging and sometimes spooky story. Players appreciate its mix of surreal, quirky, and dark comedic elements that keep the experience entertaining and memorable. While mostly funny, the humor occasionally swings from lighthearted to unsettling, enhancing the game's unique tone.
- “Characters - all the characters are memorable and hilarious.”
- “Yello people wishing to download this absolute fever dream of a game, it's great and slightly scary psycho horror with funny forth wall breaks and a lot of witty jokes, while keeping the seriousness, its just a bunch of fun, and you get to see a junior high student die pretty soon :d.”
- “Fun characters, astonishing visuals, funny dialogue, a great experience.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game’s stability is marked by frequent intentional visual and audio glitches that enhance its creepy atmosphere and narrative depth, though some unintended bugs and occasional lag occur. While these glitches contribute to the mystery, they can also cause confusion and discomfort for sensitive players. Despite being a work in progress with minor technical issues, its unique style and storytelling keep players engaged and excited for future chapters.
- “I started the playthrough expecting a neat storyline, but it's basically 'The Amazing Digital Circus.' I love the art, but the constant motion really made me sick; the glitches are quite harsh, which isn't a problem if you aren't sensitive to those things.”
- “It runs a bit slow even if your computer is good, a bit glitchy (outside of the intended glitches). Excited for the next chapters.”
- “Game is still a little buggy and in development, but if you can look past this it is a good time.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a strong and varied emotional experience, blending cheerful and eerie carnival music with cute yet slightly disturbing art to immerse players in a surreal, heartfelt world. Many players praised its beautiful visuals, creative storytelling, and music for creating an intense, sometimes claustrophobic atmosphere that deeply resonates emotionally, though some found the lore confusing and emotional beats in early chapters limited. Overall, it is regarded as a loving and imaginative experience that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
- “Usually it was happy carnival music then it'd abruptly shift into creepy carnival music, genuinely made me feel like I was in the game and experiencing all this trippy weird stuff and I loved that.”
- “The game made me feel a happiness after finishing chapter 1 that few others achieved.”
- “A heartfelt visual gem, crafted with creativity and love.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game's optimization issues include texture and performance problems, leading to graphical stuttering even on high-end hardware like the RTX 2080 Super. While the unique art style and effects are praised, some texture optimizations and smoother performance would enhance the experience.
- “Perhaps some texture optimizations are needed?”
- “Quite a wonderful repertoire performance, the unique art style has already moved me at the beginning of the game. Built on the unique art is the amazing performance effect, and the excellent soundtrack enriches the experience, with a beautiful fairy tale atmosphere rendering psychological fear.”
- “Perhaps some texture optimizations are needed.”
- “There are some performance issues, I guess.”
- “With the amount of time the final battle takes to load (which I'm very thankful the game warns you about in the loading screen), I was surprised I was still getting significant graphical stuttering on my RTX 2080 Super during the fight.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game offers moderate replayability, mainly driven by different dialogue choices, achievements, and secret hunting. While it's short and simple with appealing art, the overall content limits long-term engagement.
- “I really love how short and simple this game is, tons of replayability and honestly one of the most wonderful art styles ever.”
- “Overall, super solid game that can pass the time for a couple hours and offers some replay value from hunting achievements and finding secrets.”
- “You can choose different dialog options, and they do offer some lore, adding some replayability beyond just achievements.”
- “Besides the achievements, the game doesn't really have much replayability, although you can choose different dialog options that offer some lore.”
- “Overall, a super solid game that can pass the time for a couple of hours and offers some replay value from hunting achievements and finding secrets.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Grinding in the game tends to be tedious rather than engaging, with repetitive battles and puzzles that feel more like chores. Additionally, some control mechanics, such as relying on spamming dodge, contribute to the monotonous experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Both the battles and puzzles were more tedious than challenging.”
- “I just defaulted to spamming the dodge move, which gets tedious and takes me a bit out of the game.”

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8h Median play time

8h Average play time

7-8h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Illusion Carnival is a role playing game with horror, fantasy, drama, comedy and others themes.

Illusion Carnival is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing Illusion Carnival.

Illusion Carnival was released on July 11, 2024.

Illusion Carnival was developed by KiZ.

Illusion Carnival has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its stability.

Illusion Carnival is a single player game.

Similar games include 4/1/1992, Project Kat: Paper Lily Prologue, Yuppie Psycho, ANNO: Mutationem, Neversong and others.

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