Marginalia

About

Marginalia is a single player simulation game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Connor Sherlock and was released on October 1, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"Marginalia" is a single-player horror simulation game that takes you on a chilling journey to Kestlebrook, a remote valley where history intertwines with the uncanny present. Following a mysterious letter, you venture into the dark forest armed only with a map and a sense of unease. The game is praised for its stark, stylized visuals and dense atmosphere, creating a rich, cinematic experience that pays homage to classic horror films. Immerse yourself in an intriguing story filled with eldritch underpinnings and prepared to be both captivated and terrified.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

story13 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game excels in creating a sublime atmosphere, with a beautifully rendered forest environment and an engaging ambient soundtrack that enhances the experience.
The storytelling is captivating and creepy, effectively building tension without relying on jump scares, making for a unique horror experience.
The ending provides a satisfying payoff that makes the journey worthwhile, leaving players with a sense of intrigue and reflection.

The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with limited interactivity, leading to feelings of tedium and frustration due to the slow pace and lack of direction.
Technical issues such as high mouse sensitivity and a locked frame rate hinder the overall experience, making navigation cumbersome and uncomfortable.
The vastness of the map can lead to players getting lost, resulting in prolonged periods of aimless wandering without significant events or discoveries.

story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The game's story is a blend of captivating and creepy elements, set against a beautifully crafted forest atmosphere, but it suffers from a lack of originality and clarity. While the narrative is engaging and features interesting themes, including a gay relationship, players often find it poorly conveyed and somewhat unresolved, leading to a mixed reception. Overall, the experience is enhanced by the immersive visuals and sound design, making it worthwhile for fans of atmospheric walking simulators, despite its pacing issues and vague storytelling.
- “It has a sublime atmosphere, with a forest that you can tell was made with care and with points of interest scattered throughout it, and on top of that, a storytelling that is as captivating as it is creepy.”
- “The atmosphere is phenomenal, the music is great, and the story is interesting.”
- “The story gives you just enough to be really set on edge and wanting more, without feeling either robbed of a full narrative or smacked in the face with exposition.”
- “But up until the ending, there's not much there, other than a pretty cliched story.”
- “I thought the story would be more developed, but it felt kind of unresolved and ambiguous in a slightly unsatisfying way.”
- “The story is poorly told.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised as a standout feature, characterized by its moody, immersive environments and a sense of dread that permeates the experience. Reviewers highlight the careful design of the forest setting, captivating music, and a narrative that intertwines subtle horror with emotional depth, particularly in its exploration of relationships. While some note mechanical simplicity and rough edges, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric storytelling and aesthetic appeal make it a compelling choice for fans of walking simulators and atmospheric horror.
- “It has a sublime atmosphere, with a forest that you can tell was made with care and with points of interest scattered throughout it (some more visible than others), and on top of that a storytelling that is as captivating as it is creepy.”
- “The atmosphere is phenomenal, the music is great, and the story is interesting.”
- “If the atmosphere and the aesthetics of the screenshots appeal to you, it may be for you if you're willing to meet it on its terms.”
- “Be warned that there are some rough edges, but don't let those dissuade you from what is a scary game in the classic sense, without relying on jump scares or chase sequences and instead builds an atmosphere of dread that gains momentum as you wind your way through the narrative.”
- “That's basically all it is.. but the atmosphere and story are worth experiencing in peace.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the sense of dread and mystery throughout the experience. While the ambient soundtrack is described as haunting and engrossing, some players noted issues with audio mixing that made it difficult to hear voiceovers. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's eerie ambiance, though some felt it could have varied more throughout the gameplay.
- “I especially enjoyed the forest environment and the ambient backing music.”
- “The atmosphere is phenomenal, music is great, and the story is interesting.”
- “The music reminds me of 'Stranger Things' and it steadily increases the tension slowly throughout the game and ramps up as you near the climax, the story kept me engaged all the way to the end.”
- “My only criticism is that the audio mixing isn't great, so it is tricky to hear the voice over the music and sounds.”
- “While you walk around, the same droning music plays over and over again in a loop, only changing during the last 5% of the game.”
- “This is less a game and more a mildly interactive element to someone's ambient music project.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The graphics are characterized by a low-fidelity aesthetic that effectively enhances the game's eerie atmosphere, complemented by a well-crafted soundscape. The fog effect plays a crucial role in creating a sense of unease, reminiscent of classic horror films, making the visuals integral to the overall narrative experience.
- “The visuals and soundscape complement that atmosphere and narrative perfectly.”
- “The visuals, music, sound effects, and story combine to produce a sense of eeriness and unease.”
- “The visuals really do a lot; despite their relatively low fidelity, the fog effect that masks everything and diffuses the light leads your way through the game, reminding me of classic horror films.”
- “The visuals really do a lot, despite their relative low fidelity. The fog effect that masks everything and diffuses the light, which leads your way through the game, reminds me of classic horror films.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as navigating the environment can be cumbersome and time-consuming, especially without a running option. The potential for getting lost further exacerbates the experience, making the overall journey feel longer and more frustrating.
- “The game is short if you manage to find your way around, but it's quite tedious to walk so much (you can't even run). Be aware that it's 'if you manage to find your way around'; it's easy to get lost between one point of interest and another.”
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore, with little reward for the time invested. It often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than a fun experience. It can be frustrating to spend hours on tasks that yield minimal progress.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The gameplay of Marginalia involves navigating a dark forest at night, moving between glowing red lanterns that trigger story segments. While the mechanics are simple, the experience is tense and atmospheric, effectively immersing players in a sense of dread and seamlessly connecting gameplay to the narrative.
- “The gameplay of Marginalia involves walking through a forest at night, traveling between brightly glowing red lanterns where the player character will reveal the next part of the story.”
- “Mechanically, the game is very simple, but it's incredibly tense and atmospheric, filling you with a deep sense of dread as you wander through the forest of Kestlebrook.”
- “Connecting gameplay to story is always a challenging task, but this game accomplishes it beautifully.”
- “The gameplay of Marginalia is walking through a forest at night, traveling between brightly glowing red lanterns where the player character will speak the next part of the story.”
- “So mechanically, the game is very simple, but it's very tense and atmospheric. It fills you with a deep sense of dread as you wander through the forest of Kestlebrook.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers feel that the game's optimization requires significant improvement, including better settings and contextual clues, as well as features to guide players more effectively, before it is ready for commercial release.
- “I think this game needs more work in terms of optimizations, settings, better contextual clues, and some guardrails to prevent players from getting lost in the woods for 20 minutes before it's ready to be sold for money.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frustrating performance issues that detract from the overall experience.”
- “There are significant optimization problems that make the game feel unpolished and difficult to enjoy.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers a captivating atmosphere and encourages exploration beyond the main path, enhancing its replayability. However, its short duration of under an hour limits overall replay value, making it a worthwhile experience for the price but not one that invites repeated playthroughs.
- “Atmospheric and replayable, with interesting sights at the fringes if you leave the cleared path.”
- “Really short game (less than an hour) with no replay value, but a good experience for the price.”