Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond

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Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond is a single player casual puzzle game with a horror theme. It was developed by Cryo Interactive and was released on July 11, 2014. It received negative reviews from players.

"Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond" is a point-and-click adventure game set in 1927 New England, based on the works of H.P Lovecraft. When William Stanton's friend gives him a metallic pyramid and warns him not to give it to himself, Stanton embarks on a journey to find his friend and uncovers a horrifying secret threatening humanity. Solve clues and puzzles to help Stanton unravel the mystery of the Necronomicon and save mankind from destruction.

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Single-Player

Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond screenshot

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28%

Audience ScoreBased on 128 reviews

story16 positive mentions

graphics4 negative mentions

The game has a gloomy, Lovecraftian atmosphere that captures the essence of horror.
Despite its flaws, the game offers engaging puzzles and a story that appeals to fans of Lovecraft's work.
There is a nostalgic charm to the game, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate classic point-and-click adventures.

The Steam version is riddled with game-breaking bugs and missing cutscenes, making it nearly impossible to complete.
Graphics and animations are outdated and poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.
The lack of guidance and confusing puzzles can lead to frustration, as players often find themselves lost or unsure of what to do next.

story
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
66%
11%
The story, heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," is noted for its atmospheric elements and intriguing themes involving mummies and supernatural occurrences. However, many players criticize its execution, citing abrupt pacing, missing content, and poor direction that detracts from the overall experience. While some find the narrative engaging, others recommend reading the original story for a more fulfilling experience.
- “It's quite a faithful adaptation of the case of Charles Dexter Ward (my favorite story by H.P. Lovecraft) and has a great atmosphere.”
- “The story is interesting to begin with, woven with mummies, strange disappearances, long deceased ancestors, sigils, and summoning of spirits.”
- “As for the game itself, I think it is a great mythos story and follows the style of Lovecraft very well. You need to do research and understand it to solve the puzzles, and it kept me busy; I had to start again several times due to missing the clues I needed to carry on.”
- “The story is basic; I was really annoyed by the fact that: who did all that?”
- “That is, until you reach the later stages of the game with a really abrupt and inconsistent story beat, and it’s noticeable that there’s a lot of content and ideas cut from the game.”
- “A very large, and important cutscene, one that shapes the entire game, and gives the player direction in what to do next (as well as a huge part of the story, and reward for completing the puzzle which came before it) is missing.”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by Lovecraftian horror, featuring a gloomy and eerie setting that captures the essence of his storytelling, though it struggles with execution due to clunky animations and inconsistent voice acting. While many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a creepy charm, some criticize its lack of polish and the confusing puzzle design that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the atmospheric elements remain a highlight, providing a nostalgic and engaging backdrop for fans of the genre.
- “It has a gloomy, gooey atmosphere reminiscent of famous Lovecraftian horror.”
- “It's quite a faithful adaptation of 'The Case of Charles Dexter Ward' (my favorite story by H.P. Lovecraft) and has a great atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is powerful.”
- “While the story and atmosphere of horror are really well done (especially music, minus most voice actors), the game does a very poor job of directing the player towards the next task.”
- “There is also this overall atmosphere that the game is lacking polish, and there are some gaps in the overall gameplay that should have been filled before the game was released.”
- “It's old, it's clunky, full of bugs with irritable animations... yet still manages to set an eerie enough atmosphere to drive your perception skills to its limits.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
65%
20%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized as outdated and subpar, often described as "horrid" and "comically dated," with many reviewers noting that they resemble or even fall short of PlayStation 1 standards. The use of pre-rendered backgrounds and repetitive character models contributes to a lack of visual variety, making the overall aesthetic feel clunky and unrefined. While some acknowledge the limitations due to the game's age and lesser-known developer, the consensus is that the graphics fail to impress.
- “Aesthetically, the game uses a lot of pre-rendered backgrounds and has a sizable amount of long cutscenes.”
- “Graphic is acceptable for PS1 standards, like Resident Evil 1.”
- “The graphics are pretty ordinary, but it's probably to be expected for such an old game, and it's from a relatively unknown developer.”
- “Graphics still look like dogshit, maybe even worse in comparison to the PS1 version.”
- “It's graphics are comically dated.”
- “The game hailing from 2001, graphics are nothing extraordinary, a bit clunky and plastic even for character models.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay of *Necronomicon: The Dawning of Darkness* is often criticized for its outdated mechanics and lack of polish, which can frustrate players accustomed to more refined experiences. While it retains the classic point-and-click style reminiscent of games like *Myst*, many find the linearity and tedious elements detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of boredom rather than engagement.
- “I played this game back when it was on PS1, had a blast always getting decked by the angry housekeeper after 20 minutes of gameplay and forgetting to save... this game is a proper classic point-and-click puzzler like Myst but based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.”
- “We are already used to the linear gameplay for an adventure game, but 'Necronomicon: The Dawning of Darkness' takes this part a bit more seriously than it should.”
- “Remember, I said old school, which means flawed gameplay elements.”
- “The gameplay can put off a lot of people.”
- “There is also this overall atmosphere that the game is lacking polish, and there are some gaps in the overall gameplay that should have been filled before the game was released.”
- “I could forgive the tired animations if it weren't for the dreadfully boring gameplay.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its contribution to the horror atmosphere and enjoy it, others find it unmemorable and lacking in impact. Overall, it seems to enhance the experience for fans of Lovecraftian themes, but it does not stand out on its own.
- “I also enjoyed the music, plus I am a huge fan of Lovecraft and anything (well, almost anything) based on his writing.”
- “While the story and atmosphere of horror are really well done, especially the music, the game does a very poor job of directing the player towards the next task.”
- “The music is not memorable.”
- “While the story and atmosphere of horror are really well done (especially the music, minus most voice actors), the game does a very poor job of directing the player towards the next task.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its charming atmosphere and intentionally janky art and animations, which often lead to amusing moments, such as comically poor graphics during game overs. Players find themselves laughing at the low-quality visuals, contributing to an overall lighthearted experience.
- “There's enough atmosphere to give it a certain charm, and enough janky art and animations to make it funny at times.”
- “I was also laughing at how I got my game over; the graphics are kind of low quality, so it was hard not to laugh at the 'best' knockout ever.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game generally runs smoothly, especially when streamed, due to its age. However, players have noted that glitches can detract from the experience, particularly for those who are fans of Lovecraftian themes.
- “This is an older game, so it runs great via streaming.”
- “The stability of this game is impressive, especially considering its age.”
- “I appreciate how smoothly the game performs, even when streamed.”
- “If you are a Lovecraft fan, I would recommend it to you, but the glitches within the game will disappoint you.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly criticizing the repetitive nature of the puzzles.
- “The puzzles, as other reviewers have mentioned, are tedious.”

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Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond is a casual puzzle game with horror theme.

Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond is available on PC, Windows and PlayStation.

Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond was released on July 11, 2014.

Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond was developed by Cryo Interactive.

Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond has received negative reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its graphics.

Necronomicon: The Gateway to Beyond is a single player game.

Similar games include Post Mortem, Black Mirror, Syberia 3, Dracula: Resurrection, Black Sails: The Ghost Ship and others.

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