Night Book

Being one of a few people in the western world who knows an ancient language can be quite dangerous, it turns out.

Starting at $4.78Buy now

Get on Steam

Get on Play Store

Get on Apple Store

Night Book is an interactive narrative horror game where you play as a besieged literary translator facing supernatural threats. Your choices determine the protagonist's fate as you navigate through a harrowing series of events, reminiscent of classic horror literature. The game offers a unique and suspenseful experience, blending text-based storytelling with atmospheric visuals for a chilling choose-your-own-adventure style gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 192 reviews

story26 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The acting, particularly by the main character, is exceptional and conveys a wide range of emotions effectively.
The game offers a significant amount of replayability with multiple endings and branching paths based on player choices.
Despite its short runtime, the game creates a tense atmosphere and engages players with its horror elements.

The plot is considered banal and lacks depth, making it feel predictable and unoriginal.
Many choices feel inconsequential, leading to a sense of repetition and diminishing the impact of player decisions.
The game is very short, with some players completing it in under an hour, which may not justify the price for many.

story
127 mentions
20 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Night Book" is a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting its intriguing premise involving supernatural elements and interactive storytelling, but ultimately falling short due to a lack of coherence and depth. While the acting is praised for its quality, the plot is often described as predictable, rushed, and lacking significant impact from player choices, leading to a less engaging experience overall. Despite multiple endings and replayability, many players found the narrative unsatisfying and not compelling enough to warrant repeated playthroughs.
- “One of the standout features of 'Night Book' is its compelling use of interactive storytelling.”
- “For fans of horror and interactive storytelling, 'Night Book' offers a fresh and exciting experience that is not only a technical achievement but also a chilling adventure that will leave a lasting impression.”
- “The story is really interesting and I want to play through it again and get the other endings - definitely worth the money for the amount of gameplay you can get out of it.”
- “The story is absolutely inconceivable, lacks direction, and is all over the place with pacing.”
- “While the screenlife concept has been executed well in other titles, 'Night Book' struggles to deliver a compelling and coherent story.”
- “The plot makes zero sense in the end.”
atmosphere
13 mentions
38 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag; while it effectively creates a claustrophobic and intense environment that enhances its eerie narrative, it is often undermined by stiff performances and predictable dialogue. The use of text messaging and limited camera angles detracts from the immersion, although some players appreciate the creepy ambiance and musical score. Overall, the atmosphere is compelling yet inconsistent, echoing themes of isolation and mystery.
- “This game, produced entirely during lockdown, uses its unique production constraints to its advantage, crafting a claustrophobic and intense atmosphere that perfectly suits its eerie story.”
- “I was plunged into an atmosphere of mystery and fear when Loralyn summoned demons with her reading of a passage from the book.”
- “It echoes sentiments of films with a sense of isolation such as Host, Alien, Ex Machina, and somewhat of the dark and lonely atmosphere of Doom.”
- “Stiff performances and predictable dialogue undermine any potential atmosphere.”
- “The horror elements, such as glitchy cameras and possession, come across as cheesy and fail to create a genuinely tense atmosphere.”
- “The game does a fairly decent job at conveying a spooky atmosphere, but the overall presentation is weakened by often using text messaging and the small view through security camera feeds rather than actually following the main character herself.”
optimization
13 mentions
54 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
Overall, "Night Book" showcases good optimization with simple operation and easy setup, allowing for a smooth user experience. While the performances, particularly by Julie Dray, are commendable and contribute to the game's immersive atmosphere, the overall execution is hindered by a lackluster plot and predictable dialogue. Despite its strengths in acting and technology, the game struggles to fully engage players due to its shortcomings in storytelling.
- “The game has good optimization, simple operation and easy setup.”
- “The realism of the performances, combined with the interactive format, blurs the line between film and game, creating a uniquely immersive experience.”
- “Its success lies in its excellent storytelling, strong performances, and innovative use of technology to create a compelling and horrifying experience.”
- “Stiff performances and predictable dialogue undermine any potential atmosphere.”
- “Despite solid acting performances from the entire cast, it isn't enough to elevate this paint-by-numbers slog to the next level.”
replayability
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability with multiple endings and a branching narrative structure that encourages players to explore different choices and outcomes. However, some players feel that many choices lead to similar results, diminishing the overall impact of replaying the game. While the potential for varied experiences exists, the short story length and lack of substantial differences in outcomes may limit the incentive for repeated playthroughs for some users.
- “Multiple endings make for great replayability.”
- “This branching narrative structure not only adds considerable replay value but also deepens the engagement, as players are directly responsible for the unfolding events and their ultimate consequences.”
- “Good replayability - choosing different options and seeing where they will lead is a lot of fun, and I discover something new every playthrough; I have played it 8 times already.”
- “The only positive I can give this is that, with 15 endings and hundreds of scenes, there is plenty of replayability; however, the story does not interest me enough for me to sit through it a second time.”
- “Night Book has a fair bit of replayability due to the choice tree and dialogue options available to the player, though many of the choices give you very similar outcomes.”
- “The story is fairly short and in theory can be made up for with replay value, but I just didn't find much of it here.”
gameplay
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a focus on narrative and choice-making, with some players appreciating the suspenseful storytelling while others criticize the limited interactivity and lack of context for choices. While the experience can be engaging, it often feels more like watching a movie than traditional gameplay, leading to mixed reviews on its overall depth and production quality. Despite these limitations, fans of similar titles may still find value in replaying for different endings.
- “Highly recommended to all fans of suspenseful stories and unconventional gameplay!”
- “The story is really interesting and I want to play through it again and get the other endings - definitely worth the money for the amount of gameplay you can get out of it.”
- “Limited gameplay, but if you liked 'Five Dates' and the other ones they've done, then you'll like this.”
- “While some efforts like 'The Complex' and 'I Saw Dark Clouds' offer deeply engaging pieces of gripping suspense and richly woven storytelling, others fall short of the mark due to lower production values or through the sheer lack of gameplay on offer.”
- “Gameplay consists of watching movie scenes and making the occasional choice.”
- “There isn't much to the gameplay here.”
graphics
7 mentions
14 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's graphics effectively combine live-action scenes with computer-generated imagery, creating a unique visual experience that enhances the narrative. While some players appreciate the creative use of lighting and special effects, others criticize the overall execution, citing strange graphical effects and a low-budget feel. Overall, the visuals receive mixed reviews, with some praising their quality and others finding them lacking.
- “As far as that goes, I can't fault anything wrong with the visuals.”
- “Failed game for the strange graphical effects and boring script.”
- “The game blends live-action scenes with computer-generated graphics and allows the player to make choices that impact the narrative.”
- “First of all, I did like the visuals and the whole idea behind the ancient book and conjuring a demon.”
music
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by an atmospheric ambient score that enhances the overall experience, fitting well with the scenes despite the limited amount of music due to the game's short length. Users appreciate the compelling performances and good soundtracks, noting that the ability to skip previously viewed scenes adds convenience.
- “The atmospheric musical accompaniment enhances the overall experience.”
- “The soundtracks are good and complement the gameplay well.”
- “As a short game, there isn't much in the way of music, but when it is used, I found it fit the scene perfectly.”
- “As a short game, there isn't much in the way of music, but when it is used, I did find it fit the scene.”
- “The atmospheric musical accompaniment is lacking in variety.”
- “While the ambient musical score is atmospheric, it doesn't leave a lasting impression.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report a significant emotional impact from the game, with some expressing strong feelings, such as crying at the ending. However, there is a consensus that the emotional depth and drama are not as strong as in previous installments, leading to hopes for a more impactful experience in future games.
- “I have this game at 100% achievements, and I must say that I cried at the worst ending. Although I think it's worth the sale price, it's still worth buying! :D”
- “I hope that the next game can be more dramatic, have a stronger emotional impact, and more abundant and different outdoor scenes.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as it often requires watching the same transition scenes multiple times with only minor variations. While the storyline is engaging, the inability to skip many scenes due to slight differences contributes to a repetitive experience during replay.
- “Another tedious 'watch the same transition scene with a minor variation 100 times' simulator by good old Wales Interactive.”
- “It has an interesting storyline; the only issue is that after a few playthroughs, even though you can skip with the tab key, many scenes won't skip because there's like one line different somewhere. This makes it a bit tedious to replay.”
humor
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by witty character dialogues and a lighthearted approach to the detective genre, effectively blending comedy with the narrative.
- “It's also shown in the form of multiple character dialogues, but it's a detective with humor.”
- “The humor is cleverly woven into the storyline, making every interaction enjoyable.”
- “The witty banter between characters keeps the game light-hearted and entertaining.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The character development of the protagonist, Loralyn, is perceived as lacking, with reviewers noting that she does not evolve or grow throughout the game.
- “The protagonist, Loralyn, unfortunately, falls flat in terms of character development.”