Nyctophilia

About

Nyctophilia is a single player action game. It was developed by Cat In A Jar Games and was released on January 29, 2016. It received neutral reviews from players.

Nyctophilia is 2D psychological thriller about bad things in your head.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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56%

Audience ScoreBased on 153 reviews

story22 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Atmospheric and intriguing story with a dark, psychological horror theme.
Beautiful pixel art style and a great soundtrack that enhances the mood.
Free to play and offers multiple endings that provoke thought and self-reflection.

Very slow walking speed and repetitive backtracking that can become tedious.
Poor English translation with grammatical errors and unclear storyline.
Confusing and frustrating puzzles, especially the catacomb maze, with technical bugs affecting gameplay.

story
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
The story of the game is generally described as slow, abstract, and somewhat confusing, with mixed opinions on its engagement and coherence. Some players appreciate its mysterious, artistic, and thought-provoking elements, while others find it poorly paced, anticlimactic, or lacking meaningful development. Overall, it suits those who enjoy atmospheric, surreal narratives but may not satisfy players seeking a clear, compelling storyline.
- “Opening the game, I could tell this wasn't going to be the most technically impressive game in its mechanics or animation, but I really wanted to give it a chance for the sake of its potential story.”
- “Overall, Nyctophilia is a solid experience with an artistic design and story premise that have come to be expected in this genre.”
- “Anyway the story of Nyctophilia is very thought provoking and I really recommend this game to quiet and patient players.”
- “The story itself was not impressive, or even engaging, in my own opinion.”
- “The story is either not that great or just paced badly (I couldn’t take this game anymore so I didn’t finish both endings).”
- “The game has a tendency to feel very long, slow, and for me, the story didn't have any relevance to anything you were able to do as far as I could see either, with pointless sequences and incredibly obvious pointers to what or where you would be going next.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
36%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and moody qualities, with many highlighting its ability to create tension and complement the creepy, surreal tone. The soundtrack, often compared favorably to Silent Hill, features memorable guitar and piano elements that enhance the experience, though a few find it simple or average. Overall, the music is considered a major strength that elevates the game's tone despite other shortcomings.
- “Despite the simplistic visual style, the game sets a good tone, mostly thanks to the background music.”
- “Nyctophilia is more likely an interactive surreal story, with well-done 2D pixel art design, a great soundtrack, and ambient sounds.”
- “I enjoyed playing it—nice creepy story and design, covered by a really good soundtrack.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game features retro 2D pixel graphics that effectively contribute to its creepy, nostalgic atmosphere, which many players appreciate for its indie 16-bit style. However, some find the visuals repetitive or uninspired, and the lack of graphic options limits customization. Overall, the graphics are decent and fitting for the game's theme but may wear thin for those seeking more variety or modern polish.
- “The simple art style helps add to the creepy atmosphere, and the story is good as well.”
- “A very great game; it has a decent short storyline and really good graphics for an indie 16-bit game.”
- “What makes this game stand out is not just its classic pixelated graphics, but the overall theme and atmosphere.”
- “The graphics are bland and uninspired, and the music is average at best.”
- “Ok the pixel graphics are very retro and all, but let’s face it, it gets tired really fast.”
- “The controls are spotty and there is no graphics options (not even window vs fullscreen).”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The gameplay is generally slow-paced and often described as a walking simulator with minimal challenging mechanics, which may lead to player frustration, especially during maze-like sections lacking clear guidance or distinguishing features. While some appreciate the straightforward puzzles and enjoy the atmosphere, others find the gameplay stale, confusing, and lacking satisfying incentives beyond progressing the story. Overall, the gameplay is seen as functional but not particularly engaging or well-polished.
- “Every other puzzle aspect was fairly straightforward and I didn't have any issues regarding gameplay.”
- “In conclusion, good story, the art adds atmosphere, enjoyable gameplay.”
- “An amazing story, and the gameplay is awesome.”
- “A lot of questions are asked without answers, the related gameplay dragging the player on without any real satisfaction or incentive beyond 'tell me what is going on'.”
- “If it is intended to be an area the player gradually solves and explores on their own, then it would be important to either implement a breadcrumb-like mechanic, or to make the rooms visually distinct so as to create a sense of progression.”
- “Frustrating and confusing gameplay: the catacombs in which you must progress by finding the well is really confusing; it would be fair if you could remember where you had gone, but with a side-scrolling style game, you can't really remember the number of steps and which steps you took to get to the dead end you just found.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepy and intriguing vibe, enhanced by a simple pixel art style reminiscent of David Lynch's work. While the overall theme and ambiance stand out positively, some feel the game missed opportunities to fully capitalize on its atmospheric potential.
- “The simple art style helps add to the creepy atmosphere, and the story is good as well.”
- “What makes this game stand out is not just its classic pixelated graphics, but the overall theme and atmosphere.”
- “The pixel art is basic but actually has a nice atmosphere to it.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Grinding in the game is described as tedious and repetitive, involving extensive searching and trial-and-error, which detracts from the overall experience. While not unbearable, this aspect makes the game less recommended due to its monotonous nature.
- “It's not ultimately that bad but it gets tedious and because of that I can't recommend it.”
- “What prevents Nyctophilia from getting a recommended score is the fact that the core of the game gets tedious.”
- “It's a game about tediously looking for the next place and scouring everything you can before near dumb luck stumbles upon the solution.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a sarcastic, hilariously negative protagonist and delightfully awkward, often poorly translated dialogue that many players find genuinely funny. This quirky blend contributes to a unique and entertaining experience, reminiscent of fan-made creations with an offbeat story.
- “An absolutely hilarious and sarcastic character.”
- “If you want to download it to see the art, listen to the soundtrack, and witness the hilarious character, then obviously, it's free. Do it.”
- “It made me laugh more often than not.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is poor, with frequent crashing glitches, game-ending bugs, and issues that prevent progression, resulting in a frustrating experience despite its strong art and audio.
- “I was digging the art-style and audio, which the audio was amazingly done by the way; however, the buggy nature of the game and the simple fact that I can't even continue the storyline is driving this review to a complete negative.”
- “As a caveat, I need to point out that I played this game back when the English translation was rather rough, and things were a bit buggy; I had a game-ending issue about 1/3 of the way through and had to replay the first day or so.”
- “So many crashing glitches like black screens with weird sound files and just not being able to move.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Users find the emotional experience of the game largely negative, citing a lack of engaging story and art design that fails to evoke meaningful feelings. The overall tone is one of disappointment and frustration.
- “The walking animation just made me want to cry.”
- “It has boring art design, boring story and boring everything.”
- “The broken English and boring story made this not even worth being free.”