Omen Exitio: Plague

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 370 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Omen Exitio: Plague Game Cover
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"Omen Exitio: Plague" is a Lovecraftian adventure game where you play as Dr. Jake Huntington, a military doctor investigating a mysterious disease threatening human extinction with potentially preternatural origins. Set in 1896 Zanzibar, you'll explore dark conspiracies and intrigues, pushing the boundaries of human intellect to uncover the truth and save humanity. The game is inspired by the choose-your-own-adventure gamebooks of the 80s and 90s, offering a unique and immersive experience.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 370 reviews
story114 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Engaging Lovecraftian narrative that keeps players hooked with meaningful choices.
  • Beautiful hand-drawn illustrations and effective sound design enhance the immersive experience.
  • Replayability is high due to multiple paths and outcomes based on player decisions.
  • The story can feel linear, with many choices leading to similar outcomes, creating an illusion of choice.
  • Grammatical errors and awkward translations detract from the overall quality of the writing.
  • Some players may find the character development lacking, making it hard to form attachments.
  • story462 mentions

    The story of "Omen Exitio: Plague" is a mix of intriguing Lovecraftian themes and interactive narrative elements, allowing players to influence the plot through their choices. However, many reviewers noted that the narrative becomes chaotic and fast-paced as it progresses, leading to a loss of immersion and a sense of linearity despite the branching paths. While the writing is generally well-received, some found it marred by grammatical errors and a lack of emotional connection to the characters, suggesting that the game could benefit from a more polished and cohesive storytelling approach.

    • “Amazing storytelling and all around enjoyable experience!”
    • “Omen exitio: plague is an engrossing lovecraftian gamebook with diverse characters and locations, a desperate quest to save the world from a plague and a cult that worship it—taking readers to far places like Holland and Tanzania in search of a cure.”
    • “The writing and plot are incredible, and great in bringing you into the world of paranoia, the music and sound effects are brilliant, and there are tons of illustrations to go with each scene.”
    • “Over time, the story turns into rather chaotic and fast-paced narration.”
    • “I found that some stats were barely used and/or made much of a difference in my story.”
    • “The plot is very linear and the choices could best be demonstrated by the metaphor of choosing between two doors that lead to the same tunnel.”
  • music46 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with a haunting soundtrack that complements the Lovecraftian themes and art style effectively. While many reviewers appreciate the sound design and its contribution to the immersive experience, some find the music to be monotonous and repetitive, leading to a desire to turn it off after extended play. Overall, the combination of music and sound effects is seen as a strong element that supports the narrative and emotional tone of the game.

    • “The literature is nicely complemented with some classical cinematic music that fits extremely well with the tone of the story.”
    • “The writing and plot are incredible, and great in bringing you into the world of paranoia; the music and sound effects are brilliant, and there are tons of illustrations to go with each scene.”
    • “Enhanced by the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, the atmosphere stays true to Lovecraft, and many moments sent chills down my spine.”
    • “Music fits the mood but is a bit too monotonous and repetitive; I ended up turning it off after a couple of hours.”
    • “It fails at horror, fails at mystery, and fails at getting any emotional reaction from the player with its overtly manipulative injections of dead wives, endangered children, and spooky organ music.”
    • “For example, it lacks background music.”
  • gameplay46 mentions

    The gameplay of "Omen Exitio: Plague" is primarily a narrative-driven experience with light RPG mechanics, offering a choose-your-own-adventure style that emphasizes storytelling over complex gameplay. While players appreciate the atmospheric design and the integration of RPG elements, many feel that the game lacks sufficient interactive mechanics and features like skipping or bookmarking, which can make replaying tedious. Overall, it provides a solid experience for fans of narrative games, though it may not satisfy those seeking deeper gameplay complexity.

    • “Fun and full of your classic choose-your-own-adventure style gameplay layered on top of an intuitive RPG lite system.”
    • “The gameplay is a straightforward 'choose your own adventure' style novel, with some light RPG elements in the form of experience points, character stats, and equipment.”
    • “I don't even remember how much I paid but it was worth every single cent, and I don't think I've seen a game with mechanics as in-depth and thought out as this game.”
    • “Infection is a fitting theme for this title, as it's clearly a book that's been infected with the idea that it ought to be a video game, resulting in a healthy narrative experience riddled with unnecessary mechanic tumors.”
    • “From my first playthrough in about 2.5 hours, this game is much more of a novella with light role play and choose-your-own-adventure aspects than it is a true game with majorly branching options or gameplay beyond pointing and clicking (mostly clicking) your way through the story.”
    • “The lack of a proper skipping feature, bookmarking feature, or save-game mechanic makes it a little tedious to replay the novel - just like with reading a book, you don't want to re-read it the very next day, so as a player I found myself annoyed having to sift through the same pages again and again with no easy way to skip forward to the point in the novel where I might try to access new content.”
  • atmosphere44 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and evocative art style reminiscent of 19th-century illustrations. Reviewers highlight the effective use of writing to create a tense, Lovecraftian ambiance that evokes feelings of fear and paranoia, although some note that minor issues like misspellings can detract from the experience. Overall, the combination of minimal imagery and atmospheric storytelling makes for a compelling adventure, particularly for fans of interactive fiction.

    • “The pacing and tense atmosphere is spot-on.”
    • “Enhanced by the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, the atmosphere stays true to Lovecraft, and many moments sent chills down my spine.”
    • “The story builds an atmosphere that makes you question the story itself in an interesting way.”
    • “The game has some nice ideas but for me it failed to generate enough atmosphere.”
    • “Too many misspellings, which throw you out of atmosphere and story.”
    • “The lovecraftian atmosphere works well, even if it does not avoid some clichés.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics in the game are characterized by beautiful hand-drawn illustrations that enhance the storytelling, creating an atmospheric experience. While the visuals are minimal and lack flashy elements, they are complemented by a clean user interface and effective sound design, contributing positively to the overall aesthetic. Some users noted occasional spelling errors, but these did not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the artwork and the immersive atmosphere.

    • “First-rate artwork and style (the retro illustrations take this to a whole extra level).”
    • “The elements surrounding interactive fiction - graphics and music - are effective and contribute to the atmosphere.”
    • “There's no graphics besides an occasional hand-drawn picture.”
    • “The graphics are minimal, with a clean user interface, and some nice sketches to complement the scenes being described.”
    • “Cons: not much gameplay (could be a pro for some people), some spelling and grammatical errors (it's going to bug someone), not much in the way of graphics.”
  • replayability22 mentions

    The game offers a medium level of replayability, particularly for players interested in achievements and exploring different narrative paths. With a well-integrated Lovecraftian narrative and meaningful choices that impact the outcome, players can enjoy multiple playthroughs, especially with the aid of a fast-forward function. However, some reviews suggest that replay value may be limited unless players are highly motivated by completionist goals.

    • “Depending on your pace and patience, Omen Exitio: Plague gives you some hours of fun and still has some replay value if you like taking the roads not taken and getting the achievements (it should be possible to get all in about three replays; there is a guide).”
    • “I got this game at a discount, but because it has great replay value, I can even recommend it at full price (that is, if you are into game-books).”
    • “The Lovecraftian narrative is well incorporated and the game is very replayable, with 'true' choices that really have consequences in the game.”
    • “Oh, and it has almost zero replay value unless you're really obsessed with achievements.”
    • “Replayability: medium-ish.”
    • “Diverse skill tree adds to player choice and replayability.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players found the story reminiscent of classic adventures and appreciated the satisfying ending, many criticized it for lacking genuine emotional depth and connection to the characters. The use of manipulative tropes, such as dead wives and endangered children, detracted from the intended emotional impact, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the narrative.

    • “The story reminded me of several books I've read, including Treasure Island, where out of nowhere, a seemingly ordinary adventure turns into a wholesome experience.”
    • “The intrigues and relatable characters made me feel satisfied with the ending I received.”
    • “I did feel a lack of emotional connection to the protagonist and most other characters, as many of them had very short roles in the story, overall.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to the absence of features like skipping, bookmarking, or save-game mechanics, which forces them to repeatedly sift through familiar content. This repetition can detract from immersion, particularly when character behaviors feel unrealistic, leading to frustration. While the game format improves the experience compared to traditional gamebooks, the lack of convenience features remains a significant drawback.

    • “The lack of a proper skipping feature, bookmarking feature, or save-game mechanic makes it a little tedious to replay the novel. Just like with reading a book, you don't want to re-read it the very next day, so as a player, I found myself annoyed having to sift through the same pages again and again with no easy way to skip forward to the point in the novel where I might try to access new content.”
    • “This is especially jarring with the soldiers in the very beginning, who act nothing like real soldiers do. The lack of appropriate reactions to the 16-year-old Irish kid's non-stop drunken shenanigans was really grinding my gears.”
    • “I vaguely remember playing gamebooks as a kid. I loved the concept but always found them a bit tedious, with too much temptation to view the other results, which broke immersion.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a dark, ironic tone, likening the narrative to a chaotic dungeon master who revels in the player's failures while emphasizing a lack of real choice. This self-aware, almost villainous approach to storytelling adds a layer of comedic absurdity, making the experience both frustrating and entertaining.

    • “And then, like a rabid toxic dungeon master, it spends the later chapters informing you of how 'everything brought you there' and 'how this was decided from the start' as if railroading was super fun, while – at the same time – laughing manically at you like a 60s cartoon villain for failing to save x or y person as if you actually had any choice in the matter.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development is praised for its depth and quality, with users highlighting the effective implementation of characters, choices, and overall design elements that enhance the experience.

    • “The characters, the choices, the character development, the UI, and all other details are very well implemented.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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