Stirring Abyss

About

Stirring Abyss is a single player tactical role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by K-Project and was released on October 29, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

"Stirring Abyss" is a tactical RPG set in a Lovecraftian world, where you command the crew of a sunken submarine exploring ancient ruins. Your choices determine the crew's fate and the outcome of the mission; different character traits and skills offer various options in combat and story events. The deeper you delve, the more you confront mysterious and potentially dangerous phenomena.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 238 reviews

story26 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a unique Lovecraftian atmosphere with excellent writing and sound design, immersing players in a tense underwater setting.
Gameplay combines tactical turn-based combat with resource management and character progression, offering a satisfying challenge as players navigate through missions.
The mutation system allows for diverse character builds, adding depth to the gameplay and encouraging experimentation with different strategies.

The difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially early in the game, leading to potential death spirals where players may feel forced to restart.
The autosave feature can be punishing, as it may not allow players to recover from mistakes or poor decisions during missions.
Some mechanics, such as the oxygen and sanity systems, can feel overwhelming and may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
241 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
88%
1%
The story of "Stirring Abyss" is a Lovecraftian narrative that unfolds through a series of missions, primarily conveyed via logbook entries and dialogues, which explore themes of survival and the mysteries of the deep sea. Players engage in tactical, turn-based gameplay while managing resources and upgrading their submarine, with a campaign that lasts around 12-20 hours depending on side missions. While the atmosphere and storytelling are generally praised, some players note a lack of diversity in mission design and a steep difficulty curve that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- “The atmosphere, story, and art design are superb.”
- “Stirring Abyss is a fun squad-based tactical game with a rich story and depth to its gameplay elements that kept me coming back for just one more turn.”
- “I am glad they decided to publish this Lovecraftian horror story - the turn-based combat is highly strategical, after all.”
- “The story missions are a little bit different (with timers, waypoints, and stuff) but the scenery does not change very much over the game.”
- “But even on easy, sailors get torn apart by entirely too many enemies with too many hit points, and replaying the same 2-3 missions over and over again trying to find the secret strategy that lets you actually proceed in the story is pretty much the scientific opposite of fun.”
- “The narrative is presented during a linear set of story missions either as descriptions, dialogues, or journals.”
gameplay
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay of the game is generally solid, featuring easy-to-learn mechanics and a mix of tactical and RPG elements reminiscent of XCOM and Darkest Dungeon. While the atmosphere and writing are praised, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, particularly in later stages, with certain mechanics feeling obtuse or poorly explained. Overall, it offers an engaging experience with unique Lovecraftian themes, though it may require patience to fully grasp its systems.
- “It has very good writing and solid gameplay, which is gradually introduced as you play through the game.”
- “The mechanics are easy to grasp, and do what you need them to.”
- “Stirring Abyss is a fun squad-based tactical game with a rich story and depth to its gameplay elements that kept me coming back for just one more turn.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's a mess.”
- “The game itself isn’t long, and the gameplay is repetitive like XCOM.”
- “The interface and poor explanation of several game mechanics drive me up the wall sometimes; I've loved games that have done even worse on both those subjects, but they're not serving this one.”
atmosphere
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
24%
6%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, mysterious, and immersive qualities, often drawing comparisons to Lovecraftian themes and classic titles like "XCOM: Terror from the Deep." Players appreciate the combination of art, sound design, and storytelling that creates a captivating and eerie environment, enhancing the overall experience despite some critiques of gameplay simplicity. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and replayability.
- “The soundtrack, art, and text-based content create a tense Lovecraftian atmosphere.”
- “Amazing Lovecraftian atmosphere and simple but satisfying mechanics reminding of old Fallout.”
- “The atmosphere is ominous, tense, and claustrophobic.”
- “Your characters comment on the events, text windows describe what your crewmen experience during the missions, eerie background sounds support the atmosphere.”
- “Salem's crew is trapped in the depths, facing dangerous enemies and being victims of mutations... yet, none of it is employed to emphasize atmosphere or build crew interaction, and it doesn't affect their mental state either.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and distinct art style that effectively conveys a creepy, Lovecraftian atmosphere, blending cute and unsettling elements. While some users appreciate the charming visuals and atmospheric design, others find the graphics simplistic or dated. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's ambiance, enhancing the experience with solid artwork and thematic coherence.
- “The artwork, unpleasant organic sound effects, and music all play into the unnaturally creepy ambiance.”
- “The game looks pretty and it has a distinct art style.”
- “The art style and writing have a nice pulp feel that suits the sense of cosmic horror and dread well.”
- “The aesthetics of sprites is disappointing.”
- “It's a scripted adventure RPG with a sloppy art style, and everything looks like it plays.”
- “Game play and graphic design would have been dated 20 years ago, so quality and execution were crucial, but sadly the devs deliver on neither.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
12%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric qualities that enhance the eerie and immersive experience. While some praise the soundtrack for effectively contributing to the game's tension and Lovecraftian themes, others feel it lacks variety and dominance, with a few even criticizing it as subpar. Overall, the music is generally seen as a supportive element that complements the game's visuals and mechanics, though opinions on its quality and impact vary.
- “I really enjoyed the music and sound effects, plus the voice acting of the introduction and ending are great.”
- “The sounds do their job just fine, and the music is also good - it feeds into the atmosphere that you're exploring the underwater abyss while there are dangers lurking in the darkness.”
- “I love the Lovecraft + terror from the deep vibe and the atmospheric soundtrack, along with the visual design.”
- “And to top it off, the music stinks.”
- “You can forget about getting stoned and bugging out to underwater immersion, unless you bring your own music because the music is crap.”
- “Music is not very dominant; it is there to support the above described feelings.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game offers a limited replayability primarily through its endless mode and procedural mission layouts, which provide some variation after completing the main campaign. However, the core story missions and side quests are finite, leading to mixed opinions on the overall replay value, with some players finding it simplistic and lacking depth for extended play.
- “The game also features an endless mode for replayability after you've completed the main campaign.”
- “There is an endless rogue-like mode that adds a lot of replay value to this game; I plan on checking that out once I finish the story mode.”
- “It's not super long and has very little replay value, as well as being quite simplistic in some ways, plus the tutorial misses some key info like cover.”
- “Though the story will be the same, there is a certain replayability.”
- “Also, most missions are procedural in their layout, allowing for a degree of replayability.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players generally appreciate that the game avoids excessive grinding, finding it lightweight and manageable, though some note that the slow-paced exploration can feel tedious. The oxygen system adds a layer of strategy, prompting players to save and reload to navigate challenges effectively.
- “I appreciated that it was not grindy at all.”
- “I don't like very grindy games, but it felt a bit lightweight overall (I do like complex games).”
- “The oxygen system and the potential for a death spiral encourages saving and reloading when things go wrong, leading to tedious, slow-moving exploration.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as a strong point, featuring a blend of funny and grotesque elements within the RPG character build system. Players appreciate the polished execution and immersive experience, drawing parallels to classic titles like X-COM while incorporating Lovecraftian themes. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “Three winning elements all together in a nice package, along with a decent - and sometimes funny and grotesque - RPG character build system.”
- “Props to the developers for such a polished, funny, immersive game that brought me back the feeling of old X-COM while playing along with my favorite Lovecraft moods.”
- “Funny and not too difficult to beat the game with it.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Character development is significantly influenced by player choices, creating an emergent experience; however, the limited progression system, capped at five levels, restricts the depth of character development.
- “Player choices play a huge role in progression and character development, making the experience feel emergent.”
- “The character development is engaging, allowing for meaningful growth and transformation throughout the game.”
- “Player choices play a huge role in progression and character development, which feels emergent.”
- “The character development is shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, making it hard to connect with them.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Overall, the game is considered relatively stable, with users noting it is mostly bug-free and features good pacing. However, some minor bugs and glitches have been reported, which are expected to be addressed in future patches.
- “The game is relatively bug-free, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
- “The pacing of the game is pretty good, contributing to its overall stability.”
- “A few bugs and glitches are also present, though they will likely get patched up soon.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced several stability issues that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
The optimization of the game is influenced by the health, sanity, and buffs/debuffs systems, which significantly impact character performance and gameplay dynamics.
- “Optimizing health and sanity levels, along with managing buffs and debuffs, can dramatically enhance your character's effectiveness in the game.”
- “The interplay between health, sanity, and status effects creates a deep layer of strategy, emphasizing the importance of optimization in gameplay.”
- “The health, sanity, and buffs/debuffs systems significantly impact character performance, making optimization crucial for success.”
- “The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
- “Balancing health, sanity, and buffs/debuffs feels off, which hampers effective character optimization.”