The Consuming Shadow

About

"The Consuming Shadow" is a survival horror game with roguelike elements. You play as a paranormal investigator, trying to stop an ancient evil from consuming the world. Battle cultists, monsters, and sanity-draining shadows in this challenging and intense game. With procedurally generated levels and tons of items to find, each playthrough is different and full of replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 260 reviews

gameplay29 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game has a unique blend of investigative puzzle-solving and survival horror gameplay, creating a tense atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
Despite its simplistic graphics, the game effectively captures a Lovecraftian horror vibe, with well-written lore and a compelling narrative.
The roguelike elements, including character progression and randomized dungeons, provide high replay value and encourage players to strategize and adapt their approach.

The combat mechanics can feel clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating encounters with enemies.
Some players may find the randomization of events and resources to be overly punishing, resulting in runs that feel unfair or impossible to succeed.
The graphics and overall presentation may deter some players, as they resemble outdated flash games rather than modern titles.

gameplay
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
The gameplay of this horror roguelike is praised for its addictive mechanics, engaging resource management, and unique deduction elements, creating a compelling survival experience. While some players note issues with combat balance and repetitiveness after extended play, the overall atmosphere and innovative systems, such as the sanity mechanic, contribute to a rich and immersive experience. Despite its simplistic graphics, the game effectively combines exploration, investigation, and strategic decision-making, making it a worthwhile choice for fans of the genre.
- “Now that this is only a dollar, there's no reason not to buy it; one of the best horror roguelikes on Steam, with plenty of content, an addicting survival horror gameplay loop, solid progression, and lots of real risk-reward scenarios.”
- “The gameplay is surprisingly engaging.”
- “Great atmosphere, great gameplay, highly recommended if you like roguelites or Lovecraftian horror.”
- “Sadly, this critical gameplay bug doesn't stop me from playing the game, but makes it a chore just to try a regular playthrough. Until this is fixed, which I find to be highly unlikely, I cannot, in good faith, recommend this to other people even with the fairly cheap price on offer.”
- “I wouldn't recommend it for free, let alone any price, because the gameplay is very poorly implemented and actively punishes you for trying to use the mechanics that are established in the game.”
- “The first few runs are fraught with tension, but once you have the mechanics worked out and memorized, the game loses all of the aforementioned tension.”
graphics
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
72%
13%
The graphics of the game are generally described as simplistic and rough, often resembling early flash games, but they effectively contribute to a tense and atmospheric experience. While some players express disappointment with the visuals, many agree that the art style complements the game's Lovecraftian horror theme and enhances immersion. Overall, the consensus is that despite the lack of polish, the graphics serve their purpose and do not detract from the engaging gameplay.
- “Don't judge a book by its cover; behind the amateurish graphics lies a delightfully tense and atmospheric rogue-lite.”
- “The graphics are crude but effective, especially the silhouetted monsters; the sound design is superb, it's replayable, it's deep, and the writing does a lot of worldbuilding.”
- “You don't need fancy graphics to make a game scary; you need great atmosphere, and this game has it in spades.”
- “My only complaint obviously is that visually it's a bit ropey; the art style compensates for very rough looking art, so it didn't bother me once I actually started playing it.”
- “The graphics are not stellar, but considering one guy made everything, the graphics work with the atmosphere being created.”
- “The graphics and presentation are primitive; the combat (which is kind of a big part of the game) is pretty clunky.”
atmosphere
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
39%
4%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its ability to evoke a sense of dread and tension, effectively capturing the essence of Lovecraftian horror despite its simplistic graphics. Reviewers note that the oppressive ambiance, combined with strong writing and sound design, creates a compelling experience that immerses players in a world of uncertainty and fear. While some mention technical issues and janky controls, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere significantly enhances the gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “The oppressive atmosphere makes these moments all the more joyous, a glimpse of hope in the relentless darkness.”
- “You don't need fancy graphics to make a game scary; you need great atmosphere, and this game has it in spades.”
- “The screenshots absolutely betray the game's atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is thick and heavy, the substance is paper thin.”
- “You won't be disappointed with the dreadful atmosphere this can pull you into with its minimalistic art style and horrific sounds.”
story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The game's story is a blend of cosmic horror and roguelite mechanics, where players gather clues to banish ancient entities while navigating a procedurally generated narrative. While some players appreciate the writing and the integration of survival elements into the plot, others find the story lacking depth and coherence, often feeling it relies too heavily on vague Lovecraftian tropes. Overall, the game offers a compelling experience for those who enjoy storytelling and exploration, despite criticisms regarding its narrative execution.
- “This game's strongest element is its writing, which takes the sense of impending doom that many roguelikes carry and turns it into an integral part of the plot and theme.”
- “The consuming shadow is a well-made Lovecraftian 'whodunnit' storytelling medium that, if you're willing to look past the garish display, will provide you with a lot of entertainment.”
- “While it is never stated in any way, a lot of background storytelling is at play here when you infer that even when you are completely out of ammo, you still have one bullet left.”
- “The story could have used a lot more fleshing out.”
- “Very vague storyline, and wasn't clear on what the player was supposed to do.”
- “I find it to be on par with 'multi-universe story' (as in, an allowance for lazy writing) why write a compelling story with juicy details when you can just say 'ehhh.'”
replayability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
44%
13%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with a wealth of content including unlockable characters, varied side quests, and rogue-lite progression that enhances each playthrough. Players appreciate the random elements and procedural generation, which ensure that no two runs are the same, making it engaging even after multiple sessions. Overall, the combination of depth, atmosphere, and diverse gameplay modes contributes to its high replay value, making it a worthwhile investment.
- “Each game takes about an hour to complete, and there's a lot of replay value, with additional perks, characters, and game modes opening up each time you die...and you will die a lot, to begin with.”
- “There are now multiple playable characters, more and varied side quests and random events, rogue-lite progression from game to game that somewhat mollifies the withering difficulty, unlockable lore and backstory, even more replayability, and enough polish to make it well worth the $10 asking price.”
- “Ftl, which seems to be this game's main inspiration, provides much more variety and replayability.”
- “I am glad I own it; however, under the rather simplistic graphics lies a very well-made roguelike game that offers a whole lot of replay value, but unfortunately, as it often is with many roguelikes, it's a game that can have trouble justifying its price.”
- “The random nature of the mystery gives it replayability, as you can never know which elder god you're facing without knowing most of the clues and taking educated guesses.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
27%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the atmosphere, effectively conveying a sense of impending doom and fitting well within the Lovecraftian theme. While some players noted a lack of variety, the soundtrack and sound effects are generally considered beautiful and immersive, contributing significantly to the overall experience without being distracting. However, a few users expressed a desire for more control over the music settings, particularly during combat scenarios.
- “The atmosphere, ambiance, music, and gameplay are quite fun and feel very Lovecraftian.”
- “The music provides a nicely atmospheric backdrop to the game, without being distracting or annoying, speaking as someone who gets fed up and turns the music off in more games than where I don't.”
- “Special kudos for the soundtrack as well, as it leaves you feeling tense the whole way through.”
- “The flip side of this is that I couldn't find an option to turn down or off only the music and not all in-game sound.”
- “If you do tire of the music, you can turn sound off everywhere else, and turn it on for those parts where being able to hear enemies can save you some pain and sanity.”
- “Because there's, sensibly, no music to speak of in areas where combat occurs, this isn't a deal breaker for me.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever character interactions and amusing achievements, with players enjoying the comedic elements of character progression and the absence of ammunition costs. Additionally, references to popular humorous critiques, like Yahtzee's Zero Punctuation, resonate with players, enhancing the overall comedic experience.
- “A funny thing is that he usually ends up rich because there are no bullets to buy or find in dungeons.”
- “I love Yahtzee's Zero Punctuation reviews and have always found them funny.”
- “Some very interesting and funny things to find in the game.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the game involves significant grinding to achieve all accomplishments and endings, which can become repetitive. However, many feel that the effort is justified by the game's quality and engaging mechanics, making the experience worthwhile despite the time investment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A challenging but well-made paranormal investigator game, requires some grinding to get all the achievements and endings and can get repetitive but well worth the price tag.”
- “You get texts and drive around in your car from town to town investigating events and essentially leveling (re: grinding) while finding the runes you need to successfully cast a banishment ritual at Stonehenge to end all the evil chicanery.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by various glitches, including issues with player animations and unreliable enemy hitboxes, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. Additionally, the HUD in vehicles is not user-friendly, and the reliance on RNG can significantly impact playthrough outcomes. Overall, while the game is playable, it exhibits numerous rough edges that detract from its overall stability.
- “Other problems include the graphics, which, while fairly simplistic, are stylized decently enough to create a foreboding and tense atmosphere. However, it occasionally glitches out with player animations getting stuck, enemy hitboxes being unreliable when trying to melee them (I swear two enemies in particular are more dangerous than they should be because of this issue), and the HUD in the car not being the easiest thing to navigate, alongside RNG playing too heavily into the success or failure of a playthrough.”
- “As it is, The Consuming Shadow is an okay way to sink a few hours, but it has lots of glitches and feels rough around the edges, though it is perfectly serviceable.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be impactful, as the dungeons evoke a sense of tension and unease, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- “The dungeons still managed to be tense and made me feel uneasy as I traversed them.”