- November 20, 2015
- Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw
- 47h median play time
The Consuming Shadow
A very niche horror title with a few floors that don't cripple the overall experience. Recommended to fans of horror narrative and roguelikes.
Platforms
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.




- 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- The graphics and overall presentation may deter some players, as they resemble outdated flash games rather than modern titles.
- gameplay97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
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.”
The Consuming Shadow Review – A Welcome Trip Into the Dark Abyss
A very niche horror title with a few floors that don't cripple the overall experience. Recommended to fans of horror narrative and roguelikes.
70%Review: The Consuming Shadow
Have some high points, but they soon give way to glaring faults. Not the worst, but difficult to recommend.
40%