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"The Miskatonic" is a first-person action-adventure game set in the Lovecraftian universe. As the rapscallion Jack, players uncover mysteries, fight cultists, and solve puzzles in a sprawling, open-world university town. With a blend of survival horror and immersive sim elements, players must manage their sanity and resources to survive the supernatural threats lurking in the shadows.

The Miskatonic screenshot
The Miskatonic screenshot
The Miskatonic screenshot
The Miskatonic screenshot
The Miskatonic screenshot
The Miskatonic screenshot

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 714 reviews
story222 positive mentions
replayability10 negative mentions

  • The art style is charming and unique, effectively blending cute and creepy elements.
  • The writing is humorous and engaging, with well-developed characters that add depth to the story.
  • The game offers a fun and imaginative take on Lovecraft's mythos, making it enjoyable for fans of dark humor.
  • The game is very short, typically lasting only 2-3 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
  • There are no meaningful choices or branching paths, making it feel more like a linear story than a game.
  • The all-caps dialogue can be difficult to read and detracts from the overall experience.
  • story
    650 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Miskatonic" is a quirky, darkly comedic narrative set in a Lovecraftian universe, featuring a young witch navigating a university filled with bizarre characters and situations. While the writing is engaging and the art style is praised, many reviewers noted that the story feels rushed, lacks depth, and ends abruptly, leaving players wanting more. Overall, it is described as a linear visual novel with minimal interactivity, appealing primarily to fans of the genre who appreciate its unique blend of humor and horror.

    • “The world and the storytelling and characterization won me over.”
    • “It's a charmingly bizarre story that turns what could have been a horrifically dark storyline into something you can smile and laugh at.”
    • “The story is great, and I'm not a Lovecraft fan, so take that as you will.”
    • “The story is nonsensical and rushed, with poor pacing, zero character motivation, and what lore they give goes nowhere.”
    • “I can't even offer a halfway decent summary of the plot because the whole experience is just wall-to-wall nothingburger—nothingburger characters in a nothingburger world with literal nothing in the way of gameplay to boot.”
    • “The 'story' will run you 2-3 hours (give or take), most of which is spent clicking back and forth as you navigate main character Charlotte Lestrange through the classrooms and student dormitories of the game's titular university, 'the Miskatonic' (the rest spent reading through uninspired dialog and exposition dumps).”
  • humor
    236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in this game is a blend of dark, absurdist, and juvenile elements, often drawing on Lovecraftian themes and characters to create a comedic atmosphere. While many players found the writing charming and funny, with moments that elicited genuine laughter, others criticized it for being hit-or-miss, overly reliant on sexual jokes, or lacking depth. Overall, the humor appeals to fans of quirky, dark comedy, though it may not resonate with everyone.

    • “A humorous and comedic interpretation of the Cthulhu mythos, featuring charming and entertaining characters set against a dark, madness-filled atmosphere.”
    • “The dialogue is charming and very funny, had me laughing plenty of times.”
    • “The writing is absolutely hilarious, the Lovecraft love is so real and heartfelt, and everything is my kind of messed up, lighthearted, and absolutely delightful.”
    • “Not funny.”
    • “No, really it's not funny.”
    • “Oh and yeah, the jokes are not funny in the slightest.”
  • graphics
    222 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and unique art style, which blends cute and creepy elements, effectively capturing the Lovecraftian theme. Many reviewers highlight the stunning character designs and detailed visuals, noting that the artwork enhances the overall experience, even if the gameplay is minimal. While some find the dark backgrounds and character models repetitive, the overall aesthetic is considered a significant draw for fans of the genre.

    • “The art style is absolutely stunning, incredible, beautiful – I can't stress it enough how much I like it, it gripped me the instant I first saw it.”
    • “The graphics are really good, has a sort of anime-ish kind of feel to it, with some good bright colors; even the more somber and dark colors stand out and the whole thing is pretty well detailed.”
    • “The artwork is both beautiful, adorable, and at times appropriately hideous.”
    • “The graphical styling has its charms, but falls flat after 30 minutes of staring at the same dark character models on dark backgrounds across a handful of equally dark locales.”
    • “While the art style admittedly is quite cutesy, everything else is underdeveloped.”
    • “Overall the game suffers from tone problems; the art style is cute-sexy, the subject matter is dark, and the dialogue is filled with cursing, which makes it feel adult, but the way the game is handled feels juvenile.”
  • music
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is primarily composed of ambient loops and a limited number of tracks, creating a fitting but often forgettable backdrop for the narrative. While some players appreciate the chill, atmospheric quality that enhances immersion, others criticize the lack of variety and memorable melodies. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's aesthetic, though it may not leave a lasting impression.

    • “Despite the lack of flexibility in controlling the story outcomes, the artwork and the jazz-steampunk background music make the reading experience more immersive.”
    • “The first thing that captured my attention was the menu music; I'd happily purchase the track to listen to on occasion, and the ambient sounds created a nice atmosphere and didn't hinder reading the dialogue at all.”
    • “The music is awesome and suits the setting perfectly in my opinion, and while the graphics and animations are minimal and simplistic, the character designs are adorable and well-drawn, and the story compensates for the lack of visual effects.”
    • “The soundtrack is non-existent (the same subtle tune plays on loop), which makes me sad and frustrated because it's such an efficient way to set a mood.”
    • “This game is very lacking in music; other than the track that plays on the opening menu and during the credits, I don't think there's any songs at all during normal gameplay, only moments of background noise which doesn't really do much to set a mood or tone since there's no audible dialogue during anything and you can't even make your character walk.”
    • “The soundtrack is almost entirely composed of ambient loops, with some okayish royalty-free tracks for the main menu and intro.”
  • gameplay
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is largely criticized for its lack of interactivity, as it primarily consists of clicking on characters and prompts to advance a linear story, resembling more of a visual novel than a traditional game. Players express disappointment over the absence of choices, puzzles, or meaningful engagement, leading many to feel that it lacks the essential elements of gameplay. While the art and story may appeal to some, those seeking a more dynamic gaming experience are likely to be dissatisfied.

    • “The gameplay doesn’t require any special mouse skills, as it only wants you to point at certain characters and posters to pop up additional dialogue.”
    • “A unique art style with quirky and interesting characters along with a fairly relaxed style of gameplay, mostly being what is expected of a visual novel.”
    • “I really like visual novels to just tell me a story and not have any arbitrary choices that in the end don't change anything, so if you are fine with reading a good story and don't have to have gameplay in everything, this is 100% recommended.”
    • “I can't even offer a halfway decent summary of the plot because the whole experience is just wall-to-wall nothingburger—nothingburger characters in a nothingburger world with literal nothing in the way of gameplay to boot.”
    • “Sadly, the complete lack of choice, game mechanics, level design, or anything resembling it, means that this isn't actually a game at all.”
    • “It's a visual novel, but as far as gameplay is concerned there are no puzzles, branching options, choices, or any real player interaction at all.”
  • character development
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is generally lacking, with many reviewers noting that while the character designs are visually appealing and unique, they often lack depth, background, and personality. The artwork is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with attractive designs that contribute to the game's aesthetic, but this does not compensate for the absence of meaningful character growth or development. Overall, the focus seems to be more on visual appeal than on creating well-rounded characters.

    • “The art style is unique and works really well for the story, and the character designs are on point.”
    • “The art is not supreme but the art style is easy on the eyes and there are a lot of unique character designs that run deep with Cthulhu mythos and make the world feel compelling and genuine.”
    • “Jack Cayless's artwork is probably the highlight of this game; there are lots of attractive character designs and you'll definitely find a new waifu or three.”
    • “There is no real character development.”
    • “However in contrast, not only are the side characters all completely forgettable but the world design itself is the exact problem the main character design avoids.”
    • “Character design/concepts are much desired.”
  • atmosphere
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is a unique blend of dark, madness-filled elements from the Cthulhu mythos, infused with humor and charm through its characters and writing. While the ambient sounds and menu music enhance the experience, some players found the soundtrack repetitive and the prologue overly lengthy, which detracted from immersion. Overall, the game successfully creates a distinctive atmosphere that balances comedic and horror elements, though it struggles with some execution issues.

    • “The first thing that captured my attention was the menu music; I'd happily purchase the track to listen to on occasion, and the ambient sounds created a nice atmosphere and didn't hinder reading the dialogue at all.”
    • “Though development troubles kept the Miskatonic from fully realizing its goals, it still accomplishes its core goal: providing a more comedic take on the Cthulhu mythos that sports a cast of charming and enjoyable characters, with a main plot that captures the dark and madness-filled atmosphere of the source material.”
    • “Bottom line: cleverly written and creative story; I liked the characters a lot; I loved the art style, atmosphere, and sense of humor.”
    • “You go in excited, reading everything, getting into the atmosphere... wondering when the prologue will end... ok... we're still in prologue... wait... *sigh*”
    • “Thus removing almost all of the potential for the world to be its own world, and for the atmosphere to even exist as everything is just one big reference.”
    • “The lack of distinction between tasteful and tactless references to sexuality also poisons the atmosphere.”
  • replayability
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has minimal replayability due to its linear structure, lack of choices, and absence of alternate endings or achievements. Players typically complete it in a few hours, and while some may revisit it to catch missed dialogues, the consensus is that the game offers little incentive for repeated playthroughs.

    • “Nice replayable visual novel.”
    • “So, I've completed the game in 4-5 hours, and given the fact that it's a linear story, the only window for replayability is the possibility that you might have missed some of the dialogues (yes, that can happen).”
    • “I beat it in about three hours, and since there are no real options or anything, as it's a purely linear visual novel, the replayability is minimal.”
    • “I beat it in like three hours and, since there's no real options or anything since it's a purely linear visual novel, the replayability is minimal.”
    • “Great British style comedy and a very interesting story, but little to no replay value and the ending is very lackluster in my opinion.”
    • “So, I've completed the game in 4-5 hours, and given the fact that it's a linear story, the only window for replayability is the chance that you might have missed some of the dialogues.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as a mix of humor and heartfelt moments, though the use of all-caps dialogue can detract from the emotional weight in certain scenes. While the writing is praised for its hilarity and charm, it sometimes leads to a subdued reading experience during more poignant moments. Overall, the blend of lightheartedness and deeper themes creates a unique emotional landscape.

    • “The writing is absolutely hilarious, the Lovecraft love is so real and heartfelt, and everything is my kind of messed up, lighthearted, and absolutely delightful.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninteresting, often leading to frustration as they repeatedly engage in the same processes without meaningful progression. While some appreciate the game's length, many feel that the repetitive nature detracts from the overall enjoyment, overshadowing its potential fun.

    • “This happens every single time I try to play the game, and now it's just tedious sitting there going through this process several times before it actually works, which is sad since it looks like a really fun game.”
    • “The story, like everything else in this visual novel, is tedious, uninteresting, and bland.”
    • “The story, like everything else in this visual novel, is tedious, uninteresting, and bland.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express concerns that the game's monetization strategy may be misleading, as it appears to market itself as more than a visual novel while also being perceived as too short for its price. This has led to dissatisfaction regarding the overall value proposition.

Buy The Miskatonic

13h Median play time
10h Average play time
3-16h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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