The Nameless City

About

The Nameless City is a single player casual action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Cyberleaf Studio and was released on July 13, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"The Nameless City" is a first-person adventure game inspired by Lovecraft's short novel, featuring lo-fi 3D graphics and AI-generated images. The game offers a narrative-driven experience with a playtime of 40-50 minutes, and a demo that shares the same save file. Follow Paradnight Studio on Twitter or itch.io for updates, using only mouse controls to explore the mysteries of the nameless city.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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100%

Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

story4 positive mentions

The game captures the essence of Lovecraftian horror exceptionally well, with a highly atmospheric environment and effective use of sound design.
The pixel art style and retro graphics create a nostalgic and immersive experience, enhancing the storytelling and psychological terror.
Despite its short length, the game offers engaging gameplay with clever puzzles and a unique rune casting system that adds depth to the experience.

The game is very short, with a playtime of around 45 minutes to an hour, leaving some players wanting more content.
Some players found the low resolution graphics off-putting and felt that the game could benefit from higher visual fidelity.
The gameplay primarily consists of exploring dark tunnels with minimal action, which may not appeal to everyone.

story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
58%
18%
The story of "Paradnight's The Nameless City" is a faithful and atmospheric adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's short story, featuring a hypnotic narrator and immersive environmental storytelling. Players familiar with the original may find no surprises, but the game effectively evokes feelings of unease and dread, capturing the essence of Lovecraft's cosmic horror. Overall, it offers a compelling experience for both fans of the source material and newcomers alike, despite its short playtime.
- “Paradnight's The Nameless City is an exceptional take on Lovecraft's short story, with a hypnotic narrator and nostalgic gameplay through the city of Araby beneath the deathless sands.”
- “The game is highly atmospheric, with great voice acting and incredible environmental storytelling.”
- “Even though I was familiar with the story, I was left in great unease at several portions of the game; the visions and eerie chants that surround the runes were especially disconcerting.”
- “As someone that read the short story, there were no surprises, but it was accurate and I never felt cheaped out on.”
- “This is a 45-minute walking simulator game in the atmosphere of H.P. Lovecraft's short story 'The Nameless City.'”
- “As such, I would advise a small amount of research into Lovecraft's cosmic style and maybe even giving the short story a read (or listen).”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its surreal and eerie qualities, reminiscent of classic Lovecraftian works, enhanced by excellent voice acting and beautiful retro art style. However, many reviewers note that the experience is quite short, typically lasting around 45 minutes to an hour, which raises concerns about its value for the price. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, making the brief gameplay feel impactful despite its length.
- “The game is highly atmospheric, with great voice acting and incredible environmental storytelling.”
- “In certain parts of the game, the retro art style is beautiful, and the atmosphere is constantly eerie.”
- “This is a 45-minute walking simulator game in the atmosphere of H.P. Lovecraft's short story 'The Nameless City.'”
- “Really nice voice acting too, adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The gameplay of "Paradnight's The Nameless City" is praised for its atmospheric and nostalgic qualities, effectively capturing the essence of Lovecraft's works. However, many reviewers note that the experience is quite short, lasting just over an hour, and feel that the mechanics could be more fully developed, likening it to a tech demo rather than a complete game. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable and immersive, its brevity and lack of depth may not justify the price for some players.
- “Paradnight's The Nameless City is an exceptional take on Lovecraft's short story, with a hypnotic narrator and nostalgic gameplay through the city of Araby beneath the deathless sands.”
- “The game is probably too short, can be completed in slightly more than an hour, but the atmosphere and gameplay are great.”
- “I enjoyed the gameplay overall; it is unsettling and unnerving.”
- “It was fun, atmospheric, and gave me the exact same vibe as classic Lovecraftian works, but its 45 minutes of gameplay was not worth the price.”
- “The mechanics in the game need to be explored in greater detail.”
- “It's a bit of a tech demo that doesn't really mechanically come into itself, but it's a neat bite-sized chunk of Lovecraftian walking sim.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
33%
11%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style reminiscent of retro PSX games, evoking a nostalgic vibe similar to titles like Majora's Mask. While many players appreciate the beautiful retro aesthetic and eerie atmosphere, some find the extremely low resolution graphics off-putting. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's immersive experience, especially for fans of ancient civilizations and alien themes.
- “I love the pixel art style mixed with the retro video game vibe, kind of like Majora's Mask.”
- “If you enjoy PSX graphics and you like alien gods and ancient civilizations, I'm sure you'll enjoy this game as much as I did!”
- “In certain parts of the game, the retro art style is beautiful, and the atmosphere is constantly eerie.”
- “The extremely low resolution graphics can be off-putting for some.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is praised for creating a perfect ambiance that enhances the overall experience, with well-timed rises and falls that evoke a sense of insignificance. The soundtrack, along with moments of silence, particularly during key scenes, significantly contributes to the emotional depth of the adventure.
- “Perfect ambience, textures, and soundtrack accompany you through this adventure that makes you feel insignificant.”
- “The rising and falling of the music at just the right times influenced and enhanced my experience, especially the silence that dominated when reaching the water-filled expanse.”