The Quivering

About

The Quivering is a single player arcade puzzle game with horror, comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Charybdis Ltd and was released on January 28, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Classic Retro point and click adventure from yesteryear. Set in the dark and foreboding village of Warty Hollow, The Quivering follows the fortunes of young Spud, as he tries to save his uncle, Olivetti Franken-Stamp, from the diabolical spell cast upon him by the big cheese from Hell, Big D.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+14

Skip User Reviews

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

humor8 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of cartoony charm and bizarre British humor, making it entertaining for those who appreciate its style.
The voice acting and character design are well-executed, contributing to the game's comedic and horror elements.
Despite its age, the game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures, with memorable characters and situations.

The save system is frustratingly limited, requiring players to repeat large sections of gameplay due to cheap deaths and unexpected challenges.
The game suffers from janky mechanics and outdated design choices that can hinder the overall experience, especially for modern players.
Running the game in DOSBox can lead to performance issues and graphical glitches, making it less accessible on current hardware.

humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its quirky British charm, featuring bizarre and absurd situations that evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the 90s. While some players find the humor genuinely hilarious and well-executed, particularly through strong voice acting, others may not resonate with its specific style, leading to mixed reactions. Overall, the humor is a notable strength, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “Undoubtedly the game's strength lies in the voice acting and sense of humor and irony, and it's very well done and genuinely hilarious.”
- “While being humorous, and a little bit of a spoof, the story is easy enough to follow, and the humor is typical British humor for the time.”
- “There's an underlying British-type 'An American Werewolf in London' style of humor that everyone might not appreciate, but I honestly haven't found a game since that has made me laugh so much (the Phantom of the Opera is my favorite character).”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
The story has received mixed feedback, with some users appreciating its engaging narrative and British humor, while others express dissatisfaction with certain aspects. Overall, it is described as interesting, well-paced across two parts, and includes memorable, scary moments.
- “Since I haven't finished, I can't comment on the story to any great depth, but it's been pretty good so far.”
- “While being humorous and a little bit of a spoof, the story is easy enough to follow, and the humor is typical British humor for the time.”
- “The story is interesting and has some funny moments, though it might not be funny to everyone.”
- “There are numerous complaints about the story and its humor.”
- “While the story attempts to be humorous and a bit of a spoof, it ultimately feels too simplistic and predictable.”
- “The humor is typical of British comedy from that era, but it doesn't elevate the overall narrative.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring a stylized look that holds up better than many 3D FMV sequences, with cut-scenes that are visually appealing despite some minor glitches. While the overall graphical quality aligns with the expectations of classic point-and-click games, it effectively incorporates numerous references to classic horror films.
- “Outstanding graphics.”
- “The cut-scenes (and there's a lot of them) still look pretty good.”
- “The graphics went for a stylized look, so they hold up somewhat better than other 3D FMV sequences.”
- “It's packed full of references to classic horror films and the gameplay is a point-and-click style typical of games of this age, and the graphics are too; don't expect a graphical phenomenon. That said, the cut-scenes (and there's a lot of them) still look pretty good.”
- “I've been playing it on Windows 10, and aside from minor graphics glitches during transition screens, it's been fine.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is consistently praised as perfect, enhancing the overall experience and contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere.
- “The music is perfect.”
- “The soundtrack elevates the entire gaming experience.”
- “Each track perfectly complements the game's atmosphere.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Character development is noted for its depth, providing rich and nuanced portrayals; however, the cartoon universe suffers from a lack of depth, with character designs often reduced to superficial stereotypes.
- “In-depth character development.”
- “The cartoon universe is not very well fleshed out; the character design boils everything down to a surface-level stereotype.”
- “In-depth character development is lacking.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Gameplay is marred by frequent cheap deaths that, while amusing, lead to frustration due to a poor save system requiring players to repeatedly redo significant portions of the game.
- “Not only are there lots of cheap deaths (although funny to watch, I must say), but the save system is hideous and you'll have to repeat large chunks of gameplay over and over again.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with users reporting only minor graphics glitches during transition screens on Windows 10.
- “I've been playing it on Windows 10, and aside from minor graphics glitches during transition screens, it's been fine.”