The Shadow Over Cyberspace

About

The Shadow Over Cyberspace is a single player action game. It was developed by Fiction Factory Games and was released on January 10, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

The Shadow Over Cyberspace is a modempunk horror game set during the Y2K scare, where players confront eldritch beings awakening through the Information Superhighway. Navigate a digital nightmare as your sanity unravels, bartering with ancient gods or succumbing to otherworldly forces. Immerse yourself in a retro computer aesthetic within a mind-bending sci-fi horror experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features an amazing and engaging story that creatively incorporates Lovecraftian themes and characters.
It is a free game that offers a unique experience with excellent world-building, visuals, and sound design, making it feel like a high-quality product.
Players appreciate the depth of character development and the thought-provoking social commentary woven into the narrative.

The writing is often criticized for being heavy-handed and lacking subtlety, which can break immersion and detract from the overall experience.
Some players find the dialogue excessively lengthy and repetitive, leading to a monotonous gameplay experience.
The game has been described as overly political, with some players feeling that its messages are too overt and detract from the enjoyment of the story.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The game's story has received high praise for its engaging narrative and creative integration of Lovecraftian themes, set against a 90s backdrop. While many players appreciate the depth and complexity of the characters and societal issues explored, some critique the heavy-handedness of the messaging. Overall, the writing is considered strong, with a compelling plot that invites players to immerse themselves in its unique world and character dynamics.
- “Amazing game, very interesting story and usage of Lovecraft's work.”
- “Absolutely amazing story!”
- “The story is amazing and eerily relevant with the age we live in.”
- “The social issues that the game's authors so desperately want to discuss do in fact deserve to be discussed, and could absolutely have been examined even within the context of this somewhat goofy story, but not with such heavy-handed simplicity.”
- “The worst part is that the underlying story is at least interesting, but if I wanted to be preached at, I'd go to church.”
- “I think there may be a decent story buried somewhere in this visual novel, but it's hidden under a huge steaming pile of writing that obviously came from a circa 2020s very confused gender-studies major.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The graphics of the game are praised for their nostalgic 1990s style, effectively capturing the era's aesthetic while incorporating modern quality of life features. Players appreciate the charming visuals, original artwork, and the integration of full-motion video, although some note that the repetitive environments can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout aspect, enhancing the storytelling and gameplay.
- “The visuals in this game are really great and work hard to capture the feel of the '90s.”
- “This game has fantastic aesthetics and deserves more attention frankly.”
- “I am absolutely loving this game, the story is an amazing retelling and remixing of the old ones mythos, with wonderful visuals, voices, story, and flair.”
- “The visuals do lose out a little, shuffling back and forth between the same three rooms day after day; it gets a little repetitive.”
- “The style is 1999 but so perfectly encapsulated with the sounds and sights, and the graphics on the cusp of the millennium when we all thought we were going to die at midnight Y2K.”
- “It also brings a slightly more visual aesthetic than its predecessors, with a minesweeper-styled mini-game, an interface that feels a little more 'adventure game' than 'visual novel' in aesthetics.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The gameplay primarily revolves around visual novel-style dialogues with multiple choices that influence the narrative, alongside light point-and-click mechanics. Players engage with various interactive elements, such as mini-games and character chats, which enhance immersion, though some critiques highlight issues with dialogue quality. Overall, the game balances narrative depth with interactive gameplay, offering a mix of lore exploration and character negotiation.
- “This game has a simple gameplay loop of reading some bits of lore, choosing a character to chat with, and repeating, but the lore keeps throwing curveballs, events jump you into weirdness and you question what your end goals are.”
- “Fiction Factory Games really understands the give and take between the narrative side of visual novels and the video game side of it, and while this doesn't lean quite as much into the gameplay side of things as their previous game, it still manages to hit the sweet spot.”
- “This game has a simple gameplay loop of reading some bits of lore, choosing a character to chat with, and repeating, but the lore keeps throwing curveballs, events jump you into weirdness, and you question what your end goals are.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “Most of the gameplay consists of visual novel-style dialogues, with several dialogue options, opening different paths and providing information.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as both surreal and overwhelming, with a mix of heartbreaking dialogue and complex character interactions that evoke deep feelings. Players find the experience akin to therapy, prompting reflection and a desire for personal change, while also noting the psychological horror elements that enhance the emotional weight. However, opinions vary, with some feeling the emotional depth is overshadowed by the game's flaws.
- “It's kind of surreal and oddly overwhelming, and by that I mean the dialogue in this game is heartbreaking.”
- “In my honest opinion, playing it felt like attending therapy; it feels raw, emotional... but most importantly, it leaves you thinking about how you'll implement change.”
- “For a re-skinned dating simulator doing that sweet wholesome meets horror vibe, this game is hitting some hard punches in my soft feelings.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The humor in the game is polarizing, with some players enjoying the clever meme and pop culture references, while others find the jokes cringe-worthy and politically charged. Overall, the writing is described as engaging and funny, though the humor leans towards dark and unsettling, diverging from the lighter tone of previous titles in the series.
- “Also, the various meme and pop culture references were a great addition and always made me laugh!”
- “The writing was funny, engaging, and well-written.”
- “However, the mildly threatening forecast lady made me laugh every time.”
- “If you like unfunny jokes and leftist politics, then this game might be for you.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players note a strong replayability factor due to branching conversations and multiple endings, making the game engaging even after completing it once. While some feel it lacks the structural ambition of its predecessor, it still offers a substantial amount of content, providing around nine hours of gameplay. Overall, the game is seen as having good replay value, particularly for fans of the point-and-click genre.
- “For a point-and-click game, I was glued to this game, and with the branching conversations, there is great replay value.”
- “For a point-and-click game, I was glued to this game, and with the branching conversations, there is replay value.”
- “While this is much less structurally ambitious and replayable than its immediate precursor, Penny Larceny, it nonetheless provides a significant amount of content to enjoy: about nine hours’ worth for me.”
- “I've only hit one ending so far, but I can see the replayability value.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its nostalgic quality, reminiscent of 90s synthesized soundtracks from classic titles like Return to Zork and Space Quest. Reviewers highlight it as a standout feature, complementing the beautiful art and strong character writing, contributing to an overall immersive experience.
- “The music is great and feels like a throwback to the glory days of 90s synthesized music, reminiscent of classics like Return to Zork or some of the Space Quest games.”
- “It's a knockout blow on all the accounts you'd expect; beautiful art, superb music, and great character writing.”
- “There’s original artwork, music, and voice acting.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised as very good, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
- “The haunting soundtrack and detailed environments create a captivating atmosphere.”
- “Every location feels alive, contributing to a rich and engaging atmosphere.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening it to a frustratingly slow reading experience where players must click to progress through text. While some sections feel repetitive, most agree that the narrative still offers meaningful revelations throughout the gameplay.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey, but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “Ok, it does feel a bit grindy through the middle as you go through the motions, but there are very few iterations of a day where nothing at all is revealed.”