This Book Is A Dungeon

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 140 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
This Book Is A Dungeon Game Cover
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"This Book Is A Dungeon" is a horror-themed Twine-based game that combines interactive fiction with pixel art. The game features gruesome challenges, light RPG elements, and multiple endings. Players will encounter dark and disturbing puzzles and face dozens of gruesome deaths. The game also includes a 40,000-word game dev diary as a bonus feature. This game is not for the faint of heart or those easily disturbed.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 140 reviews
story22 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The writing is excellent, providing a rich and atmospheric narrative that immerses players in a dark, Lovecraftian world.
  • The game features a unique choose-your-own-adventure style with multiple paths and endings, encouraging exploration and experimentation.
  • The pixel art and minimalistic design contribute to the eerie atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The lack of a save feature and unskippable text can lead to frustrating repetition, especially after dying and having to retrace steps.
  • Combat mechanics are simplistic and often feel unnecessary, detracting from the overall gameplay experience.
  • The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more content and depth.
  • story50 mentions

    The game's story is a standout feature, characterized by well-crafted, immersive narratives that delve into horror and Lovecraftian themes, offering players a rich, interactive experience akin to a choose-your-own-adventure book. While the writing is praised for its creativity and atmosphere, some players noted shortcomings in the game's mechanics and pacing, with a desire for more content and meaningful choices. Overall, it provides a compelling storytelling experience, though it may frustrate those seeking traditional gameplay elements.

    • “All of the paths are well thought out and fun to figure out; the descriptions and atmosphere are horrifying, and the storytelling and artwork are phenomenal.”
    • “It's a very entertaining story that will creep you out at times and is so worth playing.”
    • “The story is brilliantly Lovecraftian and engrossing, particularly the work that went into the collections of books and tomes in the library section.”
    • “There isn't much of a game here, just a very linear story with some fail state booby traps.”
    • “I was very disappointed in the story, because the beginning was very interesting.”
    • “Just a disappointing ending, where [spoiler]he sits down and dies anyway, rendering his survival up to that point in the story pointless[/spoiler], or an even more disappointing ending where [spoiler]the entire world presumably dies.”
  • graphics27 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charmingly unique pixel art style that complements its horror themes, though they are minimalistic and often lack detail. While some players appreciate the aesthetic and the way it enhances the storytelling, others find the visuals too basic and reminiscent of old text-based adventures. Overall, the game's strength lies in its writing and atmosphere, which can evoke vivid imagery in the player's imagination despite the limited graphical presentation.

    • “Overall, despite its shortcomings, you can tell someone put a lot of love into it, and if you have enough patience and are into great storytelling and phenomenal visuals, this is a good experience for you.”
    • “An engaging choose-your-own-adventure style fantasy/horror title with charmingly unique pixel graphics.”
    • “The writing is great, the occasional visuals are neat, and the puzzles are enjoyable.”
    • “The bare bones presentation just left me kind of bored, and the ultra-gloomy aesthetic mostly just made me roll my eyes.”
    • “Basically a 'choose your own adventure' game with some basic combat on PC, no sound, very limited graphics and there's puzzles that require you writing stuff down, because you'll be required to remember it later.”
    • “As it is, tbiad is one notch above a straight text adventure from the 80s, and only because of the (fairly basic) graphics.”
  • music19 mentions

    The absence of music in the game has been a common point of critique among users, with many suggesting that its inclusion could significantly enhance the atmosphere and overall experience. While some players found the lack of sound effects or an original soundtrack to be a minor issue, others expressed a desire for ambient music to complement the gameplay, particularly in a Lovecraftian context. A few users noted that they compensated for the lack of in-game music by creating their own playlists, indicating that while the game functions without it, an official soundtrack could elevate the experience.

    • “There's also no music, but that's also where an ambient playlist of something like dungeon synth comes in handy; I listened to Erythrite Throne's new album, Coven of the Crystal Garden, and it was strikingly fitting.”
    • “I personally think to make this game more enjoyable would be as easy as adding music or ambient sounds, adding some more color and the ability to save.”
    • “Ly/2hs0paa where the developer has kindly put together a playlist for listening to while you play the game in order to make up for the game not having music.”
    • “There's no music, but the game is windowed, so anyone who really wants background noise can just supply their own anyway.”
    • “It lacks music or sound effects which I think could really push this into another level; I would recommend something creepy while you explore the dungeon.”
    • “A few suggestions to the dev/author for next time: the price is a tad on the silly side (one or two dollars would be far more realistic); how about some music to further invoke that eldritch atmosphere?”
  • atmosphere18 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging and creepy settings, reminiscent of a horror-themed tabletop RPG, enhanced by strong writing and striking pixel art. While some reviewers noted the absence of sound and music as a missed opportunity to deepen the experience, the overall ambiance is described as dark, twisted, and immersive, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric storytelling. The combination of well-crafted narratives and intriguing spaces creates a unique and memorable atmosphere that captivates players.

    • “The main draw of tbiad is its atmosphere; presenting interesting spaces that are reminiscent of a TTRPG one-shot with a horror theme.”
    • “The literature contained within tbiad is dark and atmospheric, and the entire twisted experience is supplemented by equally demented, but gorgeous pixel art.”
    • “The writing is superb and the whole atmosphere is very engaging: grim and macabre but it's varied enough not to take away my desire to explore.”
    • “A choose your own adventure dungeon crawler with a genuinely creepy atmosphere.”
    • “Good storytelling that develops a curiosity and a creepy atmosphere.”
    • “How about some music to further invoke that eldritch atmosphere?”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay of tbia is characterized by navigating atmospheric environments through twine hyperlinks, complemented by pixel art, which creates a unique but often frustrating trial-and-error experience. Players engage in a choose-your-own-adventure style with simple RPG mechanics, leading to a variety of endings, though the lack of a save feature and the perceived pointlessness of battles detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these frustrations, the excellent writing and interactive storytelling keep players invested, appealing to those who appreciate a narrative-driven experience.

    • “The gameplay of tbia is mainly structured around navigating atmospheric spaces through twine hyperlinks that are occasionally illustrated with pixel art.”
    • “Gameplay more or less consists of traveling through the various dungeon floors, and interacting with puzzles and entities in a manner akin to a choose your own adventure.”
    • “Excellent writing and good gameplay, good enough that even though I rage at the unfair deaths, I keep playing.”
    • “Cool aesthetic, but pure trial-and-error gameplay.”
    • “The most punishing aspect is definitely the lack of a real save mechanic.”
    • “It was a good experience in interactive storytelling and the text was excellently written, but I gotta say, the mechanics were pretty frustrating.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, particularly due to unskippable text and repetitive tasks that can disrupt immersion. While some appreciate the option to skip to key areas, the overall experience can still feel laborious during multiple playthroughs to explore different paths.

    • “I want to like the game, but the text is so slow and tedious.”
    • “The mildly tedious repetition after failing kinda breaks the horror immersion, but it doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment I felt.”
    • “Additionally, since large segments of text cannot be skipped, playthroughs to discover alternative paths can get really tedious.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability despite its brevity, as players can explore numerous outcomes, including various deaths, alternative strategies, and multiple endings. This variety encourages repeated playthroughs to uncover all possible paths.

    • “Despite its short-lived nature, the content is highly replayable due to just how many outcomes are possible at nearly every twist and turn; whether it's discovering a new death, a different way to handle a situation, or an alternate ending.”
    • “While short, it certainly boasts some replay value with its different paths.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players find the game to be a source of wholesome enjoyment, evoking positive emotions and providing a feel-good experience.

  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users feel that the author's dedication compensates for minor typos and glitches, indicating that these issues do not significantly detract from the experience. The lack of music is also not seen as a drawback by many players.

  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized as delightfully childish, eliciting strong laughter among players, especially in a social setting.

    • “My partner came over and we played it together and were laughing our asses off at how completely childish it is.”
    • “The humor in this game is so over-the-top that it had us in stitches from start to finish.”
    • “I love how the game doesn't take itself seriously at all; the jokes are clever and always catch you off guard.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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