This Book Is A Dungeon

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 217 reviews

story40 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The writing is excellent, creating a wonderfully sinister atmosphere that immerses players in the dark narrative.
The game offers a unique choose-your-own-adventure experience with multiple ways to die, encouraging exploration and replayability.
The pixel art and overall aesthetic evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic adventure games.

The lack of a save function and the tediousness of replaying sections after dying can be frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.
Combat mechanics are simplistic and feel unnecessary, often leading to a lack of engagement during encounters.
The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more content and depth in the story.

story
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The game's story is a mix of intriguing and creepy elements, showcasing strong writing and a rich atmosphere that immerses players in a Lovecraftian horror experience. While many appreciate the interactive storytelling and the variety of paths and gruesome outcomes, some criticize the execution, noting issues with coherence, pacing, and a lack of meaningful choices. Overall, it offers a compelling narrative for those who enjoy story-driven gameplay, despite its mechanical shortcomings.
- “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's a bit of story attached, but it's an incoherent word salad not worth reading.”
- “There isn't much of a game here, just a very linear story with some fail state booby traps.”
- “To sum up, this game is actually not a bad idea or a bad story, it's just poorly executed.”
graphics
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming yet simplistic pixel art style reminiscent of classic Amiga games, which some players appreciate for its nostalgic value. While the visuals effectively complement the dark themes and storytelling, many reviews note the lack of sound and minimalistic presentation, leading to a mixed reception regarding the overall aesthetic experience. Despite its rudimentary graphics, the artwork is often described as fitting well with the game's atmosphere, enhancing the narrative rather than detracting from it.
- “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 pixelated art style is somewhat simplistic, but fits perfectly with this kind of game.”
- “There's no music or sound to speak of, and the graphics are rudimentary.”
- “As it is, this game is one notch above a straight text adventure from the 80s, and only because of the fairly basic graphics.”
- “Firstly, it's a text-based adventure, with minimalistic graphics and a lot of reading.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
77%
11%
The game lacks any music or sound effects, which many reviewers feel detracts from the overall atmosphere and immersion. While some players found the absence of audio acceptable, others suggested that adding music or ambient sounds could significantly enhance the experience. A few even recommended creating a playlist to accompany the gameplay, highlighting the missed opportunity for a more engaging auditory experience.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “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.”
- “There is no sound or music, just endless reading and clicking.”
- “One notices right away that there are no sound effects or music, which are powerful and important tools for creating the appropriate atmosphere in any medium that is not restricted to visuals (or even just text) alone.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
28%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, creepy, and immersive qualities, effectively evoking a sense of horror reminiscent of tabletop RPGs. While the writing and pixel art contribute significantly to this ambiance, some reviewers noted the absence of sound and music as a missed opportunity to enhance the experience further. Overall, the game's atmospheric storytelling and engaging settings make it a compelling choice for fans of horror and interactive fiction.
- “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.”
- “However, the brilliant writing and creepy atmosphere is marred by the game's lack of basic features for a PC game, a Steam title even.”
- “One notices right away that there are no sound effects or music, which are powerful and important tools for creating the appropriate atmosphere in any medium that is not restricted to visuals (or even just text) alone.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
73%
14%
The gameplay of the game is primarily a text-based experience with minimal mechanical complexity, relying heavily on clicking through hyperlinks and making choices akin to a choose-your-own-adventure format. While the atmospheric storytelling and writing are praised, the lack of a robust save system, repetitive mechanics, and simplistic battles detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration for many players. Overall, it offers a unique narrative journey but suffers from amateurish gameplay design that may not appeal to everyone.
- “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.”
- “Gameplay (such as it is), is fine if you're into clicking blue text to continue; battles seem iffy, with no multiple options, just 'fight?' and 'enemy is now damaged'.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to slow text progression and the inability to save, forcing them to replay sections in one sitting. While some appreciate the ability to skip to key areas, the repetitive nature of the text and the lack of sound detracts from the overall experience, breaking immersion and making exploration feel laborious.
- “I want to like the game, but the text is so slow and tedious.”
- “Also, the fact that there's no way to save makes it pretty tedious, since you have to go through it in one sitting.”
- “Additionally, since large segments of text cannot be skipped, playthroughs to discover alternative paths can get really tedious.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game offers high replayability due to its numerous possible outcomes and varied pathways based on player choices, encouraging multiple playthroughs. However, some players express frustration over random elements that can lead to unpredictable deaths, which may detract from the overall experience. Adding achievements could further enhance the incentive to replay the game.
- “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.”
- “High replayability value with different pathways on almost every choice you make.”
- “Secondly, from what I could tell, at least one choice was randomized (there's a hole in the wall near the start of the game where I found a switch/lever one time and got bitten by insects the second try). While they could say it helps replayability, the idea that you'll probably never be able to learn what definitely will not kill you really bugs me.”
- “Needs achievements for replayability.”
- “While short, it certainly boasts some replay value with its different paths.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, such as the irony of fleeing from enemies being more perilous than confronting them. Players find the childish elements amusing, often leading to shared laughter during gameplay.
- “It's funny that running away from an enemy serves more danger than fighting said enemy.”
- “My partner came over and we played it together and were laughing our asses off at how completely childish it is.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a sense of wholesome enjoyment, providing players with a few hours of uplifting and positive experiences.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users feel that the author's dedication compensates for minor typos and glitches, indicating a generally stable experience. The lack of music is also not seen as a significant issue for most players.