Halloween is right around the corner, and my urge to play something horror-adjacent has returned! To sate that urge, I had the pleasure of playing Allogloom. I’m a fan of macabre and dark fantasy art, so when I first saw the game, I just knew I had to play it. Safe to say, it was time well spent! The game has psychological and body horror elements which just tickles that part of me that is really intrigued by it.
The game is developed by Galactic Ghosty, a New Zealand-based solo game dev, and published by Iceberg Interactive. Allogloom is a point-and-click adventure that has you solving puzzles and learning some deep lore, all presented in a sick macabre, dark fantasy style. The game follows Nora in her search to unravel forgotten truths and hidden mysteries to save her town.
TRIGGER WARNING: While I think it’s fine, please be advised that the art shared might be pretty macabre and dark.
The Tale Of Gruesome Grove
The game mainly takes place in Gruesome Grove, a sweet, small town where, if you try to leave, you get eaten. The people of Gruesome Grove (let’s call them “Grovians”) revere the flesh-eating moths that come to give blessings on the Night of Blessed Festivities. While the moths provide blessings, they are also a curse, as they render the Grovians trapped.
Aside from the deceased, the moths will devour any who tries to leave the Grove. This, of course makes the disappearance of Nora’s mom even more perplexing. From the get-go, the setting is pretty dark and I love every bit of it!
Puzzles, Gore and More!
I’m no stranger to point-and-click adventures. They are one of my favourite genres, especially for some light gaming. The main attraction for Allogloom, aside from the setting and ambience, are the puzzles! Scattered throughout the game are various clues or items that are to be used for puzzles. For this, you’ll need a keen eye to spot them.
However, what I enjoyed most is the organic feel to the narrative. Things said early in the game serve as clues to solve puzzles you come across. The story is well woven into the puzzle-solving aspect of the game. You don’t just go to different locations to fetch items, you need to know how to piece different items together to solve puzzles. This kind of gameplay is a classic, but personally, I think it’s very well done in Allogloom! The best part is that the puzzles get more complicated as you progress.
What’s more, the way the puzzles are designed really encourages you to explore this fascinating, macabre world. As mentioned above, a lot of the clues are scattered throughout the game. As such, you’ll have to really dig around, interact and read everything you come across. This means you’ll have to occasionally backtrack, which admittedly can be a little tedious.
Haunting Visuals & Melodies
Allogloom’s art is what initially drew me to the game. The dark and twisted art stirred something in me that made me really want to play it. The gorgeous visuals of the game, while dark, adds a feel of whimsy. I guess you can call it dark cottage-core? Whatever it is, it made the ambience all the more fitting and enjoyable.
The music is also something to be praised. While a majority of the game is a solo endeavour from Galactic Ghosty, the music was done by her friend Kim! To add to that, the Allogloom soundtrack is also Kim’s first game soundtrack.
Verdict – No Doom Will Come To Allogloom
Allogloom is a definitely a fun point-&-click adventure! The game provides sufficient fun with its myriad of unique and tricky puzzles. Moreover, the story itself is intriguing and certainly leaves you curious to know more about Nora, the charming NPCs, and the past of Gruesome Grove. The gorgeous visuals is paired well with great music to really immerse you in this dark, fantastical world in Allogloom.
I would be remiss if I didn’t sing praise for Galactic Ghosty for producing Allogloom by themselves, and their friend Kim who provided the amazing music. As a fun and light game to enjoy this spooky season, Allogloom is definitely a must try!
