This Book Is A Dungeon

This Book Is A Dungeon is a text-based, choose-your-own-adventure style horror game with minimalistic pixel art and no music or sound effects. The gameplay centers around exploration, reading, and trial-and-error decision making, with multiple gruesome death outcomes and two main endings. Players often must restart large sections upon death due to the lack of save functionality, which some find tedious, especially given the unskippable, slow-paced text presentation. The story is heavily Lovecraftian, well-written, and immersive, creating a dark, grim atmosphere that appeals to fans of horror and interactive fiction.

While the game is relatively short (around 2-3 hours to complete), it offers high replayability through branching paths and secrets. Combat is minimal, simplistic, and sometimes seen as unnecessary. Many players appreciate the depth of writing and world-building but criticize the repetitive nature and lack of quality-of-life features like saving, text skipping, and music. Despite these flaws, the game is praised for its creativity and narrative strength, making it a worthwhile experience for genre enthusiasts.

Highlights

Players praise the exceptional writing and dark, Lovecraftian atmosphere that effectively sparks the imagination. The minimalistic pixel art complements the tone and adds nostalgic charm reminiscent of old-school adventures. The game's branching paths and multiple death scenarios provide high replay value. The inclusion of a dynamically updating map helps navigation. Fans of interactive fiction and horror enjoy the immersive storytelling and creative puzzles, appreciating the game's unique style and thematic depth.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the lack of save or checkpoint systems, forcing players to repeatedly replay long sections after dying, which becomes tedious. The text is slow and unskippable, aggravating the repetition. Combat is viewed as