Despite my low rating, I actually liked this one. The gameplay is abysmal, yeah, and it lacks some basic functions that one would expect in a video game.

Yet, I found it oddly charming. I had no idea what was going on at any given moment but truth to be told, it reminded me a bit of Henry Darger's Realms of the Unreal (just in space) in a way I can simply not explain.

It's weird, it's a bit out there and I frankly love this game for it. I think there is a case to be made for games like this, considering the current state of gaming and its relentless tendency to simply repeat familiar formulas.

Absolutely loved the religious imagery! But that's about it.

Let it be said that I've never played any other games in the series. So I have no idea how this one relates to the other two Dungeon Nightmares. Are they supposed to be funny?

Because Ergastulum sure felt like a comedy. Weird animations, a story that is as wild as it is nonsensical. Granted, I couldn't tell you what this game is about even if I tried really, really hard because it just gives you nothing. No explanations for the different sequences, no context, no coherent story line. You just do stuff to proceed to the next thing on your agenda and never really learn why.

Maybe this is a weird social experiment? Are the developers trying to see how long they can make do actions without cause or consequences? Is this subliminal conditioning?

The fact that this got released (and that you had to pay money for it a while ago) truly amazes me.

The plot is such a mess. I swear, it has to be AI generated. A super computer that analysed tons of indie horror games and came up with this monstrosity.

This would work much better as a comedy: Our lovely protagonist keeps a detailed plan for murdering said friend in a word document and it's the funniest thing I've ever seen. The phone in your hotel room only has four buttons and a couple of numbers are completely missing. The voice acting is text-to-speech.

If you need a good laugh, this might be for you. If you're looking for horror, just find something else to play.

very weird advertisement for computer parts.

Honestly, though: It's a solid horror title. Not very scary or deep but fun for a couple of hours.
The animations look smooth and the environment is quite detailed. I truly loved the designs of the enemies. Simple, yet effective.

Unfortunately, the visual aspects are overshadowed by the gameplay mechanics. Exploration is slow and rather boring, not much happens except for casual conversations on the way from one point of interest to the next. There are also chase sequences scattered about but they proved to be more frustrating than terrifying since it's hard to figure out where to go while running from an enemy.

Furthermore, the plot and the characters' personalities are all over the place and do not make much sense. The main characters seem to have the memory of a goldfish: They freak out when something supernatural happens but they usually forget about it a few minutes later.

This was based on a movie of some kind - I have never seen it. Mayhaps this might be a lot more interesting for fans of the film.