Carnival

[i]"Banning the Carnival is like banning the tide... It will keep coming, no matter the plans of the creatures who try to stop it."[/i] I have a thing for atmospheric horror games with pixel art, and Carnival definitely scratched that itch. It is a narrative horror PnC game that reminded me a lot of The Last Door and Hobs Barrow, especially Hobs Barrow which shares many similarities. We play as James Maynard, a British journalist who suffers from narcolepsy causing occasional blackouts and temporary memory loss. Fluent in Italian, we were sent to Venice to write a report on a road bridge that will soon connect the city to the mainland. Set in February 1932, during a time when the Carnival was banned under Mussolini's regime, we get to meet and interview different Venice inhabitants and become a witness of the opposition between tradition and progress, while city unrest is brewing against the power in place. I was amazed by the care put into the game design and aesthetics. The pixel...

The occult settings and the slow burn of the narrative reminded me a bit of Hob's Barrow, slowly uncovering supernatural events from the perspective of an outsider, but also juggling things like superstition, psychological issues, and personal grief of the main character. Surprisingly good writing compared to similar games, with the true ending giving a good sense of closure for the character, at least in my opinion. However, this game just does not have voice acting, and the low resolution of the text can make it difficult to fully appreciate the journey, even though on paper this is a very solid mystery adventure. Can take about 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on which ending you go for, you might have to replay some parts of the game as certain choices seem to have an impact on what happens, with a few puzzles maybe even having multiple solutions, although that seems very rare, so I would say about 5 hours of content if you want to experiment with the dialogue. It's not much of a puzzle...

Perfect if you love body horror weirdness and folk horror. If you liked Excavation of Hobb's Barrow, this game has a similar ease of puzzle design but the ending pays off much better with grotesque animations and Lovecraftian themes. The dev's previous game Abscission was a bit more sophisticated, with an alignment system, more choices and an overall better pace. Carnival is a bit different, building a lot of atmosphere with some choices that don't feel like they have as much impact on the narrative. I definitely prefer Abscission, but it's cool the dev did something a bit different. There's a bit of narrative weight here, with the era of the Italian Fascist regime tying into the player character's personal struggles. I don't often find Adventure Game Studios games that command thorough analysis, but this one does a good job. Probably my third favorite adventure game so far this year, definitely worth a play!

I absolutely loved Carnival. I’ve only unlocked the “good ending” so far, but I already feel confident recommending it to others. From what I can tell, there are multiple endings, offering completionists a compelling reason to dive back in for another playthrough. The game is light on puzzles, but the ones it does feature are genuinely fun to solve. It clearly leans into its storytelling, and it handles that exceptionally well. The historical backdrop is immersive and rich, and it’s clear a lot of research went into making it feel grounded in reality. Without giving too much away, parts of the story brought to mind Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass and Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Visually, I appreciated the expressive character close-ups during dialogue,which reminded me of classic early ’90s Sierra adventures. On the audio side, the ambient music is excellent, and the sound effects, though minimal, are used with precision and impact.

My my, what a little gem! If a single word could describe this game, it would be "atmospheric". The super lo-res visuals are incredibly evocative, the music is pitch perfect (no pun intended) in every scene, and what to say about the writing, which blends the most mysterious aspects of Venetian history with the unsettling whispers of ancient rites that to this day haunt the city's alleyways? Obviously this is very much a story-driven game so the puzzles won't have you scrambling for a guide, but they do their job well and help break up the narrative. I can't recommend it enough!

Awesome game. Loved the story, incredible soundtrack, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

This game feels like the best modern adaption of the Festival by HP Lovecraft using one of the strangest cities in the world for its setting, the way the game portrays it as a maze makes it feel all the better when the sanity of it all slides away. The developer understood Lovecraftian horror incredibly well and I can't recommend it enough even for a point and click adventure, fantastic music as well.

Carnival is one of those games that hit just right for me. It's a low res pixel art point and click historical folk horror narrative adventure. The basic premise is that you are a narcoleptic reporter for a London newspaper, visiting Venice to report on the locals' reception of a proposed road bridge and the ensuing introduction of cars to Venice. The Venetian Carnival is coming up, and some weird things are happening around town. Being a folk horror game, environment, tension, and characters are key. Luckily, Carnival delivers on all three. Venice is both creepy and beautiful, and your conversations with the inhabitants are all just the right amount of off to build tension through the slow but enjoyable start of the game. The characters don't just feel like vessels for horror, though. Most have their own lives, motivations, and back stories. Even some of the more suspicious characters are rather likeable. Another aspect that I truly loved about Carnival is how firmly placed in rea...

great little point n click folk/cosmic-horror shortstory. There's too few puzzles or branching paths, and it would have gained a lot if it had been fleshed out a bit more - but the writing and mood overall is good. For people who liked The Last Door, Dreams in the Witch House and Hob's Barrow (though this doesnt feel quite as fleshed out and 'complete' as those games). Thanks mr.developer <3

Carnival is an atmospheric point and click adventure game. I very much enjoyed it, as I have other games by Beyond Booleens. If you l;ke PNC adventure games with interesting stories check on Carnival and the best of BB's games!