Snares of Ruin (2018)

Developer: Astronomic Games
Publisher: New Reality Games
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie, RPG
Rating: 4.5 of 5, 52 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 6.4 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A grim investigative RPG where you piece together clues and make choices that affect the outcome in a world plagued by a zombie-like disease.

investigativeatmosphericchoice-drivensurvival horrorgrittymethodicalunsettlingrpgmaker

What players say

Players praise the story and writing, noting it plays like a visual novel with choice-based resolution rather than traditional combat. There are mixed feelings on the lack of gameplay beyond reading and walking, with some finding it tedious. Multiple romance options and stat-based choices add replay value, and a full playthrough takes about five hours.

Screenshots

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More by Astronomic Games

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.