CRYPTIC (2020)

Developer: Shoho Games
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie
Rating: 4.0 of 5, 5 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 42 minutes
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 tense, text-based survival puzzle where you type commands to escape a crypt under a ticking clock.

atmospherictext-basedpuzzle-heavytensepsychological horrorsurvivaldifficulttime-pressured

What players say

Players describe it as an old-school text adventure that relies on typing commands, with over 80 rooms and five different endings. Some call it well written and creepy, while others note it lacks graphics and compares poorly to 1980s games.

Screenshots

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More by Shoho 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.