Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
Cultic Games · 2019 · RPG, Indie, Lovecraftian, Horror, Turn-Based Combat
PC
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About Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
✦ AI summary
Explore a nightmarish version of Arkham torn from reality and consumed by cosmic horror, where your beliefs shape how you perceive the world and recover your sanity in this narrative-driven CRPG. Balance tactical combat, dialogue choices, and resource management as you uncover the mystery of the Dismal Man while your decisions permanently alter which companions, paths, and endings remain available to you.
A different kind of RPGStygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a narrative-driven horror CRPG inspired by the pen-and-paper classic Call of Cthulhu and the works of H.P. Lovecraft.After the Black Day, the city of Arkham was torn from the Earth and cast into an alien realm under unfamiliar stars. What remains is a city cut off from reality, where cults have risen openly, crime has filled the vacuum of power, and much of the population has already lost their minds.You are one of the few who survived — following the trail of a mysterious figure known as the Dismal Man, searching for answers in a place that no longer obeys any familiar rules.A Lovecraftian story that goes beyondStygian draws heavily from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, but it doesn’t stop at references. It builds on them. Familiar ideas are expanded, unanswered questions are explored, and new stories emerge from the same foundation.Define who you are — and stay true to itStygian puts role-playing at the center of the experience. Your belief system, whether humanistic, nihilistic, rational, religious, or esoteric, influences how you see the world and how the world responds to you. Staying true to it can even help you recover sanity, while going against it may come at a cost.You begin with one of eight character archetypes, each defining your origin, starting skills, and approach to the world, from Academics and Aristocrats to Criminals, Occultists, and Soldiers. These choices shape your strengths, open unique dialogue options, and determine how your journey unfolds.Unusual companionsYou won’t be alone in what remains of Arkham. A host of strange companions can join your ill-starred journey — from isolated, otherworldly beings to figures shaped by the horrors of the past. Each brings their own perspective on your actions and the world around you.Tactical combat with consequencesCombat in Stygian is turn-based and deliberate. Positioning and movement matter, and careless placement can quickly leave your characters exposed. Encounters are dangerous, and preparation is limited. Consumables are powerful but scarce, often carrying long-term drawbacks such as addiction. Magic offers another option, but using it comes at the cost of your sanity.Fights can be won through planning and control, but not every encounter is worth taking. Combat is just one part of the experience, and sometimes the better choice is to avoid it altogether.
Features
- Choice-driven role-playingDialogue, skills, and decisions shape how events unfold. Many situations have multiple solutions, and choices can permanently close off paths.
- Sanity as a core gameplay system
Your mental state affects perception, dialogue, and available actions. Losing sanity doesn’t just punish you, it can unlock new options and change how the game unfolds. - Belief system with real impact
Your worldview influences interactions, dialogue, and how you recover sanity, adding depth to character development. - Multiple approaches to encounters
Combat is not the only solution. Dialogue, skills, and avoidance are often viable, and sometimes safer alternatives. - Turn-based tactical combat
Engage in position-based combat where planning and resource management matter, but every fight carries risk. - Power comes at a costMagic drains sanity, while substances and alcohol provide temporary benefits at the risk of addiction and long-term consequences.
- Companions with permanent consequencesRecruit unusual allies who assist in combat and exploration, but they can be lost, killed, or become unavailable based on your decisions.
- Lovecraftian themes expanded into new stories
Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the game builds on familiar ideas to create its own interpretations and narratives.
DLC & expansions
🎁 Complete the collection
Base game + 0 of 1 DLC at today's best prices (some DLC unpriced).
$0.93
to own everything
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a Lovecraftian pastiche horror CRPG/”Sanity Loss for tripping over a rock” simulator developed by Cultic Games, a company out of Istanbul who talked about how their “next game” would be a Lovecraftian RPG after seeing a hole in the CRPG genre for the Lovecraftian mythos. Considering a lot of this is coming from their Kickstarter Video, I’m unsure as to what if any previous titles they had developed or if this was misspoken considering I haven’t found much in the way of an actual history on them, but nonetheless they were extremely passionate in the midst of creating this game. According to a Cliqst Interview (or at least a number of questions with responses sent back over mail), the developers were originally working on a board game named “4 Lords” before they seemed to switch gears and focus on a CRPG in the world of Cthulhu, all of which stemmed from developer Can Oral’s obsession with Lovecraft’s work. He had also noticed that most CRPG titles out there tended to focus on certain settings and themes, because not only was a CRPG a “risk” in publisher eyes, but a fantasy based one would be considered the most “financially sound”. With this in mind…4 found this helpful
Game comes with deep lore, and interesting. Crappy ending though. also boring in a way. Instead go pay the new Stygian.2 found this helpful
horrible inventory management, namely way too much crap laying around combined with limited inventory space just killed it for me. combat is fine i guess? nothing to write home about, basic turn based one. it's certainly not the central game point which is another reason i don't like it. quests are crappy and obscure, graphical pointer can make it better bottom line - i don't recommend even on discount, except maybe hardcore genre fans2 found this helpful
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a dark and unconventional role-playing game developed by Cultic Games and published by Fulqrum Publishing. Drawing heavy inspiration from the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and classic tabletop RPG design, the game abandons the traditional heroic journey in favor of a bleak narrative where humanity stands on the edge of extinction. Rather than empowering players with the promise of saving the world, it invites them into a collapsing reality where survival, sanity, and personal conviction become far more important than victory. The story unfolds after a catastrophic event known as the Black Day, which has torn Arkham from the known world and cast it into a nightmarish dimension ruled by incomprehensible forces. Civilization has fractured, law and order have vanished, and strange cults, criminals, and desperate survivors struggle to adapt to a reality that no longer makes sense. The atmosphere is oppressive from the very beginning, creating a constant feeling of dread that perfectly complements the game's themes. Every location, conversation, and discovery reinforces the sense that the world is descending into irreversible madness. One of the game…1 found this helpful
I get what this game is going foe but there are way better ways. Like the limited amount of healing items to only be one's with negative effects and prices is poorly done too the point of artificial difficult. Also if it's not that it's the fact that the pathing is as lazy as humanly possible. More often than not i'll click on an object for my character to run into it and stop. Then as i click on it they'll just stand there. I'll then have to manually click on the other side, waiting some more for them to walk around, and finally search the object. You'd think this would be common sense; but Utilize The Hot Bar! like i see the wheel for the quick select and spells. I just wish it was more apparent or i was better told so i didn't spend many fights wasting finite items mid battles when i could use them in battle. Actually i had to google how to use my "Quick Select" items because the game did such a poor job at telling me how Edit: I'm still on the first area and i've been trying to fight the mob group at this one building in the center to find out that all because the devs don't want you to be there yet enemies will literally infinitely spawn till you die. I know because i'm on my…
Nice Drawing/Story its for a real lovercraftian .
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