Lust for Darkness

I certainly wouldn't pay $15 USD for this, but on a 90% sale for $1.50 - why not?
My boyfriend and I played this together and it took us about 3.4 hours to complete.
If you are interested and catch it on a big sale - Its short and cheap enough that I don't think you'd be disappointed with what you get. There were some glitches and bugs, but nothing disastrous. Didn't really matter much.
So many people are saying how they loved the story - unlikely, as its as pretty bottom of the barrel as B grade gets... this laughable story with awkward dialog is just a good excuse to see weird sexy cultist stuff that turns pretty unhinged toward the end. No judgements, that's why I'm here too.
The game art is actually pretty cool, and parts of it fairly disturbing. Most of the assets are quite pretty - not sure why anyone would need such a vast variety of cups... or why I can pick them all up.

I love all things Lovecraftian and so I had to give this game a go. The mixed reviews on steam lowered my expectations, but I came out very pleasantly surprised! In my opinion, this game deserves MUCH more credit than it gets. Whence I thought I must write a review.

The game takes you on an exploration towards the darker sides of sexual desire, striking a perfect emotional mix of lust, guilt, disgust, fear, and eventually, loss of one-self. Most games either completely avoid these themes, or completely trivialize them. Lust for Darkness does neither, and explores all facets of lust with maturity and precision. Think "Eyes Wide Shut" but with more horror and a supernatural flavour.

Most of the game consists of looking for clues to figure out what's going on and to get through to the next section, with the occasional puzzle solving. The mechanics are dead simple, so don't expect fancy gameplay. Although the game is very linear, it does not hold your hand to tell you what to do, and indeed I got temporarily stuck a few times on my first playthrough, not being sure what to do next. But that's ok, and adds to the experience: the game wants you to feel lost. Exploration is rewarding: there are numerous messages hidden away in letters, books, notes, and other objects, which help you piece together what is really going on. Slowly but steadily, one pieces together the whole story. And the game masterfully helps you doing so.

I don't recommend anyone to rush through the game, although certainly that is possible. I'd say it takes about 3-4 hours if exploring everything in depth (and you'll probably still miss some things), and maybe about 1 hour if you speed through it for achievements. For this reason, I recommend getting the game on sale. That said, it's an indie game, so if you want to support the developer, get it on full price.

All in all, I can only strongly recommend this hidden gem, especially if you like Lovecraft and aren't afraid to explore the darker sides of the human psyche.

As Someone who genuinely enjoyed the story and gameplay of the rest of this series, I would suggest playing this game if you are invested into the story. Definitely short game (2-3 hours) and a little buggy in some parts. If you play the series for the adult scenes I would suggest saving your money as there is next to no spicy scenes in this one.

Its Pervert, Evil, Demonic, Shameless, Interesting, Repulsive, Dark, has Sex Orgies, Mask Parties, Stealth, Mystery, Demons and all that cheap at sale. Short game but decent one time play. game works. has decent levels, decent story. And sadly maybe bit of anti-climax. I hear the sequel is much more better and bigger. Anyways buy cheap at sale is not bad a one time play. I just don't see replay value.

6 / 10
Overall, I found it interesting, even if it becomes somewhat predictable at times. I've always enjoyed stories involving cults and occult themes, so this game immediately caught my attention. While it does some things well, I also feel like it falls short in a few important areas.
If you're looking for an unusual story and something a bit different from the average game, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this. It's not very long, which helps keep the experience from dragging on, and the puzzles are simple enough that you won't spend hours stuck on them.
My biggest issue with the game is probably the ending section. The "fight" with Willard felt incredibly underwhelming, and calling it a fight is being generous. Running around and waiting for him to use his power so you can continue felt pretty disappointing and anticlimactic.
There are a few tense moments throughout the game, but I wouldn't really consider it a true horror experience. It's more focused on atmosphere, mystery, and its strange world than on actually scaring the player.
In the end, I don't regret playing it, but I can only really recommend buying it during a big sale, something like 80–90% off. At full price, I'd suggest spending your money elsewhere. The game had a lot of potential and several things could have been done better, but despite its flaws, it was still a worthwhile experience.

Lust for Darkness is a prequel and a rough draft to a story that will later become Lust From Beyond. Rough is indeed the appropriate word here. The game is short, roughly 3 hours. The dialog, animations and puzzles are clunky. However, I am already well invested into this, and I am glad to have played out the scenes that are referenced in its sequel title. If you want to get the full story, pick this up, otherwise go play Lust From Beyond.
Best picked up during a sale, and hidden from your friends.

Lust for Darkness is a first-person psychological horror title developed by Movie Games Lunarium and published by Movie Games S.A. that sets out to fuse eroticism, occult ritual, and cosmic horror into a single unsettling experience. Rather than pursuing conventional scares or survival mechanics, the game aims to disturb through atmosphere, taboo imagery, and a pervasive sense of moral and physical corruption. From the outset, it makes clear that its ambitions lie more in provocation and mood than in mechanical challenge, positioning itself as an experiential horror game designed to leave a lingering impression rather than deliver polished gameplay systems.
The narrative follows Jonathan Moon, a man searching for his missing wife after receiving a cryptic message suggesting she has become entangled with a mysterious cult. This search leads him to an imposing Victorian mansion that serves as the game’s primary setting. The mansion is less a coherent location and more a symbolic space, filled with ritual chambers, hidden passages, and voyeuristic scenes that blur the line between devotion and obsession. Storytelling is largely environmental, delivered through scattered notes, brief interactions, and visual cues rather than extensive dialogue. While the premise hints at emotional stakes, the narrative often feels secondary to the imagery, functioning more as a thread to guide exploration than as a fully realized character-driven story.
What most defines Lust for Darkness is its aesthetic direction. The environments draw heavily from Lovecraftian ideas of forbidden knowledge and otherworldly dimensions, combined with visual influences reminiscent of surreal and biomechanical art. The mansion’s opulent yet decaying interiors contrast sharply with Lusst’ghaa, an alternate dimension where architecture becomes organic, geometry bends unnaturally, and reality itself seems to pulsate. These transitions between worlds are some of the game’s most striking moments, reinforcing the sense that Jonathan is crossing boundaries that should not be crossed. The explicit sexual imagery woven into both spaces is intentionally confrontational, meant to unsettle rather than titillate, though whether it succeeds depends heavily on player tolerance and perspective.
Gameplay is minimalistic and deliberately restrained. Exploration forms the backbone of the experience, with players slowly navigating corridors, interacting with objects, and piecing together the cult’s practices. Puzzles are simple and functional, rarely requiring more than observation and basic logic. Stealth sequences appear occasionally, but they are brief and mechanically shallow, adding tension without offering meaningful depth. There is little sense of mastery or progression in the traditional sense, as the game prioritizes forward momentum and atmosphere over skill-based engagement.
The horror itself is psychological rather than reactive. There are few jump scares, and fear is generated through anticipation, unsettling imagery, and the constant implication that something profoundly wrong is unfolding. The cultists’ behavior, the disturbing rituals, and the grotesque transformation of spaces all contribute to a feeling of voyeuristic unease. At its best, the game creates moments that are genuinely disquieting, lingering in the mind long after they pass. At its weakest, it risks desensitization, as repeated exposure to shocking imagery can dull its impact over time.
Audio design supports this mood with ambient soundscapes, low droning tones, and unsettling effects that emphasize isolation and dread. Music is used sparingly, allowing silence and environmental noise to carry much of the tension. Voice acting and writing, however, are inconsistent. Dialogue is minimal and often lacks emotional nuance, which can make the protagonist feel distant despite the intensely personal nature of his quest. This emotional detachment reinforces the game’s cold tone but also limits narrative investment.
Technically, Lust for Darkness shows signs of uneven polish. While some environments are visually striking and carefully composed, animations and interactions can feel stiff, and performance issues have been reported by players across different systems. These technical shortcomings occasionally break immersion, reminding players of the game’s indie scale and preventing its atmosphere from reaching its full potential.
Reception reflects the game’s divisive nature. Some players praise its willingness to explore taboo themes and its commitment to a disturbing aesthetic rarely seen in mainstream horror. Others criticize it for prioritizing shock over substance, arguing that its provocative elements overshadow weak gameplay and underdeveloped storytelling. This split response is central to understanding Lust for Darkness: it is a game that demands engagement on its own terms and offers little compromise for players expecting traditional horror design.
Ultimately, Lust for Darkness is an ambitious but flawed experiment. It succeeds in crafting a memorable atmosphere and visual identity that sets it apart from safer horror titles, but it struggles to support that ambition with strong mechanics or narrative depth. For players drawn to surreal horror, occult imagery, and experiences that challenge comfort rather than entertain conventionally, it can be a compelling, if uneven, journey. For others, its reliance on provocation and its lack of mechanical refinement may feel hollow. As a whole, it stands as a striking example of style-driven horror—one that leaves an impression, even if that impression is deeply polarizing.
Rating: 7/10