Conarium
Conarium is a chilling Lovecraftian game that follows the gripping story of four scientists and their endeavour to challenge what we normally consider to be the "absolute" limits of nature. Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's novella At the Mountains of Madness, but largely set after the original story. You, as Frank Gilman, open your eyes inside a room filled with strange, pulsating noises. Patterns of lights executing a Danse Macabre on the walls is presented by a queer device on the table. Having recalled nothing other than that you’re in Upuaut, an Antarctic base located near the South Pole, you find the place deserted and have a distinct feeling of something being terribly wrong. Somehow knowing that your memories cannot guide you enforces a strange feeling of vulnerability, a familiar yet alien sensation of being a part of a peculiar whole…
Game Discussion
Steam User 6
The game may tell you it's based on Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness", but the game lies. While that may have inspired its setting and scenery on the surface, the core themes here drawn a near exact parallel to "From Beyond", with influences from "Shadow Out of Time" and "Whisperer in Darkness", as well as several other HPL works.
I've spent more time theory crafting and trying to unriddle this game by cross referencing with Lovecraft's work and other Mythos entries than actually playing, because this game will dump a massive pile of immensely interesting leads and questions on you but answer almost none of them. Near the end of the game you'll be told some answers, but again, the game lies. Don't trust anything to be what it looks like on the surface.
And just when you think you're about to finally get some answers, the game just ends and leaves you with your trousers around your ankles and balls bluer than neptune. And if you're anything like me, that's where the madness begins. First, you go back to take a closer look at some things, search for anything you missed, review the clues again. Then you dig through Lovecraft's work again and again, looking for something, anything, that lets you draw a parallel. You may think you have a working theory that ties it all together in a satisfying way, and then you find a new question still left unanswered and start all over again. This game has pushed me to the brink of insanity, I can't stop thinking about it, and I only spent 5 hours actually playing it.
Why are we jumping back and forth through time and space?
What is that thing that keeps trying to kill you, and why?
What does the black cat mean?
Which parts were real, and which were imagined?
Where are the other researchers?
Who is the man in the mirror?
Who or what do all of these different statures represent?
And just what the hell is up with the talking head?
I have transcended my pineal prison, opened my third eye, and wander through superimposed dimensions as a fragment fixed in neither space nor time, my obsolete brain now used by another. The black man with the lotus flower held my hand in my dreams, and now ascended beyond the need for sleep, stalks me on feline paws, betrayed by his own shadow. The one who would deny me the freedom to see the vistas, keep shut the gate beyond, draws ever closer, but my companion simply watches, laughing, taunting. A mind cannot survive without a body, not a human mind. But I am a survivor, and if my humanity is the only price, then I will travel stars forever more. OPEN TO ME THE PATHWAYS, YOG-SOTHOTH, AND I WILL TRAVEL THROUGH YOU!
Steam User 5
I think, it's fair tosay that this game falls into the category "Psychological horror walking simulator with puzzles" The art design is nice, the premise (being losely based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft) is interesting.
Sometimes it feels a little wonky (there's a brick on the ground, have to move a little left to proceed forward).
But atmosphere in general keeps you going. Some nice jumpscares.
I'd give it 7/10
Steam User 4
interesting because of lovecraft style story. Not hard game you can die only couple of levels and mostly game has no enemies so more of walking and exploration style game and not very scary more of exploration/adventure orientated. Got nice puzzles and nicely long game if you explore everything and collect/read all notes and trophy items etc. maybe not very long game if you are rush style gamer who run place to another. I enjoyed it so 7/10 good game but not masterpiece or insanely good. I Got this on good steam discount so worth of money easily.
Game has one very frustrating bug in my first playthrough everytime whenever there is a dark spot and two lit doorways where you have to run or go my character dont move forward and controls feels like im on still the submarine controls and it does always this on those doorway scenes through the game. i fear that my game break because previous save load dont help anything but luckily i find discussion where some guy say that try to move backwards etc. and it worked every time but very stupid on developer that bug has never fixed. in my second rush playthrough (getting missed achievements fast) game works normally on those scenes so maybe it not always happen but its common bug.
Steam User 3
It's basically a horror Myst-like game focusing on exploration and puzzle solving. The chase sequences were unnecessary but I liked everything else.
Steam User 2
Honesty,I didnt really dig the game, but I like these types of games so im having a hard time giving it a thumbs down since it wasnt awful and I was able to stick with it till the end. Id recommend waiting for it to go on sale. I bought it dirt cheap.
Steam User 2
Short, fun and as many has said:
"Psychological horror"
"walking simulator"
"puzzles"
Nice looking, atmosphere spot on.
7¾ / 10
Steam User 3
Summary:
C+ effort. Just over the line for me to give a recommendation, mostly for the art and atmosphere.
Positives:
- Enjoyably atmospheric Lovecraftian walking simulator + puzzles + a few sections where you have to evade enemies. The more alien the environment, the better the game was.
- Overall, relatively respectful of the Cthulhu Mythos.
- Good art (did a surprisingly good job with the Elder Thing friezes described in AtMoM!).
- Good sound design, serviceable soundtrack.
- Voice actors did as well as they could with the dialog (see below), though the attempted mid-Atlantic accents tended to wander back and forth between Portsmouth and Boston.
Negatives:
- Short (3-5 hrs).
- Puzzles and interaction cues were sometimes opaque.
- I thought the worst aspect was the immersion-shattering level of technological anachronism in all of the more human-occupied areas. Did you know that dot-matrix printers, walkie-talkies, stereo tape recorders, and wax-cylinder phonographs were all in simultaneous use in 1948? I sure didn't! The inside of the submarine looked like something out of Jules Verne with its quilted red upholstery, not like the product of a post-WWII Antarctic expedition.
- The English dialog was often awkward and stilted, with grammatical errors that seemed, perhaps, due to an ESL writer. Should have had a native English speaker look it over for them to remove odd constructions.
- Finally, something unfortunately uncommon with Lovecraftian games, the resolution of the plot is rather unsatisfying. I thought that the way your vision breaks up from time to time, and certain other hints, were meant to suggest a much stranger "real" status of the viewpoint character.