Partum Artifex
As the moonlight dances slowly across your room, your pseudo-sleep is disrupted by a metal squeak from your letter box down the hall. Someone just left a handwritten note, an invitation.
“Dear art aficionado.
This is an invitation to one of the most exclusive and imaginative art displays. Not only is it an invitation but also an opportunity to show off your own credentials as an artist. Come join us and be part of the creation of something astonishing! Help us redefine and explore the concept of art.
While this might understandably turn you a bit skeptical, just know that we’ve done a great amount of research and handpicked only a few individuals that fit our distinct criteria. You are one of those lucky few.
Think about it for a moment; what do you actually have to lose? This is an opportunity for you to immortalize yourself among others in the world of art, the last chance to get out of your dreadful life and be part of something bigger.”
The last sentence hits hard as you think about the recent events of your life. The invitation is oddly intriguing.
Partum Artifex is mainly a puzzle game with an emphasis on story and atmosphere. Throughout the game, you’ll be challenged with solving puzzles directly connected to the twisted works and mind of a serial killer. In order to progress you need to put yourself in the killer’s shoes, and think like him in order to solve the puzzles. Willingly or not, he wants you to help him finish his magnum opus.
By exploration, reading, taking notes, finding items and paying attention to the environment, you’ll be able to piece together what happened in this eerie house and what the serial killer is trying to achieve with it. The more you dive into the mind of the killer, the more you’ll discover things that are better off being hidden away.
Sometimes the truth is better left shrouded in ignorance.
- Engaging Story: Partum Artifex offers an engaging story that delves into the mind of a serial killer whose main way of expressing himself is through art. Through the game, you’ll learn not only why he’s doing his deeds but also how it came to be.
- Immersive Environments: The game takes place on a property far from civilization, deep inside a murky forest. Every detail has been meticulously added to create a realistic environment in order for the players to immerse themselves and encourage exploration.
- Heavy Atmosphere: From eerie hallways to rooms filled with photos of the dead, Partum Artifex makes sure that you don’t know what will happen next. Together with an incredible soundscape, it makes it easy to imagine the worst lurking in the shadows.
- Intriguing Puzzles: Each puzzle in the game tells its own story related to the serial killer. With the later use of various tools, the world truly reveals the mind behind the murders as his rambling writings become unredacted.
Please, why don’t you join me and be part of the creation?
Steam User 7
A wonderful and a little different horror game ... just finished it and must say: I loved it.
We have a small, in the end not that small 'playground' of 4 buildings, small or bigger.... a family lived there, something had happened to them - we need to find out, but we won't do it voluntarily, as we came to the main mansiion and as we are told, we must not leave the area before we have not helped him: we need to find paintings and bring his art gallery to perfection.
So, that is, what we do: search for paintings.... thereby we find of course useful tools, open doors, activate mechanisms... all of that is a creepy but beautiful atmosphere
For lovers of horror and creepy games this is a must ! Highly recommended
Steam User 4
Very rarely does a psychological horro walking sim puzzle game get it right, but this game surpassed every expectation I had. There was no cheap jumpscare tactic, it was simply sinister and terrifying, with incredibly intuitive puzzles that felt like a huge payoff when you understood them. On top of all this, it was visually stunning, and the score was sublime. Easily best indie of the year for me.
Steam User 3
This game is like a good book that you simply can't put down. It's not overly intense to the point where it stresses you out but still provides a creepy enough atmosphere that you stay on high alert. It has a uniquely incredible storyline too! You can tell how much love went into this game from beginning to end and I can't wait for more content from this developer.
Steam User 2
Just beat the game and it took me a bit over 2 hours.
Excellent game with A+ atmosphere and a morbid dark story.
However, the puzzles are very obscure.
To beat this game without a guide you will need the patience of a saint.
Most likely you will need to look at a guide in order to beat it, some puzzles are too obscure to figure out on your own, there is no hand holding or directions on what to do in this game.
If the puzzles were a tad less obscure and had more of an explanation I would give the game a 9/10.
The puzzle direction and convoluted story drop it down to a 7/10.
A little more hints or direction would have been nice.
The voice acting was well done.
Highly Recommended but with high caution on the puzzles.
Steam User 3
Partum Artifex is a masterpiece of the darkest corners of the horror genre. Explore a estate where you must help a serial killer create his masterpiece, leading to an excellent conclusion as you discover the horrific things he has been up too.
The basic gameplay of the title has you exploring the estate, solving puzzles, reading notes and witnessing the truly disturbing scenes the serial killer has created to express his artistic abilities. The game is NOT for the weak of stomach and shows some incredibly disturbing scenes that left me a stalwart of the horror genre somewhat shocked.
Ultimately the puzzles are creative but not tedious, make sense and encourage through exploration and immersion more than anything else which is fantastic. I was never completely lost or wandering around for ages meaning the narrative and the experience flowed wonderfully from beginning to end.
Steam User 2
If you are a true indie hardcore horror gaming fan like me then you are always chasing the sunset. We are always looking for something fresh and new. There are so many horror games out there that you've played a thousand times over. DalaKoala Games has put together some devious puzzles and a unnerving/captivating story to go along with it that really impressed this gamer very much. This was one of those gems that I could sit down and watch the beautiful sunset slowly start to recede into that "Golden Hour" moment. Those sunsets are so much harder to find these days. :) Bravo to the dev team and be sure to stick around after the credits!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!
Steam User 3
Very good game and very deep story.