Charon's Staircase

In the 1970s ruled by a totalitarian regime known as "the Ministry", you'll play as an agent named Desmondm tasked with retrieving some compromising documents as the game slowly reveals the sinister "Project Alpha". While tinged with horror, the focus is more on the immersive atmosphere rather than pure terror. A puzzle game that's nice and dark.

Charon's Staircase is a first-person horror mystery game featuring what can be complex puzzles. The plot is fantastic and immediately immerses you in the game's atmosphere thanks to the excellent narrator. The game is set in the 1970s.

An authoritarian regime known as "The Ministry" once governed your country with an iron fist. It is immediately reminiscent of the Nazis or the Argentinian dictatorship: people were disappeared, and crazed doctors conducted experiments on unwilling subjects.

In the present day, the country wants to join the European Union and clean up its image. And you will be playing as an agent named Desmond. He has been sent by The Ministry to retrieve and destroy classified documents from Oack Grove, a mansion that was the scene of some "compromising" experiments.

And it is Desmond who serves as the excellent narrator for this game that's definitely not for the faint of heart. He will gradually uncover the nightmares and tragic fates of the mansion's residents... but will you be able to recover from the experience?

Best get one thing straight from the outset: some sequences are genuinely gory.

When it comes to the gameplay mechanics, Charon's Staircase is a Walking Simulator dotted with puzzles. Don't expect to encounter any intensely difficult puzzles, and in general you'll be exploring the mansion to find keys to unlock new areas. Occasionally, the game will throw a slightly more complex puzzle at you, such as the piano puzzle. Otherwise, for most of the game you'll be trying to find codes to unlock doors.

We liked the plot, the polished storytelling, and the oppressive atmosphere. Without revealing too much, just know that the further you get into the game, the more terrifying the discoveries become, against a backdrop of experiments performed on children (often twins) to analyse and develop psychic abilities. And, of course, the experiments did not end well! It goes without saying that this is not a game for kids.

We loved the dark, mysterious atmosphere that the soundtrack provides as it immerses you in the plot, and although yours is the only character that has a voice actor, it's a convincing performance. The same is true of the ambient sound effects, like the screams, strange noises, and creaking woodwork, etc. that provide fertile ground for jump scares. We recommend playing with headphones for the best experience.

Our tip to help you on your way? At the end of the game, you'll encounter enemies that you cannot defeat, and that you need to avoid. This change in the gameplay can come as a bit of a shock and throw you off balance the first time you experience it. So, remember to run!
In Greek mythology, Charon is the ferryman of the Greek underworld who guides the souls of the dead across the Styx in exchange for a coin... That gives you an idea of what to expect here...