These days, games inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft are a lot like Cthulhu’s tentacles: there are way too many of them and they rarely spark joy.
However, Gibbous – A Cthulhu Adventure looks promising. Successfully Kickstarted in 2016, this hand-drawn adventure game is evocative of the humor and spirit of the ‘90’s golden age of LucasArts point-and-clicks. And, with the unveiling of a release date with a new trailer on Thursday, we know we’ll be playing this cosmic spoof within a month: developer Stuck In Attic is targeting an August 7 release date.
The game stars a dude in a red shirt, a five o’clock shadow-sporting private eye and a sarcastic black cat named Kitteh. Thankfully, Kitteh’s name is far less objectionable than the extremely racist one someone in Lovecraft’s family bequeathed to his childhood cat.
The plot involves the Necronomicon, a spooky castle, pentagrams and “mad men” who appear to be violent, Cthulhu-worshipping cultists.
Multiple members of the current generation of point-and-click greats have given the games endorsements on its Kickstarter page.
“I really admire the animation in Gibbous,” blurbed Ben Chandler, pixel artist for Wadjet Eye Games, the New York-based studio behind GOAT-contender, Unavowed.
Lauren Davidson, who worked as a writer on Thimbleweed Park, wrote, “It’s brimming with potential. The Tiller influenced backgrounds are lovely. The concept of a Lovecraftian comedy game is an entertaining juxtaposition of genres. The humour is delightfully tongue in cheek.”
Gibbous will be available on Windows, Mac and Linux through Steam and GOG.
