Chronicle of Innsmouth: Mountains of Madness
By David Chapman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Retro Lovecraft adventure's scariest parts are its flaws.

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Chronicle of Innsmouth: Mountains of Madness
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What’s It About?
Players will step into a world of darkness with CHRONICLE OF INNSMOUTH: MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS. Based on and inspired by the works of classic horror author H.P. Lovecraft, this point-and-click adventure drops players into a supernatural mystery millennia in the making. Missing people and ritual murders are just the start for private investigator Lone Carter. After surviving his own close call with the Shoggoth, Carter is haunted by nightmarish visions that may uncover secrets of the past or, worse, foretell a dark future for humanity. To survive against the power of a god, you must make your way from the shores of the cursed fishing village of Innsmouth to the halls of Miskatonic University in Arkham and even ancient Yemen for the creation of the book of evil, the Necronomicon.You'll interact with your environment to solve mind-bending puzzles while also challenging your wits and your sanity as you unlock the origins of the Great Old Ones before falling prey to their grand design.
Is It Any Good?
Back in the earlier days of gaming, point-and-click adventures were all the rage, because they could tell a complete story while making the player feel like an active part of it. Chronicle of Innsmouth: Mountains of Madness pays homage to these classic games with its faithful retro-styled re-creation of the point-and-click experience, wrapped around the equally classic literary works of horror author H.P. Lovecraft. While on paper it makes for an interesting way to visit the Cthulhu mythos, in practice, the game never quite rises above a certain level of mediocrity. At its best, the game manages to squeeze out a few decent story beats. Unfortunately, the rest of the time feels like a bland, watered-down tale with enough bad edits to keep players fumbling around.
One of the biggest issues Mountains of Madness has is its presentation. While it's easy to appreciate the effort that went into creating a point-and-click adventure that looks like it was found in a time capsule from the early '90s, lots of the presentation still falls flat. The voice-overs, for the most part, sound like they're either being read off cue cards or auditioning for Shakespearean theatre. There's no in-between. And the plot feels like its based off the Cliff's Notes version of Lovecraft's works. Huge chunks of story are just glossed over or completely omitted, often leaving players confused and frustrated. Finally, while the various puzzles have relatively simple solutions, the game doesn't do much to nudge players in the right direction. The end result is an experience that feels rushed and almost incomplete, with holes big enough to fit a Shoggoth through.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about horror as entertainment. What is the appeal of being scared to be entertained? What are some of the best and worst traits of horror stories? What age might be considered too young to be exposed to horror stories?
What are some ways that games from the past can shape current games?
Game Details
- Platform: Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: PsychoDev
- Release date: March 23, 2021
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Book Characters, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: NR for No Descriptions
- Last updated: March 25, 2021
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