"On the instant that the final guttural sound had left his lips, there began a sequence of events no human eye was ever destined to witness. For suddenly the darkness was gone, giving way to a fearsome amber glow; simultaneously the flute-like music ceased, and in its place rose cries of rage and terror." - August Derleth, The Dweller in Darkness

Astray is a decent little horror adventure, and the only one of Aegon Games' catalogue that stroke me remotely interesting, so here we are. Is it the next best thing since sliced bread? Surely not. But Astray is a decent enough horror story with a Lovecraftian vibe, and some interesting enough puzzles along the way. Shall we?

According to the opening narrative, our uncle is a museum curator and he's been working on some installations for the museum's grand opening. It's been a couple weeks since we have been able to get any news of him though, so we decide to drop by to check on him. Traveling to this museum, which conveniently takes place in an isolated part of the mainland, we discover not a single breathing soul around. So, we -again, conveniently - break in to further investigate. As we continue with our exploration, we encounter various documents that would reveal obscure happenings within the building as the opening date comes close, even some disappearances. Yet, as we keep investigating, it becomes darker, obscurer and even a tad more supernatural than we would expect it to be. You have guessed right! This whole shebang is Lovecraftian!

What can I say? The story isn't marvelously exciting or fresh, but the narrative and pace of events presented to us through documents we find around, are intriguing enough for you to keep playing the game once you start. The mystery is well-woven, and the carefully designed atmosphere keeps you on your toes while you run from room to room, looking for your next objective. If you are a fan of Lovecraftian narrative and Cthulhu Mythos, you may even encounter some familiar figures as the end approaches. Aside that part, the lore presented within exhibits indicate a carefully done research of the occult and the mythological. Kudos on completing a reading before making a horror game!

Hailing from the visual quality of Unreal Engine 3, the game presents you a basic horror setting - one you may even recall from Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Design of the levels are interesting enough, yet some sections of the game – especially Egyptian Exhibition – are really cut short. It leaves you with the sense that it could have been much more. Sound effects are quite successful on unnerving you though, and they bear some importance for identifying whether it is safe to move around or not. If there is a monster on the premises – and believe me, there will be as you manage to delve deeper into the building - you'd like to listen your environment carefully.

Puzzles... Hmmm. Now this is noteworthy subject matter. Some of the puzzles within the game are the 1000th time reimagined versions of classical ones: like pipe puzzles. Those are cozily familiar and never get old. But some original ones, especially ones that would force you to take a closer look at the environment are a breath of fresh air. I liked the hieroglyph puzzle, for example.

Nearing the end of our review, if you have 3-4 hours to kill and fond of horror adventures, this one is a short, yet entertaining enough game to pick. Considering the whole thing is made by 2 people, it is one great effort you may enjoy. Good day, and good gaming to you!

Please also check out Lady Storyteller's Curator page here - follow for regular updates on reviews for other games!

[b]"On the instant that the final guttural sound had left his lips, there began a sequence of events no human eye was ever destined to witness. For suddenly the darkness was gone, giving way to a fearsome amber glow; simultaneously the flute-like music ceased, and in its place rose cries of rage and terror." - August Derleth, [i]The Dweller in Darkness[/i][/b] [i]Astray[/i] is a decent little horror adventure, and the only one of Aegon Games' catalogue that stroke me remotely interesting, so here we are. Is it the next best thing since sliced bread? Surely not. But [i]Astray[/i] is a decent enough horror story with a Lovecraftian vibe, and some interesting enough puzzles along the way. Shall we? According to the opening narrative, our uncle is a museum curator and he's been working on some installations for the museum's grand opening. It's been a couple weeks since we have been able to get any news of him though, so we decide to drop by to check on him. Traveling to this museum, which conveniently takes place in an isolated part of the mainland, we discover not a single breathing soul around. So, we -again, conveniently - break in to further investigate. As we continue with our exploration, we encounter various documents that would reveal obscure happenings within the building as the opening date comes close, even some disappearances. Yet, as we keep investigating, it becomes darker, obscurer and even a tad more supernatural than we would expect it to be. You have guessed right! This whole shebang is Lovecraftian! What can I say? The story isn't marvelously exciting or fresh, but the narrative and pace of events presented to us through documents we find around, are intriguing enough for you to keep playing the game once you start. The mystery is well-woven, and the carefully designed atmosphere keeps you on your toes while you run from room to room, looking for your next objective. If you are a fan of Lovecraftian narrative and Cthulhu Mythos, you may even encounter some familiar figures as the end approaches. Aside that part, the lore presented within exhibits indicate a carefully done research of the occult and the mythological. Kudos on completing a reading before making a horror game! Hailing from the visual quality of Unreal Engine 3, the game presents you a basic horror setting - one you may even recall from [i]Amnesia: The Dark Descent[/i]. Design of the levels are interesting enough, yet some sections of the game – especially Egyptian Exhibition – are really cut short. It leaves you with the sense that it could have been much more. Sound effects are quite successful on unnerving you though, and they bear some importance for identifying whether it is safe to move around or not. If there is a monster on the premises – and believe me, there will be as you manage to delve deeper into the building - you'd like to listen your environment carefully. Puzzles... Hmmm. Now this is noteworthy subject matter. Some of the puzzles within the game are the 1000th time reimagined versions of classical ones: like pipe puzzles. Those are cozily familiar and never get old. But some original ones, especially ones that would force you to take a closer look at the environment are a breath of fresh air. I liked the hieroglyph puzzle, for example. Nearing the end of our review, if you have 3-4 hours to kill and fond of horror adventures, this one is a short, yet entertaining enough game to pick. Considering the whole thing is made by 2 people, it is one great effort you may enjoy. Good day, and good gaming to you! Please also check out Lady Storyteller's Curator page [url=http://steamoss.com/steamstore/curator/11672469/]here[/url] - follow for regular updates on reviews for other games!