Some games try to scare you. Others try to confuse you. Eclipsium does both – and at a pace that makes a one-legged turtle seem like a sprinter.
This is a so-called “walking simulator,” but that’s perhaps a bit too kind a description. Every step in Eclipsium feels heavy, almost meditative—and in this twisted, sick universe, every step counts. There are no guns, no explosions—just you, your body, and a slowly disintegrating head.
The madness begins in a hospital, where the protagonist is undergoing surgery.
When the game starts – or doesn’t
Right from the start, you may encounter the game’s first challenge: getting it to actually start. Many players, including myself, encountered a black screen that seemingly refused to go away. If you press a key, the game crashes. If you don’t, you have to wait. A long time.
Some say the solution is to install on an SSD. That worked for me – but only because I happened to wait five minutes the next time. Eclipsium loads, just at its own pace. And this is a pace you should get used to, because it defines everything that follows.
A decaying body – and a disintegrating mind
The story begins in a hospital. The protagonist lies on the operating table, but it’s not the anesthesia that creates the nightmare – it’s the memories. Distorted glimpses of a life marked by violence, shame and madness are thrown before you like fragmented images.
The hero, who refuses to run no matter what, must literally sacrifice himself to move forward. His tongue, his heart, his eye – all can be torn out to unlock new abilities.
To progress, the hero must sacrifice vital body parts. He must cut out his tongue, rip out his heart, or gouge out an eye – fortunately, this does not slow him down any further. The reward for his diligence is the ability to transform his hand into a useful tool.
The result? A hand that can transform.
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Blade Hand: Cut through obstacles.
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Flame Hand: Light up the darkness and scare away grotesque worms.
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Stigmata: Reveal hidden objects – but the game almost forgets that this ability even exists.
This is body horror done with an almost poetic touch. And that’s rarely a good sign.
A game without enemies – but full of fear
Despite the psychological horror label , there are hardly any monsters here. Death comes from falls, missteps, or the massive worms that occasionally appear. Otherwise, it’s you and your head that are the enemy.
You solve simple puzzles – finding keys, moving paintings, opening portals to new worlds – and it all takes place within small, claustrophobic spaces. Most of it is about observing, experiencing, and gradually losing your grip on reality.
A grotesque beauty
Visually, Eclipsium is a love letter to the PlayStation 1 era. Big pixels, low resolution, and a deliberately unpleasant filter that makes everything look like an old VHS recording from a sick mind.
When not solving puzzles, you spend your time admiring the view. The game’s graphics mimic the PlayStation 1 era, with large pixels depicting moments from the protagonist’s life.
You visit surreal places from the protagonist’s past:
– fishing trips,
– slaughterhouses,
– submarines,
– and strangely enough, a seemingly endless corridor filled with pig carcasses.
Everything is accompanied by dissonant music, distorted voices and sounds that make your skin crawl.
And in the middle of it all: the big woman. An enormous, watchful figure who follows you – literally – with her gaze.
A sick but fascinating experiment
Eclipsium tries to be a psychological horror game, but ends up being something more peculiar – an experience that’s more disturbing than scary. The biggest horror element isn’t the gore, but the silence, the monotony, and the knowledge that you have to backtrack after every puzzle. At a snail’s pace.
Still, it never gets boring. The visual madness and conceptual fashion in which the game challenges you keeps you curious until the very last scene. And with a running time of around two hours, it feels like the perfect length for such a mental experiment.
The game markets itself as a psychological horror game.
Conclusion
Eclipsium is an experiment in pacing, aesthetics, and psychological turmoil. It’s not for everyone – but for those who enjoy games like Silent Hill , Pathologic , or Signalis , this will be a disturbing, hypnotic journey into human darkness.
And when you finally reach the end, you’re left with one question:
Did you actually get through the game – or did the game get through you?
In short:
A surreal, pixelated nightmare with a unique visual style, but with gameplay that tests your patience more than your reflexes.
Alternative game tip: Try Psychopomp GOLD afterwards – same schizophrenic atmosphere, but with more action and charisma.
