Imagine you’re spending the eve of a major holiday with your family, preparing everything needed for the celebrations. A tradition repeated every year, a moment to share with your loved ones and, naturally, an offering to present to the moths to obtain their blessing.The moths observe , but mostlythey’re starving. A voracious, insatiable hunger that can’t be appeased with scraps. Because what they ask for is meat.
At this point, I’m guessing you’re looking at the screen with confused expressions. Well, yes, this is entirely normal if you live in Gruesome Grove, the town where the story of Allogloom, the new point-and-click developed by Galactic Ghosty and published by Iceberg Interactive.
The plot immediately launches us into Nora’s life, the protagonist, as she prepares for the Passage of Souls that will occur that same night. Nora, the protagonist, preparing for the Passage of the Souls that will take place that same night. The initial setting is the Golden Leaf, the plant shop that Nora’s father owns and tends for decades, where we also find her grandmother and brother, all gathered together in anticipation of the event.
From the very first moments, the game balances its bizarre premises with a subtle note of melancholy,linked to Nora’s mother’s absence. From the words of the other characters and especially Nora’s reflections, we realise that the mother has been missing for a while without leaving any trace,and no one seems to know what happened to her. It is precisely in these early moments that Allogloom’s most interesting aspect emerges, namely its ability to pair absurd and surreal situations with more intimate and profound emotions,a contrast that will accompany the player throughout the adventure.
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Meat, crows and broken chairs
Nora is therefore preparing for the Passing of Souls, and thanks to a manuscript found inside a box, we quickly understand the first objective of our adventure, namely placing a piece of meat on a ceremonial stool to offer to the moths. to offer to the moths.Ed è in questo momento che entriamo nel vivo dell’esperienza, iniziando a prendere confidenza con le meccaniche di Allogloom. Ovviamente non sarà così semplice recuperare la carne, che è stata rubata per dispetto da Hopper, il corvo di Nora, e, come se non bastasse, lo sgabello cerimoniale si è rotto in tre pezzi e dunque dovremo ingegnarci per ricomporlo.
Allogloom rely on the traditional point-and-click adventure mechanics, in which we’ll need to collect items, figure out how to use them, and, where possible, combine them to solve the various puzzles that lie ahead. Careful exploration of the environments rewards the player, and interactions with the inhabitants of Gruesome Grove are essential, as they often provide valuable clues to continue the adventure or to understand the meaning of a puzzle.
One thing I particularly appreciated in Allogloom is how the puzzles integrate with the narrative, without seeming randomly inserted elements. They blend harmoniously with the story and do not disrupt the game’s pacing, as sometimes occurs in games of this genre. The puzzle difficulty is well balanced: they start off simpler and intuitive, and gradually become more challenging as you progress through the adventure. The puzzles never feel frustrating or pointless, everything is perfectly tied into the story and actions are never random, but always coherent with what is happening at that moment.
The dark side of the fairy tale
Another strength of Allogloom, and one that leaps out immediately, is the art direction. I’d like to particularly emphasise that behind this project is Galactic Ghosty, a small independent studio composed of three people, all making their debut in the gaming world. The title comes from the incredible illustrative work of Kate, the project’s founder, who drew and curated all the visual elements, from backgrounds to characters, and also contributed to the story, animation and game design.
As already hinted, one of the most interesting aspects of Allogloom is the contrast between bizarre and absurd moments and deeper, more profound emotions — a contrast that is also echoed in the visual style. The illustrations have a distinctly autumnal tone, dominated by warm, earthy hues such as brown, complemented by dark green. After the first part of the game, the strangeness gradually gives way to a macabre element.At a certain point, Nora finds herself facing disturbing and grotesque scenes, in which the initial fairytale design mixes with repulsive details and unsettling presences, capable of instilling a constant sense of discomfort in the player.This feeling is intensified by the characters’ behaviour, which reacts to various scenes and situations with a nearly detached calm, as if they truly didn’t realise what was happening around them. the characters’ behaviour, who react to various scenes and situations with a nearly detached calm, as if they didn’t really realise what was happening around them.
Runs smoothly on Steam Deck but only in English
Regarding the technical aspect, I played Allogloom on Steam Steam Deck and the experience proved smooth and free of any issuesThe only point I’d like to make is that the absence of an Italian localisation, which could represent a small barrier for those who aren’t fluent in English. Some specific vocabulary or idiomatic expressions might feel less immediate to understand, even though the language used in the game is, overall, quite accessible for those with a solid grasp of the language and allows you to follow the story without much difficulty.
Final thoughts
And this time too, we’ve reached the end of an incredible adventure. Allogloom turned out to be a pleasant surprise, a classic point-and-click title that manages to stand out thanks to a well-defined artistic identity and a narrative that skillfully blends surreal moments, grotesque atmospheres and deeper themes. a well-defined artistic identity and a narrative that skillfully blends surreal moments, grotesque atmospheres and deeper themes. I appreciated the care with which the puzzles, never simplistic and above all never frustrating, seamlessly integrated into the story and capable of making exploration of the environments interesting and stimulating. The result achieved with Allogloom by Galactic Ghosty, an indie studio making its debut, is simply impressive and demonstrates that it’s not always necessary to have big resources to create an original and richly characterised experience. an original and richly characterised experience. Despite the lack of an Italian localisation, Allogloom is a great title, perfect for all fans of classic point-and-click adventures, which manages to surprise, unsettle and even provoke a smile.
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