Carnival is a premium adventure game for PC developed by Beyond Booleans and is a pixel art point-and-click psychological horror experience set during the European upheaval period in the history of Venice. It follows a journalist with epilepsy, who experiences episodic bouts that have intense mental effects, like blurring the line between reality and fiction. Newcomers can check out a demo version.

Hiding behind masks

The game is essentially a psychological horror adventure that follows James Maynard, a journalist covering a story about a planned road bridge in Venice, Italy. A seemingly ordinary puff piece becomes a deep dive into the twisted customs and proclivities of some of the city’s elite few during the days of the European upheaval. He will interact with a wide cast of characters as he gets to know more about the city and its dark underbelly.

The experience takes a frightening turn as he suffers intense epileptic attacks that result in nightmarish images and visions throughout his investigation, which slowly alter his perception of reality. That said, Carnival is rather short, and you finish an entire playthrough in a few hours. However, there are multiple possible endings to unlock, encouraging you to play again.

Dark origins

To sum up, Carnival is an engrossing, narrative-driven adventure that clearly takes cues from the renowned Carnival of Venice, and takes you on a journey to the dark origins of said festival before it became so popular and celebrated today. The inclusion of psychological horror elements enhances the gameplay and makes for a compelling experience worth checking if you like these types of games.