Charon's Staircase

Charon’s Staircase unfortunately feels like it is caught between strong ideas and weak execution. Its thematic ambition, atmospheric sound design, and willingness to explore uncomfortable subject matter make it stand out, and it feels pretty memorable even if it isn’t great. At the same time, a variety of technical shortcomings, repetitive gameplay, and puzzles that tend to vary between mindlessly boring and frustratingly esoteric hold the overall game back. Horror is a crowded genre and this feels like one most people can skip without missing out on much. For players drawn to slow, narrative-driven psychological horror, there is some value to be found. For most others, the only thing frightening about this is how much money they’ll waste.