Conarium is a Lovecraftian horror adventure set in an Antarctic expedition base, openly inspired by At the Mountains of Madness. The premise of a polar research team descending into madness establishes the cosmic-horror lineage from the start.
The atmosphere leans harder into horror than the developer’s earlier Transient, with real jump scares amid the tension. Snowstorm warnings, failing radios and the crew’s descent into madness build an oppressive mood throughout the base.
Exploration carries the game through the ruins beneath the ice, from the link elevator and the tower with its lighthouse beams to flooded caves and a submarine descent. Collectible relics, trophies and nearly every document reward thorough examination of the environment.
The layered fiction of expedition documents, journals and phonograph cylinders tells the story of the crew’s degradation. The torch that illuminates notes is a small but memorable touch in how the game parcels out its lore.
The wearable Canarium device and its pineal-gland symbolism tie the machinery to an ancient source and the third-eye mythology threaded through the lore. The closing sequence commits to a strange, bold transformation that caps the journey.
The submarine controls are claustrophobic, with light markers that are hard to spot, and the ring puzzle’s rotation controls work backwards. Movement snags on the environment, while blinding flashlight transitions and load screens that skip past legible notes add friction.
Overall, setting and exploration make Conarium a strange and memorable horror adventure. The Lovecraftian atmosphere and the bold conclusion outweigh the finicky controls and the ambiguous connection to its predecessor.