One of the most anticipated games of 2022 – Scorn is an atmospheric first-person horror adventure game set in a nightmarish universe of odd forms and somber tapestry. It’s simple, it’s satisfying and it’s a perfect match for the dark and gloomy atmosphere inspired by the first Diablo game. Developers could really do whatever they wanted with it and take it into any direction they wanted. Paper is a very flexible material so there are literally hundreds of ways to structure it, fold it, texture it, light it, animate it. Now that was not only an eye-pleasing choice but a smart one as well. Well, that sounds like a great game already, but what makes it even more appealing is setting the title in a Paperverse – a world that exists entirely inside a pop-up book. Incredibly fun hack & slash and deck-building hybrid where players decide the length of quests and wield magic cards instead of weapons while slaying the armies of darkness in the dungeons below the Old Cathedral. The game still has moments of violence and horror, but they are even more impactful when contrasting with its sweetness.

Such visual direction feels more natural and grounded within the cartoon style. While the art style in Cult of the Lamb is unapologetically cartoon, it still has curses, pentagrams, rituals and supernatural elements. Just as the gameplay is a juxtaposition of roguelike and community building, so are the title’s sunny aesthetics with dark undertones. To put it simply: Cult of the Lamb is the cutest game about sacrificing your friends to an eldritch god and it is perfectly represented by its graphics. And while sure, there’s a lot of praise for its unique gameplay approach and original story, what we believe may contributed the most to the game’s success was its art style. This action adventure roguelike with managerial elements took the game industry by storm after its release in August. But does the Halloweenish vibe have anything to do with that?.

System shock scary art