Cosmic and Lovecraftian horror Horror puzzle

Call of Cthulhu: Prisoner of Ice

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A submarine out of the Antarctic, and something in the cargo hold.

Platforms: PC, Linux
Stores: Steam, GOG
Price: Paid
Rated: Mostly Positive on Steam (74% of 149 reviews); 3.6 out of 5 from GOG players (229 ratings)
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse: point and click to walk, look, take and use; an icon bar for the inventory.
Made by: Infogrames
Released: 1995

What frightens Aboard a British submarine fleeing the Antarctic on the eve of World War II, an American intelligence officer finds that the cargo from a secret German base is alive: Lovecraftian creatures the Nazis want to use, loose among the crew and soon in the wider world.
Content: violence, gore, disturbing imagery.

Prisoner of Ice is Infogrames' 1995 Lovecraftian horror adventure. Lieutenant Ryan, an American intelligence officer aboard the British submarine HMS Victoria, must stop a Nazi plot built on creatures dug out of ancient Antarctic ruins.

About Call of Cthulhu: Prisoner of Ice

Prisoner of Ice was made by Infogrames and released for PC in 1995 and Mac in 1996, as a follow-up to Shadow of the Comet under the Call of Cthulhu name. It is sold today on GOG and Steam.

It begins in the run-up to World War II. The submarine HMS Victoria is racing away from Antarctica after rescuing a Norwegian who escaped from a secret German base built on top of ancient ruins. It is carrying crates taken from the base. Lieutenant Ryan of US naval intelligence is aboard, and before long it is clear that what is in the crates is alive and that the Nazis meant to use it.

It is a classic point-and-click adventure: you walk Ryan through painted scenes, from the submarine's torpedo room to a museum, a Greek courtyard and a cell block, talk to people, collect items and use them. Some puzzles run against a clock of less than a minute and end the game if you fail, though the game saves itself before them. The story draws on Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness and mixes his monsters with spies, soldiers and time travel.

The horror comes in its creature attacks and gruesome cut scenes, which Steam players still single out along with the music. It suits fans of Lovecraft and 1990s adventures. Players who have tried both often prefer Shadow of the Comet, and some find the plot hard to follow.

How to play Call of Cthulhu: Prisoner of Ice

Buy it on Steam or GOG and install it.
Click to walk Ryan around each scene and to look at, take and use things.
Talk to the crew and the people you meet to learn what was taken from the base.
Combine and use items from the inventory to solve each puzzle.
Act fast in timed scenes: you have less than a minute before it is game over.

Screenshots

Prisoner of Ice screenshot: Ryan in naval uniform stands in a green stone cave with skulls on the walls and fire burning on either side

Prisoner of Ice screenshot: Ryan and a crewman in the cramped control room of the submarine, with the inventory icons above

Prisoner of Ice screenshot: Ryan stands among other prisoners in a row of concrete cells

Prisoner of Ice screenshot: Ryan in the torpedo room of the submarine, between racks of torpedoes

Tips

Save often in separate slots, even though the game saves before timed scenes.
Sweep each scene with the cursor: Steam players warn about pixel hunting.
In a timed scene, think about what you are carrying before you click.
Play Shadow of the Comet first if you want the earlier Infogrames Call of Cthulhu story.