2D horror Horror puzzle Horror Cosmic and Lovecraftian horror

Moth Lake: A Horror Story

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A lake town, a solar eclipse and a secret kept for generations.

Platforms: PC, Android, iPhone
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (83% of 113 reviews); 4.5 out of 5 on Google Play (about 32,600 reviews); Hardcore iOS 4.5 out of 5
Players: 1
Controls: Touch, mouse, keyboard or controller.
Made by: Stefano Mazzotta (Sui Arts)
Released: 2022

What frightens On the eve of a solar eclipse, mysterious events break out in a small lake town, and a group of troubled teenagers is drawn into a secret hidden for generations: shadowy creatures in a child's bedroom, a fog-filled field, and a grotesque, bloodied giant figure in a tiled room; its maker warns that some scenes are disturbing or anxious.
Content: disturbing imagery, blood, strong language, sad themes.

Moth Lake: A Horror Story is a 2.5D pixel-art horror adventure by Stefano Mazzotta. A group of teenagers with hard lives uncovers the terrible secret behind their small town's peaceful face as an eclipse approaches, solving puzzles together, hiding from what hunts them and making choices that lead to one of six endings.

About Moth Lake: A Horror Story

Moth Lake is made by the Italian solo developer Stefano Mazzotta and published by Sui Arts. It came out in December 2022 on Steam for Windows and on iPhone and Android, where it has its biggest following.

The town of Moth Lake looks peaceful. On the eve of a solar eclipse strange things start to happen, and a group of teenagers, each with a difficult life, is pulled into a mystery the town has hidden for generations. Their journey goes into the shadows and into themselves: their pasts, their friendships, and things in the dark that should not exist.

You move through side-view scenes in detailed pixel art with frame-by-frame animation and parallax, switching between seven characters. Each friend has a skill, and some puzzles need the whole group. There are stealth scenes where you hide or sneak, and choices change how the characters feel about each other and sometimes the plot, toward six endings. The script is long, more than 20,000 words over 300 scenes.

Its maker is honest that the tone mixes things: psychological horror, disturbing and sad scenes, alongside teenage jokes and strong language, so it is hard to say whether it is a horror game or not. The store ratings list frequent and intense horror themes, and the later scenes go to blood and grotesque creatures. It suits players who like story-heavy horror adventures with characters to care about, such as Oxenfree or Sally Face.

How to play Moth Lake: A Horror Story

Move your character through each side-view scene and interact with hotspots and people.
Switch between the friends and use each one's skill to solve puzzles; some need the whole group.
Hide and sneak when something hunts you.
Make choices in conversations; they change the friendships and sometimes the story.
Replay to reach the other endings.

Screenshots

Moth Lake screenshot: a giant, pale, grotesque figure sits amid blood in a dark tiled room as two teenagers look on

Moth Lake screenshot: three teenagers wait at a foggy bus stop under a streetlight at night

Moth Lake screenshot: five pixel-art teenagers stand by a barn and trees in hazy orange light

Moth Lake screenshot: the group of friends walks through a red, glowing fog toward a round window

Tips

Try every friend on a puzzle; personalities matter as much as skills.
A free walkthrough is offered in the game if you get stuck, its maker says.
Think about your choices; they decide who trusts whom by the end.

Questions

Is Moth Lake scary?

Its maker says it is not a survival game but can be creepy or scary at times, with disturbing and very sad scenes mixed with jokes. The App Store rates it for frequent, intense horror themes.

How many endings does Moth Lake have?

Six, according to its maker.

Is Moth Lake free on mobile?

It is a paid game on Steam and the App Store; the Google Play version has ads, according to its players.