Collect cards and challenge reality in Apocryphauna

Apocryphauna is a free first-person horror adventure game. You begin the game as a new student at a school run by repressive religious authorities. Your goal is to collect cards so that you can play your favorite game, Apocryphauna. As you collect cards, you’ll discover that the game is not what it seems – and neither is the world.

Apocryphauna’s simple graphics evoke other low-resolution horror games, such as World of Horror. Although it bills itself as a card game, cards aren’t important to gameplay as they would be in a game like Inscryption. Instead, this is an adventure game where cards act both as plot coupons and as atmospheric art objects.

A journey of self-discovery and rebellion

Apocryphauna starts with a content warning relating to its serious themes, and that warning is fair. Although a lot of the dialogue is humorous, the game deals with difficult themes, including the challenges of being transgender in an intolerant society. The protagonist isn’t alone, though; it seems like all the students at the school are going through difficult times.

The heart of the game is the quest for cards. Because the game is banned at school, students hide Apocryphauna cards throughout the map. They range from the humorously absurd to the genuinely creepy. Once you’ve gathered enough, you can initiate the game’s ending, although you can still search for more cards to add to your collection before doing so.

Simple but thought-provoking

Apocryphauna isn’t a long game, with a typical playthrough taking about 30 minutes. It’s not graphically flashy, with simple two-dimensional characters. Instead, it’s the writing, which is equally at home using tarot cards as metaphors for self-perception and making affectionate jokes about teenage nerds, that really stands out. This thoughtful indie game is well worth a little of your time.