Mothmen 1966

An eerie journey back to the days when all games were a bit eerie anyway.

Mothmen 1966 is a valiant first effort from LCB Studio, and it certainly scores highly on presentation, but clunky writing and those awful interactive sequences derail what was, on the face of it, a promising adventure.

Mothmen 1966 is ultimately a terrific little horror game, reminding us that the genre can be more than first-person jumpscare factories. As the first episode of the 3-part first volume of Pixel Pulps, the adventures of Holt, Victoria, and Lee provide a terrific first impression of what will hopefully be a memorable series. The brief interactive interludes do not hold up to the polish of the writing, soundscapes, and graphics of Mothmen 1966, but LCD Game Studio have a chance to update those mechanics when the next episode, Varney Lake, comes out later this year.

By far the game’s greatest strength is the retro-inspired visuals that uses bright neon colors, leaning heavily on shades of green that callback to the Sci-Fi comics and movie covers from the 60s. If this had been released during the NES era, it probably would be known as being the best-looking NES game in existence.

Mothmen 1966 brought me back to a different time in my life. When I was a young girl, I used to pour an ungodly amount of time into ‘Give Yourself Goosebumps’, R.L. Stine’s horrific (heh) take on the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure genre. Not just with the series but even with the individual books themselves. I was not finished with a book until I had soaked up every possible scare, from front to back.

With assured writing and gorgeous pixel art visuals, Mothmen 1966 is a compelling start to the Pixel Pulp series. A few clunky puzzle elements are the only blemish on a fast paced and engrossing story that helps pass two hours in the blink of an eye.

Mothmen 1966 is one of those games where it’s really hard to find anything concretely wrong with it. Really my only complaints are that the game feels perhaps too short (which is a selfish complaint, let’s be honest), and that maybe the narrative could have branched a bit more with the choices you made. Still, overall, these are pretty minor complaints. Mothmen 1966 is a game that truly lives up to its own advertising and hype, providing a unique pixelated pulp-fiction approach to the visual novel formula, while focusing on a delightfully creepy, bizarre bit of American folklore. If this is the first in the series, I can’t wait for more.

Mothmen 1966 is a creepy and atmospheric visual novel that nails the computer graphics style of the 1980s. It has great writing, interesting characters, and breaks up the reading with some timely puzzles. It is on the short side though and there isn’t much reason to replay it once you’ve reached the end so those seeking a longer visual novel experience won’t find it here. For those who are fine with getting their creepy story fill in an hour or two and getting out this one should be right up your alley.

Mothmen 1966 takes a familiar genre and adds a unique style to create an unforgettable work of horror. It’s a visual novel inspired by classic horror and pulps of the 60s but it does it so well. Making you shiver as the words appear on the screen and questioning your choices as your progress.

Mothmen 1966 is a gripping story of how three characters react when thrust into contact with the paranormal. Fast-paced and featuring fleshed-out characters, the story only falters as it nears its action-packed ending. The retro aesthetic oozes charm and helps elevate the story, while the simple puzzles and gaming sections allow players to take a break from reading to become active participants in the story. At only two hours long, Mothmen 1966 is a no-brainer for those interested in the paranormal.