HPL: Nyarlathotep Rising is an indie narrative RPG set in the late 1920s, where players guide one of three ordinary individuals through a Lovecraftian tale of cosmic horror unfolding amid the aftermath of the Wall Street crash.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on making decisions that shape both the immediate story and the long-term development of the chosen protagonist. Players control Mark, a veteran of the Great War, Anna, a young artist, or Victor, a student of arcane knowledge. Each character brings distinct starting traits that influence how they perceive events and what options appear during key moments.
Attributes tracked include Body, Resolution, Spirit, Insight, and Charisma. Choices directly raise or lower these values, unlocking or locking future branches. Reaching zero in any attribute or accumulating too much Insight can end a run prematurely. Information, artefacts, and items collected along the way provide additional tools for navigating encounters with cultists and other threats.
Travel takes the characters across real-world locations such as London, New York, and the Suffolk countryside, plus occasional shifts into other planes. Interactions with companions determine alliances, rivalries, and even personal relationships, all while the larger threat of Nyarlathotep's return looms.
Game Modes
The game operates entirely in single-player narrative mode. There are no separate multiplayer or competitive options. Instead, variety comes from selecting different protagonists and replaying to explore alternate paths through the same interconnected events. Each playthrough produces a unique version of the story for the chosen character while the other two continue to evolve in the background according to prior decisions.
Progression relies on the accumulation of knowledge and the management of mental and physical states rather than traditional leveling or resource gathering. The structure encourages multiple completions to witness how early choices ripple across all three intertwined narratives and produce different conclusions.
Narrative Structure and Choices
Every interaction, discovery, and use of collected objects feeds into a branching scenario that can lead to several distinct endings. The game presents ordinary people facing extraordinary pressures at a pivotal time in history, with decisions affecting both personal sanity and the broader fate of those around them. Some outcomes involve attempts to resist the Mythos directly, while others explore acceptance or deeper understanding of cosmic forces.
The system deliberately withholds full information about attribute changes in later sections, increasing the weight of later choices. This design mirrors the uncertainty central to Lovecraft's themes without adding extraneous systems.
Is It Worth Playing?
Reception has been positive among players who value story-driven experiences and atmospheric writing rooted in Lovecraft's universe. The limited number of reviews on major platforms highlights praise for the character work, visual presentation, and the way choices create meaningful divergence across multiple playthroughs. Those seeking fast-paced action or extensive combat mechanics will find the focus narrower than typical RPGs.
The title suits fans of interactive fiction and tabletop-style attribute management who appreciate replaying to uncover new narrative arcs. Its release in early 2025 means the experience stands complete without ongoing seasonal content or expansions at this stage. Players drawn to choice consequences and psychological tension in a historical horror setting will find the most satisfaction here.
