Centum Review – Enthralling Confusion

Centum Review

Centum is a point-and-click puzzle game that leans heavily into horror, drawing comparisons to games like Blasphemous and Fear and Hunger. Through a world that’s as mysterious as it is terrifying, you must solve puzzles to uncover a story that’s more about confusion than clarity.

Judgement

The narrative is purposefully vague, leaving players with a sense of mystery that is both intriguing and frustrating. You play as …someone who seems to have no clear identity and no understanding of what’s going on. The story revolves around awaiting “judgement” from the gods, but you’re left in the dark about everything—who you are, what you’re supposed to be doing, and why you’re stuck in this creepy, ominous world. That’s your job to figure out. Or not, you could just stick your fingers in a rat trap and sleep till morning. Or drink the tea the dark multifaced figure insists you drink. There’s no clear protagonist

It’s an unsettling experience, and while the story is confusing, it also draws you in with its enigmatic nature. It’s all beautiful in it’s untrustworthiness. One minute you’re reading files on a cryptic PC and the next stuck in a room overlooking a burning city. Slowly but surely in whichever way time actually even moves, your character loses their mind.

The story may be unclear, but its depth comes from the layers of mystery and unreliable information you get throughout the game. There are plenty of clues to piece together, but the journey is more about the experience of unraveling a mystery that never fully explains itself. It keeps you guessing, which keeps it compelling. And the skeleton drawing thing living on my cell wall seems to always be in a rush to not help me with anything.

In Your Head

The game excels at making you feel isolated and on edge. The horror elements contribute to this sense of mistrust— puzzles you solve leaves you with more questions than answers. The psychological torment of your character, paired with the world’s grim atmosphere, pulls you deeper into a world where you can’t even trust yourself. Though some choices you’re allowed to make in dialogue seem to only be there to push the dark, gritty mood across like incomprehensible mutterings. But hey, it works.

The pixel art is stunning, and the visuals do an incredible job of telling a story in their own right. The gloomy, mysterious art style complements the tone of the game perfectly, drawing you deeper into its atmosphere. There’s a lot of subtle storytelling through the creepy art, with somber details that leave you feeling like there’s something more beneath the surface.

The sound design is trippy and immersive, with eerie sounds that constantly keep you on edge. The soundtrack, while not overwhelming, fits the unsettling atmosphere. It’s a subtle yet effective tool in enhancing the horror elements of the game.

What Comes After 

The difficulty of Centum comes from the puzzles and the unsettling world around you. While it can get frustrating at times when you feel stuck, it’s also part of the experience—the game doesn’t want to hold your hand. Nothing makes sense, no one is helpful. Nearly every puzzle is a mental challenge that may drive you to madness… but that’s the fun of it.

On Nintendo Switch, the controls can be a bit fiddly, especially when it comes to making precise clicks during puzzles. It’s manageable, but the precision required can lead to some frustration. However, aside from this, the controls are generally smooth and easy to use. Especially if you’re on PC, this won’t be a problem.

Centum is a game for fans of psychological horror and mind-bending puzzles. If you enjoy a challenge that leaves you with more questions than answers, this is for you. The eerie atmosphere and complex puzzles will keep you engaged. Even if the constant confusion can sometimes make you feel lost. Recommended for those who love a mystery and don’t mind the occasional headache.

***Nintendo Switch provided by Publisher for review***