Tenebris Somnia

The premise

Julia keeps dreaming about the death of her ex, Iván. She returns to their old apartment to drop off the keys and finds the place wrecked, a door sealed with red crystals and signs of an occult ritual (Shacknews, GameWatcher). Both are filmmakers, and Iván's short film Devora plays a central role in the story (GameWatcher).

Pixel art and live action

The game borrows the look of 8- and 16-bit games, in the style of the Commodore 64 or MS-DOS, and splices in live-action sequences with real actors and practical effects (Shacknews, GameWatcher). All three reviews praise these scenes: Shacknews compares them to proper jump scares, and LevelUp feels the mix of the two styles gives the game its identity. GameWatcher, however, regrets that the filmed scenes are almost wordless.

Exploration and puzzles

Julia explores a four-floor building with a lot of backtracking, in the vein of old adventure games (GameWatcher). LevelUp cites Clock Tower and Silent Hill and enjoys puzzles that reward observation and memory. Expect about five to six hours (GameWatcher, Shacknews).

What critics say

LevelUp (9/10) calls it a pleasant surprise, recommended for fans of horror and puzzles. GameWatcher (7.5/10) praises the filmed sequences and the story, but finds the puzzles sometimes obtuse and the combat clumsy. Shacknews (7/10) rates the narrative highly but finds the gameplay painful: slow movement, a character who snags on geometry, and one-hit-kill enemies that can wipe twenty minutes of progress. It sees it as an interesting experiment rather than a game to replay.

Availability and price

On November 11, 2026, the game cost €19.99 on Steam and €24.99 on the Switch eShop. PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store prices could not be checked that day.

Who is it for?

Tenebris Somnia is for fans of retro horror, genre cinema and puzzles. Players who can't stand dated mechanics may get frustrated.