Darkness Within 1: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder

You play as police detective Howard E. Loreid, investigating the murder of Clark Field, a wealthy man connected to the occult. The case leads Loreid to pursue Loath Nolder, a respected private investigator who vanished after abandoning an earlier investigation.

Explore locations from a first-person viewpoint, examine objects, and read documents for clues. Underline significant words and phrases in texts, then connect evidence and ideas to form deductions and open new leads.

Progress through point-and-click puzzles that draw on your discoveries, including deciphering dreams and using clues found in documents. Three difficulty modes adjust the hint system and how much help you receive while identifying document clues.

Players who enjoy the game often praise its oppressive Lovecraftian atmosphere, eerie music and sound, and the distinctive process of building an investigation from documents and clues. Some also appreciate its slow-burn approach to psychological horror. Criticism frequently focuses on unclear or highly specific document clues, puzzles that can feel unintuitive, and a story or ending that some players find difficult to follow. Several reviews also mention dated controls and tedious backtracking.