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Game
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Call of Cthulhu®: Dark Corners of the Earth
Developer Headfirst Productions
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a survival horror video game developed by Headfirst Productions for the Xbox in 2005 and for Windows in 2006. It combines an action-adventure game with a relatively realistic first-person shooter and elements of a stealth game. The game is based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft, author of "The Call of Cthulhu" and progenitor of the Cthulhu Mythos. It is a reimagining of… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
218 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
56
Mixed
105 positive · 83 negative
95% range 49–63%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 105 | 83 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
1,192 of 1,918 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Mixed: praised for atmosphere but plagued by bugs and crashes.
Many players praise the game's oppressive Lovecraftian atmosphere and strong opening, calling it a masterpiece of horror. However, severe technical issues on modern PCs, especially the Steam version, are widely criticized. [7][3][21][24]
Some players recommend buying the GOG version instead, which reportedly has fixes. Others note that the second half of the game is weaker than the first, and the gameplay can feel dated. [4][15][9]
Praised atmosphere · story · horror experience
Criticised bugs and crashes · Steam version issues · dated gameplay
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 8, 2026. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Call of Cthulhu®: Dark Corners of the Earth sits at 56% positive across 188 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
In the United Kingdom, the Xbox version of Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth was a commercial bomb, with sales slightly above 5,000 units by the end of 2005. Eurogamer's Kristan Reed called it among "the most disappointing" commercial performances of an Xbox game that year, noting that it had been released "right in the thick of a busy release period to zero fanfare." Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth received generally favorable reviews, but was also often criticized for being buggy and inaccessible for many players because of its high difficulty. GameSpy ranked it as the tenth-best game of E3 2004 while GameSpot nominated it for their "Most Surprisingly Good Game of…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 218 · most liked firstTo play this game on a modern PC you have to cap your FPS. Otherwise you will encounter crashes and bugs. Windows 10: If you encounter a blackscreen on launch, just ALT+TAB once or twice and the game should start. If you got a AMD card just use the AMD Radeon Software / Radeon Adrenalin Software and apply the specified settings over there. For Nvidia Users: Open your Nvidia Control Panel -> Manage 3D settings -> "Program Settings" Tab: Click on the Add button and locate the game executable:…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DO NOT BUY THIS ON STEAM. Especially if you are on Windows 10/11! Even with the unofficial patch the game will not stop crashing at the beginning area. No matter what I patch, edit, or change NOTHING fixes it. BUY IT ON GOG INSTEAD! That version seems to work great for me!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't Buy this Game on Steam. Only On GOG it's the fixed Version. https://www.gog.com/en/game/call_of_cthulhu_dark_corners_of_the_earth They will Never fix this Game on the Steam version. but yet they keep a price tag for it. :/ Shameful.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been a huge fan of this game for nearly 20 years. I first played it at a Hobby Shop on their PCs and bought a disc version back in like 08. Even back then the game had game breaking bugs. If you were playing on an OS newer than Vista, then the game would refuse to progress after a certain spot while you're on a boat. 10 years ago I decided to buy it here on steam in hopes there were updates to it that I didn't have on the disc version. Well, nope. Game was equally broken and unfinishable…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is actually good, but buy the one that's on GOG instead as that one has fixes in it. The Steam version is so buggy it is literally impossible to finish it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm sure the game is pretty good but the port is pretty bad, but the thing that made me stop playing is that every interaction flashbangs, now that's true horror for my poor light sensitive eyes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish I could personally slap every person who's ever written a bad / middling review about this game. I've put off playing this game for so long because 1. I don't like non-action-oriented horror games too much (I thought this game was one, turns out it isn't.), 2. this game had middling reviews both in the past and in recent times. But damn, this is a great game. I haven't been this captivated by a game's story in a long time. Even if you have some knowledge of the Cthulhu mythos, (it's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, but i bought it again on GOG , because the steam version keeps crashing , altho i tried to patch it and follow the instructions people on the internet gave. The GOG version runs fine and the game is really cool !!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another buggy mess. Crashes, weird screen glitches, broken overlay, play the windows sound for hitting too many keys every time I pressed a movement key, jittery screen, and so much more!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Reviewing games I played a long time ago: One of the best examples of games with a strong start but weak endings. The first part in Innsmouth is great, filled with dread and paranoia, I'm having a blast replaying it, but the final acts are not as strong. Seems like theres a lot of technical issues on modern hardware, but for now, on the Deck everything is running well, no issues.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DO NOT BUY THIS ON STEAM BUY IT ON GOG, PATCHES DON'T WORK ON STEAM VERSION YOU CAN'T FINISH THE DAMN GAME THEY ROBBED ME OF MY VICTORY
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First off, I suggest purchasing the game on GOG rather than on Steam due to the patches that are included with it. If you are okay with patching the game yourself then sure, buy it here. I unfortunately still had problems with the game that weren't fixed, unlike in the GOG version. That may well just be my fault, but I can't say for sure. If you buy it here and patch it, make sure to turn on the extended ending. You'll be glad you did. Dark Corners of the Earth is a truly mixed bag. After…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DON'T GET THIS VERSION (GET THE GOG VERSION) This review is just for the game itself not the steam version. I love this game, i was very apprehensive to playing this game because I thought it would be a rather dull early 2000s horror game but I was extremely suprised with how wonderful the game truly is. First off one thing this game does that no other game does is implement scenarios/campaigns from a TTRPG into a video game, this whole game uses the Escape from Innsmouth/The Raid on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In order to get the Steam version to not crash in the prologue I had to torrent an iso of the retail CD version (which runs even worse), install the fan made patch (which isn't compatible with the Steam version because BS legal reasons, or at least the patch I found), play passed the tutorial, and then copy the save to my Steam directory. It's been said that the GoG version is better so do with that info what you will, I myself am a masochist. If you're tech illiterate, then you're best off…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're a fan of atmospheric horror, this game is an absolute masterpiece! Even after all these years, "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth" delivers an experience that few games have managed to match. The atmosphere is incredible. Innsmouth feels genuinely oppressive, mysterious, and unsettling, and the sense of dread never really goes away. Instead of relying on cheap jump scares, the game builds tension through its world, sound design, and storytelling. You constantly feel like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the game; The steam version crashes too much, even with attempting fixes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the only REAL positive is that the world looks stunning. atmospheric as hell, ill admit it... then the unintentional positives: the main character has the intonation of scott the woz, and the game is often unintentionally funny. those are the only positives. THE NEGATIVES: pausing often crashes the game, and so does changing settings in the main menu. so im stuck with the preset settings where for some ungodly reason, S is interact.... and to walk backwards you have to break your fingers and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →god I wish this would get a remake
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you really want to play this game, I hear the GOG version fixes a lot of the bugs, so you should probably get that. Even with the unofficial patch that's supposed to fix a lot of the issues, the game crashed constantly, I encountered multiple softlocks, and there was a lot of general bugginess. Even if all of those issues were fixed, however, I can't recommend this game. It starts off pretty decently with some great atmosphere and a compelling story and then it just gradually devolves as…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the atmosphere and the Story but there is a lot of graphical problems in newer PCs and the game also has a lot of bugs that it will leave a bad taste in your mouth and the the puzzles doesn't help it either because the game doesn't tell you what you should do, so most of the game you wonder around to find out what you supposed to do because the game doesn't have objective lists, But the game is special because it had a lot potential because this game contains fantastic voice acting and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty good, if you can stomach that old-game jankiness. Personally, I thrive on it. Just google and download the absolutely CRITICAL patch to fix game breaking bugs . Gameplay: 7/10 - a fun shooter with long stretches of walking. Story: 7/10 - what can I say, one of the rare games based on the Cthulhu-mythos. Graphics: ... - They have not aged well but that's to be expected.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chaosium Inc Launches the Call of Cthulhu: Old Ones Origins Board Game Crowdfunding Campaign - @chaosium.bsky.social @gamefound.bsky.social #CallofCthulhu #OldOnesOrigins #BoardGames thegaminggang.com/game-news/ch...
neutral · AI labelView post →It's a shame this has mixed reviews because it's such a great game, especially for its time. It can be buggy and stiff to play through, but when I played this for the first time all those years ago, I read everything Lovecraft wrote so soon after finishing it. Replaying it again is a lot of fun. You may have to use your integrated GPU, not be able to access steam overlay, unable to minimise the game without a crash or suffer through various other annoyances, but it could be worth it. It was to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I gotta hand it to Headfirst Productions - they were definitely pioneers of trying (and mostly succeeding) to adapt Lovecraft to the video game format. The sense of dread I've experienced while playing this title was definitely palpable, owing mostly to how vulnerable Jack Walters (the game's protagonist) is. This is where I must stress that Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is NOT your run-of-the-mill FPS. If anything, the shooting aspect of the game was its weakest point, while the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game back when I was at high school for the first xbox and I enjoyed playing it with the duke controller. I decided to live back my yoth by buying it for steam. Don't do that, seriously... It's bugged AF and it's completely unplayable. I couldn't be able to pass through the first 5 minutes of the prologue, even though I installed the unofficial patch. Tryed to restart the game multiple times. It hasen't work. I loved this game back in the days and I think that was…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite buggy, unfortunately, so it requires tinkering to work properly. It's unfortunate because this is one of the best Cthulhu Mythos games we have, a true rough gem.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: THE classic attempt at bringing Lovecraft into the video gaming sphere. Dated, lovingly campy, imbalanced, corny, and definitely worth it. Recommended buy on GOG for its fixed up and less buggy iteration. I could just gush about Dark Corners forever. It's not a "good game" by today's standards, and I imagine people will have trouble playing it. If you love psychological survival horror, though, this is one of the progenitors. It's a lot of fun and quirky in how it immerses you in the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Positives • Murky and dated but very atmospherically fitting visuals • Exceptionally strong Lovecraftian atmosphere • Compelling story that leans heavily into cosmic horror • Engaging mix of exploration, stealth, puzzles and survival horror • An extremely strong opening that sets the tone perfectly The Negatives • Severe bugs and crashes make the game literally unplayable • Inconsistent enemy AI and awkward combat encounters • Pacing issues and tonal shifts later on • Later story…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First half of the game is a fricking masterpiece, the second half, on the other hand, is incredibly mid... Buy it on sale for $0.99 and try it by yourself PS: It runs like trash and you need community patch
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This could use a remake done by Bloober Team or Ninja Theory. Or both of them in a collab maybe. And I mean a remake, not a remaster, because I think this game tried to do too many things at once, and thus was not that good in all of them. I mean, at the time of release - probably, and I think it was one of the rare horror games in 2005, at least with first person view, but I do not think it aged that well. I was not able to play it properly when it released due to 2 reasons: my PC was not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The ENNIE voters have spoken: MAKING ENEMIES wins Gold for Best Writing! Check out this deep dive into creating TTRPG monsters from the ground up, with system-specific advice for #DnD 5E/5.5E, #Pathfinder 2E, #Shadowdark, #Cypher and #CallOfCthulhu 7E … https://spyandowl.com/making-enemies
neutral · AI labelView post →It's always crashing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Movies: [From Beyond (1986)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091083/) [Dagon (2001)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264508/) [Re-Animator (1985)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089885/) [Necronomicon: Book of Dead (1993)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107664/) [Pulse Pounders (1988)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293905/) [The Dunwich Horror (1970)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065669/) [The Color Out of Space - Die Farbe (2010)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1756479/) - I liked it [Die,…
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm clocking out at the notorious boat section, not because this game has been bugging out on me, in fact with the fan patch installed I haven't ran into much problems (i.e bad AI, sections refusing to work, crashes). I'm tapping out because this game is just such a jumbled mess. I fell in love with the first half of Dark Corners of the Earth pretty fast. I knew going in to not expect frantic shooting, and that first half in the town of Innsmouth is just captivating. The game sits in this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A cult classic that delivers an authentic Lovecraftian experience (it's a pretty faithful adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow over Innsmouth) offering some immersive gameplay (it's a first-person horror game, without a HUD, the health system tried to be somewhat more realistic, as the character's injuries are displayed on the character model in the inventory screen, and different injuries have different drawbacks, e.g. a broken arm makes aiming harder), it has a sanity mechanic (seeing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great game but stupid bugs, unplayable EDIT: After patching the game it is playable <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth became a guilty pleasure game for me because I know that it is an incomplete mess. Lets get the most important thing out of the way first: The PC port for this game on Steam is broken. The port was made primarily by a single developer so I don't blame them considering the company faced financial struggles at the time. You will have to patch the game and even then it will still have bugs that are not solved to this day. One bug I could not find a fix…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like Call of Cthulhu, before I get into the problems, let's look at the good. The atmosphere got me from the beginning of the game, even now this game has some damn good eerie vibes. Like the dark clouds hanging over the town and the gloomy look of the town. The first act of the game is brilliant, it's slow burn build up done right, it goes from a adventure detective game from the start, to running intense shooter the next. Literally if the entire game was the first act, plus…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What's with all the bad reviews? I'm sure it's because it's a little buggy and difficult to play, but I never had any serious problems with bugs and I think the difficulty makes it that much more scary. And that's another thing about this game, it is absolutely terrifying and great at being it, and the added realism in the gameplay makes it all the more genuinely intense. All that, and you get a genuinely well made story that's faithful to the Cthulhu mythos to a tee. What more could you want?…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have much more time than 11 minutes, the game doesn't track my play time for some reason. It only tracks the brief launcher time, if that is any indication. Please see bellow for how I have played through this game with minimal problems. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (2006) – Still Amazing in 2026 I finally played this 20-year-old game in 2026 and honestly I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Lovecraft, especially The Shadow Over Innsmouth. This is one of the most…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the story and the atmosphere of the game. If you’re into Lovecraftian stories, just buy it! I haven’t had any problems so far . I’ve heard some people experienced crashes or other issues, but everything’s been smooth for me
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bethesda supports political violence, don't spend money on people who hate you.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first half was okay, with some good atmosphere and tense moments. But later it just turns into a mediocre FPS with dumb AIs and clunky shooting. The worst part is the constant whispering voices. They are supposed to be scary, but they are just annoying. On top of that, the game keeps randomly shaking, blurring, and throwing in weird effects that feel more irritating than scary.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While this game is great, it's kinda inconsistent. Levels 1-5 are phenomenal Levels 6-7 are pretty bad, aside from the Shoggoth Level 8 is Fantastic Level 9 is pretty good, but it has some annoying bits Levels 10-11 are meh The ending is really good
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A wonderfully experimental yet flawed survival horror epic. Great atmosphere, story, puzzles and engaging setpieces plus gameplay mechanics and visual effects that provide a really interesting depiction of a schizophrenic protagonist who's afraid of heights. Above all, the game actually manages to be very scary, which is always impressive for older games with low graphical fidelity. Runs mostly bug free with this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the best lovecraftian game ever made.... a true homage.... it takes you on a journey through madness if you let it...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can only make it about ten minutes in because the game crashes every time I try to go into the basement.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i tried my best to play this but its very buggy and from what iv read im not the only one who had issues,id suggest getting the GOG version ( i ended up playing this version) or the Xbox original,but from what i played the first chapter amazing! after that? not so great the game tries to add puzzle/stealth but the stealth inst really needed since after the first chapter its just a fps shooter and the AI inst the best does feel there was too many cooks in the kitchen when this was made,but still…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have a few gamers following me. I mostly post about music & politics, but I’ve been playing TTRPGs for 40 years so that content pops up! Currently planning a massive Call of Cthulhu game & gearing one up for Cy_Borg (based on the Mörk Borg system). 🧵1/2 #TTRPG #DnD #RPGs #Gaming #CallOfCthulhu
neutral · AI labelView post →We gaze upon the horrors of @chaosium.bsky.social's "Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Companion," a new supplement that contains updated rules, tools and advice for running the game. ttrpgfans.com/call-of-cthu... #cthulhu #callofcthulhu #callofcthulhurpg #ttrpg #tabletoprpg #Chaosium
neutral · AI labelView post →Love the atmosphere/narrative but can't make it past the mirror section of the prologue without an immediate crash. Heed the warnings, they aren't exaggerating. I've tweaked the settings around but apparently you've got to patch the game yourself and even that's not perfect. Great game that's basically unplayable here so buy on gog instead if you can.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my favorite games of all time. The state of it is a shame, but install fan patches and I promise this game will live in your mind rent free till your end. If they took the biggining section, if you've played you know what I mean, and made it a standalone horror game it would sell like mad.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best horror game ever made
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Way too many game breaking bugs. I stopped tolerating them when I got to chapter 7 and the blue lights.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Roll an Insanity Check for Trying to Run This Game on Modern Systems It's a really nice game; you'll get a lot of nice surprises, especially if you've read 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth'. The eerie atmosphere and haunting visuals truly evoke Lovecraft's world, drawing you into the unsettling mysteries of Innsmouth. The way the game builds tension and reveals the town's dark secrets mirrors the gradual uncovering of horrors in Lovecraft's original tale. However, I must unfortunately point out…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is enjoyable, but get ready to jump through some patch-hoops to make it run on modern systems.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoyed playing some sections of this game, but other parts are arse. The game is unbearably buggy. I can't tell if it is because its Bethesda or because its an old game that does not fit with new versions of Windows. Likely a combination of both. The game looks like it had really good potential, but this bugs completely ruin it. I have had crashes, invisible enemies, randomly dying in the final chase scene for no reason, loosing the ability to jump properly, a really ♥♥♥♥♥ bug where the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I spent 16 hours finishing this game, it has too many bugs! but it is a cool cthulhu game. In the end fight, i use 1280 x 800 resolution to hit the lever, and its worked. In final run, i use 800 x 600 - 59 hertz resolution to escape the big rock. Hope this is useful to everyone
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎷 Hey Hepcats, have you rolled dice with the multi-ENnie-winning, Diana Jones-nominated #HarlemUnbound yet? No? Why not?! You might’ve missed the groundbreaking indie darling 1E, but don’t sweat it. Bigger, Pulpier, & Expanded Second edition exists! 👀 #CallOfCthulhu #Gumshoe #RPGHorror #TTRPG
neutral · AI labelView post →The dark servants of dagon have made the grave mistake of allowing me to arm myself with the humble 12gauge
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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