Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2019
The Church in the Darkness ™
Developer Paranoid Productions
The Church in the Darkness is an action-adventure video game. It was originally announced in 2016 to ship in early 2017, and was released in 2019 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was designed by Richard Rouse III under the name Paranoid Productions. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
97 reactions from 1 source (Steam reviews) · newest Sep 19, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
61
Fresh
59 positive · 38 negative
95% range 51–70%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 59 | 38 | 0 |
Steam's own rating
Mixed
99 of 164 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 97 · most liked firstI had the highest hopes for this game; but now I see it is just an unpolished stealth game. Unpolished because the pc is very hard to control, walks out of rooms, although you didn't intend to do anything, takes forever to enter a building, often he falls down at the side of the stairs - yes, really awful controls! - etc. and the gameplay is about searching clues and hiding, if you want to bring it to the point. Not very interesting at all. What annoys me very much: there is no deeper logic…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Saw this game at a couple of cons and really liked the setting and concept. Found it strange that the developers were avoiding discussing the obvious inspiration of Jonestown, but whatever. Unfortunately I can't identify any big difference from those early builds in the finished product. It's not nearly as polished as I expected. The modest art style doesn't bother me, as the game was made by a small team on a tight budget. However, the game play really lets down what should be a much more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've actually been following the development of The Church in the Darkness for a few years now, so I was glad to see it release and snapped up a copy quickly. You can pretty much look at the product page and have a decent grasp for what this game is about, but I'll go into my experience a bit regardless. Story You play as Vic, an ex law enforcement agent asked by his sister to sneak into the compound of a cult called Collective Justice Mission, led by Isaac and Rebecca Walker, to check on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The narrative elements seem interesting, but this game is mechanically very weak. I would be curious to know more about the characters, underlying plot, different endings/stories, but the foundation for delivering any of the potentially high quality narrative content is just not here at all for me. Very bare-bones world building, poor UI, not immersive at all. The 'background chatter' sound effects are completely immersion breaking for me. Quality narrative in games really requires a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This gives you a unique perspective to see what a religious cult looks from the inside out and its a dozy boys wow. it reminds me a lot of Jim Jones – The People’s Temple cult in the '70s The Church in the Darkness a great name for an indie game. The story gives you the perspective look on the life of the religious cult in the jungles of South America and their paranoid cult leaders and their nutty followers from the inside and you will decide if you want to help certain people or kill them…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm really digging this game so far. I'm loving the little things that you can do to sow chaos, take a guard out here, disrupt a meeting and freak everyone out. I've never been much of a stealth person, so I'm playing more of a brutish way, and it's hard! The graphics I feel are pleasing to look at, the top down view is a favorite of mine. The artwork is nice, the atmosphere of different playthroughs are subtle, yet you do get a sense of dread for some starts. The audio is kinda wonky at…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game promised more than it delivers. It claims your choices make a significant difference between runs and how no 2 runs will be the same. My first run started great and ended quickly. You're asked to "rescue" your nephew and you sneak into the cult site as a one-man infiltration team. You hear heartfelt messages broadcast around the camp about how capitalism sucks, we need our guns, and how the American dream is a scam to make the rich richer (very topical nowadays, points awarded there)…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Oh man I really tried to like this game. I've read up on Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple a lot and I find cults and their dynamics fascinating, if also quite terrifying. The premise, therefore, obviously appeals to me a lot. The gameplay is just absolutely appalling though, its beyond redeemable. It's simply not enjoyable in the slightest. The biggest issue is the developers decision to make this an entirely stealth based game and then employ the most basic and lazy stealth mechanics ever.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →And I paid for this game? I thought this game will be an infiltration, light-rpg where you could be part of the sect, talk to people, convince them about the true nature of the cult and maybe even become cult leader at one point. And what we got instead? A visual cone avoidance game with running from guards with a dash of awful controls. The map doesn't change only Alex's location does. Once you know where are all the secret passages between the zones you just rush the game. Replayability is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a surprisingly tricky one for me to review. I've followed its development from early on and only now remembered to give the game a shot. Having complete one run and played several more I find myself extremely conflicted. This is absolutely a competent game and I don't regret playing it, but the question is whether I recommend it and I don't know. At it's core, Church in the Darkness is an barebones stealth game. You need to sneak in, search cabins to find information to fill in your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is not bad. It is just not very interesting to play. At its best, it is average. There are multiple ways to end it so, a lot of replayability but in the same time, it becomes quickly repetitive. It comes with a good idea in an interesting environment but it lacks of development. On an extremely good sales you can give it a try and finish it once in a couple of hours. At full price, it is definitely a no go.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played this game for about 30 minutes...couldn't get into it. The introduction to the story is compelling...but the core gameplay loop kind of sucks. Okay great I'm looking for evidence, I'm knocking people out or shooting them...but there's never this BIG aha moment where things get truly exciting or engaging. The game as a whole just sort of rides on this one-note premise, and the intermittent loudspeaker blurts start to become really annoying after a while. The lack of variety present in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A quick look at gameplay from THE CHURCH IN THE DARKNESS and analysis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIIPuXi6fNg In it you're trying to track down your nephew who joined a Cult and relocated with them to their own new "utopia" in the Jungle to become entirely self-sufficient. With the help of a number of sympathetic members and other oppressed cult members, you've got to locate him and make your way out of the camp before disaster of the usual paranoid "lets all die together" type occurs.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Could be so great - but just not very well executed. Just trying to avoid being shot so I can actually progress in the story but it's not fun - even on easy mode.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If this game worked the way it was supposed to it would be good, but it's glitchy and its control scheme doesn't work correctly.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Summary: A fun game with places to go. Pros: -Engaging story with 19 different endings, so there's a lot of room to experiment. -Beautiful artwork throughout the game -Nice voice over -Lots of fun easter eggs and details to discover as you explore Cons: -The game is still fairly new, and there are some kinks to work out. For example, you can't fire a gun using a Steam controller, though you can aim and then use the keyboard or mouse to fire. However, the creators were very understanding and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Go in, find Alex, get out – that’s my plan every time I start a new game in The Church in the Darkness. But each time, I try something a little different. One time I decide to go in guns blazing, the next I sneak Alex back to my boat undetected. Sometimes I go straight to the source and get rid of the cult leaders who just won’t shut up over the PA system. However, no matter which approach I go for, it always feels the same, like I’ve done it all before. And that’s because I have, after just a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun little stealth rogue lite game. Can approach it violently or non-violent. There's a couple weapons only (pistol/shotgun), a lethal take down, or just non-lethal knock outs. There's a few NPC's that offer options to gaining help on your quest to find Alex. The cult leaders constantly preach over the loud speakers, droning on about a better future for their community, as you find horrors of forced labor, abuses, and bodies all around the Freedom town. 10/10 Reminds me of Catholic School
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its was flavor aid, not cool aid. Jim Jones was a cheap ass.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR: It's a good IDEA for a game, but the technical skills of the developers didn't do it justice, so they got a good artist to put lipstick on the pig. ------ The Review: I got this game because from the picture it is obviously amazing gothic farm horror, right? Welcome to the re-release of the 1986 release of Rambo First Blood, part 2 - with worse graphics and way worse gameplay -- but here is the twist... instead of soldiers, you're just running around murdering hippies because you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In short : a great theme, completely wasted. Maybe I bought it for the wrong reasons. I was attracted by the roleplayish theme and to see what rendition of a 70s cult, a video game could bring. Instead, I got an arcade game where you get shot for no reason by a guard in the 10 first minutes of play. What a waste of a good pitch. Maybe there's some content further down the road, that would correspond to what I imagined this game could be. I just don't have time to bother the procedural…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I thought this game would be more focused on the story, and the interaction of personalities, but the "infiltration" is much more about watching vision cones than integrating yourself into a society.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A brilliant exploration of faith gone awry. There are dozens of different endings to experience... sometimes the cult leaders will be blood-crazy murder monsters, but other times they'll be more or less peace loving hippies. Much like the classic Metal Gear games, you can't go in guns blazing! The game has some cool systems I don't want to explain and spoil as I really enjoyed discovering them. The game is meant to be played over and over again, and you're going to die a bunch before you get…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a charming little game - a very realistic portrayal of cults like Jonestown. It has lots of endings, but I wish it had more scenarios than about four. The endings more depend more on how you handle the cult. ...so to be honest, it does get repetitive, kind of like Metar Gear Ground Zeroes does. This game is a lot like that game: If you beat a cult mission, you get to start over with a bit more unlocked stuff, and so that is meant to keep you going. There are still a few bugs and room…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The whole concept in theory is an intriguing one but the execution just falls flat on its face. Very clucky game and visuals are quite poor for somewhat of a new game. I would like to see this done again with a little more invested into it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The poor reviews here seem to be saying they were expecting a different game, which doesn't really seem like the game's fault. So here's what you can expect: - This is a semi-randomized stealth game. The gameplay is kind of simplistic, but you can't just learn the best path to reach the goal. Your starting location, target locations, and guard posts change every time you play. You need to use your limited tools to figure out how to get through unseen - or at least without dying. No, you cannot…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Church in the Darkness is a very fun twist on the roguelite genre, more about uncovering a mystery than the action itself, but that doesn't mean the gameplay isn't compelling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OLEfH3zDsc The top-down perspective allows for a fun twist on the stealth action genre, as you try to uncover what happened to your nephew and unlock new items and abilities that allow you to explore further with each playthrough to discover all the possible endings.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It should be a "maybe". The game has a very interesting premise and gameplay in that one can unlock different endings and items each time you play but the character's movement, actions and camera are such a pain to control. It's actually an understatement. You'd think the game had been created in the early 2000s for how clunky it is to move around (and to be honest some games from way back actually handle it better than this), but if you're a masochist like me, you'll put up with it and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Intriguing premise. Okay writing. Dull design. I have a fascination with contemporary "cults": Jim Jones, David Koresh, et al. It started with documentaries like "The Killing of America" when I was a teenager, and is something I like to watch or read about to this very day (just bought a non-fiction book titled "Zealot" that looks pretty tasty). Imagine my delight, then, when I heard about the premise to Far Cry 5...a series I'd previously had minimal interest in! Alas...that game only…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very repetitive gameplay. Once you've played through it once you've seen what there is to see. Playing it again is not different, it's the same identical boring gameplay, and because of that this game isn't worth its price tag at all, not even close to it. It doesn't live up to any of the expectations. You're not sneaky, you can run through the entire game if you want. Guards and any other NPC only detect you if you step inside a very small visible circle around them, there's no sneaking or…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't get past the second guard. Controls are clumsy, requiring exact positioning, and it would be so much easier if I could just click to move, click to interact. Seems like an interesting story but not worth the frustration.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I recommend this game (especially at its price tag), although I have to be clear that there are some significant shortcomings. My experience is limited to three initial runs through the game. In terms of order, I'll be progressing through my initial thoughts, the negative aspects, and finishing with some positives. As a top-down stealth game, The Church in the Darkness succeeds in what it came to be, but falters in creating a smooth or innovative experience. The controls on PC are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →https://youtu.be/7cU9F_KBOuo PROS • Simple design easy to run on any PC • Fantastic voice acting and love the writing • Good sense of consequences for your actions • Lots of story material that fleshes out the world CONS • Music is bland and does not make the game • Limited graphics makes the game seem cheap • Lack of detail makes the animation not give enough impact • Game is more like an action game at times like the first GTA • Many of the different random story elements are often…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are a number of things I love about this game. First, I like the idea. I vaguely remember the stories about the Reverend Jim Jones and the United States Congressman who died on a remote airstrip in New Guinea trying to investigate whether a family of his constituents was being held against its own will. I remember the grisly scene in which his followers either volunteered or were compelled to drink a poisoned beverage from a vat. It's where, I think, the expression "Don't drink the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Interesting, fresh, well worth it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely love this game. I bought it on the Nintendo Switch eShop for a couple bucks and loved it and then when it went on sale on Steam for $2 I picked it up again. It's so much fun sneaking around like Metal Gear Solid. If you know the story of Jim Jones and Jonestown this whole game is based on that. You can get different endings and stuff based on how you decide to go about the game. Support the devs and play this badass game. Easy to replay too. Definitely get your money's worth out of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent stealth game. Many different ways to play - you can go ninja style and have nobody see you, you can go in guns blazing, or something in between (though the heart of the game is stealth). The cult leaders personalities change with each playthrough and different NPCs that you can interact with appear in each playthrough so there is a good degree of replayability. Multiple endings you can get to depending on how you play. Also, plenty of Steam achievements to acquire. The retail…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I read the reviews and I disagree. The controls work fine. You're able to do what you want to. Just don't expect anything run and gun and you'll be fine. Stealth is a big part of the game, and it's a quite difficult game, so take your time, think and plan. I've been playing around, trying different approaches, and it's been really interesting and engaging so far. Buy it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Church in the Darkness Review By, Z-Nation Summary: Have you ever felt like exploring the jungles of Africa? Well, now you can in Richard Rouse’s from Paranoid Productions latest indie game, The Church in the Darkness. You play as an ex-police officer that travels to the jungles of South America to find your nephew, Alex. During your first glance at the dock, you’ll stumble upon freedom town. The beginning adventure will begin with some straight-up action and stealth gameplay that will…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gameplay is not very good. You can also beat the game within 1.5 hours. And this 1.5 hours includes learning the mechanics of the game, dying 3-4 times and starting over from the beginning. There are some randomization within the game, so everytime you start over, objectives and locations of them slightly changes. If you like randomized objective locations, and randomized objectives, you might extend the gameplay time more by replaying the game. By random objectives I mean, in one of them you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →AI dumb as a brick - interesting concept but no substance.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Church in the Darkness is a top-down stealth and narrative exploration game developed by Paranoid Productions and published by Fellow Traveller. Set in the politically charged atmosphere of the late 1970s, the game takes players deep into the South American jungle, where a radical religious group known as the Collective Justice Mission has established a commune called Freedom Town. You play as Vic, a former law enforcement officer sent to investigate the commune and determine the fate of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sounds better than it is. Controls are clunky. Gameplay is slow and clunky. This requires an insane amount of patience. Glad it was only $2.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only bought this game just because my sis thought about joining a cult herself ;)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a pretty good game if you don't have anything else to do or if you just wanna goof off. The OST is pretty ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ good, the voice acting is really good for the leaders and for the rest of the people it's pretty alright. The graphics are pretty avarage but it still looks really pretty. The art is well made and with a really nice artstyle and well designed characters. The story is pretty interesting but can get boring at some points. Basically it's a simple game when you just feel like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A cool trick this game pulls off is that the cult can have different flavors. Exploring the different moods of the commune is one of the game's chief joys. Great for narrative gaming fans
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really enjoyed the setting of this game. I don't normally play stealth games because I find them too picky and one error means you have to start over. However, this gives you a little ability to try things out without having the restart all the time. It also allows for few different types of play style as well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An interesting indie title! Most of the gameplay is based around sneaking and deception, but you're free to go in with the heavy guns. The most interesting part however is the story and characters - depicting how a cult preys on people with problems.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Looks like it could be a good game, but the camera controls make me queasy and I can't play it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is truly amazing in concept and scope. its also unforgiving as far as what you can and cant do. Which isnt a bad thing here as you find out all sorts of things on your own and much to your delight such as : being caught is not always the nd of the road as you can be captured, sneak away released and many other things based on your choices Graphics: not realistically stellar , but in this type of game you dont really want that , its lends to what youre doing instead of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very interesting, have something. https://youtu.be/YoT7-CM5-Ps
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I guess, I expected something better. Unfortunately, this is basically an unpolished stealth game, that for some weird reason has procedurally generated maps. Perhaps it would have made more sense for the devs to focus on creating unique hand crafted levels, instead of uneven areas. Sadly, the gameplay is just too simple to be compelling, and the promised random generation doesn't enhance the experience in a meaningful way.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The idea is intriguing, but the gameplay situation is not good. Unfortunately, the gameplay is limited to a basic hide and seek or slaughter everyone game with very little interaction.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →AI = potato. Controls are broken. Stealth game trying to be a dungeon crawler game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Exploitive cult simulator with sweet PS2 retro graphics.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →inventory was full. swapped townsclothes for cyanide pills. accidentally clicked pills instead of pressing space. died from cyanide poisoning. 53 minutes down the drain.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The voice acting is terrific and I really enjoy the stealth mechanic. The medium difficult level was very challenging, dodging the guards to find my way toward Alex. Sometimes I could outrun them and they'd give up looking, but a head-on confrontation was almost certain death. Freedom Town is sprawling and you have to carefully pick your way through the jungle and settlement areas hoping to find resources, clues or a friendly character. The environment definitely succeeds at invoking a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Loving the cult setting and supporting multiple playstyles. No-kills stealth FTW!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DISCLAIMER: This is a full review, and NOT a first impressions review PLEASE NOTE: I recommended this game with some exceptions, overall if the game did not live up to just a tiny expectation, I would not have recommended it at all, so please read the review carefully if you are thinking of buying/playing this game The Church in the Darkness is a game developed by Paranoid Productions and published by Fellow Traveller The game offers some okay graphics and a nice yet simplistic aesthetic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great concept, good VO. Worth the experience for how it makes you judge yourself.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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