The Dark Eye

The Dark Eye (1995)

by Inscape, Expert Software, Time Warner Interactive
Genres:Adventure, Puzzle, Point-and-click
Themes:Horror
Game modes:Single player
Story:The Dark Eye is a computer game of the horror genre, released in 1995 for the PC by the now-defunct software company Inscape. Upon its release the game attracted little attention from either critics or consumers, though it has received some attention since and, arguably, cult status. The game featured combined 3-D graphics, stop motion animation and video segments. With its unconventional interface, storyline, and characters, the game's peculiarity became its selling point. The characters are largely lifelike in appearance except for their clay-modeled faces, which are often distorted or feature grotesquely exaggerated features. This near-realism, sometimes referred to as the uncanny valley, contributed to the game's ambience of unease and anxiety. The character animation is stop-motion. Inscape did the art design of the puppets (lead artist Bruce Heavin) and had a Hollywood house actually make them. Inscape then hired two stop-motion animators and Russell Lees spent many, many hours in a hot, dark warehouse directing the animations. The working hours were from 7 am to 7 pm for about a month. They created computer-generated screenshots of the environments and shot against blue-screen, and they had a director of photography light them to match the environment. Also notable was the use of author William S. Burroughs as a voice actor: Burroughs provided not only the voice for the character of Edwin, but also voiceovers of two slide-show sequences illustrating the short story "The Masque of the Red Death" and the poem "Annabel Lee". Another story, "The Premature Burial", can be found while reading the newspaper during "The Tell-Tale Heart", and the poem "To Helen" can be read while playing the victim in "Berenice". Thomas Dolby composed the game's music. ------------------- Structurally, the game was a point-and-click adventure fueled by the macabre stories of Edgar Allan Poe. The player could experience three of the stories ("The Cask of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", and "Berenice") from the perspectives of both murderer and victim. The game presented no choices to make, no life-or-death decisions, and no points; similar to other point-and-click adventures like Myst, the game simply waited for the player to find the next hotspot or location, at which point another video would play to advance the plot. During the portions that were direct interpretations of Poe's stories, the player was constrained to follow the actions of the stories' characters. The player could carry only one item at a time. Much of the animation in The Dark Eye consisted of QuickTime movies, either full-screen or smaller looping segments framed by a static background. -------------------------Show more
user avatarAdded by @IndianaJames
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.
2 001
Trailers and screenshots
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Stories about this game (3)
What’s your memory of The Dark Eye?Share your favorite moments and see what others remember about this game.
user avatar@placeholder

Make sure to follow our Guidelines when adding new Stories.

If not sure what to write:
  • What made this game unforgettable?
  • Who did you play this game with?
  • What made it fun or challenging?
  • Why do you want this game on GOG?
user avatar@musket120user avatar@musket120
February 10, 2025
One of my favorite point and clicks of all time. Its Beautiful and strange collection of Edgar Allen Poe short stories. Of all the games on this wishlist I think this one deserves the love of a gog fix up. About the only way I've found to get my original disc copy running is through pcem running windows 3.1 The 98 version has strange bugs and issues. All this to say its a hard game to get running and it deserves a second chance at life for a new generation. You explore a dark and gritty claymation world of short stories held together with a simple but interesting overarching plot in a pseudo hub manor. Is it a perfect game? Far from it. But it inspired me at a young age with rich textures pulled from the master himself Poe. One of the great heart breaks of growing up was realizing my copy no longer worked when we updated pcs. I held onto my copy in hopes it would one day return. I figured out how to play it again but no rereleases or remasters ever came. If this game gets a gog release I'm shelling out for 4-10 copies to force my friends and family to experience this rough and tumble master piece. I will always love this game and will carry its influences with me. So please gog. If you are able to secure the rights to this little game and perform your pc magic, I will be eternally grateful.
This game has such a wonderful style to it, you really can't go wrong with claymation, and is such a detailed and eerie love letter to Edgar Allen Poe and his works. It's a real treat for fans of one of the spookiest authors of all time, and it had so much love and time poured into it that it's just tragic how hard it is to get nowadays. This game absolutely needs a new light shined on it.
user avatar@Tarhieluser avatar@Tarhiel
February 24, 2025
Visually reminds me of The Dream Machine (available here already) :) It is not possible to purchase this anywhere, this is the kind of game which belong on GOG.
Those games also need your vote!
Sega Genesis Classics
Sega Genesis ClassicsThe collection has over 50 retro classics to experience across every genre; arcade action, shooters, beat’em ups, puzzlers, old favourites and hidden gems, with a raft of modern features. These include online multiplayer, achievements, mirror modes, rewind and save states meaning players old and new should find revisiting these great games an absolute Sonic 3D Blast.
Action
Fantasy
Science fiction
Party
Kids
Action
Fantasy
Science fiction
Party
Kids
405
2
Digimon World
Digimon WorldDigimon world is a game that allows a player to raise their own Digimon and teach it to battle.
Our Pick
Top
Fantasy
Science fiction
Our Pick
Top
Fantasy
Science fiction
46 929
1208
Deadfall Adventures
Deadfall AdventuresDeadfall Adventures is an action-driven first-person shooter, spiced up with elements from action-adventure games. Become an adventurer, hunt for treasures, explore unknown regions of the world and rescue the damsel in distress from the clutches of enemies, both earthly and not-so-earthly. Join James Lee Quatermain on his journey across the globe!
Action
Fantasy
Historical
Action
Fantasy
Historical
58
No More Heroes
No More HeroesThe journey to become the #1 assassin begins with a single slice. No More Heroes is the story of Travis Touchdown. He has received orders to kill a vagabond. In front of him appears the handsome assassin Helter Skelter. After a fierce skirmish, Travis eliminates Skelter, upon which Silvia Christel arrives. She informs Travis that his victory was done without UAA permission, but he nonetheless becomes the 11th best assassin. And so Travis’s journey begins. No More Heroes will offer an exhilarating action experience, a thrilling scenario, stylish visuals, and sounds.
Open world
Action
Comedy
Sandbox
Open world
Action
Comedy
Sandbox
370
2
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney TrilogyDefend the innocent and save the day! Courtroom hero Phoenix Wright lays down the law this Winter in the digital release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. Experience the original trilogy like never before in clear, high-resolution re-drawn graphics and immersive 3D visuals optimized for the Nintendo 3DS system. Join rookie lawyer Phoenix Wright through the early years of his career in his quest to find the truth behind all of the classic cases! Prepare for intense courtroom showdowns by investigating crime scenes, collecting evidence, and questioning witnesses. Use evidence and the testimonies of witnesses to your advantage as you battle for the innocence of your client. Nothing less of a full acquittal will do in this court of law. Find the contradictions in witnesses' testimonies to expose the truth!
Comedy
Mystery
Drama
Comedy
Mystery
Drama
584
1
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace AttorneyJoin forces with expert investigator Professor Layton and ace attorney Phoenix Wright in this unbelievable crossover adventure! Find out what new twists they bring to the courtroom as they solve puzzles and debunk witnesses’ lies. Cross-examine multiple witnesses at the same time to uncover the mysteries of the magical city of Labyrinthia. In a medieval town where the people live in fear of witchcraft and those who wield it, Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, along with their assistants Luke and Maya, join forces to face a perilous journey filled with harrowing mysteries that cannot be solved with mere logic. Investigate the city of Labyrinthia and gather information from its townspeople by solving puzzles, then prove your client’s innocence in court. In new group cross-examinations, you’ll pit one witness’ testimony against another’s to get the story straight, then literally rewrite history alongside the greatest puzzle-solving duo Labyrinthia has ever known.
Fantasy
Historical
Comedy
Mystery
Fantasy
Historical
Comedy
Mystery
464
Professor Layton and the Last Specter
Professor Layton and the Last SpecterLast Specter is the fourth game in the Professor Layton series, and is a prequel that takes place three years before the first trilogy, detailing how Professor Layton met his apprentice, Luke Triton. The game includes over 170 puzzles. Professor Layton and the Last Specter also includes an additional role-playing game entitled Professor Layton's London Life, available from the start of the game. London Life, in which players interact with various characters from the series in a town called "Little London", was advertised to contain over 100 hours of content. London Life was removed from the European versions of the game in order to prevent a significant delay of the game's release for translation.
Historical
Mystery
Historical
Mystery
321
Fable Anniversary
Fable AnniversaryFully re-mastered with HD visuals and audio, Fable Anniversary is a stunning rendition of the original game that will delight faithful fans and new players alike! The all new Heroic difficulty setting will test the mettle of even the most hardcore Fable fan. With no Resurrection Phials and even more lethal enemies to contend with, will you be able to survive? Forge a hero based on your actions: age and evolve a hero or villain through the actions you choose and the path you follow-be it for good, evil, or in-between. Build your living legend: Through deeds and actions, build a name for yourself across the land. Recruit allies and followers. Gain glory or notoriety. Who will you be? With an entirely new lighting system, slick new interface, all new textures, models and gameplay, Fable Anniversary is the full HD, definitive Fable experience.
Open world
Action
Fantasy
Historical
Comedy
Open world
Action
Fantasy
Historical
Comedy
1 781
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Professor Layton and the Miracle MaskProfessor Layton's first adventure on the Nintendo 3DS system takes him to the colorful city of Monte d'Or, where he must stop a mysterious man from wreaking havoc with the powerful Mask of Chaos. Unravel new details about Professor Layton's past alongside Luke, assistant Emmy Altava, and a whole new cast of characters in this riveting story. Wrack your brain with hundreds of puzzles weaving their way throughout the story. In addition, download free daily puzzles for a year! With a robust hint system to help players of all experience levels, and an epic tale packed to the brim with all-new puzzles, Professor Layton makes his triumphant return-only for Nintendo 3DS.
Mystery
Mystery
266
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Professor Layton and the Diabolical BoxProfessor Layton may be a world-famous sleuth, but even he will need your assistance to crack these challenging puzzles. With Nintendo DS stylus in hand, it's time to muster up some mental might!
Mystery
Mystery
361