Carnival for Windows

Quick summary

Carnival is a premium PC adventure from developer Beyond Booleans that blends pixel-art visuals with point-and-click exploration and psychological horror. Set against a turbulent historical backdrop in Venice, the game centers on a reporter whose neurological episodes begin to warp his grasp on what’s real. A playable demo is available for newcomers.

Storyline and setting

You play as a journalist assigned to cover a proposed road bridge in Venice during a period of social and political unrest. What starts as a routine assignment gradually plunges into the murky traditions and secretive tastes of the city’s upper circles. As the investigation deepens, the protagonist endures severe epileptic episodes that produce vivid, unsettling hallucinations, causing the narrative to slip back and forth between objective events and nightmarish visions.

Characters and interactions

The investigation brings you into contact with a wide array of residents — city officials, members of the elite, and other colorful figures — each revealing fragments of the city’s hidden history and motives. Conversations and encounters shape what you learn about Venice’s cultural rituals, and the choices you make influence how the story unfolds.

Gameplay, length, and replay value

• Multiple endings reward replaying the title to uncover alternate outcomes.
• The full experience is relatively brief; a single run typically finishes in just a few hours.
• The mechanics favor classic point-and-click problem solving, inventory use, and dialogue-driven investigation.

Themes and influences

Carnival draws heavily on the mystique and traditions surrounding Venice’s famous masked celebrations, reimagining their darker origins and possible meanings. The psychological-horror elements—especially those tied to the protagonist’s seizures—intensify the atmosphere and help the game explore memory, perception, and identity.

Practical notes

• Demo: Try the free demo to sample the tone and mechanics before committing to the full release.
• Purchase: Carnival is a paid premium title for PC; check storefronts for availability and regional pricing.
• Alternative suggestion: If you prefer a very different but popular sandbox experience, consider Minecraft (Java & Bedrock editions), which is also a paid option.