GrahfMetal’s Infested DX is a sci-fi horror adventure in the style of classic MacVenture games like Shadowgate and Déjà Vu.
Infested DX. Credit: GrahfMetal / Komi Games
Infested DX, a first-person sci-fi horror adventure from GrahfMetal and Komi Games, launched November 3 on Steam. It’s in the style of ICOM Simulations’ classic MacVenture games. You explore an infested starship, searching for clues and putting whatever you can scrounge up to use. As expected for a MacVenture, trying the wrong thing can kill you, but the game lets you pick up where you died. If memory serves, this is more forgiving than the classic MacVentures.
I’ve spent a little time with Infested DX, and it brings back fond memories of playing MacVenture games on classic Macs growing up. The series started on the Macintosh with Déjà Vu in 1985, followed by Uninvited, Shadowgate, and Déjà Vu II. The first three later came to the NES, which is where many players experienced them. In the MacVenture games, you explored rooms in first person, with a map of the exits to navigate the world. If you’ve played LucasArts adventures, the list of commands and inventory will look familar. You solve puzzles by looking closely at each room, interacting with what’s there, and figuring out how to use or combine the items you’ve found.
Infested DX. Credit: GrahfMetal / Komi Games
GrahfMetal (solo dev Jeff Canam) released the original Infested on itch.io in 2016. He worked with Zojoi on Beyond Shadowgate (2024), which revived the original design for a sequel to Shadowgate. Infested DX updates Canam’s original with 16-bit pixel art, new rooms and puzzles, and a quicksave. So far, I’ve found it harder than Beyond Shadowgate and am enjoying it just as much.
There’s a free demo on Steam. The full game is $7.99 (regularly $9.99) until November 17.
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