The Shadow Over Cyberspace

Horror· Visual Novel· Lovecraftian· Story Rich

Released Jan 2025

Dread whispers echo across the Information Superhighway. Y2K is coming, heralding the rise of the Old Ones. With your meatspace mind unraveling, time is running out -- barter with gods, embrace the deathless aeons, or go offline permanently in this modempunk horror story.

89% positive · 115 reviews

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Steam Free

Evaluation

The Shadow Over Cyberspace launched on January 10, 2025 as a completely free visual novel — the store description explicitly states "Yes, free. Just free. Not a 'free prologue,' not free to play, no battlepass, no microtransactions." This is a finished, self-contained story experience with no post-launch content cycle. The only item in the DLC list is a "Shareware Donation" pack released on launch day (January 10, 2025), which is a voluntary tip jar rather than game content. The developer has made no announcements of additional content, expansions, or updates beyond the base game. Fiction Factory Games (creators of Arcade Spirits and Penny Larceny) released this as a complete, standalone product funded by community support.

Evidence

Store page explicitly states the game is 'just free' with no battle pass, no microtransactions, and no free prologue — describing it as a complete, self-contained experience

description · Jan 10, 2025 source development ending

high

The only DLC is a voluntary donation/tip jar ('Shareware Donation'), released on launch day — not a content expansion

dlc listing · Jan 10, 2025 source content shipped

low

Content

1 of 1 released · no outstanding content

Released

The Shadow Over Cyberspace - Shareware Donation

Jan 2025

Media

Details

Developer

Fiction Factory Games

Publisher

Fiction Factory Games

Achievements

Platform

Windows, macOS, Linux

Controller

partial support

Steam Deck

Not rated

Players

Single-player

Visual Novel Lovecraftian Story Rich Horror Choices Matter Sci-fi 1990's Alternate History Cyberpunk LGBTQ+Psychological Horror Multiple Endings Text-Based Hacking Choose Your Own Adventure

About this game

From Fiction Factory Games

Creators of Arcade Spirits, Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers, and Penny Larceny: Gig Economy Supervillain comes a new experience in science fiction and horror, with a retro computer aesthetic.

Mind-Melting Y2K Horror, For Free

Yes, free. Just free. Not a "free prologue," not free to play, no battlepass, no microtransactions. It's just free thanks to the support of our community. The only currency you'll need to spend is your own sanity (and maybe a 90-hour free trial floppy disk for Carcosa Online).

The Throne of R'lyeh is Calling

Create your own character, choosing name and pronouns and more.
Full text-to-speech support with a special visual impairment mode. (Tap the "V" key to activate.)
Navigate the tangled web of eldritch beings that control the Internet of the year 1999.
Search the web, hack protected databases, unravel conspiracies and solve mysteries.
Watch weird TV shows which are likely but probably not haunted.
Struggle to retain your Humanity against the forces of Chaos and Order after witnessing the Yellow Sign.
Check your phone answering machine now and then. They're worried about you.
Play kingmaker and decide what horrible entity will dominate the 21st century and beyond.