Alone in the Dark is considered one of the founders of the Survival Horror genre. The camera here is fixed, and the graphics combine 2D and 3D. The game is inspired by the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Her events develop inside the old mansion. At the very beginning, they give you to choose a hero or heroine. Their storylines are different.
The first part of the game "Alone in the Dark" tells the story of what happened in Louisiana. In 1924, artist Jeremy Hartwood committed suicide and the police closed his case. He owned the estate of Derketo. The antique dealer hired Edward Carnby. A private detective was assigned to conduct an inventory of the property. Emily Hartwood also comes to this house. The detective and the late owner's niece are interested in the piano in the attic. When the selected character is near a musical instrument, they are trapped. The protagonist will have to find a way to leave the house and fight for survival.
The gameplay consists of several components. Here you have to explore corridors and rooms, solve puzzles, avoid dangerous places, fight monsters. Some enemies cannot be killed, so you need to run away from them. Here you can move objects, close and unlock doors, search furniture, play records, read diaries and notes. Most of the premises are allowed to be explored freely. There is an inventory for found items. However, the weight limit does not allow you to carry everything. Therefore, some of the loot must be thrown on the floor to pick up later. Sometimes there are moments with jumping over obstacles and episodes that are played for a while.