Shivers

aka: Shivers: La Terreur Révèlera les Secrets des Ténêbres, Shivers: What Darkness Conceals, Terror Reveals
Moby ID: 663
Windows Specs
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Description official descriptions

Surviving a dare by your friends to spend the night in a haunted museum is how Shivers begins, but it soon turns into a challenge of capturing the evil Ixupi, ghosts of South American legend, in pots scattered throughout the museum.

The game is similar to Myst in many aspects in that it's an adventure game with a 1st-person slideshow-type presentation. Though unlike Myst, you have a life meter and the Ixupi can steal life from it if you aren't careful.

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Credits (Windows version)

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Reviews

Critics

Average score: 70% (based on 21 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 48 ratings with 6 reviews)

A Masterpiece!

The Good
Shivers is a brilliant game. I was really honored to play this game, as this game is really rare and uncommon, so what are the chances to come across this kind of game in Israel?

First of all, this game is so intelligent and intriguing! The puzzles are really unique and original, the kind you have to spend hours on solving. Besides the progress you make by solving them, when you're done, the feeling is so rewarding, it's just great.

The pre-rendered MYST-like graphics and overall atmosphere is fantastic. Turn off the lights in your room and immerse into this game. The graphics are so authentic and the museum looks so mysterious and creepy that you feel like you're drawn into it.

The music - This category is a really strong one on Shivers. This is one of the games with the most unique and brilliant music I have encountered. The music accompanies every step in the game. There is no place or section of the museum without music. You will hear in this game music pieces from Cello Partita by Bach to modern psychedelic masterpiece. The music serves the moment fabulously, it corresponds the atmosphere perfectly.

Creepiness - Well, this game is creepy, I must admit. The effect of the deserted museum and the lurking Ixupi (those spirits haunting the museum) really had it on me. I've found myself startled more then once in this game.

The puzzles are really diversified. You can find in the game puzzles involving music, mazes, ancient games such as "Marble Solitaire", picture assembling and etc. The common about them all that they are devilishly hard.

The Bad
Shivers, in my opinion, is nearly perfect. I can't say anything bad about it. I can only emphasize that this game is hard. If you don't like puzzle games, or don't have patience, there is nothing for you in this game.

The Bottom Line
Shivers is an outstanding game in the sub-genre of puzzle games that followed "Myst" and I can easily refer to it as a "milestone" in the Adventure games scenery in all times. As Myst fan, I think it is a shame that Shivers did not have a success similar to Myst's. Although it is hard to obtain similar achievement, I think it could have been possible, maybe with larger publicity back then. I just know that anyone who played this game loved it.

A true masterpiece.

Windows · by 1gnition (284) · 2006

Darkness, Terror, and Great Fun in "Shivers"

The Good
This is a fantastic videogame. "Shivers" is a "Myst"-clone that utilizes the same technology of using still images to traverse locations. It is there that "Shivers" ceases to be a "Myst"-clone. Dropping the beautiful and ephemeral locations for a haunted museum, "Shivers" is a fun trek into a creepy and abandoned museum; it is up to you the player to find the right tools to capture the malign spirits. The puzzles, for the most part, and fun and entertaining - but the most fun is all that is in-between the puzzles. Simply walking around the museum, listening to the ambient noises and music, reveling in the lavish production design and chosen color palette is sheer joy.

The Bad
The puzzles are not logic-based like "Myst", at times they can feel just dropped in for the purpose of pacing and increasing the difficulty. Other than that, no complaints.

The Bottom Line
"Shivers" was released in 1995 right on the heels of the mega-popular "Myst". At that time, Sierra Studios, (the developer/publisher), had a slew of hits, including the "Aces" series and the burgeoning "Gabriel Knight" series. Sierra crafted a special adventure in "Shivers" that was a departure from the ephemeral atmosphere of "Myst". Much darker and macabre, like "Gabriel Knight" ,"Shivers" dropped the player in a Haunted Museum of the "Strange and Unusual". And that is where the game succeeds the most: the museum. For fans of classic scary movies like Universal's "Dracula" and "Frankenstein", this game will surely satisfy. The production design, music, and direction are clearly well thought-out and superbly executed; you'll wish you could actually walk through the museum. It is these elements that will make this title continue to be popular for years to come.

Windows · by D P (129) · 2005

One of the hardest games I’ve ever played. But, well worth it!

The Good
If you are expecting another Sierra whimsical fantasy, you’ll be totally surprised with Shivers. It is not played in 3rd person, but rather in 1st – another change for Sierra. This is a mystery that takes place in an old museum, complete with ghosts and all the atmosphere that goes with them. As you find books and other clues, the story unfolds gradually and ends with a punch.

There are numerous floors and rooms to explore in the museum. Hidden passages and secret rooms make it even more interesting. The scenery itself is beautifully done and the interface is easy to learn. The game will give you shivers at times, too. It is imaginatively spooky and suspenseful and this is reflected in the musical score, which is wonderful, and in the rich, realistic graphics.

I especially loved the “flashback” feature. You can review the cut scene movies as often as you like. Sometimes that’s the only way to find a clue you may have forgotten.

The puzzles are really creative and challenging. Rather than conversation or inventory based puzzles, you’ll need to use your skills in math, logic and common sense to solve the ones in this game. Some may even disturb your sleep!

Each time you begin a new game the locations of the illusive Ixupi spirits change. This means that even a walkthrough may not help you with your game. The game itself takes quite awhile to finish and you’ll be taking plenty of notes. (I filled up 2 legal pads with my notes and drawings!)

The Bad
You are only able to carry around one object at a time – a pot or a lid to catch an Ixupi. This means that you must remember where you hid the matching pot (or lid). Of course, this lengthened the game playing time, which is a good thing rather than bad.

The Bottom Line
If you have been looking for a great interactive puzzle game, you’ve found it! Shivers is one of the best, and hardest, games I’ve ever played. But it’s more than just puzzles. The story will keep you interested up until the very end. You’ll feel a great sense of satisfaction when you’re done.

Windows 3.x · by Jeanne (75956) · 2005

[ View all 6 player reviews ]

Trivia

The random play factor of this game was influenced by Mixed-Up Mother Goose Deluxe, according to Marcia Bales, the game designer.

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Benjamin Tucker.

Windows added by Dragom. Macintosh added by Scaryfun.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, jean-louis, Zeppin.

Game added January 3, 2000. Last modified February 8, 2024.