Abyss Echo: The Forbidden Rite First Impressions — Chinese Lovecraft CYOA! @Shelfside

Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

We try this lovecraftian choose your own adventure game, from a Chinese studio! In Abyss Echo: The Forbidden Rite, you are a resonator who is wandering the halls of time, making decisions while going through the booklet, hoping your sanity does not drop too low. This first chapter reminds us a lot of Mansions of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, as you prepare to go to Antarctica for investigations. This isn’t your typical BGG top game with Euro/Ameritrash mechanics, rather the sell is the writing and story, hence that is why we focus on that a lot here. Could this be a replacement for Tainted Grail or Eldritch Horror, with more mechanics and chits?

Play Abyss Echo: kickstarter.com/projects/1420648394/abyss-echo-the-forbidden-rite?ref=8ilvis

Overview - (0:00)
Our background with books/CYOA - (2:13)
The Components (3:27)
Getting Started - (7:26)
Initial Writing Observations (13:06)
Chapter 1 Story (SPOILERS) - (18:30)
Mr. Lunacy Gushing - (21:35)
Ashton’s Personal Score - (25:39)

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Abyss Echo: The Forbidden Rite First Impressions — Chinese Lovecraft CYOA!

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