You can now add ‘playing pool’ to the list of Lovecraftian horrors that will drive you insane, thanks to this bizarre roguelike that’s got me shooting dead fish and vomiting upgrades
Pool of Madness is a Lovecraftian horror roguelike that reimagines the classic cue sport as a sinister ritual designed to appease dark cosmic entities. The game transforms pool from a casual pub pastime into a deliberately bizarre supernatural experience, asking the absurdist question: what if billiards were actually an elaborate ceremony to commune with abyssal gods?
In the demo, players wake up in the hull of a ship at sea surrounded by ominous atmosphere and a pool table, establishing the surreal tone for the adventure ahead. The game features deliberately grotesque mechanics including shooting dead fish as projectiles and acquiring upgrades through vomiting—a deliberately surreal approach to both traditional pool mechanics and roguelike progression systems.
Pool of Madness exemplifies the ongoing trend of applying Lovecraftian cosmic horror themes to unexpected genres and everyday activities. The game appears to be in early access or demo form, offering experimental indie players a humorous yet intentionally unsettling fusion of multiple genres simultaneously. For those interested in unconventional roguelikes, Lovecraftian horror adaptations, or absurdist game design, Pool of Madness presents a darkly comedic reimagining of a familiar recreational game.