The Gutter

The Gutter is a psychological horror point-and-click adventure set in Guangzhou in 1801. You play an antihero, an ordinary man shaped by the weakness in himself and the age he lives in, and uncover a dark story through puzzles. The game takes around two hours.

Guangzhou in 1801

The story unfolds along the Pearl River, in the gutters beyond the prosperity of the Thirteen Hongs shops. You explore Flower Boats, floating brothels, amid Tanka boat-dwellers and opium smoke. The setting draws on a little-spoken corner of Chinese history rather than the familiar world of kung-fu tales.

Puzzles and choices

The puzzles draw you deeper into the story and its world, through violent and twisted memories. Their scenarios include drinking from an embroidered shoe and urinating on a statue to break a superstition. They are designed to unsettle and shock rather than stump you.

There are no noble choices for the protagonist, only a choice between rotten and worse. When you confront the consequences of your actions, your decisions determine how you reach the end. There are two paths to payback, both leading to hell, but the journey differs.