The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is a first-person co-op horror game from ACE Team, published by Nacon. Up to four explorers leave a galleon to search a cursed jungle for treasure, while Lovecraftian horrors warp reality and madness sets in. Game8 places the story in the 1650s, with explorers seeking The Mound, the entrance to a hidden underground city called Tsath. Reviewers describe the structure as an extraction game: go in, gather valuables, get out alive. This page answers the questions buyers ask. For surviving your first expeditions, see the beginner guide, and for creatures, progression and achievements, see the progression page.
1 How an expedition works
The captain supplies gear in exchange for the treasure you bring back. You split weapons and equipment and choose where to go.
GamingBolt says contracts vary in weather, time of day and modifiers. The further you go, the greater the danger.
Reviewers describe a cart that carries what you collect, which you return to before escaping.
The store says abandoned forts hold logbooks that unlock new starting points for future expeditions.
2 Can you play alone
Technically yes, but reviewers advise against it. The store lists single-player, and solo runs come with AI companions. GamingBolt warns that solo players are easily swarmed, risking a whole expedition ending in total loss, and Game8 found the AI companion rarely helpful and solo runs suffocating.
3 What the madness system does
It makes you doubt your senses. The store says unpredictable threats distort perception, blur reality and illusion, and sow paranoia in the group. Game8 notes that sanity is not shown on screen, so you learn your state by observation. GamingBolt compares it to the sanity effects of Eternal Darkness and lists what happens as expeditions drag on.
4 Do you keep what you find
Mostly no. GamingBolt says items found during a mission can be used there but do not carry over, while ranks expand your inventory and a vendor sells items and weapon upgrades. Both GamingBolt and Game8 call the long-term progression sparse, and DualShockers says knowledge of maps and enemies is your main form of growth. Players who want to build a hoard between runs, as in many extraction games, should know this before buying.
5 What reviewers and players said
| Source | Verdict |
|---|---|
| DualShockers | 7.5 out of 10. Great atmosphere and co-op; harsh difficulty and unclear progression |
| GamingBolt | 6 out of 10. Interesting ideas, clunky combat, repetitive over time |
| Game8 | Praised the originality; criticized combat, movement and solo play |
| Steam users | Mixed, 2,803 of 4,061 reviews positive (15 September 2026) |
DualShockers estimated 5 to 40 hours depending on how far you push the difficulty. GamingBolt also found PC performance demanding, needing lower settings, DLSS and frame generation to stabilize.
6 Content notice
The store lists a required age of 17, and the developer notice warns of intense violence, blood and gore. This guide does not describe violent scenes in detail.
7 Price, languages and requirements
| Part | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core i7-8700K / Ryzen 5 1600X | Core i7-11700K / Ryzen 5 5500 |
| Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB / RX 5600 XT / Arc A770 | RTX 3070 / RX 6750 XT |
| Other | Windows 10 or 11 64-bit, DirectX 12, 23 GB | Same |
The list price is USD 29.99, a Deluxe Edition is also sold, and the store lists four add-on items. Eleven languages are supported, including Japanese and Korean, with full audio in English. Full controller support, camera comfort and subtitle options are listed.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is a co-op extraction horror game for up to four players at a list price of USD 29.99. You take contracts on a galleon, gather treasure in a cursed jungle, and recover logbooks that open new starting points, while a hidden madness system fakes allies, treasure and even your own senses. Solo play is possible but not recommended, and items do not carry between runs. Reviews ranged from 6 to 7.5 and Steam users are mixed, with praise for originality and criticism of combat and progression.
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