The Quivering
A 360-Degree Horror-Comedy Adventure
Forgotten Games · 1998
Archived on
Region
United Kingdom (developer)
Associated With
Charybdis Limited - developer; Alternative Software Ltd - publisher
Defining Feature
A first-person puzzle adventure through 360-degree cartoon-horror scenes
Status
Digitally reissued - Steam edition released in 2015
Overview
The Quivering sent young Spud through a monster-filled village in a first-person horror-comedy adventure.
Released for DOS and Windows in 1998, the game began after his uncle, Olivetti Franken-Stamp, opened a route to Dimension X. Players explored Warty Hollow’s 360-degree scenes, collected items and solved puzzles while confronting creatures led by Big D.
The Ghoul Cube tied monster containment to the game’s puzzles and other functions. Charybdis developed the adventure and Alternative Software published it; a Steam release followed in 2015.
Why It Mattered
The village made exploration part of the joke. Players searched its 360-degree scenes for useful objects while encountering exaggerated monsters, so the familiar work of an adventure game became a tour through cartoon horror. The Ghoul Cube gave those encounters a shared purpose: the creatures belonged to the puzzle system as well as the scenery.
Game Structure
- Single-player, first-person point-and-click adventure.
- Set in Warty Hollow, where Spud confronts creatures released from Dimension X.
- The Ghoul Cube is used for monster containment, items, puzzles and saving-related functions.
Presentation and Credits
- Cartoon-like 3D characters appear in graphical locations explored in 360 degrees.
- MobyGames’ official description lists voice impressions of Vincent Price and Boris Karloff.
- MobyGames credits Mark Hardisty with game design, Andy Smith as producer, James Daniel with script, and Jim Croft and Zoe Dolphin with music and sound effects.
Release Formats
- MobyGames dates the DOS and Windows releases to 1998 and lists CD-ROM as the Windows edition’s medium.
- Alternative Software released the game on Steam on 28/01/2015.
- PCGamingWiki identifies the Steam edition as the DOS version packaged with DOSBox.
- MobyGames and PCGamingWiki date the original releases to 1998; their cited release entries do not give an exact original launch day.
Sources & Records
MobyGames — The Quivering release and production record
The retrospective game database records the 1998 DOS and Windows releases, credits and promotional description; it does not establish an exact original launch day.
The publisher’s storefront identifies Charybdis, the Warty Hollow setting and the 28 January 2015 Steam release; that date belongs to the reissue, not the original game.
PCGamingWiki — The Quivering technical record
The technical reference identifies the Steam edition as the DOS game packaged with DOSBox, distinguishing the reissue from the original Windows release.
Gallery
Credit
The Quivering promotional artwork / Alternative Software; supplied via Steam
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
The Quivering assembled a whole village’s worth of cartoon monsters around Spud. Its horror setting was built for comedy as well as puzzles.