Uninvited

Released for the NES in 1991 in North America, Uninvited is a creepy graphic adventure from ICOM Simulations, the same company behind Shadowgate and Déjà Vu. Originally released on computers in 1986, the game was adapted for the NES with a point-and-click-style interface designed around the console's controller.

The story begins with a car crash on a lonely road at night. When you wake up, your sister is missing, and the only obvious place she could have gone is a mysterious old mansion nearby. You enter the house hoping to find her, but it quickly becomes clear that something is very wrong. The mansion once belonged to a powerful wizard, and supernatural creatures now occupy its rooms.

Instead of fighting enemies in traditional action sequences, Uninvited is all about exploration, observation, and making the right decisions. You investigate rooms, open containers, examine objects, read documents, collect useful items, and solve puzzles. Almost anything in the mansion might be important, and sometimes the difference between progress and death comes down to a single decision.

The game is particularly memorable for its atmosphere. The mansion feels mysterious rather than simply frightening, with strange characters, hidden rooms, supernatural encounters, and plenty of opportunities to make a fatal mistake. The NES version also changes some story details from the original computer release, including making the missing sibling your sister.

Uninvited may feel slow compared with modern horror games, but that slower pace is part of its charm. It rewards curiosity and careful exploration rather than quick reflexes. For NES players interested in old-school horror and graphic adventures, it remains a fascinating and unusual title.