Penumbra Overture is a survival horror game developed by Frictional Games.

In the year 2001, after his mother’s death, Phillip receives a message from his father who left the family and was supposedly dead. The letter leads Phillip to Greenland where he finds a mine his father wrote about. During the descent into the mine, the ladder breaks down. Phillip has to find another way out.

The game’s world is highly interactive thanks to an advanced physics engine. Players are able to move the in-game objects by moving the mouse instead of just clicking on them. For example, in order to pull a door, the player has to click on the handle and pull the mouse towards themselves. There are no firearms in Penumbra, so Phillip has to fight the enemies off using mining equipment. It is better to evade any conflict rather than getting into a fight. Phillip can stick to the shadows to hide from the enemies, barricade doors or trap his enemies in the cages.

During gameplay, the player has to find clues on how to complete a certain puzzle. For example, when Phillip has to make a bomb, the players have to consult the explosives manual, find the ingredients and mix them together.