Shadows Over Loathing is a unique 2D RPG that bucks the trend with simple graphics, complex storylines, and writing that is both brilliant and hilarious. The third game in a trilogy that started with Kingdom of Loathing and continued with the cowboy-themed West of Loathing, this installment continues with the black-and-white stick figures but uses a more modern, urban setting.
Some of the references are fairly obvious, connected to a Lovecraftian aesthetic that includes both the period and all the demons and dark magic. The title itself is a spoof of a real H. P. Lovecraft book, The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Other than the element of eldritch horror, there are some rare items, hidden quests, and even more obscure references that everyone missed in Shadows Over Loathing.
7 The Speakeasy Spittoon
There are different opinions when it comes to headwear, which is why some of you may have missed the joke in the Speakeasy regarding the spittoon. Another reference from the previous games was a running joke about searching the spittoons for gear, money, and other items.
Pick through enough spittoons in West of Loathing and you could, at long last, wear one as a hat. The one on display behind the bar in the Speakeasy in Shadows Over Loathing was also worn as a hat by some historic adventurer from the Old West.
6 Uncle Murray, Entrepreneur
Even if you played the previous game, Murray is a common name, and the continuity nod is easy to miss. West of Loathing, the game that took place in the Old West, had a "secret" location that only opened up if you finished a certain quest at the Lost Dutch Oven Mine.
The optional location is a store called Murray's Curiosities and Bean, and it sells magical items and other handy, rare, and valuable goods. The connection between the two is the El Vibrato psychic headband that's used to finish the quest and the mysterious de-cursing machine that's the main fixture in Uncle Murray's antique store.
5 The Cola Wars
One of the best jokes from the Twitter "blue checkmark" fiasco was the Coke account saying "Pepsi is better." The games in this series love their puns, and this time we're taking the Cola Wars literally. References are just about everywhere, even in the introduction, and one of the first shops you can visit in Ocean City is the Cola Wars Surplus store.
The items are all army-related in some way, and some are worth picking up for the buffs and item bonuses, but the most fun is the surplus Cola Wars grenade. The store owner gives you a few to test, and instead of pulling a pin before throwing them, you shake them.
4 Greek Names For Dogs
There are plenty of references to eldritch horror in the game, which includes the underworld and Hell in general, but not all of it is connected to Lovecraft. Ancient mythology is also a deep well of mystery and horror. The bank next to the offices of The Ocean City Watchful Eye is called "Secureberus" and that's a play on the name Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the Underworld according to Greek myth.
The joke continues with the three locks, one for each head. Two of the names are Greek, one that simply means "dog," another that's a common dog name in Ancient Greece, and a third that's simple silly English. As long as you have the key, you can open each one with sufficient Muscle, Mysticality, and Moxie.
3 A Wrinkle In Time
Before Lovecraft sucks all of the air out of the room, there's this novel by Madeline L'Engle that's also equal parts fantasy, science fiction, and horror. With all of the literary references and weird science, it's natural that a reference to A Wrinkle In Time would show up.
The main character in the story is a girl named Meg, and her younger brother is named Charles Wallace. He's wise and articulate for his age, and he seems to have a deeper knowledge of the machinations at work that caused their father's disappearance years ago. In the game, Charles is a handyman who seems to know how the de-cursing machine works. You can bring him tools or do other favors in exchange for information about random things in the game.
2 The Beautiful Goldfish
Some of the items in the game are locked behind certain quests, decisions, classes, or ability scores. The Beautiful Goldfish is one such item. It's a familiar, which is a new concept in the Loathing series. Its buff power is to raise every stat for you and your party members.
A familiar is equipped as an off-hand item. It can be an animal, but it depends on the nature of the character. Doughboys, for example, have little dough babies, and the girls from the Chop Shop have spinning wrenches. The Beautiful Goldfish is a prize that you get after winning all the games on the Ocean City Boardwalk, which requires a score of 15 or more in all three major stats.
1 Cat Boons
You could play through the whole game and completely miss the cats, which is also equally true and tragic in real life. Calliope is the first cat you'll meet, sitting on a rug in Murray's Antiques. If you buy her some sardines, you can pet her, and get a handy buff.
Other cats require different favors, like helping their human with a problem or ridding their house of spooks. There's even a secret cat with an extra special buff if, you can find it.