Assuming the role of a private detective in 1922, the player is tasked with escaping a monster-infested mansion with an artifact called the Necronomicon.

Reception of the gameplay was mixed, with critical contemporary reviews from magazines Famitsu and VB Guide, though it was viewed positively for its ambition and uniqueness.

Innsmouth no Yakata is a first-person horror video game where players assume the role of a private detective in 1922 who must escape from a monster-infested mansion with an artifact called the Necronomicon.

[3] Akin to all other Virtual Boy games, it uses a red-and-black color scheme and projects two slightly different images in each eye hole to simulate depth.

[5][3] Its limited release and launch towards the end of the Virtual Boy's short lifespan has since made it a prized collector's item.

Famitsu was critical towards the game's lack of ambition and the presence of a time limit, saying that most players would not be able to fully immerse themselves in its world due to the short length of the timer.

[9] Despite the more negative reception, Nintendo Magazine felt that its horror-themed locations and role-playing elements would make it a success in Japan.

[5] Meanwhile, Benji Edwards of PC Magazine, while commenting that it was not great, praised the difficulty and Lovecraftian setting for enhancing the experience.