James is accused of murdering Catherine in 1963, after which the manor becomes owned by the couple's friend and long-time doctor Christopher Milton.

In the end, Michael discovers that the scratching noises are caused by James and Catherine's severely deformed son Robin, who had been locked in the basement the whole time.

An early version of the game's ending saw Michael using a magic amulet to kill Robin and revive him as a fully functional human.

[7] In the Director's Cut edition of the game, a side quest called "The Last Visit" continues the story of the house after Michael flees.

Blackwood Manor is later demolished and the reporter notes that the mystery of a mask found inside the home remains unsolved.

Using only a mouse, the player can access various rooms and other places in order to solve the mystery of both Blackwood and Milton's disappearances.

[8][9][10] The game is heavily influenced by H. P. Lovecraft and makes references to his works such as the Necronomicon, De Vermis Mysteriis, The Mountains of Madness, and the city of R'yleh.

Nucleosys in 2007 released a "Director's Cut" version of Scratches, which includes an alternate ending and two more hours of gameplay.

[23] There were plans to create a Director's Commentary with a few additional features but as a result of Nucleosys' shutdown, it will not be released.

[28] Upon release of the director's cut, Wired asserted "You probably didn't play PC game Scratches".

[citation needed] GamesRadar noted that the games uses a "brooding, silent atmosphere" to "slowly build up the tension and terror".

[36] After Nucleosys went out of business, Agustín Cordes would go on to found Senscape, who are currently developing the horror game Asylum after a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.