a Museum of Dubious Splendors, is a storybook from the world of Somewhere. A quiet game about prosaic objects and spurious histories, it is an irreverent rumination on the nature of an archive and forms of recollection.
a Museum of Dubious Splendors - Trailers & Screenshots
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Reviews

“In short: you get to read some nice short stories and look at lovely little rooms. Oleomingus are making some of the prettiest dang video games around.”
Rock Paper Shotgun

“There’s a very comfortable dream logic at play in much of Oleomingus’ work. This latest window into the fantastical realms and stories of Somewhere is one of the best examples.”
IGN's Best indie games of 2017 you might have missed

“Oleomingus’s approach to games is hyper-literary.”
Venture Beat

About This Game

The Museum of Dubious Splendors is half a storybook and half an exploration game.
It is a collection of folklore and oral tales, punctuated by peculiar rooms, that you wander through.

These tales, have been recreated from a collection of stories by Mir UmarHassan, a Gujarati poet whose works have proven notoriously difficult to translate because of the mellifluous use of Urdu and Hindi in his compositions.

The collection, entitled "in Dubious Splendor", was written (in Gujarati) in nineteen sixty two for the Malwa Chronicle, but the stories therein were mangled and edited without the author's permission prior to their publication in serialized form.
This contested collection of stories, became momentarily infamous as the subject of the first court case to arbitrate authorial ownership in Independent India.

Even today, despite countless restorative efforts by scholars, it cannot be said with with any certainty that the text that we used for this adaptation was the original as written by UmarHassan.
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System Requirements

Windows
macOS
SteamOS + Linux
    Minimum:
    • OS *: Windows 7 or later
    • Processor: Core i3 +
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: GTX 560 & 1 GB VRAM+
    • DirectX: Version 9.0c
    • Storage: 900 MB available space
    • Sound Card: Headphones recommended.
* Starting January 1st, 2024, the Steam Client will only support Windows 10 and later versions.
    Minimum:
    • OS: OS X Mavericks 10.10
    • Processor: Core i3 +
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: GTX 560 & 1 GB VRAM+
    • Storage: 900 MB available space
    • Sound Card: Headphones recommended.
* Starting February 15, 2024, the Steam Client will no longer support 32-bit games or macOS 10.14 or lower.
    Minimum:
    • OS: Ubuntu 12.04 (64-bit)
    • Processor: Core i3 +
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: GTX 560 & 1 GB VRAM+
    • Storage: 900 MB available space
    • Sound Card: Headphones recommended.
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Customer reviews for a Museum of Dubious Splendors About user reviews Your preferences

Overall Reviews:
Mostly Positive (172 reviews)
Showing 119 reviews that match the filters above ( Mostly Positive )
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Most Helpful Reviews  Overall
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
0.7 hrs on record
Posted: 12 May, 2020
Steam Key
Mir Amar Hassan seems like India's Aesop if he was real and I enjoyed a short review of the writings. I played through twice but probably still missed some things.

This interactive art is a little abstract but still an enjoyable way to spend about an hour.

Additional Details
Operating System
Ubuntu Linux 18.04 x64
CPU
Ryzen 5 1500x
GPU
GTX 1050, nvidia-440.82
Game Saves
Manually after "taking a picture"
Notes
The "door close" sound is familiarly irksome
Technical Notes
Unity game engine, window mode does not work even when selected
Was this review helpful?
24 people found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
0.3 hrs on record
Posted: 27 January, 2025
Steam Key
This was the first game from the guys that gave us The Indifferent Wonder of an Edible Place. Remember that walking sim where you had the opportunity to eat blocks of a tower?

Here it is also about paying homage to an artist. We frequent a museum and after marveling at the big-sized version of everyday objects we can leave through a door of our choosing. Then we are presented with a little story. As we visit more and more sections of this strange exhibition, the more stories we have the chance to read.

I did a walkthrough and I almost uninstalled it but then I thought I'd check it once again. Why? Because in certain cases we have 2-3 exits to choose from. Doing another walkthrough means we can explore new rooms and new stories. Going back is not a possibility - after a certain number of sections we get to see the ending.

The game has some walking and a lot more reading. I found its aesthetic great and while it is very short, it's refreshing to play something like this every now and then.
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20 people found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Not Recommended
0.2 hrs on record
Posted: 7 August, 2019
Steam Key
As a fan of both "art gallery" kinda games, walking simulators and story/reading-heavy "experiences", I went into this with rather high expectations, but even with some rather clunky itch.io-competitors, this bland art installation leaves much to be desired. The stories may be interesting, but letting the "player" read without anything to do while at it, without actual interaction leading to the text parts, just disrespects the medium of games and doesn't benefit from interactivity at all. The rooms and installations themselves are minimalist in nature and I'd much rather walk through a huge, mysterious virtual art gallery with an atmospheric voiceover than read short excerpts to a monotone soundtrack and walk few meters through limited, small rooms with wonky mouse controls. 3/10
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14 people found this review helpful
Wholesome
1
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
0.6 hrs on record (0.5 hrs at review time)
Posted: 8 March, 2018
Steam Key
This is clever, witty, beautiful and thought provoking. It made me challenge some of my ideas of other cultures and how we make them 'alien' and 'mysterious' when they are just as mundane as our own. The stories within are stunning and make you guess what the exhibit will be in the next room. The result made me laugh out loud a few times. Can't recommend this enough. It is well written with beautiful graphics and very unique. Loved it.
Was this review helpful?
16 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
0.5 hrs on record
Posted: 8 March, 2018
Steam Key
Short but interesting game, its art reminds alot of surrealism, the stories are nice and the visuals are inspiring. Good game for anyone who likes kind of short but original games
Was this review helpful?
14 people found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
0.2 hrs on record
Posted: 26 October, 2024
Steam Key
Reminded me of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Also reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, entirely drug induced and fantasy that only describes one thing: The human condition, which is to imagine everyday objects as living, spiritual and mysterious and not at all as they are.

As a free game, you loose nothing installing and exploring for a while the open maze of doors, which if opened in the correct order will reveal the full albeit still mangled and entirely fantastical story. But you will also save 20 minutes of your life if you don't play this game, so there is that. Lacks variety, but is still interesting enough as a quick time killer and may inspire you to write your own mushroom induced poem.

If you liked this free game check out these https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41773079-EmpathyGames/list/93017
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4 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Reviews  In the past 180 days
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Not Recommended
0.1 hrs on record
Posted: 21 August, 2025
Steam Key
One of those boring types of games that should have just been made into a video. There's no real game here
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1 person found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
0.6 hrs on record
Posted: 6 October, 2025
Steam Key
This game is great because not only is it from India and gives you a bit of context from there, it's also fairly funny. Worth the download.
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This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
44.2 hrs on record
Posted: 31 July, 2025
Steam 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Was this review helpful?
Most Helpful Reviews  In the past 90 days
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Recommended
1 hrs on record
Posted: 31 October, 2025
Steam Key
Игра «A Museum of Dubious Splendors» — это мрачная, атмосферная одноразовая история, погружающая в мир абстрактного искусства и философских вопросов. Исследование музея с необычными экспонатами, каждый из которых открывает фрагмент сюжета, наполненного метафорами и парадоксами. Геймплей прост, но захватывающий: выбор действий влияет на развитие событий, а тексты, написанные в стиле эссе, заставляют задуматься о смысле жизни. Визуально — минималистичный арт, который дополняет тему. Игра не для массы, но тем, кто ценит глубину и нестандартные решения, она подарит незабываемые впечатления.
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Recently Posted
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
レのひ刀ム丂
25.4 hrs
Posted: 12 July, 2024
Steam Key
8 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
RobertJPaynter
0.5 hrs
Posted: 22 May, 2024
Steam Key
This is a short walking simulator with no choices other than which doors & path to take through the virtual museum, but I greatly enjoyed the vibrant larger-than-life visual (and sound) details, and the short stories which introduced each exhibit room. My play time represents two completions of the game, the first concentrating on seeing all of the rooms, and the second absorbing the tales as I'm a fan of [pseudo-] legends and fables.
1 person found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
WhatRoughBeast
0.6 hrs
Posted: 13 December, 2023
Steam Key
"Studio Oleomingus: Of the many dubious practices that abound the world of games, a rampant appropriation of cultural artifacts - is perhaps the most toxic. Games, especially those laden with expansionist or heroic narrative arcs are very comfortable looting, icons and histories, places and people and myths from cultures completely alien to the creators. And in the process perpetuating decadent colonial narratives of an exotified orient and its many indolent wonders - places or people that then inevitably end up being occupied or civilised - often by a player in the guise of a savior. It is this rampant appropriation that we would fix, perhaps in the process opening up room for a variety of plural and radically different voices."
1 person found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Mekmo5
0.8 hrs
Posted: 25 November, 2022
Steam Key
I played a couple years ago and didn't quite understand what was going on. I played through today and the stories are a bit strange to follow and some rooms have interesting things within them but seemingly poor correlation to the stories? I know the story excerpts and graphics are enjoyable but mostly as separate things to think about.
1 person found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
nudiemagazineday
0.2 hrs
Posted: 13 April, 2021
Steam Key
mirror faces a
mirror fades to
green color fading
mirrored eternity
2 people found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
[BYU]Vegetable
0.7 hrs
Posted: 16 January, 2021
Steam Key
The symbolism in this one is a bit on the nose, and the impact of its storytelling is stretched thin by perhaps a tad too many parables and the motif of "big object in a room." Technically there are a few glitches as well, and it's somewhat immersion-breaking when up close the objects have visible polygonal and textural artifacts.

This is a soft no, as I would recommend the other works by this author over this one that are far more polished, though I would say have a look if you feel so inclined.

Edit: discovering now that this is their first work, it's clear that as an early work there was some footing yet to be found in the development of this one. Heartening to see they've refined their craft in future efforts.
1 person found this review helpful
This review is counted in the overall review score because this user purchased the game directly on Steam or got a free license of a free game
Internet Samurai
14.5 hrs
Posted: 10 November, 2020
Steam Key
Too many people missing the sub-text of this work and it is a very layered and many-flavored sandwich of sub-text, garnished with parody and basted in humor.
1 person found this review helpful