Early in the game, you are given the opportunity to set your preferences. A review notes that once you meet Dr. B.B. Monroe in her office, you can opt out of any specific fetishes you dislike, such as drinking urine, futanari content, or NTR (netorare) acts. This is not a simple toggle; Darktoz designed the system to ensure that once disabled, you will not encounter those scenes again. The developer also introduced an innovative UI feature where hovering over a dialogue option provides a hint about the type of scene it will lead to, ensuring players are never caught off guard.

Since its initial announcement in late 2021, "The Shadow Over Blackmore" has built a loyal following. Players on platforms like Itch.io and Discord have praised the game for its engaging story and high-quality renders. One review on Itch.io, for instance, describes it as a "must-play masterpiece" in the BDSM genre.

The Shadow Over Blackmore subverts traditional visual novel structures by implementing light management and exploration loops.

: The UI is designed to mimic classic 90s dungeon crawlers and modern narrative RPGs like Disco Elysium , featuring a square image layout and text that doesn't overlap the art.