The game references/parodies several novellas and short tales by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Some inspire major story lines, like The Call of Cthulhu, The Shadow Over Innsmouth and The Haunter of the Dark; others are referenced in passing, like The Thing on the Doorstep and The Silver Key.
At one point in the game, the player will retrieve a tag with the name "Randolph" on it but will be unable to find its owner. This is a sly reference to the vanished Randolph Carter from Lovecraft's short story "The Silver Key".
During the game a person named "Ron Dilbert" is mentioned. This is an obvious homage to writer Ron Gilbert of LucasArts and The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) fame.
A minor quest consists in helping a character to free his cousin Ed from the influence of his wife Asenath. This is a reference to Edward Derby and Asenath Waite from the Lovecraft short story "The Thing on the Doorstep".