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ASYLUM

89%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
gameplay, stability
89% User Score Based on 178 reviews

Platforms

MOMac OSPCPCWinWindows
Buy Nowfrom $14.52
Buy NowGet on Steam$24.99

About

"Asylum" is a single-player adventure game offering 10 hours of playtime, developed in the style of classic horror. Players explore the Hanwell Mental Institute as an ex-patient with disturbing visions, uncovering the institution's past and facing a shocking conclusion. With a focus on storytelling, atmosphere, and intricate puzzles, "Asylum" provides a mind-bending and immersive horror experience.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 178 reviews
story24 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game successfully captures the eerie atmosphere and storytelling reminiscent of classic horror adventure games like 'Scratches', providing an immersive experience.
  • Puzzles are generally logical and rewarding, allowing players to progress without excessive frustration, making it accessible for a wider audience.
  • The visuals and sound design are well-crafted, enhancing the overall mood and tension throughout the gameplay.
  • Many players found the ending unsatisfactory, feeling it lacked emotional payoff and was predictable, which detracted from the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from various bugs and technical issues, including crashes and navigation problems, which can disrupt gameplay.
  • Some players noted that the puzzles were too easy and the game felt somewhat linear, limiting the depth of exploration and challenge.
  • story
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is generally well-received, praised for its immersive narrative and effective pacing, with many players enjoying the environmental storytelling and character development. However, some critiques highlight predictability in plot twists and a linear structure that follows common tropes, leading to a somewhat rushed conclusion. Overall, the narrative successfully drives the gameplay experience, making it appealing for fans of horror and mystery genres.

    • “Overall a great story and the ending ... loved it.”
    • “The story is intriguing and I'm loving the way they're introducing characters one by one and letting you really get to know them instead of throwing a bunch of NPCs at you all at once and expecting you to keep track of it all.”
    • “The original storyline, kept secret during 15 years of production, captivates from the very beginning and unfolds over approximately 10 hours of gameplay, not counting the dark secrets waiting to be discovered.”
    • “If one important detail wasn’t kept till the very end to serve as a sudden plot twist, it could have been avoided, but we have what we have.”
    • “As for the story, it is incredibly linear, following common tropes.”
    • “There's a sort of false sense of interactivity as most environmental elements you can interact with offer very little insight to the story or are arbitrarily locked (aka not actually functional, you can't unlock them).”
  • atmosphere
    88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality, enhanced by stunning visuals, detailed sound design, and a haunting soundtrack that evokes a sense of unease. Players appreciate the nostalgic and eerie vibes as they explore the meticulously crafted environments, particularly the dilapidated asylum setting, which effectively draws them into the chilling narrative. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered its strongest aspect, creating a captivating experience that lingers long after gameplay.

    • “The visuals are stunning, with every scene crafted in rich detail, while the sound design perfectly complements the eerie atmosphere, wrapping you in its unsettling mood.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick with tension and suspense, drawing you deeper into the chilling narrative.”
    • “The gritty atmosphere is the strongest point of the game, but the whole thing isn't all that scary.”
    • “Most importantly, it expertly instills an unsettling atmosphere that complements exploring a decrepit space.”
    • “The meticulously designed setting of the Hanwell Mental Institute creates an atmosphere so realistic that you can almost sense the decay and deterioration around you.”
  • graphics
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the stunning visuals and rich detail that contribute to an immersive atmosphere, others criticize the lack of polish, stuttering performance, and missing graphical options. Despite some outdated elements and minor bugs, the overall art style and sound design are praised for enhancing the game's eerie mood. Players who prioritize graphical fidelity may find themselves disappointed, but those who enjoy the dark mystery genre may still find the visuals captivating.

    • “The visuals are stunning, with every scene crafted in rich detail, while the sound design perfectly complements the eerie atmosphere, wrapping you in its unsettling mood.”
    • “The hauntingly beautiful graphics and immersive sound design create a truly captivating experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
    • “Sure the visuals are stunning, with every scene crafted in rich detail.”
    • “It will have a strong appeal to those who enjoy dark mysteries, but if you are the kind of player who measures a game's quality first and foremost by graphical fidelity, then you may be disappointed.”
    • “If you don't know, this game has been in development for over 10 years. You would think that after so many years of development, these graphic issues and small bugs would have been ironed out and fixed, yet they weren't. I couldn't help but scratch my head and just ask... why?”
    • “- the visual effects meant to make it look gritty actually make it look worse, mixing poorly with the overall outdated aesthetic.”
  • music
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the eerie atmosphere and immerse players in the horror experience. Reviewers highlight the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, which features a blend of ambient sounds and 1980s horror film influences, effectively building tension and evoking strong emotional responses. Overall, the music is considered a standout element that complements the game's visuals and narrative, making it memorable and impactful.

    • “The game does a great job via the music and atmosphere to draw you into the mystery.”
    • “The music is hauntingly beautiful and it pairs so nicely with the level design and overall sense of foreboding that permeates the Hanwell Institute.”
    • “The soundtrack, inspired by 1980s horror films with touches of John Carpenter, perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, intensifying the sense of unease without resorting to cheap scares.”
    • “Sad music switches step by step into more dreadful, nearly twisted sounds, and in the end, warning drums.”
    • “You are not alone in this place; the real isolation is missing, and let's be honest, the music from 'Scratches' is so unique it's hard to reproduce.”
    • “The music always felt eerie.”
  • gameplay
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Asylum is a blend of old-school point-and-click mechanics with some modern first-person elements, reminiscent of the developer's previous titles. While the game features an immersive story and captivating visuals, it suffers from outdated graphics and controls, making it feel stuck in the late '90s. Players can expect around 10 hours of gameplay, enriched by character interactions and hidden secrets, despite the absence of traditional puzzle mechanics.

    • “Although the graphics and controls are a bit outdated, the overall visual style, the pace of gameplay, and the story are super immersive.”
    • “The game is exactly what I expected: an old school point and click with some modern first-person gameplay.”
    • “The original storyline, kept secret during 15 years of production, captivates from the very beginning and unfolds over approximately 10 hours of gameplay, not counting the dark secrets waiting to be discovered.”
    • “The writing, presentation, overall technical level, and gameplay feel stuck in the late '90s.”
    • “Gameplay: 15 years, we still have pre-rendered scenes and animations, making the game feel extremely dated.”
    • “There are no sliding tiles, grid puzzles, towers of Hanoi, etc. No abstract mechanical constructions serving an unknown purpose.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express disappointment with the game's emotional impact, particularly criticizing the ending for lacking personal significance and emotional payoff. This sentiment is compounded by technical issues, which detract from the overall experience and contribute to a feeling of frustration.

  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The Linux version of the game performs well with Proton 9.0-4, though it experiences a freezing issue during a cutscene that can be resolved by pressing the backspace key. Overall, it runs smoothly on systems, including those used during the Kickstarter campaign.

    • “It also runs great on a PC I bought at the time of Kickstarter.”
    • “The Linux version works very well with Proton 9.0-4, except for one part where the game freezes in a cutscene that requires a press on the backspace key to fix.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the large asylum setting that requires extensive navigation through numerous rooms. This can detract from the overall experience, especially when combined with predictable narrative twists.

  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly on the Steam Deck, where users report very poor performance.

    • “Very bad performance on the Steam Deck.”

Buy ASYLUM

10h Median play time
10h Average play time
10-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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