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ASYLUM

ASYLUM Game Cover
85%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
stability, grinding
85% User Score Based on 282 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSSteam DeckWindows
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ASYLUM Game Cover

About

ASYLUM is a single player action game. It was developed by Senscape and was released on March 13, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

ASYLUM is a chilling first-person adventure that immerses you in the haunting Hanwell Mental Institute, where you, an ex-patient plagued by bizarre visions, must unravel the dark history through exploration and puzzles. With a masterful soundtrack, compelling story, and unique atmosphere, this slow-burning horror experience delivers a mind-bending journey into the depths of the mind.

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ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
ASYLUM screenshot
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85%
Audience ScoreBased on 282 reviews
story40 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions
  • The game has a captivating atmosphere, immersing players in a creepy and unsettling environment that enhances the horror experience.
  • The puzzles are logical and well-designed, allowing players to progress without feeling frustrated or stuck.
  • The writing is engaging, with a compelling story that unfolds through exploration and character interactions, keeping players invested.
  • The ending feels rushed and unsatisfying, leaving many questions unanswered and detracting from the overall experience.
  • There are technical issues, including bugs and performance problems, particularly for Mac users, which can disrupt gameplay.
  • Some players may find the navigation cumbersome, as the point-and-click mechanics can lead to tedious backtracking and pixel hunting.
  • story
    167 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a mixed bag, starting strong with an engaging premise and atmospheric elements reminiscent of Lovecraftian horror, but it ultimately loses momentum in the second half, leading to a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion. While many players appreciate the immersive storytelling and character development, they express disappointment over unresolved plot threads and a lack of coherence in the ending. Overall, the narrative captivates initially but struggles to maintain its intrigue, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.

    • “The atmosphere of the asylum is top notch, the story makes sense (particularly if you take the time to read all of the notes), and certain revelations are fully considered and foreshadowed throughout the game.”
    • “The game quickly draws you in with its atmosphere and captivates you with its mysteries and story in general.”
    • “I had quite a lot of fun piecing together the story while exploring around and reading/listening to all the documents I found and the comments the main character and NPCs had to say.”
    • “The main story itself seems to abandon many of the plot threads that have been laid out during the earlier parts of the game, and the game ends in a rush that seems to skip over several puzzles that are suggested and likely were planned at some point, but which have no implementation in the final game.”
    • “When the devs have to patch up the ending - twice - to get the point across, that tells you that either the story was rushed (which in a 12 year dev cycle is troubling), badly programmed or poorly told.”
    • “This is a story that had everything to become, without exaggeration, a masterpiece, yet its elements were stitched together so crudely that it became a disaster of a narrative with an awful ending.”
  • atmosphere
    121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively creating a sense of anxiety and dread throughout the experience. Players appreciate the rich environmental storytelling, haunting music, and detailed visuals that enhance the eerie ambiance, making exploration feel both captivating and chilling. While some critiques mention issues with gameplay and narrative progression, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere is the standout feature, drawing players into its dark and mysterious world.

    • “What Asylum does really well is creating atmosphere: you can really feel the anxiety and distress in this place.”
    • “An amazing game that uses ambiance and subtlety to create a dreadful atmosphere where nothing 'scary' happens, but the tension just keeps mounting and mounting, and you know the end result is going to be horrifying.”
    • “The atmosphere is rich and unsettling, but the story is overall not as affecting as Scratches.”
    • “Although the first few minutes are encouraging, reminding us of the absolute masterpiece horror adventure game 'Scratches' (2006) from the same author, Asylum ultimately fails to reproduce the qualities of its model, with a lackluster atmosphere, artificial progression mechanisms, weak puzzles, and a far too predictable scenario.”
    • “Overall I really enjoyed this experience, although some buggy and questionable design choices stepped on the atmosphere and experience a bit.”
    • “And as you will be exploring and investigating a lot, you will from time to time stumble upon very poorly handled easter eggs and references, that destroy the atmosphere.”
  • music
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating a haunting and immersive experience that complements the eerie visuals and gameplay. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's melancholic and creepy tones, which effectively build tension and evoke a sense of dread, reminiscent of classic 1980s horror films. While some find it less memorable compared to other soundtracks, the overall sound design is considered excellent, contributing significantly to the game's chilling ambiance.

    • “And the music is on point, really well embedded with the atmosphere.”
    • “The melancholic music here is incredible and fits perfectly with the leisurely exploration of dark and dim corridors.”
    • “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.”
    • “It is offensive primarily in how it treats the protagonist's sanity, the secondary character Lenny (who is sort of a generic amalgam of untreated OCD ailments), and the 'high risk patient' - who is just a catch-all 'insane violent behavior' character, including with a random pacification by harp music for no explained reason.”
    • “The soundtrack is very well done, and I could definitely hear the nods to several 80s horror movies, but unfortunately, it's not memorable to me unlike the Scratches OST, which to me is one of the very best soundtracks around.”
    • “The music is okay, but doesn't reach the level of Scratches.”
  • graphics
    43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game evoke a mix of nostalgia and disappointment among players, with many appreciating the retro style and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize the dated visuals and occasional stutters. The pre-rendered graphics are noted for their detail and ability to create an eerie tone, though some players found them grainy and lacking polish. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point for those who enjoy the genre, but may not satisfy players prioritizing modern graphical fidelity.

    • “I'm enjoying the retro style graphics which all the best point and click games are remembered fondly for; there's lots of nice touches and details in the game's visuals which makes it very immersive.”
    • “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.”
    • “Expect some dated graphics (unintentional) and game system (intentional, I presume), but besides that and some writing issues, just exploring the huge asylum alone is enough of an experience to warrant playing this game.”
    • “Instead, lackluster visuals that are more at home on a PSX or in the Windows XP era, poor character model design, a story that never quite comes together very well, and a really bad attempt at Lovecraftian themes.”
    • “If you don't know this game has been in development for over 10 years, you would think after so many years of development these graphic issues and small bugs would have been ironed out and fixed, yet they weren't, and I couldn't help but scratch my head and just ask... why?”
  • gameplay
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of exploration and simplistic puzzle-solving, often described as reminiscent of older point-and-click adventures. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and immersive qualities, many note the dated mechanics, occasional animation errors, and a lack of complexity in puzzles, which can make the experience feel limited or reminiscent of a walking simulator. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy story-driven mysteries and are willing to embrace its retro style and slower pacing.

    • “Only 4 hours in but I'm enjoying the gameplay and creepy atmosphere and music so far.”
    • “When you surrender to the slow gameplay and just immerse and enjoy it, as an unraveling mystery, it becomes thoroughly enjoyable.”
    • “Overall, if you enjoy story-driven mysteries with eerie environments and are willing to be patient with the gameplay, this is a game worth checking out.”
    • “The very dated engine and gameplay systems.”
    • “Makes the gameplay feel rough, limited, rail-roady.”
    • “Gameplay: 15 years, we still have pre-rendered scenes and animations, making the game feel extremely dated.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has been criticized for frequent freezes, particularly when entering rooms, and various bugs and glitches that were present at launch, though many have been addressed by developers. Users report lagging transitions and some design flaws that detract from the overall experience, but the Linux version performs well with Proton, aside from a specific cutscene issue. Players are advised to save often due to the ongoing stability concerns.

    • “It runs great on a PC I bought at the time of Kickstarter.”
    • “The game maintains a smooth performance without any crashes.”
    • “I've experienced consistent stability throughout my gameplay sessions.”
    • “Except the game freezes when I enter a room sometimes.”
    • “It looks like a buggy point-and-click with lagging transitions between rooms, a lot of backtracking, 'soapy' textures, bad models, worse cutscenes, and even worse 'chase' sequence (the only one in the whole game, mind you).”
    • “It's still rather buggy though, so save often with different slots if you buy it.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the cumbersome hypercard interface and the need for extensive backtracking. The lengthy notes and uninteresting puzzles contribute to a sense of boredom, detracting from the overall experience and making navigation through the expansive setting feel laborious.

    • “It's bad game design and too tedious to keep my attention.”
    • “I would have loved for a better execution of the Lovecraftian elements of the story, but unfortunately the game was too busy dragging on and telling its story entirely through long notes scattered around the huge map, which you will have to tediously click through back and forth, in often confusing ways, in order to complete mostly uninteresting puzzles.”
    • “Personally I wasn't super keen on the direction the mystery goes in, and with the asylum being such a huge setting, the way of navigating through the rooms can feel a bit tedious.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game evokes strong emotions through the tragic stories of its patients, eliciting sympathy from players. However, some reviewers felt that the ending lacked personal impact and emotional payoff, which diminished their overall experience. Technical issues, such as crashes, further detracted from the emotional engagement.

    • “The stories of the patients are really tragic and made me feel sympathy for them.”
    • “Combined with the game sometimes crashing when opening doors, it made me feel like I belonged in an asylum.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game exhibits notable performance issues, including crashes and subpar optimization on platforms like the Steam Deck, while running decently on devices like the ROG Ally. Players have expressed frustration over being unable to play on their main PCs without losing progress.

    • “The game is fine and plays like an old-school point and click, but it has some performance issues, crashed a couple of times, and felt very cliché at times.”
    • “I'm locked to playing on my ROG Ally, where performance is decent, but I can't play on my main PC unless I want to start over.”
    • “There is very bad performance on the Steam Deck.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some dialogue and easter eggs are genuinely funny, the frequent attempts at humor often disrupt the atmosphere and can feel forced or annoying. This inconsistency detracts from the overall experience, as moments of potential eeriness are undermined by overused quips reminiscent of modern blockbuster humor.

    • “Sometimes the text/dialogue was quite funny, and the devs even took the opportunity to introduce various easter eggs through these interactions.”
    • “The game is constantly trying to slip in tiny jokes and funny quips from your character that end up being annoying and deconstructing the mood.”
    • “There's a few minutes where I almost had the feeling that the game could recapture the eeriness of 90s-00s 3D models and the charm of the point-and-click system, but then my character had another crummy, Marvel-movie-humor remark about the environment I was pixel hunting to find a possible interactable, and I felt that was enough.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express concern that "Asylum" does not adequately address the sensitive topic of mental illness, particularly in the context of its monetization strategies, which may exploit rather than respectfully portray these themes.

    • “The monetization in this game feels exploitative, as it constantly pushes players to spend money to progress.”
    • “I was disappointed to see that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overly aggressive, and it feels like the developers prioritize profit over player experience.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is limited, with only minor variations in puzzles that do not significantly alter the overall experience. Players express a desire for developers to enhance this aspect to encourage more replay value.

    • “The game offers some slight variations in puzzles, which adds to its replay value, though it doesn't drastically change the overall experience.”
    • “It would be great if the developers had plans to enhance the replayability factor, adding more content for players to explore.”
    • “As far as replay value, I suppose there might be some slight variations to some of the puzzles, but it wouldn't vastly change the experience.”
    • “It would be nice if the developers had plans for that, however, just to add a bit more to the replayability factor.”
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9h Median play time
7h Average play time
6-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

ASYLUM is a action game.

ASYLUM is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing ASYLUM.

ASYLUM was released on March 13, 2025.

ASYLUM was developed by Senscape.

ASYLUM has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

ASYLUM is a single player game.

Similar games include The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, Sanitarium, Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder, STASIS: BONE TOTEM, Moons of Madness and others.