ASYLUM

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

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 396 reviews

story64 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The atmosphere of the asylum is immersive and creepy, effectively drawing players into the experience.
The writing is strong, with well-crafted lore and character interactions that enhance the story.
Puzzles are generally intuitive and rewarding, allowing players to progress without excessive frustration.

The game suffers from bugs and crashes, particularly on certain platforms, which can disrupt gameplay.
The ending is considered weak or unsatisfying by some players, leaving many questions unanswered.
Navigation can be cumbersome, with some players finding the point-and-click mechanics outdated and tedious.

story
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The story of the game is a slow-burn, atmospheric narrative set in an asylum, filled with intriguing mysteries and rich lore that captivates players from the start. While many appreciate the depth and foreshadowing present in the plot, opinions diverge on the latter half, with some feeling it becomes convoluted and loses its initial impact, particularly regarding the ending. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its immersive quality, though it may not satisfy those seeking a more traditional horror experience or a tightly woven conclusion.
- “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 story was very rich and kept you pulled in from the beginning to end.”
- “The game quickly draws you in with its atmosphere and captivates you with its mysteries and story in general.”
- “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.”
- “The story is one big cliché and the ending is just awful.”
- “The interior and aesthetic are alluring, but the story and narrative design are quite... naive.”
atmosphere
188 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively capturing the eerie essence of an abandoned asylum. Players appreciate the rich sound design, detailed visuals, and the way the game builds tension without relying on cheap jump scares, creating a captivating experience that draws them into its mysteries. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the standout feature, enhancing the narrative and gameplay while evoking a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic horror adventures.
- “The atmosphere in the asylum is thick — you can almost feel the madness creeping in.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
music
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing immersion and complementing the eerie environments. Many reviewers noted its strong ties to 1980s horror film soundtracks, which contribute to a sense of foreboding and tension throughout the gameplay. While some found it less memorable compared to other titles, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly enriches the game's storytelling and ambiance.
- “The soundtrack in this game is beautiful.”
- “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.”
- “And, as I’ve said, [i]Asylum[/i] had all the 'musical notes' for telling its story right, but how wrong they were played in the end!”
- “The music is okay, but doesn't reach the level of 'Scratches'.”
- “Although, while 'Scratches' did get a better soundtrack of the two, in my opinion, even if 'Asylum' still nails the overall sound design.”
graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
62%
12%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the detailed artwork and atmospheric design that effectively enhances the eerie tone. However, some players noted issues with pre-rendered graphics that can appear grainy and lack polish, alongside a limited range of graphical options. Overall, while the visuals are immersive and appealing to fans of dark mysteries, those seeking high graphical fidelity may find themselves disappointed.
- “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.”
- “The graphics and art direction were very cozy (or, more accurately, decrepit) and the atmosphere was maintained quite nicely.”
- “Very, very disappointing, I'm sorry to say :( I had high hopes, I'm a fan of 'Scratches' and usually am fine with retro graphics and low-budget production values, but this is a mess.”
- “Pre-rendered graphics are grainy and lack detail.”
- “If you don't know this game has been in development for over 10 years, now I don't know the story of why this game took so long to be made, but 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
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
84%
5%
The gameplay is characterized by a nostalgic retro style that some players appreciate, though it can feel simplistic due to a lack of complex puzzles and dated mechanics. Exploration is central, with a focus on story-driven elements and atmospheric environments, but the controls can be perplexing and the pacing may resemble that of a walking simulator. Overall, while the game offers immersive storytelling and moments of satisfaction, it may not meet the expectations of those seeking more intricate gameplay experiences.
- “The overall pacing of the gameplay and puzzles is great--there are many moments of 'a-ha, at last!' when you finally find the missing piece that will set off a chain of dominos for you to follow.”
- “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.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's atmospheric, moody, with a foreboding and fairly subtle soundtrack.”
- “One is connected to another: if you eliminate the option to combine items, your gameplay becomes pretty simple – I haven’t gotten stuck even once and was puzzled only by the simplicity of the puzzles and easily collected all the notes and collectibles in general.”
- “Not much horror gameplay here, except for 2-3 sections that last for a few minutes each in the entire game.”
- “To me, I felt like this was missing some gameplay and felt closer to a walking sim than an adventure game.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game has experienced several bugs and glitches since its launch, though many have been addressed by the developers. Users recommend saving frequently due to ongoing stability issues, particularly in specific scenarios like cutscenes. Overall, while the experience is enjoyable, the remaining bugs can detract from the overall atmosphere.
- “It also runs great on a PC I bought at the time of Kickstarter.”
- “It's still rather buggy though, so save often with different slots if you buy it.”
- “Overall, I really enjoyed this experience, although some buggy and questionable design choices stepped on the atmosphere and experience a bit.”
- “The Linux version works very well with Proton 9.0-4, except for one part where the game freezes in a cutscene which requires a press on the backspace key to fix.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotions through the tragic stories of its patients, eliciting sympathy from players. However, many reviewers felt that the ending lacked personal impact and emotional resolution, detracting from the overall experience. Technical issues, such as crashes, further contributed to a sense of disconnection from the narrative.
- “The stories of the patients are really tragic, and made me feel sympathy for them.”
- “My other issue with the ending is that it doesn’t feel personal in any way, and doesn’t offer any emotional payoff.”
- “Combined with the game sometimes crashing when opening doors, it made me feel like I belonged in an asylum.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some dialogue and easter eggs are genuinely funny, the frequent attempts at humor often feel forced and detract from the overall atmosphere. Players noted that the constant quips can be annoying, undermining moments that could evoke nostalgia for classic 90s-00s gaming. Overall, the humor tends to disrupt the intended mood rather than enhance it.
- “Sometimes the text/dialogue was quite funny, and the devs even took the opportunity to introduce various easter eggs through these interactions.”
- “That said, the game is constantly trying to slip in tiny jokes and funny quips from your character that end up just 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.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, particularly due to the large asylum setting that makes navigation feel cumbersome. Additionally, some reviewers express dissatisfaction with the narrative direction, which contributes to the overall sense of monotony.
- “Kind of tedious and boring.”
- “Personally, I wasn't super keen on the direction the mystery goes in (won't spoil why, if you are planning to play it, but if you have read the description on the Steam page, you can probably anticipate what narrative twists this story will take), and with the asylum being such a huge setting, the way of navigating through the rooms can feel a bit tedious.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
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.
- “As far as replay value, there might be some slight variations to some of the puzzles, but it wouldn't vastly change the experience.”
- “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.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users report mixed optimization experiences, with decent performance on the ROG Ally but significant issues on the Steam Deck, leading to frustration for those unable to play on their main PCs without restarting progress.
- “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.”
- “Very bad performance on the Steam Deck.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers express concern that the game "Asylum" fails to address the sensitive topic of mental illness appropriately, particularly in the context of its monetization strategies. There is a desire for a more respectful and thoughtful approach to the portrayal of mental health issues in horror games, suggesting that the current monetization practices may exploit these themes rather than treat them with the seriousness they deserve.

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9h Median play time

7h Average play time

6-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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