BLACK STIGMA

About

BLACK STIGMA is a multiplayer action game. It was developed by BoldPlay Games and was released on July 17, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Unique Action and ShootingA unique action shooter where close-quarters brawls and precision gunfights intertwine, delivering a fresh and electrifying PvP experience. diverse battle modesExperience the full spectrum of battle modes — from strategic 6v6 and intense 3v3 skirmishes to 1v1 duels and chaotic Free-For-Alls. Each mode delivers its own rhythm of action and competition. Define your …

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71%

Audience ScoreBased on 477 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

gameplay10 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of melee and shooting mechanics, providing a fresh gameplay experience.
Character designs and art style are visually appealing, adding to the overall charm of the game.
Despite its flaws, the game can be fun and entertaining, especially in short bursts with friends.

The game is plagued by matchmaking issues, often filling lobbies with bots instead of real players.
Performance is poor, with frequent lag, frame drops, and optimization problems that hinder gameplay.
Aggressive monetization practices, including gacha mechanics and locked characters behind a battle pass, detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
64%
21%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its clunky controls, buggy mechanics, and a heavy reliance on gacha systems for character access. While some appreciate the unique art style and potential for fun, others criticize the overall execution, describing it as awkward and reminiscent of mobile games. Despite its chaotic nature and some enjoyable elements, the gameplay often feels unpolished and overshadowed by monetization issues.
- “I also like that the gameplay does not feel like it is strictly developed around abilities.”
- “Gameplay loop is satisfying and the chaos keeps it fun.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is fun and feels more unique with a focus on the melee combat more than the shooting.”
- “There's basically no gameplay; everything is for sale, and the game is basically just bots.”
- “The combat mechanics are buggy, often going through other players or randomly connecting when they shouldn't.”
- “Horribly optimized, crappy gameplay, gooner bait; what else can you expect from a bad game?”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
45%
42%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and long animation locks. Many users express frustration over the lack of attention to graphics and server optimization, suggesting that these problems detract from an otherwise enjoyable experience. While some players have managed to achieve decent performance on lower settings, the consensus is that the game requires substantial improvements in optimization to enhance gameplay.
- “Performance-wise, maybe my PC is secretly a potato, but I ran the game at 1920x1080 on all low settings (except for textures), and it hovered around 70 fps—not bad, all things considered.”
- “I didn't have any noticeable performance issues, playing on 1440p with a mix of high and medium settings.”
- “Good game overall, just need more content, fixes, and optimization.”
- “Not optimized, pretty wonky and clunky with long animation-locked melee skills.”
- “But once you get in the game, you are welcomed with performance issues, which were part of the playtest when I played it a while back, so they did not worry about that, only on making new cosmetics.”
- “Game looks fun and has quite the style, but it has very poor performance and bugs that make you have to leave the game and receive a penalty because of that bug, so I can't recommend it.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique art style and character designs, often likening it to cel-shaded and comic book aesthetics. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, as players report issues with stuttering and poor performance despite the visuals being deemed attractive for the game's scale. Overall, while the art style garners some praise, the technical execution leaves much to be desired.
- “The art style is very similar to Crossfire, an old mobile FPS game from the 2015 era, and the character designs are great.”
- “Graphics are also good for a game this size.”
- “I thought the comic book cyberpunk-looking art style looked awesome, especially in 4K. I love cel-shaded games.”
- “Love it, but this game really needs graphics optimization and server optimization. Low ping and a dozen of new heroes would obviously be attractive, along with global marketing.”
- “I reduced graphics down to almost nothing and it still stuttered.”
- “Still, they could have done a better job optimizing graphics as well as space.”
monetization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
37%
36%
The monetization in this game is heavily criticized for being aggressive and reminiscent of mobile cash grabs, featuring high prices, gacha mechanics, and a battle pass that locks key characters behind paywalls. Players express frustration over the abundance of currencies and the overall bloated monetization system, which detracts from the gaming experience. While some improvements have been noted, such as making certain characters available in the free tier, the general sentiment remains negative regarding the game's financial model.
- “However, the monetization is extremely aggressive; from what I've seen, the cat girl character is battle pass purchase only. You can't grind or get her in any other way, and I'm also not aware of any other characters locked in a similar way.”
- “The monetization system does cause some issues, with most games relying on gacha gambling tactics to make a quick buck.”
- “The home screen features the usual mobile monetization currency everywhere for no reason.”
- “However, the monetization is extremely aggressive. From what I've seen, the cat girl character is battle pass purchase only; you can't grind or get her in any other way. I'm also not aware of any other characters locked in a similar way.”
- “The monetization system does cause some issues, with most games relying on gacha gambling FOMO tactics to make a quick buck.”
- “Garbage mobile-like monetization, with a bunch of different currencies, gacha, battle pass, store, etc.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Character development in the game is marked by a mix of appealing and generic designs, with many players appreciating the stylish and attractive character aesthetics. However, some critiques point out that the outfits tend to play it safe, lacking innovation. Overall, while the character designs are visually striking, they often draw comparisons to older games and gacha styles, leading to a mixed reception.
- “The character designs are just beautiful.”
- “Character designs are great, gun customization is nice, gameplay is fun.”
- “I dig the character designs—everyone’s got their own vibe.”
- “The character design is generic gooner stuff.”
- “Character design’s got some style, but the outfits feel way too safe.”
- “The soundtrack of 2010's YouTube, the UI of a Roblox game, the character design of a gooner gacha game, and shooter gameplay that has the potential to be one of the more unique experiences on the market.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key element, with players finding it funny even during frustrating moments, such as missing shots. The Bounty mode is particularly noted for its comedic value, fostering laughter and camaraderie among players instead of conflict. Overall, the game successfully creates a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the multiplayer experience.
- “Peak gameplay: missing all my shots, laughing anyway.”
- “Next thing I knew, we were actually laughing together instead of arguing in rage.”
- “Bounty mode is hilarious.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's story is perceived as vague and lacking depth, with players suggesting the addition of character storyline chapters to enhance engagement. While the visuals and animations are praised, the overall narrative experience is overshadowed by frustrating navigation and limited enemy variety.
- “The visuals and animations impress, though the story feels vague and enemy variety is limited.”
- “Experience 64 minutes in game > tutorials 10 minutes > read some random mission 4 minutes > try to find some match 40 minutes > uninstall the game.”
- “Maybe adding character storyline chapters would be a hit in the future.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for significant bugs in combat mechanics, including issues with hit detection and player interactions. While some initial problems like freezes and lag have been addressed, players still report ongoing challenges, including cheating, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The combat mechanics are buggy, often going through other players or randomly connecting when they shouldn't.”
- “At this point, I feel like my main skill is troubleshooting patch notes, not aiming.”
- “There were a lot of issues at launch, including stutters, freezes, and lag on a powerful PC with low ping. While some have been fixed, it was critical given such a long development period.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The music in the game is praised for its quality, described as "fire," but it often overwhelms important audio cues like footsteps during battles, leading to suggestions for a lower default volume. Overall, while the soundtrack has a nostalgic feel reminiscent of 2010's YouTube, it detracts from the gameplay experience.
- “The soundtrack of 2010's YouTube, the UI of a Roblox game, the character design of a gacha game, and shooter gameplay that has the potential to be one of the more unique experiences on the market.”
- “Music is fire, but it gets in the way of footsteps during battle... fix it!”
- “Battle music drowns out footsteps—maybe turn it down by default?”
- “The soundtrack feels like something from 2010's YouTube, combined with the UI of a Roblox game and character design reminiscent of a gacha game, which detracts from the otherwise unique shooter gameplay.”
- “The music is great, but it interferes with hearing footsteps during battle... this needs to be fixed!”