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Blackbay Asylum

Blackbay Asylum Game Cover
58%Game Brain Score
humor, graphics
music, stability
58% User Score Based on 299 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Blackbay Asylum Game Cover

About

Blackbay Asylum is a single player arcade puzzle game with horror and comedy themes. It was developed by TAD Productions AB and was released on August 1, 2014. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Blackbay Asylum" is a 2D, side-scrolling psychological horror game. You play as a patient in an abandoned asylum, trying to uncover the mystery of what happened to its inhabitants while avoiding dangerous enemies. The game features puzzle-solving, stealth, and combat mechanics in a hand-drawn, gripping environment.

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Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
Blackbay Asylum screenshot
+6
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58%
Audience ScoreBased on 299 reviews
humor83 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique blend of dark humor and horror, making it an entertaining experience.
  • Puzzles are challenging and engaging, requiring players to think critically and pay attention to details.
  • The atmosphere and sound design effectively create a creepy and immersive environment.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs and a lack of a proper save system, forcing players to restart chapters.
  • Graphics are dated and may not appeal to everyone, potentially detracting from the overall experience.
  • Some puzzles can be illogical or frustrating, leading to moments of confusion and requiring external guides.
  • humor
    83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a divisive element, characterized by dark, crude, and often juvenile jokes that may appeal to fans of edgy comedy but can be off-putting to others. While some players appreciate the absurdity and clever dialogue from the protagonist, others find the humor repetitive or overly reliant on shock value. Overall, the game blends horror and humor in a unique way, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate its specific style, though it may not resonate with everyone.

    • “Blackbay Asylum is surprisingly enjoyable due to its black humor and perplexing puzzles.”
    • “The humor is great for me; the visuals, although dated, work fine for the game.”
    • “The dialogue from the protagonist is really the highlight of the game for me as it keeps you laughing throughout, but of course, he makes you groan just as often.”
  • graphics
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely criticized as outdated and inconsistent, with many reviewers describing them as "terrible," "mediocre," or reminiscent of early 2000s titles. Despite their poor quality, some players appreciate how the visuals contribute to the game's atmosphere, particularly in horror elements, while others find them distracting or unplayable. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics are not a strong point, they do not detract significantly from the gameplay experience.

    • “Legitimately scary visuals despite the aged graphics.”
    • “The graphics are nice and clean, and it’s easy to understand what’s going on around you.”
    • “Actually, the crude style of the graphics and the alternating shifts from 2D to 3D perspective complement the weird story quite well.”
    • “The graphics are terrible, especially the character models, and the story is pretty generic, but the puzzles and the atmosphere are pretty good.”
    • “The graphics are really, really dated.”
    • “The graphics aren't anything to write home about; they look like something from the mid-00s or even earlier, and the music/sound effects are generally annoying.”
  • story
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a blend of Lovecraftian horror and dark humor, featuring a quirky protagonist navigating a creepy asylum filled with engaging puzzles and lore. While some players found the narrative predictable or cliché, many appreciated its atmosphere and the clever integration of storytelling through environmental details and character interactions. Overall, the story is described as entertaining and well-constructed, despite some minor pacing issues and graphical shortcomings.

    • “The story follows a psychopathic killer with a cute little teddy bear that gets sent to Blackbay Asylum; after a while, as is normal in asylums in games, all hell breaks loose and you are set out to escape this asylum while avoiding getting killed in the process.”
    • “There is a story, a deep horror story, but told in a way that keeps it light-hearted throughout.”
    • “The story is also great and has a few funny moments too.”
    • “The story is trash; the way it's sold is even trashier.”
    • “Poor pacing, subpar design, and to top it all off, not even a decent story.”
    • “I could speak a little about the story, but I'll save myself (and you) the time of reading the same thing you'll read in the game's description; that's more than you really need to know, considering that the story is so horribly uninteresting.”
  • atmosphere
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its chilling and immersive qualities, effectively capturing a dark, spooky vibe reminiscent of 90s horror comedy games. While some players noted technical issues and dated graphics, many found the combination of clever puzzles, engaging story, and dynamic sound design to create a compelling experience. Overall, the game successfully evokes a sense of discomfort and intrigue, making it appealing to fans of horror and adventure genres.

    • “So if you love a dark, spooky atmosphere, but prefer a less adrenaline-heavy experience, this might be right up your alley.”
    • “I don’t mind admitting that I got genuinely spooked by the atmosphere it managed to create.”
    • “The atmosphere is amazing and the gameplay is new and refreshing.”
    • “This game is strange, slightly janky, and sometimes a bit broken (I had to install some old .dll files to get it to work nicely with Windows 10), but it really nails the atmosphere and tone of 90s horror comedy games.”
    • “The graphics are terrible and the switch between top-down and first-person constantly breaks the atmosphere without adding any benefits to the gameplay.”
    • “Poor FPS killing the atmosphere.”
  • gameplay
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a blend of first-person and third-person perspectives, primarily focusing on puzzle-solving within an adventure framework. While some players appreciate the unique mechanics and engaging atmosphere, others criticize the graphics and occasional clunkiness, noting that the gameplay can decline in quality as it progresses. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and frustration, with a strong emphasis on exploration and problem-solving.

    • “Really cool adventure game that takes advantage of different mechanics to create a unique gameplay experience, at least for an adventure game.”
    • “The gameplay is more or less like a point and click adventure game with a top-down camera view, and all you have to do is solve puzzles.”
    • “The atmosphere is amazing and the gameplay is new and refreshing.”
    • “The graphics are terrible and the switch between top-down and first-person constantly breaks the atmosphere without adding any benefits to the gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay starts out okay but then quickly declines in quality as it progresses.”
    • “Meaning the gameplay is a little clunky, the action sequences can frustrate, and the graphics are notably dated.”
  • music
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, effectively enhancing the atmosphere and tension, with some tracks described as chilling and dynamic. However, opinions vary, as some players find certain pieces annoying or headache-inducing, while others appreciate the sound effects for their contribution to the eerie ambiance. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, despite some criticisms regarding its execution and timing within the gameplay.

    • “The sound effects are well made and in certain places it does add to the tension, as does the music.”
    • “Odd characters, chilling music, very dynamic, and creepy atmosphere definitely a recommended buy.”
    • “Great soundtrack.”
    • “Music is pretty disturbing.”
    • “The graphics aren't anything to write home about, they look like something from the mid 00s or even earlier and the music/sound effects are generally annoying.”
    • “For instance in the game while in birds-eye view all you can hear is the music and the sounds of your footsteps, which creates an eerie feeling within the game, but there was part of me that feels that this was put in too early.”
  • stability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report it runs smoothly with no significant bugs, others encounter various glitches and a critical issue related to a Windows 10 update that can render the game unplayable. Most agree that the bugs present are not game-breaking, but experiences may vary depending on the operating system.

    • “This game runs great.”
    • “The game is pretty buggy.”
    • “I've personally found no bugs or glitches within the game itself; however, there is one major issue with a Windows 10 update that makes the game completely unplayable.”
    • “In-game glitches.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been criticized, particularly by users experiencing significant performance issues, such as low frame rates (3 fps) on capable hardware, potentially linked to Windows 10 compatibility. While the title screen runs smoothly, overall performance remains a concern for many players.

    • “At least the title screen runs smoothly.”
    • “Maybe it is not optimized for Windows 10, but I'm not going to install Windows 7 to find out...”
    • “Some users, including me, are reporting very poor performance (3 fps) on good hardware; it's possibly Windows 10 related.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, likening it to a first-person shooter card farming simulator that requires repetitive tasks to progress.

    • “This gets tedious.”
    • “1 FPS card farming simulator.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express that the emotional experience can be hindered by the game's darkness, which creates a sense of disorientation and confusion, detracting from the overall immersion and emotional connection to the environment.

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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Blackbay Asylum is a arcade puzzle game with horror and comedy themes.

Blackbay Asylum is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Blackbay Asylum.

Blackbay Asylum was released on August 1, 2014.

Blackbay Asylum was developed by TAD Productions AB.

Blackbay Asylum has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its music.

Blackbay Asylum is a single player game.

Similar games include Lust from Beyond, Edna & Harvey: The Breakout, Deponia: The Complete Journey, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, Maize and others.