Deluded Mind
- June 14, 2018
- PyxtonStudios
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Deluded Mind" is a horror game where you play as Dean Catrall, an FBI agent who wakes up in Hillstone Asylum after being kidnapped and dosed with a powerful hallucinogen. As you navigate the institution, reality and illusion merge, creating a terrifying and surreal experience. The game features extreme horror, stunning graphics, and an original soundtrack to enhance the unsettling atmosphere. Your mission is to find your FBI partner and escape the asylum while battling disturbing hallucinations and uncovering the dark truth behind your kidnapping.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features well-timed and effective jump scares that enhance the horror experience.
- The graphics and sound design are impressive, creating a believable and immersive atmosphere.
- Some puzzles are challenging and engaging, providing a sense of accomplishment when solved.
- The game suffers from significant bugs, including crashes and issues with key items not appearing, which can prevent players from progressing.
- Many players found the maze-like level design frustrating, leading to excessive wandering and confusion.
- The reliance on jump scares and a lack of atmospheric tension detracts from the overall horror experience.
- story14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally seen as unoriginal and sometimes confusing, with mixed reviews on its execution; while some players appreciate its twists and entertainment value, others find it thin and lacking depth. Voice acting is considered adequate for a low-budget title, and while the narrative may not be groundbreaking, it serves its purpose in conjunction with gameplay elements. Overall, the story provides some intrigue and scares, but players should not expect a deeply engaging experience.
“I like games where I’m not quite sure where the story is going.”
“The game gave me a good share of scares, had a good (twisted) story, and some of the puzzles were quite tricky.”
“The story is enjoyable and entertaining but nothing extraordinary.”
“The story was a confusing mess; I had no idea what the game was about.”
“Just don't expect to get too enthralled in the story aspect of it.”
“The story is entertaining and exciting, but nothing extremely unique.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of basic puzzle-solving and exploration within a maze-like environment, often leading to frustration due to repetitive mechanics and a lack of engaging elements. While some puzzles offer a challenge, many players find the overall experience tiresome and uninspired, with a significant portion of the gameplay revolving around navigating hallways and finding keys. Overall, the gameplay is seen as mediocre, with a few moments of potential overshadowed by its monotonous execution.
“The story, gameplay, music, etc. were all solid!”
“The core gameplay comes down to solving a series of puzzles in order to progress through the asylum and complete your goals and objectives. These puzzles range from very easy, such as finding a key to open a door into the next room, to very hard and challenging puzzles that require a lot of thought and time in order to progress to the next stage of the game.”
“You can expect between 4-5 hours of gameplay depending on how long it takes for you to solve some puzzles.”
“What you get here is unfortunately your same ol' mental-illness madness tale with cement-shoes gameplay that consists of reading a little of this and a little of that, solving some very basic puzzles, getting stuck in weird hallways where you have to stumble your way to the exit by picking the right directions (sometimes running from a goofy baddie or two) while generally getting annoyed every 20 minutes further.”
“[i] Mediocre and tiresome 'psychological' maze experience, devoid of sounds and with an annoying flash mechanic in the last part - avoid!”
“After ten minutes of gameplay, you're yawning; ten minutes later, you're lucky not to nod off.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its ability to instill dread and tension through unsettling soundscapes and visually striking graphics, while others criticize it for lacking consistent ambiance and relying too heavily on jumpscares. Despite its potential for a compelling horror experience, some elements, such as puzzles, detract from the overall atmosphere, leading to a divide in player enjoyment. Overall, the sound design is noted as a strong point that enhances the game's eerie moments.
“The opening is slow and somewhat teasing in navigation; however, once the protagonist moves on to the next section, the atmosphere quickly alters by instilling dread and foreboding; unsettling soundscapes kick in on occasion, which greatly heighten the tension of a nightmare taking place.”
“Graphically it's beautiful, with great atmosphere in spite of cliches, and play runs extremely smooth on PC or Steam Link.”
“The dev did a really good job here and the sound design actually greatly supports the atmosphere and the shock moments.”
“It lacks atmosphere by settling on dark and dreary visual choices, although the sound is at least above average.”
“Unfortunately, there's a severe lack of atmosphere and ambiance in the game, and soundscapes only play during a very few specific moments.”
“I personally hate jumpscares because they are a lazy attempt at eliciting fear instead of actually creating a creepy atmosphere or occurrences in the game that the player can infer fear from.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and detail, showcasing impressive visuals made possible by the Unreal Engine. Players appreciate the smooth performance on PC and Steam Link, as well as the strong atmospheric elements that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the graphics exceed expectations for the genre, contributing to a visually stunning and immersive gameplay experience.
“Graphically it's beautiful, with great atmosphere in spite of cliches, and play runs extremely smooth on PC or Steam Link.”
“The graphics within the game are very nice and assets from the Unreal Engine have been used perfectly throughout the game.”
“Graphics are beautiful and very well detailed.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is lacking, with significant loading times and performance issues, including drops to around 30 fps and stuttering in certain areas. However, considering its 3-4 hour playtime and overall content quality, many players find the $14 CAD price point reasonable despite these shortcomings.
“For its longevity of 3-4 hours, the quality of the content within, and the great performance stability, the asking price of $14 CAD isn't too bad.”
“It's not optimized as well as it could be, but that's not the main problem.”
“The game has huge loading times, and the performance was pretty bad at some points (about 30 fps). In one area, the game did stutter.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly highlighting frustrations with long wait times for abilities to recharge, which can hinder progress and enjoyment.
“Another issue in the game was the very last riddle, for which I couldn't find the clue. Having to wait so long for the flash to be usable again was rather tedious.”
“Tedious beyond belief.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its solid integration, enhancing the overall experience without relying on clichéd cues. It contributes to a constant sense of uncertainty, effectively complementing the gameplay and story.
“The story, gameplay, and music were all solid!”
“There is no reliance on stupid music to suggest they're coming, and because the game keeps you in a constant state of uncertainty, there really is no way to know exactly when they're going to happen.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a stable gaming experience with no significant glitches, although some adjustments, like increasing gamma, may be necessary for optimal visibility. Key binding functionality is also praised, indicating a well-implemented control system.
