Demented

About

Demented is a single player casual puzzle game with a horror theme. It was developed by VisualTech48 and was released on July 26, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Demented" is a horror game that uses the innovative WCD system to create a terrifying experience for players. WCD alters the game world and perception based on the player's health and sanity levels, spawning frightening creatures and changing the environment. The developer claims even they are scared while playing, making it a promising entry in the horror genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Demented offers a unique psychological horror experience that emphasizes mental pressure and the player's internal state as a significant threat.
The game features an intriguing sanity mechanic that creates a persistent sense of urgency and tension, enhancing the overall atmosphere.
Visually, the game effectively uses lighting and sound design to establish a haunting and immersive environment, contributing to the unsettling experience.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including poor controls and a frustratingly dark environment that can hinder gameplay.
Many players find the pacing uneven and the lack of clear narrative direction can be alienating for those who prefer more structured horror experiences.
The sanity meter depletes too quickly, making the game feel overly punishing and leading to a frustrating experience for some players.

gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
73%
20%
The gameplay of "Demented" emphasizes exploration and survival within a disorienting environment, where players must manage a sanity mechanic that heightens tension and urgency. While some players appreciate its experimental approach and psychological depth, others criticize it for being unpolished and frustrating, particularly due to its reliance on fetch quests and limited visibility. Overall, the game offers a unique experience for those who value mood and psychological horror, despite its gameplay challenges.
- “While its presentation and mechanics may feel rough around the edges, its commitment to psychological horror gives it a unique identity that will resonate with players who value mood, experimentation, and sustained unease over polish and jump scares.”
- “Rather than guiding the player through a clearly structured narrative, the game drops you into this broken reality and asks you to survive long enough to piece together meaning from scattered clues, distorted spaces, and unsettling mechanics.”
- “The core gameplay loop revolves around exploration, survival, and managing overlapping systems that constantly work against the player.”
- “Players who enjoy experimental indie horror and unconventional mechanics often appreciate its ambition and unsettling systems, while others may find it rough, unpolished, or frustrating due to its limited guidance and sometimes unforgiving balance.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
The story is criticized for its uneven pacing and lack of clear direction, which may disappoint players seeking a more narrative-driven horror experience. Set in a sci-fi/horror environment on an abandoned space station, the plot is overshadowed by poor technical execution and feels like an afterthought, often reduced to tedious fetch quests. Overall, the narrative fails to engage, leaving players feeling disconnected from the experience.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “The pacing can feel uneven, and the lack of clear narrative direction may alienate players who prefer more story-driven horror experiences.”
- “There's a sci-fi/horror theme as you're on an abandoned space station chasing imaginary figures around, but the whole plot and story falls to last place up against the completely horrible, lazy, inept technical implementation.”
- “The reality is that this mechanic has been insufferably bolted on to a handful of fetch quests that demented would have you do largely in the pitch black, thanks to the impoverished lifetime of your flashlight.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The graphics of the game receive mixed feedback, with some players noting that while the visuals are appealing and effectively combine neon aesthetics with horror elements, the overall presentation feels unpolished and clunky. Despite these issues, many agree that the graphics are decent for the game's low price point, capturing a unique industrial future vibe.
- “The visuals are appealing; the brightly lit neon areas combined with the horror elements add something new and thrilling to the genre.”
- “Graphically, the game looks nice.”
- “The graphics do a good job of presenting what I think is some sort of neon future industrial world.”
- “The game is clearly unpolished; moving left to right is clunky, and there are no editing control bindings which need to be fixed. The graphics are pretty alright, but if this game was more polished, it may have received a higher rating.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The atmosphere in "demented" is effectively crafted through the use of lighting, fog, and environmental effects, despite its modest indie budget. Reviewers note that the game prioritizes psychological horror elements and systemic tension, creating an intriguing and immersive experience. Overall, while it has imperfections, the atmosphere is highlighted as a strong point with significant potential.
- “Nice atmosphere though, great potential.”
- “Visually, Demented is modest and clearly constrained by its indie budget, but it uses lighting, fog, and environmental effects effectively to establish atmosphere.”
- “Overall, Demented is an imperfect but intriguing psychological horror game that prioritizes atmosphere, mental deterioration, and systemic tension over spectacle.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music in the game is praised for its ability to create a relaxing atmosphere while also enhancing gameplay tension. Users appreciate the quality of both the sound effects and the music, noting that it contributes positively to the overall experience.
- “Sound effects and music are pretty good.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Music adds more tension to gameplay.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches, including issues like clipping through doors. Many feel that these problems are persistent and unlikely to be resolved.
- “Very buggy; I can clip through doors.”
- “There are still a lot of bugs and glitches that will never be resolved.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and overly demanding, often feeling like it requires an excessive time investment to progress. This has led to a perception of the game as hard to play, particularly in the context of its first-person horror elements.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Overall hard to play and very tedious first-person horror.”