Dementium: The Ward

About

Dementium: The Ward is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Atooi and was released on October 27, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Dementium: The Ward plunges you into a derelict hospital where you awaken with no memory, facing grotesque creatures and unraveling a dark mystery. Armed with improvised weapons, you must survive a relentless, psychological horror filled with eerie sounds and unsettling visuals. This remastered classic delivers a tense, atmospheric survival experience that tests your wits and courage.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 169 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Dementium: The Ward is a nostalgic horror experience that successfully translates the original DS gameplay to PC with improved controls and visuals.
The game maintains a unique atmosphere with its dark, creepy hospital setting and unsettling sound design, making it engaging for fans of survival horror.
The remaster includes quality-of-life improvements such as save points and the removal of respawning enemies, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

The game suffers from repetitive level design and enemy encounters, which can lead to a lack of engagement as players progress.
The absence of the notepad feature from the original DS version limits players' ability to take notes for puzzles, making some sections more challenging than necessary.
Combat can feel unsatisfying due to unresponsive enemy behavior and the lack of variety in enemy types, diminishing the horror experience.

gameplay
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
78%
6%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, particularly in combat and exploration. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and classic survival horror elements, others criticize the dated mechanics and lack of depth, especially when compared to modern titles. Overall, the gameplay is seen as functional but flawed, with a reliance on familiar tropes that may not satisfy players seeking innovation or variety.
- “Gameplay centers on first-person exploration, combat, and light puzzle solving, all framed by limited resources and constant vulnerability.”
- “It's a fun, morbid horror shooter with a dark tone, some intense scares, and great gameplay.”
- “And gameplay-wise, it kicks ass with punchy, varied weapons, combat variety, a great focus on swapping between guns and a flashlight during combat (Doom 3 fans should feel right at home here) and solid level design with some brain-scratching puzzles.”
- “All in all, this feels like a game made by ambitious people who were more concerned with whether they could actually make an FPS horror game than telling a deep narrative or creating top-notch gameplay.”
- “Enemy variety is limited, combat mechanics are relatively simple, and progression lacks the depth found in newer horror titles.”
- “If the 'definition of insanity' involves repeating the same thing over and over again while hoping for better results, the gameplay here will land you a first-class ticket to the nuthouse.”
atmosphere
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The atmosphere in "Dementium: The Ward" is consistently praised for its ability to evoke confusion and dread, prioritizing psychological discomfort over traditional jump scares. Reviewers highlight the game's strong sound design, haunting music, and dense environments that create a chilling and immersive experience, reminiscent of classic horror titles. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay and visuals, the overall tone and atmosphere are considered standout features that enhance the game's appeal.
- “The focus remains firmly on tension, atmosphere, and survival rather than constant stimulation, making it feel closer in spirit to early genre classics than to modern horror-action hybrids.”
- “From the moment you awaken in the decaying halls of Redmoor Hospital, the game establishes a mood of confusion and dread that prioritizes atmosphere and psychological discomfort over spectacle.”
- “The horror aspect of it is also nothing too crazy compared to what modern games offer, but the unsettling atmosphere of being in a dark asylum with monsters still holds up.”
- “While many modern horror titles rely on jump scares and recycled tropes, this game revives the genre with originality and a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after you stop playing.”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
10%
The graphics of "Dementium Remastered" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the technical improvements and enhanced visuals that maintain the game's original grim aesthetic. While some players appreciate the retro charm and the option to toggle between old and new graphics, others note that the visuals, though solid for their time, are not cutting-edge and can feel outdated. Overall, the remaster successfully sharpens textures and clarity, providing a visually appealing experience that complements the game's atmosphere.
- “A prime example of a remaster done right, preserving the atmosphere and presentation of the original game while giving it modern controls and updated graphics (even allowing you to play with the original DS graphics if you so desire).”
- “The redone visuals also look really nice, and as much as I loved the NDS aesthetic, the redone assets do look quite nicer on a bigger screen and higher resolution.”
- “While the visuals themselves are not cutting-edge, the remastered presentation sharpens textures and improves clarity without sacrificing the grimy, uncomfortable aesthetic that defines the experience.”
- “There's multiple options for retro graphics with no texture filtering, which is slightly off-putting as it's still the 3DS assets, not the original DS ones.”
- “It's an NDS game first and foremost, so expect a fair bit of jank, both in controls and graphics.”
story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
56%
9%
The story in "Dementium: The Ward" is often described as minimal and predictable, relying heavily on environmental storytelling and sparse cutscenes rather than a rich narrative. While some players appreciate the atmospheric elements and the slow-burn dread, many find the plot thin and repetitive, with a lack of depth that fails to engage those seeking a more intricate storyline. Overall, the game offers a haunting experience, but its narrative shortcomings leave much to be desired.
- “Rather than delivering its story through long cutscenes, the game relies on environmental storytelling, scattered notes, and disturbing imagery to slowly piece together the truth.”
- “Dementium: The Ward impresses with its thoroughly thrilling story about an amnesiac patient who must fight his way through a sinister hospital.”
- “The atmosphere is top notch, with a minimalist story about a haunted asylum told through notes and really good pre-rendered cinematics, haunting music, and some genuinely dark environments that benefit the horror.”
- “There is barely a story to speak of.”
- “You can probably guess the entirety of its nonexistent story already.”
- “The enemies went from scary to annoying, the environments became repetitive, and the story became more and more predictable.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric qualities and memorable themes, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of variety. Many appreciate the haunting soundtrack that enhances the game's eerie ambiance, though some note that it can feel cut short or overly simplistic. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, it may not impress those seeking a more diverse auditory experience.
- “The atmosphere is top notch, with a minimalist story about a haunted asylum told through notes and really good pre-rendered cinematics, haunting music, and some genuinely dark environments that benefit the horror.”
- “The music in this game will stick with me forever.”
- “It's got that music, gameplay, and atmosphere all wrapped by a golden ribbon; goddamn, Dementium of the Wards is fire!”
- “The game lacks on enemy design, level design, sound design, and music.”
- “Spend the entire game walking down the same looking corridors fighting the same enemy types while a 5-second music loop plays.”
- “The music is just a repetitive noise consisting of a few piano notes, often remixed for different rooms and constantly changing between locations.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with high-energy cutscenes and quirky enemy designs contributing to its campy charm. Players find the absurdity of certain elements, like the screaming head enemy and amusing sound effects, to be particularly funny, making for a lighthearted experience even amidst horror themes. Overall, the humor adds a unique and entertaining layer to gameplay, enhancing replayability.
- “The short high-energy cutscenes border on campy and are definitely funny.”
- “The game is unintentionally hilarious.”
- “Oh, and that screaming head enemy is just hilarious.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback. While some users note that performance is not as expected, possibly due to engine issues, others appreciate the smooth transition from DS controls to mouse and keyboard, with commendable visuals and efficient power consumption, achieving 60fps even on high settings.
- “This was a game I was intending to play through emulation, only to be surprised that they made and released a PC port. From what I've played so far, they have nicely transitioned the original's touch controls from the DS to that of mouse and keyboard for PC, as well as having great performance. I really love the visuals, even if they're those of the original DS but enhanced, as it gives the game that retro vibe.”
- “Barely consumes any power (4+ hour long battery life on the 'hi res' setting) and runs at 60fps, which is great, but you'd also expect that considering it's a port of a port of a well-optimized DS game.”
- “Performance isn't as good as I'd expect; I'm assuming it's due to something with the engine.”
- “The game suffers from significant frame drops, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “I encountered frequent stuttering and lag, which really detracted from the gameplay.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users report that the game offers little to no replay value, with minimal incentives to continue playing after the initial experience.
- “There is little to no replay value or incentive to continue playing.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's not much reason to go back.”
- “The lack of variety in gameplay makes replaying feel tedious.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be poorly designed and excessively tedious, leading to frustration and a lack of engagement. Many feel that the repetitive nature of gameplay could deter younger players from continuing, making it a significant drawback compared to other titles in the genre.
- “Other than that, I find this to be a really badly designed game that is extremely tedious to play through. If I had had this game as a kid, I would have quickly given up playing it and moved on to something else.”
- “I played through Far Cry 1 earlier this year, and this has easily surpassed that as an annoyingly tedious game to complete, mostly thanks to this enemy.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with most players reporting minimal issues. However, some users have experienced occasional graphical bugs in the final level and random sound cutouts in specific areas.
- “The last level is a little graphically buggy, and there was a section where the sound randomly cut out in a hallway but then came back.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a unique mechanic where players must interact with unsettling elements, such as touching maggots, to progress, creating a blend of discomfort and engagement that evokes strong feelings.