Edge of Sanity

About

Edge of Sanity is a single player survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Vixa Games and was released on September 13, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"Edge of Sanity" is a psychological survival horror game set in the wilderness of Alaska, inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos. After a resupply mission goes wrong, you must explore caves, mines, and laboratories to uncover the truth. Manage your camp, scavenge for supplies, and make wise decisions to ensure survival in this hand-crafted 2D art style game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 89 reviews

story21 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a captivating Lovecraftian atmosphere with excellent art and sound design, enhancing the overall experience.
Gameplay combines survival mechanics with resource management, creating a tense and engaging challenge as players navigate the horrors of the setting.
The voice acting is fully realized and adds depth to the characters, making the story more immersive and enjoyable.

Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, particularly with keyboard and mouse, which may hinder the gameplay experience.
The game can feel repetitive and lacks variety in gameplay elements, leading to a sense of monotony over time.
Some players may find the story predictable and the pacing slow, which could detract from overall engagement.

story
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
10%
The game's story is a blend of Lovecraftian horror and corporate intrigue, featuring interesting concepts and atmospheric elements that pique player interest. However, many reviews criticize the plot for being slow, predictable, and filled with archetypal characters, leading to a mixed reception overall. While some players find the narrative engaging with surprising twists, others feel it lacks depth and skillful storytelling, resulting in a somewhat disappointing experience.
- “The story is interesting, the setting is a mix of Lovecraft/cosmic horror and SCP or Umbrella Corp vibes.”
- “Because the writing, music, voice acting, and story are excellent.”
- “The story, while not entirely stunning, does have a couple of twists that are genuinely surprising.”
- “The plot is boring and predictable, the enemies are just worms, and the characters are cut-and-paste archetypes.”
- “The game batters you over the head with your character being possessed by some demon and being in a loop or something constantly, then acts like you're too dumb to figure it out by having the one plot NPC talk behind your back about it like you have no idea what's going on.”
- “There's such a thing as skill at storytelling, and this game's story doesn't have it.”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of Lovecraftian horror and survival/resource management mechanics, drawing heavy inspiration from titles like Darkest Dungeon. Players engage in real-time combat while managing stress, hunger, and inventory, with an emphasis on scouting, crafting, and stealth. While some find the early gameplay loop repetitive, it evolves into a more engaging experience in later acts, offering a mix of strategic decision-making and creative survival tactics.
- “A perfect mix of Lovecraftian horror and survival/resource management-based gameplay, that's all right up my alley.”
- “The gameplay loop is very reminiscent of the games I mentioned above: stress and resource management, with an upgradable base to keep resources coming in and stress levels low; scouting/scavenging, weapon durability, and stealth are also major mechanics here; there are multiple ways to dispatch or avoid enemy encounters, with each enemy type having exploitable weaknesses and strengths, making for fun and creative survival gameplay.”
- “Pro: great atmosphere, complex mechanics, blends base management with survival/extraction levels where you need to bring back resources to keep people alive and upgrade buildings.”
- “Gameplay is where it falls apart for me.”
- “For me, the act 1 gameplay loop was kind of repetitive and boring after the story missions, but then act 2 was a lot more fun and I felt like I got a good grip on things.”
- “Of note: the dash mechanic of this game needs improvement.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
19%
8%
The game excels in creating a captivating atmosphere, heavily influenced by Lovecraftian themes, with a foreboding soundtrack that enhances the experience. Players appreciate the blend of survival mechanics and base management, alongside a visually appealing art style reminiscent of "Darkest Dungeon." Overall, the atmosphere is consistently praised as immersive and engaging, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The atmosphere is great and the story is interesting.”
- “The game itself is very atmospheric and Lovecraftian; so far, the story of a shady corporation doing some research is piquing my interest.”
- “Great atmosphere; if you like Lovecraft, you are going to enjoy this short but sweet little indie.”
- “Creepy atmosphere combined with some retro sci-fi.”
- “The music is also, as I said, satisfactorily foreboding and adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
5%
6%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring a detailed and atmospheric art style reminiscent of "Darkest Dungeon." While some reviewers note that the game is not high-budget or particularly original, the combination of good artwork, sound design, and a compelling Lovecraftian atmosphere contributes to an engaging experience. Overall, players appreciate the neat graphics and immersive soundscape, which enhance the gameplay.
- “The art style is fantastic, with detailed multi-layered 2D environments.”
- “Nice atmosphere and graphics, it got me hooked :)”
- “The graphics are neat and the soundscape is great.”
- “This game only took inspiration from Lovecraft lore and the art style of Darkest Dungeon.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The game's replayability is a contentious topic among users, with some arguing that its linear story structure limits replay value, while others highlight the potential for multiple playthroughs by saving different survivors with varying skill sets. Overall, opinions are divided, with some players finding little incentive to replay, while others see opportunities for varied experiences.
- “I haven't finished the game yet, but I know that replayability is a given, considering that you can save different survivors with different skill sets.”
- “It assumes replayability and multiple playthroughs.”
- “The only flimsy excuse he gave was this: 'this game has zero replayability.' This is a story-based linear game, and I personally find nothing wrong with it.”
- “This is entirely linear, and there's no replayability or variety.”
- “So there's not that much replay value, except maybe in getting different survivors (you can't get all of them in one playthrough unless a couple die off, and they don't affect the ending anyways).”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
23%
23%
The music in the game is highly praised for its dynamic and foreboding qualities, significantly enhancing the Lovecraftian atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the soundtrack as one of the standout elements, contributing to the overall immersive experience. Despite the game's low budget and lack of originality, the music is considered excellent and a key factor in its appeal.
- “The soundtrack is terrific and dynamic, and is one of my favorite elements of this game.”
- “Because the writing, music, voice acting, and story are excellent.”
- “It's supposed to be a survival affair, but it's really a bad game of musical chairs.”
- “The introductory scene involves the moon suddenly being replaced by a gigantic eye while a stressful musical 'sting' plays.”
- “The music is also, as I said, satisfactorily foreboding and adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling disconnected from the immersive experience due to poorly designed environments. Despite the time spent gathering resources and upgrading facilities, many encounters lead to setbacks that can be frustrating, particularly in Act 3, where the grinding becomes even more pronounced. However, some players note that the overarching story helps maintain a slight level of investment amidst the grind.
- “After spending an hour grinding metal and wood and upgrading my food and water stations, I got one bad event that destroyed my food stockpile, another that poisoned my water, another where some survivors were thieves and punishing them ruins morale, and finally one that destroyed my upgrade to water and food stations.”
- “Act 3 requires more repetitive grinding, so that's not exactly the most fun, but the overarching story helps keep you marginally invested.”
- “Environments are tedious and make no sense, being built like it's a platforming game and taking you entirely out of immersion. Why am I climbing a 50-foot tall vine wall into a cave?”