Miasmata

About

"Miasmata is a single-player Horror Role Playing game with an intriguing story, stellar gameplay, and good graphics. As Robert Hughes, a plague-stricken scientist, you explore a mysterious island to discover a cure while avoiding a deadly creature. With an atmospheric soundtrack and challenging gameplay, Miasmata offers a unique and sensational experience, despite some bugs and grinding."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,569 reviews

gameplay132 positive mentions

stability66 negative mentions

Unique cartography system that requires triangulation to map the island, enhancing the exploration experience.
Immersive atmosphere with beautiful environments and a strong sense of isolation and survival.
Engaging gameplay focused on collecting plants and synthesizing medicines to combat the protagonist's illness.

Clunky movement mechanics that can lead to frequent falls and frustration while navigating the terrain.
Limited inventory system that restricts the number of plants you can carry, making resource management tedious.
The creature that stalks the player can become more of an annoyance than a genuine threat, reducing tension over time.

gameplay
506 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The gameplay of Miasmata is centered around exploration and unique mechanics, particularly its innovative triangulation system for mapping the environment, which many players find engaging and rewarding. However, the game is marred by clunky controls and frustrating movement mechanics that can detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. While the atmosphere and concept are praised, the lack of depth in gameplay and occasional technical issues leave some players feeling that the game could benefit from further refinement.
- “Miasmata stands out by making charting and traversing its world the core gameplay of it.”
- “The cartography mechanic is genius; mapping the island feels like a real accomplishment.”
- “Exploration is at the core of Miasmata, relying on an initially empty map, a clever triangulation mechanic, and making the simple act of walking around a possible danger.”
- “The actual gameplay is just brutal.”
- “A rather tedious walking simulator with unintuitive mechanics, extremely clunky controls, and irritating time sinks.”
- “The mechanics are broken, the gameplay is frustrating as f@ck, the controls are clunky, you will grow to hate it in no time...”
graphics
360 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
54%
16%
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with many players noting that while they may feel dated and occasionally glitchy, they still possess a certain charm and artistic vision that enhances the overall experience. Some beautiful environmental visuals, particularly during sunset and sunrise, stand out, but the game suffers from issues like pop-in textures and awkward character animations. Overall, while the graphics may not meet modern standards, they are often appreciated for their nostalgic quality and the unique atmosphere they help create.
- “I fell in love with the graphics, the theme, and the artwork.”
- “The visuals are beautifully charming, and even though I've played it nearly a decade after its release, the visuals still hold up remarkably well, due to their nostalgic nature, which is difficult to pull off in 3D games, combined with the incredible detail in the flora and fauna, if not in graphical fidelity then in artistic vision.”
- “Beautiful environment, simply brilliant graphics, with the weather patterns, day/night cycle, and the flora and fauna all fully realized and vibrant.”
- “The graphics aren't great by modern standards, but keep in mind that this entire game was made by two brothers from the ground up, engine and all, in 2012.”
- “The graphics are obviously outdated, which is expected from most indie games, so there is nothing too special or interesting about the island, and all of the ruins I came across appeared to be completely abandoned props with nothing to do.”
- “The graphics, particularly the textures, are very dated in places.”
story
360 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
4%
The story in "Miasmata" is intriguing and unfolds through scattered notes and environmental storytelling, allowing players to piece together the narrative at their own pace. While some find the plot engaging and well-integrated with gameplay mechanics, others feel it lacks depth and can be confusing or underwhelming. Overall, the game offers a unique exploration experience with a mysterious backdrop, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of its storytelling approach.
- “The story is really interesting, and is very well implemented into the game mechanics.”
- “Overall a great game with beautiful environments and an interesting story to discover.”
- “The story is interesting enough to keep me playing, the world is varied and intriguing, and the whole thing is very open for the player to explore.”
- “Worst thing: the story, it's uber cringey and 0% compelling.”
- “I did not find all the notes, but the ones I did offered a pretty lacklustre story that evoked more 'oh... okay then' rather than 'wow, I wanna find all the notes and figure out what is going on.'”
- “The story doesn't make you care one bit about the character because in all honesty there is no character, it's just you, the island, its flowers and the beast.”
atmosphere
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively blending elements of exploration, survival, and tension. Players appreciate the beautiful landscapes, eerie sound design, and the sense of being watched by unpredictable creatures, which enhance the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding graphics and controls, the game's ability to create a captivating and atmospheric environment is consistently highlighted as a standout feature.
- “The atmosphere pulls you in and keeps you in a survivor's mindset as you work your way across a lush island.”
- “Miasmata excels in creating a haunting atmosphere that is at once peaceful and tense.”
- “The atmosphere is great, the gameplay simple and enjoyable, and the immersion (and suspense) is first-class.”
- “I don't know anything about cool concepts or atmosphere in the game because the clunky controls and horrible spelling in game text ruined my experience right from the start.”
- “But... visually everything is just a little too clunky, obtuse and unrefined to keep the atmosphere going.”
- “While the soundtrack is reasonable, the audio atmosphere is lacking most of the time and there are plenty of sound effects missing.”
music
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the exploration experience with soothing soundscapes that evoke a sense of safety and tranquility. While the soundtrack is excellent, it plays sparingly, often only during specific events or when discovering new locations, which some players feel limits its overall impact. Despite this, the combination of ambient sounds and occasional musical highlights contributes significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is outstanding—you’ll really feel as if you are on a deserted island, complete with the cries of seagulls and the soothing sound of the surf as you jog along the beach.”
- “The music fills you with such a calm and relaxed feeling as you discover new outposts and hear its unique discovery music for the first time.”
- “There's a soft ambient soundtrack that underlines the experience, making exploring the island strangely calming, despite the need for survival.”
- “While the game has almost no music, it more than makes up for it by the aforementioned.”
- “It lacks true ambience, and the music only comes up in the menu.”
- “While the soundtrack is reasonable, the audio atmosphere is lacking most of the time and there are plenty of sound effects missing.”
stability
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game is widely criticized for its numerous stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that can significantly disrupt gameplay. While some players find the experience enjoyable despite these problems, many report that the instability can make the game nearly unplayable at times. Overall, the game's charm and exploration elements are often overshadowed by its technical shortcomings.
- “It runs great for me on max settings, with the occasional resource loading pause.”
- “The game is not very buggy, but I did experience an occasional crash, and its lighting at night and landmark recognition were a bit quirky at times.”
- “The game's a buggy mess; things seem to break at random (my favorite time was when game-saving actions caused the game to crash; I have no idea what I did to fix it, or if the game graciously allowed me to play again). Some achievements won't work unless you install an unofficial patch.”
- “It's buggy as hell, but there are patches and a collection system available in the community to help you along.”
- “The game currently is very buggy and almost unplayable, though I personally must say that this game before it had been ruined by the disgraceful brothers was quite a fancy piece.”
grinding
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being poorly implemented and excessively tedious, with many players finding the mechanics frustrating and the gameplay laborious. Tasks such as navigating the journal, cartography, and resource management are described as time-consuming and lacking in engaging content, leading to a sense of unnecessary repetition. While some players appreciate the rewarding nature of patience and exploration, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game suffers from clunky controls and tedious mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
- “However, the game being extremely tedious to play for 80% of its playtime just ruins it all...”
- “But as a game, it's just tedious and clunky, to the point where I can't even hang long enough to explore the interesting ideas.”
- “The idea of a quest/storyline is great, but it's so tedious and slow to get flowers that I feel it falls very short of its potential benefit.”
emotional
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a strong emotional response, with players feeling a profound sense of loss and tension throughout their experience. While it may not be the most emotionally charged game overall, it successfully creates an immersive atmosphere that combines beauty, mystery, and emotional fear, leading to moments of genuine emotional impact. The combination of stunning landscapes and a poignant soundtrack enhances the emotional journey, making it a memorable experience for many players.
- “The only game I’ve ever played that truly made me feel lost.”
- “A very fun and emotionally gripping experience.”
- “This game was such an emotional ride that I nominated it for the 'I'm not crying, there's something in my eye' award.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
50%
40%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to poor performance, stuttering, and crashes, particularly on older hardware. While the developers are responsive and show potential for improvement, the current state of optimization detracts from the overall experience and graphics quality.
- “There are a very few rough edges, and optimization needs to get better, but it will. These guys answer almost every post on the forums and are just freaking rock stars.”
- “Miasmata has received some nice accolades but also some criticism about its graphics quality, performance, and playing style.”
- “However, the game is extremely poorly optimized and doesn't even look particularly good.”
- “The performance of Miasmata is pretty poor and older hardware will have a tough time running it.”
- “Performance issues can bring the entire world to a complete standstill for several seconds at a time, and you'll eventually realize that the only thing that 'no loading screens' really means is that loading can get you killed.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its awkward physics and animations, with players finding amusement in the protagonist's clumsy movements and unexpected falls. While some moments, like hilarious glitches and funny typos, elicit laughter, the overall experience can become frustrating and repetitive, leading to mixed feelings about the comedic elements. Despite initial charm, many players feel that the humor wears thin over time, overshadowed by persistent bugs and awkward design choices.
- “At the start of your adventure, you slide around like you are some wet block of soap trying to reach your goal, and end up slipping off a cliff and ultimately die or get hurt, which is kind of funny if you ask me, but also somewhat annoying.”
- “If you do decide to take on this journey, be prepared to see stretched/wonky textures, broken trees, awkward animations (the final scene of the game is hilariously bad, as are the drinking animations), a funny typo at the end of the game, glitched/broken achievements, being able to pick up more than one item in one hand, and odd framerate drops.”
- “+ pretty funny physics where you stumble and roll (and sometimes die) if you go too fast down a hill.”
- “Not funny.”
- “Not funny.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
63%
25%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable enough to revisit after a break or to attempt speed-runs for achievements, many others feel that it lacks significant replay value once the main content is completed. The consensus suggests that while the game can provide around 30 hours of fun, familiarity with the environment diminishes the incentive to replay.
- “Definitely replayable after enough time has passed so that you've forgotten where everything is.”
- “While I do believe and feel that this game still feels like it's in early access and should be polished up more, I will not deny that this game offers replayability and numerous content for players to enjoy.”
- “Not much replay value either, this game can give you 30 hours of fun tops.”
- “Once the game is done, there is no replay value which saddens me a lot.”
- “Replayability is probably diminishing if you get to the point where you are very well familiarized with the entire island, but that should take a very long playtime; plus it's possible to try a speed-run for the achievements, which adds another degree of challenge to veteran players.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being misleading, as the appealing advertising does not reflect the actual gameplay experience, which is described as shallow and hindered by poor controls. Players feel that the game's monetization strategy may exploit its attractive visuals while failing to deliver meaningful gameplay.