Sanitarium

About

Sanitarium is a single player survival role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by Dotemu and was released on October 29, 2014. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Sanitarium" is a horrifying single-player role-playing game with intriguing puzzles and a gripping story, set in a creepy asylum. With good graphics, a stellar soundtrack, and a delightful atmosphere, players will question their own sanity in this immersive and captivating adventure. Despite some grinding, the game offers plenty of humor and a wholesome story for both beginners and puzzle-solving experts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,062 reviews

story334 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

Engaging and twisted storyline that keeps players intrigued throughout the game.
Unique and surreal environments that create a haunting atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
Challenging puzzles that require observation and critical thinking, making the gameplay rewarding.

Clunky controls and slow character movement can be frustrating, especially during backtracking.
Some puzzles can be obscure or require pixel hunting, leading to potential confusion and reliance on walkthroughs.
Voice acting quality varies, with some performances being subpar and detracting from the immersive experience.

story
704 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The story of "Sanitarium" is widely praised for its engaging and intricate narrative, which combines psychological horror with surreal elements, drawing players into a deeply immersive experience. While some reviews note that the plot can become convoluted or predictable, many appreciate its emotional depth and the way it unfolds across various chapters, each with unique themes and settings. Despite its dated graphics and occasionally frustrating gameplay mechanics, the storytelling remains a standout feature, making it a memorable point-and-click adventure that resonates with players long after completion.
- “The story is very engaging and the plot is so cool.”
- “The story line is insane, and half of it takes a while to make sense of, but that's part of why I love it.”
- “Sanitarium perfectly combines horror, humor and disgust to make a compelling story that sticks with you.”
- “Predictable story with puzzles that at times make no sense.”
- “To my dismay, the story is confusing and uninteresting.”
- “Overall story was a let down and the ending felt unsatisfying.”
graphics
232 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The graphics of the game, released in 1998, are widely regarded as dated and clunky, with many reviewers noting their low resolution and pixelated quality. However, despite their age, the visuals are often described as charming and unique, contributing to the game's eerie atmosphere and storytelling. While some players wish for a remaster to enhance the graphics, many appreciate the nostalgic and artistic style that still resonates with fans of classic point-and-click adventures.
- “The graphics and voice acting have a nice charm to them and many moments of unintentional hilarity, and the overall atmosphere is bizarre and pretty unique.”
- “The visuals are often unsettling and creepy, and not just because the graphics are so old, though somehow that seems to help make the unsettling parts more horrific rather than less.”
- “The graphics still hold up well enough to this day, too, though I wouldn't mind seeing a makeover.”
- “There are no updated graphics, no updated cut scenes, nothing.”
- “If at least the graphics had been updated, I would not have asked for a refund.”
- “The graphics are definitely nothing to write home about.”
atmosphere
206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
33%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique, unsettling, and immersive qualities, effectively blending eerie soundtracks, bizarre environments, and compelling storytelling. Players describe it as a nightmarish experience that evokes feelings of confusion and discomfort, enhanced by dated graphics that contribute to its haunting charm. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, making it a standout in the point-and-click adventure genre.
- “The atmosphere created is one-of-a-kind, eerie, and intriguing, but not so indulgent in the grotesque that one has to spend every second in anticipation of another shock.”
- “The atmosphere is superb, creating a strange sense of isolation and eeriness throughout the game.”
- “Absolutely incredible atmosphere and storytelling.”
- “Each one of Max's hallucinations is its own story that takes you to a weird and disturbing world with a cold, unforgiving atmosphere.”
- “The game has a mysterious and unsettling atmosphere which just adds to immersion.”
- “That half deserves 8.5/10, but the second half of the game delivered lots of themes which made the game much more confusing and weird, watering down the atmosphere and keeping mostly surreal and grotesque themes.”
music
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The music in "Sanitarium" is widely praised for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, effectively enhancing the game's eerie narrative and immersive experience. While some players find the sound chaotic or overwhelming at times, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's unsettling ambiance and emotional depth. Many reviewers highlight specific tracks that resonate deeply, making the music an integral part of the game's identity.
- “The music and sound are outstanding!”
- “The soundtrack is wonderfully atmospheric, especially in chapters 2 and 4.”
- “The music is atmospheric and variously maddening, creepy, beautiful, and haunting.”
- “The sounds and music are a bit chaotic sometimes, and the controls are a bit clunky, but I didn't encounter any bugs like some of the others.”
- “Sound can be aggressive for your ears, and some music is quite unnerving; tweak this in the menu.”
- “After doing a new install of the game, you'll probably want to configure the sound options in the game main menu (by hitting esc), as music and sound effects are rather loud and can drown out character voice lines with the 'out of the box' settings.”
gameplay
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay of Sanitarium is characterized by clunky mechanics and frustrating navigation, particularly with movement controls that can lead to accidental actions, such as repeatedly walking up and down stairs. While the puzzles can be hit or miss and may require backtracking, the game's compelling story and atmospheric presentation often compensate for these shortcomings, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre despite its dated design. Overall, players may find the gameplay tedious at times, but the narrative and artistic elements keep them engaged.
- “The story is terrific, gameplay is excellent (except for the last few levels).”
- “Great puzzles, clever psychological horror, creepy themes, and fun gameplay.”
- “At first I struggled to get into this game, but after a few chapters I got used to the gameplay and began to really enjoy the puzzles.”
- “The gameplay itself is pretty clunky as most old adventure games are... you'll probably need a walkthrough, but it's worth uncovering the horrors of this nightmare just for the visuals and presentation alone!”
- “The archaic, somehow inexplicably byzantine interface makes it painfully evident how much video games of this genre have evolved in the last two decades... and the decision to make some crucial gameplay sequences depend on the most frustrating movement controls I have ever seen left me baffled and perplexed.”
- “Gameplay is very repetitive, and by that I mean: chapter is starting, you slowly walk around, talk with every NPC/press any available conversations, you try to find items (it means that you need to find something that looks like an item to pick up, then you need to inspect this item, and only then you can pick it up), then you try to find puzzles to solve, then you realize that you don't have 'key items' to solve a puzzle (because sometimes you just can't pick up things if the game decides that you don't need them), which means backtracking aka 'slowly going back'.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Sanitarium" is described as a unique blend of dark and quirky, effectively juxtaposed with its creepy atmosphere and horror elements. Players appreciate the unexpected comedic moments that arise amidst the unsettling narrative, with clever dialogue and engaging puzzles that contribute to the overall experience. Despite its heavy themes, the game successfully incorporates humor, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
- “Sanitarium perfectly combines horror, humor, and disgust to make a compelling story that sticks with you.”
- “Building entire psychotic worlds over the depressing backdrop, Sanitarium manages to tap into the grotesque, eccentric, and sometimes funny subconscious of its protagonist, Max, without losing focus of the meta narrative.”
- “The disturbingly suffocating mood simply disappears, and, in its place, an unfittingly humorous tone is adopted.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and chore-like, particularly due to slow movement and the necessity to engage with numerous characters and dialogues. Many find the repetitive back-and-forth navigation frustrating, especially in certain chapters where puzzles feel overly drawn out and convoluted. While the story remains engaging, the gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of irritation and monotony.
- “It feels tedious and like a chore.”
- “Requiring to talk to every single character and going through the dialog was very tedious, and the need to walk slowly all over the place made it even more so.”
- “Without Tales of Monkey Island’s keyboard alternative, the gameplay becomes extremely tedious after several hours; the frustration is exacerbated by the vast amount of walking back and forth done in some chapters, resulting in walking up and down the same flight of stairs three or four times before you can convince your character to walk past it, not to mention the poor placement of NPCs who unintentionally block potential shortcuts.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotionally poignant storytelling, effectively blending horror with heartfelt moments that resonate deeply with players, often evoking tears and strong connections to the characters. While some puzzles may detract from the overall emotional impact, the narrative's exploration of themes like mental illness and loss adds significant depth, making it a compelling choice for those seeking an emotionally charged point-and-click adventure. Overall, it successfully balances creepiness with emotional weight, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “Also, a heart-touching story that may bring tears to your eyes!”
- “My heart ached; I deeply connected and feared for the fate of the characters. To be honest, in some more emotional moments, I was on the verge of tears.”
- “It also has a lot of heartfelt moments about dealing with mental illness, depression, and loss.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with some players experiencing significant bugs and lock-ups that hinder progress, particularly in later chapters. While a few users report smooth performance without crashes, many others note issues with camera panning and glitches, suggesting that saving frequently is advisable. Overall, the game runs well for some, but the prevalence of bugs makes it a frustrating experience for others.
- “Runs great out of the box.”
- “Great game that runs great.”
- “Great game that runs great.”
- “Very buggy, can't progress chapter 3 because of that.”
- “The camera/viewport panning is often terrible in following the character, and glitches out now and then.”
- “Too bad it runs so badly on modern Windows... very buggy and many lock-ups, so save often.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to its linear structure, single ending, and short playtime, with most players only returning for 100% achievement completion. However, the compelling and well-written story offers a unique experience that can make replaying feel fresh, akin to experiencing it for the first time. While not typical for adventure games, some players find significant value in revisiting the narrative.
- “Despite its lack of story choices, single ending, and short play time (11 hours), I feel Sanitarium has a lot of replay value because the story is compelling, well written, and fun to come back to.”
- “That's when we come to the great thing about Sanitarium, which is really uncommon in adventure games - replayability.”
- “After finishing the story, there's little to no replay value, unless you want to go for 100% achievements (as there are a few missable ones; the quickest way to get them all is by loading up a save-game, so that you don't have to play through the entire story all over again).”
- “Sadly it's quite linear, so replay value is limited, but the story more than makes up for it.”
- “Even now, the replay value is almost like playing the game for the first time.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highly praised for its seamless integration with gameplay elements, such as puzzles and randomness, creating a balanced experience that immerses players deeply in the narrative. Reviewers highlight that the strength of character development can make players forget they are engaging in a point-and-click adventure.
- “The puzzles, the randomness, and the character development are so perfectly balanced that you will probably even forget you're playing a point-and-click adventure.”
- “Great character development.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express concerns about misleading advertisements related to monetization, suggesting that the game's promotional materials do not accurately represent the in-game purchases or monetization strategies. This has led to frustration and disappointment among players who feel misled.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game faces notable optimization issues, including cut scenes that skip and a game-breaking bug in chapter 3 that requires online guidance to resolve. While some dated elements are understandable given its late 90s release, these technical problems detract from the overall experience.
- “Putting aside minor things like dated graphics and controls (this was the late 90s), this game suffers from some optimization issues, such as cut scenes skipping and one game-breaking bug in chapter 3 unless you go online and follow a guide. This is to be expected, but the game also suffers from an underwhelming ending and clunky, unnecessary combat sequences.”