The Derailed

About

The Derailed is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by Deformed Dreams Studio and was released on September 11, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

The Derailed - a first-person psychological horror game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

story8 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Strong and tense atmosphere with effective jump scares that maintain suspense throughout the game.
Impressive visuals and sound design that create an immersive and creepy horror environment.
Well-paced gameplay with intuitive puzzles and a compelling, mysterious narrative delivered through environmental storytelling and notes.

Poor optimization causing significant performance issues even on high-end hardware, including low frame rates and high CPU usage.
Story can become confusing and unfocused in parts, with some players finding it hard to piece together the narrative.
Some technical issues such as occasional bugs, lack of voice acting, fast-paced dialogue, and no manual save or control remapping options.

story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
39%
17%
The story is praised for its intriguing and eerie atmosphere, blending horror elements with a mysterious, slowly unfolding narrative through notes and subtle hints. While some find it unique and engaging, others feel it can be confusing or disconnected at times, suggesting that improved structure and pacing could enhance future installments. Overall, the story effectively contributes to the game’s intense and unsettling experience.
- “If you like an intriguing story, creepy world design, great sound design, jump scares, and the possibility of future games in the same universe, then check out this game.”
- “The story behind seeing things—are they real, are they part of the 'great departure,' is it alien, do you turn into one of them, is there a 'them,' was it all started by the psycho lurking around the plant, is it a biblical prophecy?”
- “So many elements that kept me guessing and wanting to find more story info on what kind of conclusion I would get.”
- “Overarching story had nothing to do with the events of the game from what I could tell.”
- “I feel like I missed quite a bit of the story line along with my viewers.”
- “With a bit more attention to story structure and pacing, I think their next project could really shine.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The graphics are widely praised for their striking, creative, and realistic visuals that enhance the horror atmosphere and storytelling. While minor graphical issues and occasional frame rate drops were reported, they did not significantly detract from the overall immersive experience.
- “This game was absolute cinema. I have played hundreds of horror games over the past year alone, and the visuals for this one were very creative and entertaining!”
- “Just played this and wow, the imagery and visuals of this game were insane!”
- “The visuals, especially the abandoned depot interiors, are beautifully done.”
- “I was getting constant frame rate drops in 4k resolution with an RTX4080 no matter what I selected in the graphic options.”
- “Had some very minor graphical issues but it didn't prevent me from having fun and I completely forgot about it as I kept playing the game.”
- “Graphics look realistic and the puzzles were easy enough to follow, that being said, the first breaker puzzle took me a while to figure out the pattern.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The atmosphere is highly praised for its tense, creepy, and eerie qualities, effectively keeping players on edge throughout. It features a mix of peaceful, dreamlike, and gritty settings that enhance immersion and storytelling. While jump scares are present, the focus remains on creating a consistently unsettling environment.
- “The atmosphere is tense and it keeps you on edge the entire time as you try to figure out the secrets of the train depot.”
- “First, the peaceful train ride in a beautiful setting, then followed by the dream state drive with jump scares, to the gritty cold atmosphere of the plant.”
- “Creepy atmosphere.”
- “Really nice jump scares, tricky puzzles, creepy grotesque atmosphere; overall I would rate the game a 6 out of 10.”
- “The intense atmosphere in the different chapters really tells an eerie story.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay is a mix of obtuse puzzles and horror elements, with some players finding certain sections confusing enough to require guides. However, it suffers from cheap jumpscares, unengaging puzzles, and lackluster dialogue, leading to a generally unremarkable experience.
- “Gameplay issues include cheap jumpscares and uninteresting puzzles and dialogue.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game's optimization is generally poor, with users reporting inconsistent and unstable frame rates even at high settings, as well as excessive storage requirements. Despite initial issues, some find the gameplay enjoyable, but the technical performance remains a significant drawback.
- “There were a lot of issues early on with optimization, but outside of that the game was a lot of fun.”
- “I just ran the Far Cry 5 benchmark test on ultra settings at 2560x1440 resolution and had 88-155 fps, so performance was a mess for me.”
- “How is a game like this so terribly optimized?”
- “To begin with, it's terribly optimized.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by hilarious jump scares, featuring unexpected and absurd elements like hanging screaming figures and covered dead bodies, adding a fun and memorable layer to the overall experience.
- “Some of the jump scares were frickin hilarious, especially the random hanging screaming dudes popping up and the random dead bodies covered with sheets everywhere.”
- “A ton of content and funny moments, jump scares, and a hell of a magnificent experience :D”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and overall sound design received praise for effectively enhancing the atmosphere with eerie sounds and jump scares, contributing to an immersive experience.
- “The sound design was great, including the music, footsteps, eerie sounds, jump scares, and more.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is notably intense and time-consuming, often requiring substantial effort or multiple playthroughs to progress.