The Lacerator

About

The Lacerator is a single player survival action adventure game with horror and comedy themes. It was developed by Games From The Abyss and was released on October 9, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"The Lacerator " is a survival horror game where you play as a pornstar named Max, trying to escape from a psychopath's hideout after the movie crew is captured. The game features a classic survival horror experience with puzzle-solving, resource management, and trap avoidance. It offers two camera perspectives: fixed camera and third person, both using tank controls. This demo version is in early development and open to feedback for improvements.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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100%

Audience ScoreBased on 91 reviews

humor38 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The Lacerator is a hilarious and creative blend of survival horror and dark comedy, successfully capturing the essence of 80s grindhouse films while offering engaging gameplay.
The game features multiple endings and branching paths, providing high replayability and encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes.
With smooth controls, flexible camera options, and a unique laceration mechanic that affects gameplay, The Lacerator stands out as a refreshing take on the survival horror genre.

Some players may find the fixed camera angles and tank controls challenging, making combat and navigation difficult at times.
The game is relatively short, with playthroughs averaging around 1-2 hours, which may leave some players wanting more content.
There are occasional bugs and glitches, such as issues with triggering certain events, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.

humor
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending sharp wit with classic horror elements to create a chaotic and entertaining experience reminiscent of 80s B-movies. Players appreciate the clever dialogue, absurd scenarios, and raunchy puns, which enhance the overall enjoyment and replayability. The game's self-aware humor and engaging gameplay make it a must-try for fans of survival horror with a comedic twist.
- “The developers clearly know what they’re doing: they mix classic horror, sharp humor, and a healthy dose of chaos.”
- “Packed with details, hilarious dialogue, and stressful action sequences, it's a real distillation of dirty, fun horror that's an absolute must-have.”
- “There's a strong blend of humor and horror in the game that fits the 80's theme perfectly.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The gameplay is a nostalgic homage to classic survival horror titles, featuring tank controls, fixed camera angles, and a unique laceration mechanic that impacts player experience by introducing limb loss and the need for strategic play. With multiple routes and endings, the game encourages exploration and replayability, blending humor with engaging mechanics reminiscent of 90s horror games. Overall, it offers a fun, absurd, and dynamic experience that appeals to both fans of the genre and newcomers alike.
- “The real star of the show is the laceration mechanic where you can lose limbs and other various body parts and have to play around your disability, and you can even get prosthetics to help even the odds.”
- “From its wonderfully retro visuals, reasonably logical environmental puzzles, and nostalgically clunky tank controls, all the way to its stress-inducing combat, smartly positioned fixed camera angles, strategic inventory management, and strong necessity for health kit and ammo conservation, the game does its best to emulate the constant sense of danger and dread that was all too prevalent across the survival horror classics of the PS1, and then decides to take it a step further by introducing one of the most fun, unpredictable, and horrifying mechanics ever seen in the genre, namely, lacerations!”
- “An awesome mix of grindhouse horror, classic Resident Evil-styled movement and gunplay, a huge amount of fun and absurd elements, gameplay that encourages exploration and replayability, and expansive design with love poured inside.”
- “So it does not satisfy that exploration / backtracking / unlocking gameplay loop very well.”
- “Gameplay is affected by the loss of limbs in tangible ways that I haven't seen many games do quite this well.”
- “The game looks intimidating at a glance, however, aside from the heaviness of the subject matter, gameplay-wise it's a much snappier version of Resident Evil that might be cruel to max, but it's chill with you.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
58%
18%
The story of "The Lacerator" is a comedic and absurd narrative centered around a porn actor named Max, featuring multiple branching paths and nine different endings that encourage replayability. While the plot is intentionally over-the-top and campy, it is surprisingly well-crafted, with layers of symbolism and twists that enhance the experience. Players are urged to explore all storylines to fully piece together the narrative, making it a unique parody of 90's survival horror games.
- “I can't recommend it enough to anyone looking to have a laugh and get genuinely invested in a great story, clearly written with a lot of love.”
- “The Lacerator features a total of nine different endings spread across three diverse story paths that you can take, with access to each branch being dependent on whether you have been lacerated or not. I cannot stress enough how important it is to experience every story path at least once, both because the areas you’ll get to explore are vastly different across each run to the point where you’ll feel like you’re playing a different game, but also because The Lacerator actually boasts a really decent story and every branch gives you an important narrative fragment in order to piece the plot together and gain an understanding of what is happening.”
- “The story is intentionally comedic, over-the-top, and almost absurd — and it embraces that without any shame.”
- “The story itself is honestly pretty simple, with some surprising twists (at least for the endings I got). I am looking forward to playing more on my next day off!”
- “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like the story here is going to win any awards, but it definitely over-delivered and was way better than a game of this vibe had any right to be.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
39%
23%
The game boasts impressive replayability, with players encouraged to explore multiple paths and endings across several playthroughs, each lasting around 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. The diverse content, engaging puzzles, and varied experiences ensure that players can discover new elements and enjoy the game without feeling fatigued. Overall, it successfully combines fun gameplay with a strong incentive to replay, making it a standout in the indie horror genre.
- “Incredible replay value based on what paths you take or what parts of your body you lose. The length of the game is maybe 45 minutes to an hour, but you truly don't discover all the things here unless you run through at least 3-4 times, and I recommend you do.”
- “The game also has multiple endings and lots of replay value, and not being a slog to play through over and over again was really refreshing for these types of indie games, so that's a huge plus!”
- “The game takes about 1.5 hours to complete, there are a ton of missables and optional rooms, so it has a very arcade-like replayability to it.”
- “The multiple endings definitely leave replayability, and the game itself just provides pure joy and an adrenaline rush at the same time to any horror fan.”
- “Decent replayability too, I've done two playthroughs so far and apart from the first couple of rooms, I did not see any of the same places in my second run as I did in the first, so there's plenty to discover in playing multiple times.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro aesthetic reminiscent of PS1-era visuals, effectively capturing the essence of 90s and early 2000s horror games. While not groundbreaking, the visuals are complemented by a variety of custom animations and a unique art style that enhances the game's goofy yet horror-themed atmosphere. Overall, the graphics successfully blend nostalgia with a modern twist, contributing to the game's engaging grindhouse survival horror experience.
- “The PS1 era graphics and controls give it the charm and look that 90s/early 2000s horror games go a long way for selling the presentation.”
- “It mixes low-poly retro visuals, classics-inspired survival horror mechanics, and the unmistakable vibes of trashy grindhouse schlock to create something that feels like it could’ve easily come from the minds of bizarro masters like Swery or Suda51.”
- “The visuals aren't going to set the world on fire, but they're suitable for the retro/PS1 style, with a surprisingly large amount of custom animations and set pieces.”
- “Everything from the nasty contents to the high-class trippy visuals is trashy yet secretly artistic.”
- “It mixes low-poly retro visuals, classic-inspired survival horror mechanics, and the unmistakable vibes of trashy grindhouse schlock to create something that feels like it could’ve easily come from the minds of bizarro masters like Swery or Suda51.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to create a strong atmosphere reminiscent of titles like "Manhunt" and "The House of the Dead: Overkill," effectively blending elements of gore and absurdity. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack, despite being primarily composed of royalty-free tracks, fits the game's style perfectly and enhances the overall experience. However, the absence of the soundtrack on streaming platforms has been highlighted as a significant drawback.
- “I seriously love this soundtrack and the manhunt vibe it was able to establish in the game with it.”
- “Overall sound is well-accomplished, with some very entertaining stings and background music.”
- “Also, no quick turnaround function in a tank control game should be a crime, but an even bigger crime is that the soundtrack isn’t on streaming services or even YouTube.”
- “Also, on a side note, for having a soundtrack mostly consisting of royalty-free music, it is very good and fits the style like a glove.”
- “The setting, the music, the hilarious dialogue between characters, the lacerator himself.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is described as dirty, oppressive, and tense, effectively enhancing the slasher experience. Players appreciate the vintage setting and the discomfort it evokes, while also noting the clever use of camera angles that contribute to the overall ambiance. Additionally, the combination of humor and a compelling story adds depth to the atmospheric experience.
- “The fixed multicam is handled very well, with almost zero blind spots, clear navigation, and some very atmospheric angles!”
- “The atmosphere is dirty, oppressive, and uncomfortable, just the way a good slasher should be.”
- “In a vintage and dirty atmosphere, you try to escape from the basement of a masked man, armed only with a pair of underpants, a mask, and an axe.”
- “The atmosphere is full of tension and discomfort.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users noting the presence of bugs and glitches, particularly related to enemy placement, which can affect gameplay. However, the short length of the game and its replayability may mitigate the impact of these issues for some players.
- “But again, it's a short game (the real value is in its replayability), so it depends on how sensitive you are to bugs or glitches.”
- “Pacing-wise, in the game you can die at any time as the game is fast-moving and has enemy placement glitches.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be less tedious than in other titles, appreciating that it doesn't feel like a mere gimmick. While some may not be interested in completing every ending, the overall experience remains engaging and enjoyable.
- “I don't care about completing every ending in any game; in my opinion, it's too tedious, but man, what a game.”
- “While mutilation is always a good feature on its own, it didn't end up as some tedious gimmick here.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of "The Lacerator" has received mixed feedback, with users noting that while the narrative surrounding the main character, a porn actor named Max, is engaging, the game's performance may not be fully polished, leading to occasional issues during gameplay.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its quirky and broad comedy, which, while primarily humorous, occasionally touches on heartfelt moments that resonate with players.
- “The comedy is broad, but endearingly off the wall and occasionally wanders in the vicinity of something vaguely heartfelt.”