The Stone of Madness

The Stone of Madness innovates on tactical stealth and charms with the detailed art, but its survival mechanics bring too little to the table to sell me on this new formula.

71%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

stability, grinding

75% User Score Based on 89 reviews

Critic Score 67%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Stone of Madness is a single player role playing game. It was developed by The Game Kitchen and was released on January 28, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

The Stone of Madness is a real-time tactical stealth game set in an 18th-century Spanish monastery housing a madhouse and inquisitorial prison. Players control five prisoners with unique, upgradable skills to face their fears, uncover dark secrets, and orchestrate a daring escape. Combining stealth, strategy, and exploration, they must evade guards and supernatural threats in a grim, atmospheric setting.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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75%

Audience ScoreBased on 89 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

The game features a stunning hand-drawn art style that creates an immersive and atmospheric experience.
Each character has unique abilities and fears, adding depth to the gameplay and requiring strategic planning.
The narrative is engaging, exploring themes of psychological trauma and survival within a richly detailed setting.

The lack of manual saving and inconsistent autosave system can lead to frustrating experiences, especially after encountering bugs or making mistakes.
Gameplay can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, with issues related to character movement and interaction with the environment.
Some puzzles and objectives can be obscure or overly complex, leading to confusion and trial-and-error gameplay that may frustrate players.

gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of strategic stealth mechanics reminiscent of titles like *Commandos* and *Shadow Tactics*, with a strong emphasis on character interactions and narrative depth. While the game offers engaging and rewarding mechanics, players have noted frustrating technical issues, such as unresponsive controls and a lack of quality-of-life features, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the unique premise and thoughtful design elements create a compelling gameplay loop that keeps players invested.
- “The characters and their strengths and weaknesses are well thought-out, and the story and gameplay are both about their cooperation to survive their traumas, escape the monastery, and discover dark secrets.”
- “Thoughtful stealth gameplay: every movement and distraction feels deliberate, creating an experience where careful planning and calculated risks are consistently rewarded.”
- “With its unique premise, stunning hand-drawn art style, and strategic gameplay, this is a title that stands out in the stealth genre.”
- “The setting and mechanics are clever and cleverly layered, but now that I'm in the home stretch, the jank is really starting to grind me down as I lose another day to the game not registering my click before a soldier shoots me in the face.”
- “Which is why I find it so immensely frustrating that a handful of baffling design decisions and player-unfriendly mechanics, including a bizarre autosave system, could completely ruin an experience that held so much promise.”
- “The gameplay also suffers from a lack of quality-of-life features that are common to the genre.”
story
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The game's story is a compelling blend of tactical stealth and character-driven narrative, focusing on themes of trauma and survival within a dark, atmospheric setting. Players appreciate the well-developed characters and unique storyline, though some criticize the execution, noting technical issues and a lack of depth in certain plot points. Overall, while the story is engaging and enriched by beautiful art and voice work, it is marred by bugs and inconsistencies that detract from the experience.
- “The characters and their strengths and weaknesses are well thought-out, and the story and gameplay are both about their cooperation to survive their traumas, escape the monastery, and discover dark secrets.”
- “It is beautiful, bleak, and uncompromising—an escape story where survival is not guaranteed, and where every small victory feels like a miracle wrestled from the heart of madness.”
- “The premise itself is fascinating—exploring the prisoners’ phobias and unraveling the mysteries of the monastery keeps you invested in the story.”
- “The story is delivered through admittedly excellent animated cutscenes or dialogue that's incredibly stilted because the characters are speaking for the benefit of the player, not to each other.”
- “The longer scenario has you seek out a series of engravings which detail the building of the monastery and the mental decay of its engineers, but there's no meat to the story to get invested in.”
- “The controls are jerky and often don't respond in time, the storyline is non-existent, the characters aren't memorable, and the gameplay loop gets old fast.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
11%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their striking hand-drawn art style, reminiscent of 90s animation, which effectively conveys the eerie and beautiful atmosphere of the setting. While the visuals are often described as stunning and unique, some players have noted technical issues such as bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's artistic direction is a standout feature, blending surreal visuals with a compelling aesthetic that enhances its thematic depth.
- “The game’s visuals are both eerie and beautiful, with a style that perfectly captures the madness and despair of the setting in a beautifully hand-drawn style reminiscent of 90s animation.”
- “Featuring a Goya-inspired art style, 'The Stone of Madness' will both enthrall and drive you mad.”
- “Great game concept, interesting character design and art style ruined by the hubris of developers.”
- “On the technical side, bugs are very common, from crashes to broken quest progression, to graphical glitches.”
- “The muted color palette and shadowy visuals reinforce the game’s oppressive tone, making every step forward feel like a descent further into madness.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
18%
19%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack. Players appreciate the unique settings, such as a medieval mental hospital and an 18th-century Spanish monastery, which contribute to a rich, emotional experience filled with mystery and tension. However, some reviews note that the atmospheric strength is occasionally undermined by technical issues, such as bugs.
- “For players who appreciate atmospheric stealth games with emotional depth, demanding difficulty, and a distinctive visual identity, it offers a rare and memorable experience.”
- “The environment and character design is pretty good and does invoke the atmosphere of a secluded asylum that hides a lot of mysteries behind its many locked doors and secret passages.”
- “The stone of madness pulled me in with its unsettling atmosphere and didn’t let go.”
- “The stone of madness is a masterfully crafted real-time tactical stealth game that immerses players in the eerie and oppressive atmosphere of an 18th-century Spanish monastery.”
- “One of the most striking aspects of the stone of madness is its atmosphere.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
29%
21%
The music in the game is widely praised for its superb atmosphere, expertly crafted soundtrack, and ability to evoke strong emotions, with standout pieces that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the haunting blend of orchestral and ambient tones, which effectively complement the game's setting and narrative, making each moment feel immersive and impactful. While the sound design is noted as more basic, it still contributes significantly to the game's emotional weight and intensity.
- “The environments are beautifully crafted and the music does a lot to evoke a sense of time and place.”
- “From nice piano pieces to lovely string arrangements, the whole soundtrack is expertly tied to the setting on screen.”
- “The game’s soundtrack deserves special mention—it’s a haunting blend of orchestral and ambient tones that perfectly complements the sense of dread and urgency.”
- “If it's not artwork that the game kitchen gets right, then it's the music.”
- “So the art, music, and sound teams did their jobs well, how'd the writers do?”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game presents an intriguing concept within the commandos stealth tactics genre, but it suffers from numerous stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that can disrupt gameplay. Players have reported unresponsive actions, problematic controls, and unreliable autosaves, indicating a lack of thorough playtesting. Overall, while the ideas are promising, the execution is marred by significant technical shortcomings.
- “Really good idea within a commandos stealth tactics game genre, but ultimately riddled with too many bugs and game-breaking glitches.”
- “On the technical side, bugs are very common, from crashes to broken quest progression, to graphical glitches.”
- “Intriguing, ambitious concept, but the execution is not there yet: terrible (non-rebindable) control scheme, very buggy, heavy micromanagement, unreliable autosaves.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its impressive art and design, which effectively captures the atmosphere of a mysterious 18th-century asylum. However, some users feel that the developers' ambition may have overshadowed the depth of character progression, leaving it feeling underdeveloped despite the strong visual presentation.
- “The meticulous attention to detail in the environments and character designs brings the 18th-century setting to life.”
- “The environment and character design is pretty good and does invoke the atmosphere of a secluded asylum that hides a lot of mysteries behind its many locked doors and secret passages.”
- “Awesome art, environments, and character design.”
- “Great game concept, interesting character design and art style ruined by the hubris of the developers.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to character combo gating, where progress is hindered by the need for specific character combinations. This limitation can turn gameplay into a chore rather than a strategic challenge, as players are restricted to using only three characters at a time.
- “Character combo gating feels tedious: some areas and abilities being locked behind specific character combinations can make progress feel more like busywork than strategy when you can only bring 3 out at a time.”
- “The grinding in this game is relentless; it often feels like I'm just repeating the same tasks over and over without any real sense of achievement.”
- “Leveling up takes an eternity, and the rewards for grinding just don't feel worth the time invested.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally above average, with performance and gameplay receiving praise. However, some users report weird performance issues, clipping, and minor optimization problems that detract from the experience. Additionally, certain gameplay elements are described as overcomplicated and unfairly punitive.
- “The performance and gameplay surpass the passing mark and stand out from the average.”
- “The optimization ensures a smooth experience, enhancing overall gameplay.”
- “The game runs efficiently, with minimal performance issues that do not detract from the experience.”
- “Weird performance issues and clipping.”
- “Overcomplicated and unfairly punitive, with minor performance issues.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The monetization aspect of the game primarily revolves around microtransactions, which involve in-game purchases. This approach has been consistently highlighted by users, indicating a significant focus on additional spending within the game.
- “Microtransactions are well-balanced and don't feel intrusive.”
- “The in-game purchases enhance the experience without being necessary to enjoy the game.”
- “I appreciate that the monetization model allows for fair play without forcing players to spend money.”
- “Microtransactions are everywhere, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases ruins the overall experience and feels exploitative.”
- “It's frustrating that you can't progress without being tempted to spend real money on microtransactions.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently highlight the game's strong replay value, emphasizing its longevity and the ability to engage players in multiple playthroughs. This suggests that the game offers varied experiences or challenges that encourage returning to it after the initial completion.
- “The replay value is incredible, offering longevity and endless fun.”
- “The game has amazing replayability, keeping me engaged for hours on end.”
- “With its high replay value, I find myself coming back to this game time and time again.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging due to its atmospheric stealth elements and a diverse cast of troubled protagonists, each facing personal challenges. This depth, combined with demanding gameplay and a unique visual style, creates a memorable experience that fosters strong emotional investment.
- “For players who appreciate atmospheric stealth games with emotional depth, demanding difficulty, and a distinctive visual identity, it offers a rare and memorable experience.”
- “Yet it's the diverse cast of troubled protagonists, each with their own unique abilities and personal demons, that adds a layer of emotional investment as you guide them through the monastery's many perils.”

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67%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Stone of Madness is a role playing game.

The Stone of Madness is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

The Stone of Madness was released on January 28, 2025.

The Stone of Madness was developed by The Game Kitchen.

The Stone of Madness has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

The Stone of Madness is a single player game.

Similar games include We Are The Dwarves, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, Partisans 1941, Iron Danger and others.

The Stone of Madness

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