Tormentum: Dark Sorrow

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,307 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • music
Tormentum: Dark Sorrow Game Cover
Tormentum - Dark Sorrow is a dark point and click adventure game with an art style inspired by Giger and a story that seems to come straight from the mind of a twisted philosopher.
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In Tormentum: Dark Sorrow, you navigate a nightmarish world as an amnesiac prisoner. The game features point-and-click mechanics and gruesome, surreal art design. Puzzle-solving and eerie encounters lead you to uncover the truth about your past and the dark world around you.

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Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,307 reviews
graphics441 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • Stunning artwork inspired by H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksinski, creating a haunting atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with moral choices that impact the ending, encouraging replayability.
  • Simple yet enjoyable puzzles that are logical and not frustrating.
  • Short gameplay, typically completed in 3-5 hours, which may not justify the full price for some players.
  • Puzzles may be too easy for seasoned adventure game veterans, lacking challenge.
  • Ending can feel unsatisfying or clichéd, with a heavy-handed moral message.
  • graphics765 mentions

    The graphics of "Tormentum: Dark Sorrow" are widely praised for their stunning, dark, and surreal art style, heavily inspired by artists like H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński. Many reviewers highlight the breathtaking visuals and intricate details, describing the artwork as a significant draw that enhances the game's atmosphere and overall experience. However, some critiques mention that the graphics can appear muddy or lack resolution, and while the art is captivating, the gameplay and puzzles may not be as challenging or engaging.

    • “The artwork alone is worth the price of entry.”
    • “The graphics art style is really good with incredible uses of colors and scenery that's just absolutely breathtaking; every bit of artwork in this game is very detailed and just makes you want to stop and stare at it all.”
    • “Tormentum nails it with its art style, mixing a bit of H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński.”
    • “The visuals are muddy and look like a photobashed mess put through filter after filter until they look vaguely Lovecraftian and then drenched in brown and green hues.”
    • “Despite the unique art style, the resolution of the game is just lacking.”
    • “You can tell they made all the graphics first, and then someone hastily made up a story and gameplay.”
  • story688 mentions

    The story of "Tormentum - Dark Sorrow" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its dark, atmospheric themes and moral choices that impact the ending, while others criticize it for being simplistic or underdeveloped. The artwork and music are frequently praised, often overshadowing the narrative, which some feel serves merely as a vehicle for the visuals rather than a compelling tale. Overall, while the story has its engaging moments and intriguing twists, it may leave some players wanting more depth and coherence.

    • “The story is really good; it has good twists and turns, themes of good, evil, redemption, and not judging a book by its cover.”
    • “The story is dark and captivating and somewhat creepy.”
    • “The story is engaging and satisfying.”
    • “The story left me a bit cold.”
    • “The plot is non-existent here... like there is none... nothing... go there, get that, oh you got it, oh you didn't, time to go to the next area... that's it... not even interesting dialogues in between.”
    • “The story is very linear and your choices have very little impact on the story (with the exception of the ending, which was boring and cliche).”
  • music338 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers praising its haunting, dark, and ambient qualities that complement the stunning artwork. Tracks vary from somber and eerie to uplifting, particularly in relation to the game's multiple endings, creating a deeply immersive experience. However, some players noted that while the soundtrack is generally excellent, there are moments where it feels repetitive or mismatched, particularly during the credits.

    • “The music is absolutely fantastic; each track was very good. I especially love the tracks for the rat home, how it can be cozy and soothing and then turn messed up, and the tracks for the endings. If you get the bad ending, then you get this heavy metal song that shows how doomed you are, but if you get the good ending, you get this sort of uplifting song. It was quite creative.”
    • “The music is hauntingly beautiful, especially in the last stretch of the game. It really sets the mood for every scenario and each unique area you find yourself in.”
    • “The combination of music, art, and characters drew me into the world the game created, making me feel like I was in purgatory.”
    • “There is pretty much no music.”
    • “The soundtrack becomes repetitive soon.”
    • “The only immature music is the staff roll that doesn't fit the theme.”
  • atmosphere252 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, haunting music, and dark, immersive settings that evoke a sense of dread and intrigue. Many reviewers highlight the unique art style, often compared to the works of H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, which enhances the eerie and unsettling ambiance. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered its strongest aspect, captivating players and drawing them into its macabre world, despite some critiques regarding the simplicity of gameplay and story.

    • “The art style and atmosphere are wonderful - very Beksinski-esque.”
    • “The atmosphere and art in this game is so creepy and surreal at the same time.”
    • “The game's ominous atmosphere is both gloomy and fascinating at the same time and it suits the adventure game genre marvelously as it allows one to take in all the macabre scenery with the attention it deserves.”
    • “The fact that the dialogue is not spoken is a pity, since it is not so much text and a stylish interpretation of the characters could have added a lot to the atmosphere.”
    • “However, what I can say is that it captures the atmosphere of the game better than many other games out there.”
    • “The game is also quite good at keeping up the momentum of its intrigue and disgustingly horrific atmosphere all the way through to the end, though the ending itself falls prey to numerous video game clichés which, disappointingly, almost completely soured my experience.”
  • gameplay170 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is primarily a standard point-and-click adventure, featuring simple mechanics focused on solving puzzles and collecting items. While the puzzles are generally considered easy and straightforward, they are complemented by a compelling narrative and stunning artwork that enhance the overall experience. However, many reviewers noted that the gameplay lacks depth and can feel simplistic, making it more appealing for those who prioritize visual aesthetics over challenging gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is good; it's your standard point-and-click game, pick up items in order to solve puzzles. Nothing too complicated, the puzzles were very good, hard but fair with plenty of clues to show you how to solve a lot of them, which was nice.”
    • “The gameplay is solid, and puzzles are fun to solve, but what really captivates is the story and the art.”
    • “The gameplay is traditional point-and-click with some brief puzzles, and it keeps the game's difficulty balanced and gameplay enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay is simple, the game is short, and it's pretty clear some heavy translation was going on, but my god is this game beautiful.”
    • “The gameplay is so shallow that you're probably better off just watching a let's play or walkthrough or perhaps just listening to the OST on YouTube.”
    • “The story is rubbish, the gameplay is your basic bare-bones adventure game nonsense with no interesting features that you can't find in better adventure games, and the whole experience start to finish lasts only just over 2 hours if you don't get stuck.”
  • replayability69 mentions

    The game offers moderate replayability primarily due to its multiple endings and the impact of player choices, encouraging players to explore different paths. While the playtime is relatively short, ranging from 2.5 to 6 hours, many players find value in revisiting the game to experience alternative outcomes and moral decisions. However, some reviews note that the lack of a scene/level select feature and the limited variety in puzzles may hinder extensive replayability.

    • “It has a pretty quick playtime (took me about 5 hours) and has lots of replay value if you want to dive back in and see different story choices.”
    • “There is lots of replay value, due to the choices and multiple endings.”
    • “This game has plenty of replayability with the choice system embedded in the game, giving each playthrough a different experience.”
    • “Just keep in mind that this is a game meant for atmosphere, not replay value.”
    • “The game doesn't have much replay value other than digging the artwork or attempting to grab achievements.”
    • “There isn't much replay value, but for games of this genre, there tends not to be.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The game delivers a powerful emotional experience, with a dark and twisted narrative that evokes deep feelings and moral dilemmas, often leaving players feeling emotionally wrecked. While the story is compelling and beautifully presented, some players noted a lack of emotional attachment to the characters, which can diminish the impact of certain moments. Overall, the combination of music, art, and storytelling creates a rich atmosphere that resonates on both profound and unsettling levels.

    • “These independent creators have managed to craft a deeply satisfying and emotionally connecting story with incredible music and rich atmosphere.”
    • “The art is emotional, evocative, and truly does touch your soul in both good and bad ways.”
    • “If you are the type to get heavily invested in a game, be prepared to leave it emotionally wrecked though!”
  • character development12 mentions

    Overall, the reviews indicate that "Tormentum" lacks significant character development, with interactions being brief and superficial. While the game excels in atmosphere and visual design, it falls short in delivering a deep narrative or complex character arcs, leaving players wanting more in terms of character engagement and story depth.

    • “The atmosphere and character designs are great, but the dialogue often stumbles from weird to unintentionally comical.”
    • “It's near perfection with its macabre art and dark character designs.”
    • “Plot and particularly, character development are on the 'light' side.”
    • “Tormentum lies largely on its themes of misery, suffering, death, morality, and loneliness rather than character development or an earth-shattering plot.”
    • “Overall a decent game largely lacking in puzzle difficulty and any sort of character development.”
    • “No real character development, as your interactions with various people are brief.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While many appreciate the engaging and non-tedious nature of the puzzles, some feel that certain elements, like moral choices and repetitive minigames, can become tedious, especially when replaying for different endings. The consensus leans towards enjoying the game naturally on the first playthrough rather than focusing on achievement farming.

    • “Easy but tedious puzzles, anything simple for the developers to code - think tile-sliding and card matching.”
    • “Most of the moral choices are essentially palette swaps (either push the good button or the evil button), so playing through twice to see everything and both endings is going to be tedious.”
    • “So, the puzzles and minigames felt really tedious.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback. While some users express a desire for better tablet compatibility and criticize performance issues, others report smooth gameplay without significant bugs, even on older hardware. The consensus suggests that while high frame rates may not be crucial for this genre, there is still room for improvement in optimizing for various platforms.

    • “Played very well, no performance issues or bugs, even on my almost 5-year-old budget build toaster.”
    • “Fifthly: the performance.”
    • “- performance issues.”
    • “Performance was meh, but you don't need a silky framerate in a game like this anyway.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and irony, particularly through a simplistic morality system that adds a comedic twist to player choices. While some players find the humor engaging and the puzzles refreshingly straightforward, others feel that the overall execution lacks depth, leading to mixed reactions. The game's lighthearted approach to serious themes is noted as both amusing and frustrating, depending on the player's experience.

    • “This is an adventure of insultingly easy puzzles, with a hilariously binary morality system slapped on...for some reason.”
    • “Though I tried to get the 'good' ending, I failed by a few acts judged as 'evil.' I thought what immediately followed that judgement was really funny though!”
    • “Well, ain't you a saint, which is so hilariously simple that one almost wishes real life was that easy.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report responsive controls and no bugs, others have encountered a few glitches that detract from the experience, likening it to a buggy flash game.

    • “I found no glitches.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or freezes.”
    • “There are a few bugs in the game that make it feel a bit like a buggy flash game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy for the game appears to have begun with a crowdfunding campaign, which was promoted through video advertisements.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

64% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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