The Stone of Madness

“The Stone of Madness has excellent art and great gameplay moments, but while the game could be a replayable escape some bugs make the game frustrating, what could be a fun gameplay, the difficult controls and character bugs make you leave the game, but don’t give up, it’s worth it, with patches the game could become an excellent addition to the genre.”

“I wanted to enjoy The Stones of Madness because I really loved The Game Kitchen’s other game series; Blasphemous. Aside from the incredible hand-drawn art style in the Madness game, I wasn’t really a fan of this game.”

“The Stone of Madness has all the elements required for a fantastic stealth puzzle game – a gorgeous settng, an intriguing story, vibrant characters – but is sadly let down by bugs that cause it crash consistently in one place, leaving the otherwise absorbing story incomplete.”

“It has a great atmosphere and visuals that complement it, but due to technical issues and problematic design choices, it fails to reach its full potential. I wish its release had been delayed and given more thought.”

“The Stone of Madness is an ambivalent experience, primarily aimed at a niche audience. The intriguing plot and well-characterized characters create a dark and engaging atmosphere, typical of The Game Kitchen's works. However, the cumbersome and sometimes frustrating gameplay partially ruins the immersion. If you are a fan of the stealth genre and are willing to compromise with the controls, you might appreciate the unique atmosphere of this game; otherwise, with some updates and a bit of patience, it could turn into a cult title even for those who are not fans of the genre.”

“Set in a wonderfully creative, surprisingly sensitive portrayal of a time period as human as any other, The Stone of Madness is a real gem in the mind of those who play it. At some point, I even stopped noticing Alfredo’s stupid hat.”

“The Stone of Madness is a work of art not suitable for everyone. A strategy title quite demanding with the player that can become frustrating if we do not take it calmly enough. Fortunately, its creators give the option to adjust the difficulty or other parameters that, although they do not guarantee that the escape will be a walk, they do not make us lose our heads too soon.”

“The Stone of Madness has a unique setting, strategic mechanics, and engaging narrative. The combination of stealth, sanity management, and different narrative paths ensures a rich and challenging experience. Its artistic style is impressive as well. However, the high difficulty, especially at night, can make it frustrating for some players.”

“Although the game has some bugs that can be somewhat frustrating, they do not detract from an excellent gaming experience, with an impressive setting and a well-woven and resolved mystery story.”

“As you reach the end of your pulse-pounding journey through the oppressive 18th century monastery, The Stone of Madness leaves a lasting impression with its captivating blend of narrative depth, tactical stealth gameplay, and striking visual artistry.”

“For all its sins, there's the makings of a stealth-tactics classic in The Stone of Madness. Its grisly sensibility, rock-hard difficulty, and inconvenient bugs at launch mean it's not a game for the weak-hearted, but 20+ hours with its rich, system-driven drama produced many delightful escapades worth admiring - even if a good number ended with us back in our cell miserably plotting our next attempt.”

“Isometric real-time stealth elevated by a unique approach to time, mental health, and a resplendent monastic setting.”

“The Stone of Madness has some excellent art and great moments of sneaking around. But what should have been a fairly replayable and interesting prison break ends up buckling under the weight of its technical problems. Progress-halting bugs, graphical issues, and finicky controls all turn otherwise-engaging sneaking missions into frustrating excursions. With some extra tuning, The Stone of Madness could be a refreshing take on tactical stealth. As-is, there are too many obstacles getting in the way of what’s good here.”

“The singular art style, haunting setting, and tricky mechanics found in The Stone of Madness make it a unique entry to the tactical stealth genre.”

“In an impressive feat of adapting an established format for a unique setting, The Stone of Madness is cleverly attuned to perseverance through incremental progress.”

“The Stone of Madness captivated me from the first few minutes with its wide variety of stealth options, mysterious plot, and excellent setting. Not even the annoying bugs I encountered and a few frustrating points I had to redo countless times made me hesitate to keep playing, but less patient gamers might be less tolerant of its difficulty.”

“The Stone of Madness feels like an admirable gamble of a new direction for The Game Kitchen, and one that mostly pays off. Besides the frustrations with the stealth, sanity system and inconsistent tone, its core prison break loop remains a satisfying one, and the monastery's environmental design and artistic direction make it a compelling playground to explore.”