The Stone of Madness

The Stone of Madness is a tactical stealth game that falls into the category originated by the Commandos series. The game was developed by The Game Kitchen studio, known for the Blasphemous series.

Plot

The game tells the story of a group of five characters imprisoned in an 18th-century Spanish monastery, where clergy use brutal methods supposedly to cure mental illnesses.

Only through close cooperation will the prisoners have a chance to escape. On our way we will face not only fanatical clergy, brutal guards, but also supernatural beings. We also have to deal with our own mental problems.

Mechanics

The foundations of the gameplay in The Stone of Madness were taken from the Commandos series and its successors. We observe the events from an isometric perspective, and the action takes place in real time. Our characters are not strong in direct clashes, so sneaking around the maps, avoiding detection and, if necessary, silently eliminating enemies plays a key role. This is facilitated by the option to preview the guards' line of sight.

Each member has unique abilities, and passing through maps requires the proper use of all heroes' talents. An unusual novelty is that each character also has their own set of traumas and fears, which can make task execution more difficult. For example, one of the characters is terrified of fire, which makes it hard for them to concentrate when standing near flames. If we overexpose our heroes to what they fear, we will lead them to a nervous breakdown, resulting in paranoia, dementia, or bouts of aggression.

Game modes

The game only supports singleplayer.

Technical aspects

The strong point of The Stone of Madness is its visual execution. The game has a strongly unique graphic style, in the creation of which the authors were inspired by European comics and the paintings of the Spanish painter Francisco Goya.