The Stone of Madness
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Strategy, stealth, isometric view, tactics, indie games, 18th century, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
A tactical stealth game from the authors of Blasphemous series. The Stone of Madness is about escaping from the 18th-century Spanish monastery. We have to deal with the clergy and guards, as well as supernatural beings and mental breakdowns of playable characters.
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.
Videos and Screens
[2:25] The Stone of Madness - Launch Trailer
[0:55] The Stone of Madness - Alfredo Trailer
Checkpoint Gaming: 7.5 / 10 by Cass Barkman
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.
TheBigBois: 7.5 / 10 by Zachary Holmes
A visually stunning and mechanically intriguing stealth game, The Stone of Madness delivers a fresh take on the genre but struggles with technical shortcomings and accessibility.
IGN: 6 / 10 by Eric Van Allen
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 main pros of the game
- Atmosphere and Art Style: The hand-drawn art style and the eerie atmosphere of the 18th-century Spanish monastery are frequently praised. The visuals and attention to detail contribute significantly to immersion.
- Unique Premise and Story: The game features a compelling narrative involving prisoners confronting their phobias and exploring the monastery's mysteries. The character backstories and their unique abilities add depth to the gameplay.
- Character Abilities: Each character has distinct skills and fears, which encourages strategic planning and varied gameplay approaches.
- Soundtrack: The music is described as haunting and well-suited to the game’s atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
- Innovative Gameplay Mechanics: The free-roam/open world aspect combined with a day-night cycle adds a unique twist to the stealth genre, allowing for exploration and crafting.
The main cons of the game
- Technical Issues and Bugs: Many users report numerous bugs, including game-breaking glitches, performance issues, and crashes that hinder gameplay. These issues are a significant source of frustration.
- Control Scheme and UI: The controls, especially for keyboard and mouse users, are criticized for being awkward and unresponsive. Users also mention the inability to rebind keys, which limits accessibility.
- Lack of Saving Options: The game only allows saving at the end of in-game days, which can last up to 20 minutes, leading to frustration when players encounter bugs or make mistakes.
- Stealth Mechanics and Difficulty: Some players find the stealth mechanics overly punishing, with inconsistent enemy detection and limited options for character control. The inability to queue actions or pause the game adds to the challenge.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Quality of Life Improvements: Users express a desire for better UI/UX design, clearer instructions, and an improved camera system that allows for panning and better visibility of the environment.
- More Robust Saving System: Many players want a more forgiving saving system, such as auto-saves or mid-day saves, to alleviate the pressure of long play sessions without saves.
- Enhanced Character Interactions: Some reviews mention the need for deeper character interactions and dialogue to make the characters more relatable and their stories more engaging.
- Improved Gameplay Mechanics: Suggestions include implementing a tactical pause feature and allowing for simultaneous character commands, similar to other games in the genre, to reduce frustration during complex scenarios.
Summary
- Overall, while "The Stone of Madness" has a lot of potential and creative ideas, it currently suffers from significant technical issues and design flaws that detract from the gameplay experience. Many players recommend waiting for patches to address these problems before diving in.
Summary generated on:
The Stone of Madness Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows
PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X/S
Switch
Developer: The Game Kitchen
Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
Age restrictions: 16+
The Stone of Madness System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i3-9100F / AMD Ryzen 3 2300X, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 / Radeon RX 580 or better, 14 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended: Intel Core i5-10400F / AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 Super / Radeon RX 5500 XT or better, 14 GB SSD, Windows 10 64-bit