A Unique Metroidvania Experience Awaits in the New Game from Blasphemous Developers

Do you remember any games that may feel uniquely personal? For example, Prisoner of War, a third-person stealth/adventure game on the original Xbox, tasked players with escaping from various WWII prisons such as Stalag Luft and Colditz. This game featured an open-ended design and a daily schedule, requiring players to complete objectives like stealing documents or securing disguises before returning to their cells each night.

The inspiration behind this reflection is the new title, The Stone of Madness, crafted by the team behind Blasphemous. In it, players and their fellow inmates aim to escape from an asylum nestled in an 18th-century Spanish monastery. This game features squad-based gameplay, paralleling a system akin to Commandos with elements inspired by Darkest Dungeon.

While guiding the group through tactical maneuvers, each character possesses distinct abilities—for instance, the priest can immobilize ghosts, and the strongman has the strength to manipulate objects. Stealth is key as players navigate through carefully monitored areas.

What’s most intriguing is how the game’s strategic layer lends itself to exploration. The hub of the monastery operates on a daily schedule, allowing players diverse options for approaching their objectives—similar to the mechanics present in the earlier title.

In addition, as players make progress, they unlock more paths and abilities, making exploration feel rewarding and expansive. However, maintaining balance amid the intricacies of character fears and health adds a layer of complexity reminiscent of a well-crafted puzzle.

Overall, despite some hurdles regarding micromanagement, spending time with the demo has been enjoyable, with its blend of familiar mechanics arranged into something substantially intriguing. If you’re interested, check out The Stone of Madness’ demo on Steam.

Image (Image credit: Tripwire Presents)