Dark Asylum: Mystery Adventure

Moby ID: 114023
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Official Description (Ad Blurb)

Strange things are happening at the local asylum and you've been tasked with the investigation. You must perform tasks for the inmates to gain their trust, and then find out what they know. Just don't be distracted by the screams that echo down the unlit corridors, or the voices that whisper in your ear when no one is standing there...

Featuring a captivating combination of adventure and hidden object gameplay, Dark Asylum contains dozens of unnerving rooms to explore and each one is packed with secrets and pulsating with an undercurrent of dread. To solve the mystery of the asylum, you'll need to search for hundreds of items buried within the decaying rooms and hallways, and use special skills that allow you to locate objects quickly. Discover and use powerful artifacts, track your achievements, and experience multiple game modes, including the appropriately named "Scary nightmare mode." (You won't want to play this mode alone at night!)

Do you have a rational mind and a strong heart? If so, you just might survive to the end. If not, don't say we didn't warn you. Begin the descent into darkness today – if you dare!

  • Solve a thrilling mystery in a scary asylum
  • Enjoy adventure and hidden object gameplay
  • Use your eagle eyes in dozens of HOG scenes
  • Discover artifacts and earn achievements
  • Master multiple game modes

Source: Steam Store Description

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Average score: 1.0 out of 5 (based on 1 ratings)

A mix of hidden object and free-to-play features

The Good
This does break away from the Hidden Object mold. Instead of being purely a linear adventure game, it has RPG mechanics, and is somewhat open-ended.

The Bad
Unfortunately, those RPG mechanics are in service to some nasty free-to-play mechanics, even in the commercial Windows release. (You get a limited amount of fake cash to spend in the cash shop, but the mechanics remain.) Leveling up unlocks additional rooms, but the amount of experience gained means that you'll be replaying the same rooms over and over, and playing a room costs energy. (This regenerates over time, or you can buy items in the cash shop to increase it.) I had a quest to acquire an object, and it had a 7% drop rate from a single room. I got lucky and "only" had to replay the room five times to get it. Even after you unlock everything, there's only 6 rooms, and you'd have to replay each one dozens of times to reach the ending.

The game's treatment of the mentally ill is exactly as bad as you can guess, by the way. This should be obvious, so I won't focus on it, but it's worth pointing out.

The Bottom Line
There are some interesting mechanics in here, and I'd actually recommend anyone developing a Hidden Object game play it for an hour to pick up ideas. That doesn't make it good.

Windows · by qwertyuiop (55911) · 2024

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Game added by jaXen.

Game added September 26, 2018. Last modified June 30, 2024.