The Blasphemous dev's new Goya-fuelled stealth tactics monastery sim is basically Umberto Eco's The Great Escape
The Stone Of Madness gets new story trailer
Earlier today, old man James wagged a finger at us all sternly for not writing about Atomfall before. My turn to puff out my cheeks and look not angry, just disappointed: why haven't we covered The Stone Of Madness prior to the below Gamescom 2024 story trailer? I mean, it's only a real-time tactical stealth game set in a cursed 18th century Jesuit monastery, developed by the people behind gorgeously gross metroidvania Blasphemous. It's only got isometric art inspired by Goya and a sanity/trauma system redolent of Darkest Dungeon. Sounds like an automatic RPS write-up to me.
The Spanish monastery in question is located high up in the Pyrenees, and inevitably reminds me of Umberto Eco homage The Abbey Of Crime. As with that Abbey, you'll experience it by day and by night, taking charge of five characters with different skillsets as you probe the monastery's secrets and search for an escape route. Time flows continuously, and the hour at hand determines the challenges and opportunities in store. The monastery doubles as a "madhouse" and an inquisitorial prison, which means it's full of unsympathetic guards, but it's much worse after curfew, which is when the resident ghosts come out.
The five prisoners form a Commandos-style squad. You'll need to pool their bespoke abilities to prevail. Agnes, for example, is a witch with an arsenal of spells and other occult devices. Amelia is a young thief who can pickpocket and place traps. Alfredo is a disgraced priest who can give eloquent sermons to draw a crowd, opening up gaps in the area surveillance. Leonora seems pretty deft with a blade. There's equipment and upgrades to factor in, too. While the aesthetic and premise suggest a more story-driven experience, this feels like a proper tactical sandbox.
The protagonists aren't unfazable drones, however. Each possesses "a fully realized set of traumas and phobias" that seemingly correspond to specific areas and encounters, together with a sanity bar. Deplete a character's sanity, and they may lapse into fullblown "paranoia, dementia, or bouts of violence, fundamentally changing how the afflicted character is played." The Steam blurb recommends that you avoid roaming around at night, because the monastery's parade of spooks will quickly erode your team's morale, but sometimes, of course, "the risk is worth the reward".
The game will offer two different campaigns, "each with its own stories, objectives, special characters, and other surprises". It's out in 2025, and speaking as both an Eco warrior and a Goya head, I am keen. The screens and trailer suggest a tidy warren of variables, clues and awful mysteries, which you'll get to know over multiple failed breakout attempts. It's certainly a change of tune for The Game Kitchen, though the lurid palette and aura of religious horror are extremely Blasphemous. For a more upbeat spin on monks (and murder), the obvious choice is Pentiment.
For more of the latest news and previews from Gamescom 2024, head to our Gamescom 2024 hub.