ASYLUM

About ASYLUM

ASYLUM is a horror adventure by Senscape, the Argentine studio behind Scratches and Serena, written by Agustín Cordes. Announced in 2010 and funded on Kickstarter, it came out on Steam and GOG in March 2025 after about fifteen years of production. The makers say they kept its storyline secret the whole time.

You play an ex-patient suffering bizarre visions, returning to the hallucinatory setting of the Hanwell Mental Institute. You explore the intricate layout of the building, research its past and move towards a shocking conclusion. The screenshots show the scale of it: a morgue of rusted body drawers, a long dining hall lit through high windows, wards of iron beds, a lobby with a grand staircase, and a screaming face behind a cell's wire mesh.

It is played in first person with a point-and-click interface, built on story, atmosphere and puzzles that reward wit and observation. The makers cite Peter Cushing, Lucio Fulci, Hammer films and H. P. Lovecraft, and a soundtrack inspired by 80s horror and John Carpenter. They promise no jump scares, then admit to a frightening handful. The store warns of graphic gore and blood, and of texts referring to physical abuse, sexual assault and self-harm.

It runs to around ten hours without uncovering all of its secrets. Console versions for PlayStation, Xbox and Switch have been announced for 30 October 2026. It suits players who like slow, literary horror adventures such as The Last Door or the Darkness Within games.

How to play ASYLUM

1. Buy and install the game from Steam or GOG (Windows, Mac; Linux on Steam).
2. Start the story as the former patient arriving at the Hanwell Mental Institute.
3. Explore the building in first person, clicking to look, move and pick up items.
4. Read records and documents to research the institute's history.
5. Use what you find to solve puzzles that open new parts of the building, and follow the story to its end.

Tips

• Take notes: the building is large and the puzzles reward observation.
• Read the records you find; the research is the story.
• Play in the dark with sound up; the makers built it on atmosphere.
• Expect a few jump scares despite the slow pace.

Questions