Moons of Madness

About Moons of Madness

Moons of Madness is made by Rock Pocket Games, a studio in Tønsberg, Norway, and published by Funcom. Dreamloop Games handled the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. It came out on PC in October 2019 and on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in March 2020; the console versions also play on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is set in the same universe as Funcom's The Secret World, though you need not know that game.

The Orochi corporation has picked up a signal from Mars that its analysts say is of intelligent origin, and has built a research outpost, Trailblazer Alpha, in secret to study it. You are Shane Newehart, an engineer at the base whose clearance is too low to know any of this. Your job is to keep the lights on until the next crew arrives. Then the systems start failing, a strange mist fills the greenhouse, and the rest of the team does not come back from their mission outside.

Most of the game is exploration and puzzles: computers, electrical systems, rovers and solar panels on a base built to feel believable. Between them come visions, hallucinations and monstrous apparitions that make you question what is real, a few chases and a couple of short stealth sections. There is little or no combat; you rely on your calm, your wits and your feet. Beyond the outpost lies the darker side of Mars, and something ancient waiting there.

Reviewers praised its visuals, writing and detailed environments, and some found the stealth parts and the slower puzzles frustrating. HowLongToBeat puts the main story at about six hours; reviewers took seven to eight. It suits players who like story-led, puzzle-heavy horror in the vein of SOMA or Call of Cthulhu, with space and Lovecraft in equal measure.

How to play Moons of Madness

1. Explore the Mars outpost in first person, reading notes and messages to learn what is going on.
2. Fix the base's systems by solving puzzles with computers, circuits, power and equipment.
3. Head outside in your suit to reach other parts of the base and the surface beyond.
4. Get away from the apparitions in chase sequences, and stay hidden in the few stealth sections.
5. Look for lore entries to fill in the story and the Orochi conspiracy.

Tips

• Read the logs and emails; they explain both the puzzles and the plot.
• Look around the room or down the hall when a puzzle needs a password; reviewers found most codes close by.
• Expect the stealth and chase sections to fail you at once if you are caught, so move carefully and watch where the threat is.
• Take your time with the puzzles; most rely on reading the equipment carefully.

Questions