Psychological horror Haunted house Horror puzzle

MADiSON

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A cursed instant camera, a shifting haunted house, and a demon's ritual you are forced to finish.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, VR
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (87% of 3,486 reviews); Metacritic 75 on PC; 4.4 of 5 from 2,826 ratings on the PlayStation Store
Length: About 8 to 10 hours
Players: 1
Made by: Bloodious Games
Released: 2022

No. 23 of the camera horror games · No. 11 of the possession horror games

Get it on Steam PlayStation Store Xbox Nintendo Switch MADiSON VR on Steam MADiSON VR on PlayStation Store MADiSON VR on Meta Quest Official site

What frightens You wake as Luca, locked in a dark room with blood on your hands, and learn that a demon called MADiSON is forcing you to finish a ritual of murder begun decades ago. An old instant camera lets you see into the world beyond: shake out each photo by hand and watch what it reveals, while something in the house waits for you to make a noise.
Content: gore, violence, jumpscares, flashing lights, strong language, partial nudity.

MADiSON is a first-person psychological horror game by the Argentine studio Bloodious Games. As Luca, a teenager tormented by a demon, you explore a shifting haunted house with an instant camera whose photos reveal what the naked eye cannot, solving puzzles while something in the dark listens for you. You have no way to fight back. A first run takes around 8 to 10 hours.

About MADiSON

MADiSON was made by Bloodious Games in Argentina and published with the British publisher Perpetual Games. It came out in July 2022 on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a Switch version that August. A VR edition followed for PC VR and PlayStation VR2 in May 2024, and is also sold for Meta Quest.

You play Luca, who wakes locked in a dark room with his hands covered in blood. A demon named MADiSON has forced him to continue a gory ritual started decades ago, and the instant camera he was given for his sixteenth birthday has a history of its own. Every character you learn about has a disturbing story that feeds into it.

The camera is the heart of the game. You take photos, shake them to develop them by hand, and see what they show: objects you cannot see with the naked eye, open paths, and things you would rather not have seen. You search drawers and shelves, carry objects to puzzles, and listen, because you are not alone. You have no weapon. Some events are triggered at random and some puzzles change between playthroughs.

The game grew from a demo released on itch.io in 2017, which passed 100,000 downloads, and it was inspired by Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within. It is loud, bloody and full of jump scares, a fit for players who liked P.T., Visage or Outlast. Its store page warns of content not for all ages and of flashing images.

How to play MADiSON

Buy MADiSON on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox or Switch, or the VR edition for a headset.
Explore the house in first person, searching drawers, shelves and rooms for objects.
Use the instant camera to photograph places, then shake each photo to develop it and see what it shows.
Carry items to the puzzles they solve and follow the ritual's trail through the house.
Keep quiet and move carefully when something is near; do not draw its attention.

Screenshots

MADiSON screenshot: hands hold an instant camera in a dark room where severed limbs reach from the walls, beside caution tape and a traffic cone

MADiSON screenshot: an undeveloped instant photo held up in a room with a ring of candles around a chair and a gramophone

MADiSON screenshot: a green-lit corridor hung with religious paintings, seen past the camera, with a figure at the end

MADiSON screenshot: Luca's cut, bloody hand reaching out in a dim living room with antlers on the wall and an old TV

MADiSON screenshot: an empty church with chandeliers, pews and green stained glass

MADiSON screenshot: examining a wind-up key up close, over a ring of candles around a chair

MADiSON screenshot: a graffiti-covered room with candles, bottles and an arched doorway

Tips

Photograph anything that looks wrong; the camera often reveals the next step.
Examine every object you pick up from all sides; clues hide on the back.
Play with headphones; 3D sound tells you when you are not alone.
Some puzzles change between playthroughs, so do not rely on a guide from memory.
If you get stuck for long, a guide cuts a run to 5 or 6 hours, but solving the puzzles yourself is most of the game.