Merge Games have announced developer Teku Studios’ real-time tactical stealth game The Stone of Madness.

Set in a late 18th century madhouse, monastery, and inquisitorial prison; players must help of five of its prisoner’s escape. Each must face their fears, and use their unique skills to earn freedom. Players will slowly learn why each was imprisoned.

Should players fail, the monastery will shuffle its rooms and items; though players can pick up some items and clues that can help them on future runs. As the character’s sanity deteriorates, players can gain new abilities, and the cost of negative effects. But players can also find ways to purge their insanity and traumas.

You can find the reveal trailer below.

You can find the full rundown (via Steam below).

The Stone of Madness is a hardcore real-time tactics and stealth game set in a Spanish madhouse in the late 18th century. Located in the Pyrenees, a timeworn Jesuit monastery is home both to a madhouse and an inquisitorial prison. Five mysterious characters have been imprisoned between its walls under different pretenses. Plagued by cruel punishment, madness and despair, they will soon devise a plan to escape this place.

Escape the Madness

Using an isometric perspective take and alternate control of your characters and aid their escape. Depending on how you play, their sanity will deteriorate, gaining them a “Stone of Madness” and triggering new disabilities and negative effects such as paranoia, dementia or bouts of violence. Explore your surroundings, find clues and tools to help you achieve your goal. Be careful though, if you’re caught being somewhere you shouldn’t be the guards will not be kind…

Character Progression & Regression

We all have our strengths and weaknesses and our heroes are no different. Each character starts with various traumas and phobias. Depending on how you play, their sanity will deteriorate, gaining them a “Stone of Madness” and triggering new disabilities and negative effects such as paranoia, dementia or bouts of violence. This in turn increases the game’s difficulty. Characters can also unlock positive skills or reverse the negative effects on their sanity by finding “Stones of Clarity” which are scattered throughout the monastery. Some actions may exacerbate phobias and other mental conditions or even trigger new conditions to develop.

Discover the Secrets of the Monastery

Choose from several different escape plans to execute, each with its own stories, objectives, special characters and other surprises. While exploring the monastery you may come across items or clues that can aid different escape plans or future attempts. These items can unlock new content for your future play-through’s.

You have no memory of this place…

Each new game generates a different monastery thanks to a semi-procedural system. Everything from the monastery lay-out to item location is variable making each play session as fresh as the first.

Day/Night Cycle

Time is continuous in The Stone of Madness; Day & Night phases are split with actions to complete during the day and preparation activities (healing/crafting/resting) at night. Most actions can be completed during the day while others, are better done at night with fewer eyes watching. But there are reasons you should not go prowling at night…

Stunning and Original Artwork

The Stone of Madness’ visuals are heavily inspired by 18th century artist, Francisco De Goya. Everything from scenery, to clothes and even character faces are influenced by De Goya’s works. Combining his styles with our artist team’s sketching and animation has resulted in numerous hand-painted scenes and hundreds of traditional-style animations that is both eye-catching and enhances the isometric-perspective The Stone of Madness uses.

Features Overview

• Master Tactician– Plan and execute your escape in real-time, utilize each characters’ unique abilities and escape the Monastery.
• The Prisoners – Play as five unique and flawed characters, discover why each has imprisoned.
• Secrets of the Monastery – Explore the monastery and you may come across items or clues to unlock new content for future play-through’s.
• Character Progression/Regression – Each character has special skills and unique flaws that can help or hinder or progress.
• Endless Escapes – There are multiple escape plans to attempt by exploring the monastery. The monastery map also changes with each play-through, moving key and items to other locations.
• Stunning and Original Art – Exquisite hand-painted and original works inspired by 18th century artist, Francisco De Goya

The Stone of Madness takes inspiration from;

• Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
• Desperados 3
• Broken Lines
• Darkwood
• Commandos

The Stone of Madness launches Spring 2021 for Windows PC via Steam.

Image: Steam