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Game
Game2024
Dread Delusion
Developer Lovely Hellplace
Dread Delusion is a 2024 video game developed by independent studio Lovely Hellplace and published by DreadXP. Described as an "open world role-playing game brimming with strange places and dark perils," Dread Delusion encourages player exploration and discovery over the use of combat and grinding. Upon release, Dread Delusion received average reviews, with praise directed by critics to the game's setting, narrative… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
506 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
257 positive · 58 negative
95% range 77–85%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 257 | 58 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 66 | 2 | 76 |
| Mastodon * | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Lemmy * | 4 | 0 | 16 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
3 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
4,077 of 4,542 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
83% recommend · 220 yes, 44 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 264 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (4,803 of 5,332 positive).
Players praise the worldbuilding and writing as exceptional, but note the combat is simplistic. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the exploration rewarding and the choices impactful. [4][5][6] Others criticize the shallow gameplay and lack of challenge. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
This is barely an RPG, more of an action-adventure game. Enemies don't give EXP. Lockpicking is a literal dice roll. There is no manual saving. Melee combat is extremely simple, and very boring. There is no depth, you just backpedal and poke enemies with charged attacks. If you start as a spellcaster they don't even give you a simple fireball to start out with. Forcing the player to spends several hours poking …
- [1]
Preface: If you're looking to pick this up solely because you think the gameplay looks great or you've heard "it's just like Morrowind!" - don't pick this up. This isn't a game you play for interesting gameplay, rewarding combat or RPG/character-building mechanics. That out of the way, I really wanted to like this game more than I did after completing it but still feel like giving it a Positive review because it is …
- [2]
Dread Delusion should be taken, first and foremost, as an exercise in world building. Its combat is shallow, its itemisation meaningless beyond basic stat increases, but it’s writing and setting are as accomplished as some of the greatest works of weird fantasy seen in recent memory. It’s story, its worldbuilding, are thus what captures the player’s attention as they wander the green pastures of Hallowshire, the …
- [5]
I played this a year ago and I think about it constantly. The world premise is fascinating, the way it informs the gameplay is sick, the quests go hard. If you like quests with choices that change the world around you, this is it brother. Music is sick. Sound design is delicious. The art rocks. This IS MY GAME. THIS GAME WAS MADE FOR ME.
- [3]
This one of the best indie games I've ever played. Even though I've completed it a long time ago, I still think about it from time to time. To get the caveats out of the way - combat is, well... present I suppose, you hit things until they die, as simplistic as you can imagine. There is no in-depth buildcrafting or character customization to speak of. Now, what really matters: The world building, and the writing is …
Summarised from 34 of the 434 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Dread Delusion sits at 82% positive across 315 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Reception of the early access version of Dread Delusion was positive, with critics praising the game's atmosphere and worldbuilding. Renata Price of Vice praised the game's "brilliantly released and haunting setting, one that I spend my hours outside the game thinking about", citing the "beautiful and terrible" scenery. Willa Rowe of Inverse praised the "sense of scale" of the game, stating "the game offers such deep worldbuilding that I felt compelled to turn over every rock and find every secret available to me," observing the game "devotes so much attention to compelling stories" that were "satisfying" and part of a "deeper experience". Alice O'Connor of Rock Paper Shotgun stated the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 506 · most liked firstRight, I've made a very negative thread, so I'm gonna follow it up with a thread of upcoming games I'm looking forward to! 1. Entropy Really enjoyed the demo of this during the recent Steam Nextfest, it's the new game from the developer of Dread Delusion, a party based RPG this time around.
neutral · AI labelView post →Ferropolis Game: Dread Delusion Dev: Lovely Hellplace 🇬🇧 Release: May 14, 2024 Screenshots provided by @josar64.bsky.social thank you!
neutral · AI labelView post →For those participating in the BDS-led boycott on Microsoft, Oblivion is owned by Bethesda which is owned by Microsoft. Instead, you might dig Dread Delusion! It's an indie Oblivion inspired game from last year. Plus music by ThorHighHeels, who does fantastic video game essays on YT. ✨
neutral · AI labelView post →Found something in my storage - comics version of opening/ending scene of DREAD DELUSION that I made just for fun; the Angel design is slightly different from final game version! (the Angel drawing was actually the very first thing I drew for @lovelyhellplace.bsky.social all those years ago🙏❤️🔥)
neutral · AI labelView post →Daily #19 Orlaith from the game Dread Delusion.
neutral · AI labelView post →My Video Game Visual Voice Reel! Featuring voice acting from Dread Delusion, Old Skies (my BAFTA Breakthrough), Harold Halibut, Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, The Seance of Blake Manor, The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, Lord Winklebottom Investigates, Mutropolis, Loco Motive, PRIM, and more!
neutral · AI labelView post →Dread Delusion is on sale for $10- hearty recommendation from me, obsessing over this game right now store.steampowered.com/app/1574240/...
positive · AI labelView post →I'm terrified of all the games releasing next month, that is an absurd release schedule, but one that I'm particularly looking forward to is the new game from the Dread Delusion developer, Entropy.
neutral · AI labelView post →Please RT! A little surprise for all the Dread Delusion fans out there! A digital art booklet of all of my character drawings made for the game, right here, free to download for everyone: ohotnig.gumroad.com/l/dd ohotnig.itch.io/dd PDF/CBZ, 24 pages of art!
neutral · AI labelView post →Entropy is the new game from Dread Delusion developer Lovely Hellspace, and this time it's an RPG with turn-based combat, I get strong vibes of Vagrant Story from this, filtered through the decidedly weird and alien fantasy this dev has going on. The character portraits are absolutely stunning.
neutral · AI labelView post →If you are looking at the Stream sale and want an absolutely fresh game, I'd like to highly recommend Dread Delusion Rolled credits on it this week and it might be one of the most interesting RPG's I've played in years
positive · AI labelView post →The ComputerWorlds showcase on Steam is just FULL of gloriously weird stuff. Dread Delusion is half price, too - great game. Also don't sleep on Hyperbeat, which is one of the most stylish rhythm games ever made and somehow VERY undersold.
positive · AI labelView post →I turned my PC off during the "don't switch off" symbol in five different games to see what would happen and boy was this an annoying experiment. The games and their results Hades 2 - Result: No data loss. Still Wakes The Deep - Result: Absolutely fuckaw. Dread Delusion - Result: Getting very bored of entering my Windows password. Cyberpunk 2077 - Result: Regret starting this pointless experiment. Alien: Isolation - Result: Just glad this is over, to be honest.
neutral · AI labelView post →it's increasingly clear to me that none of these people in executive positions of the game industry are at all aware of stuff like Dread Delusion whatsoever - even as the sizeable cult audience for contemporary indie games directly inspired by stuff like Morrowind continues to grow
neutral · AI labelView post →Final update to Morrowind-like RPG Dread Delusion adds a big nautilus with a town built inside its shell.
neutral · AI labelView post →Dread Delusion is an ambitious game for an indie development team. An RPG inspired by design from the early 2000's with deep world building, interesting choices that matter and rewarding "hands off" exploration. Dread Delusion absolutely succeeds in what I've described above. It really is like a love letter to when RPG's were weird, creative and didn't hold your hand. However, there are some major drawbacks with how the game is designed and how it's story is told that stops me from…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aha this rules, Dread Delusion is in a book! 📕 @thamesandhudson.bsky.social v kindly sent me a copy of Indie Game Works by @nathanpgibson28.bsky.social, which features ~50 indie games & comes out April 13. Dread Delusion gets two beautiful double page spreads ✨
neutral · AI labelView post →fwiw I think also if you love the new game and are sad it didn't do well that is totally your prerogative. It's not a JKR situation where your money is going to horrific societal oppression and legislation. It just bums me out too much to spend money/time on it. I am busy playing Dread Delusion
neutral · AI labelView post →Finally started Dread Delusion, yet another game I bought solely on comparisons to Morrowind, which it certainly is tonally (with a dash of Warhammer aesthetic). But I wasn't quite prepared for it also scratching the nostalgic itch of Nintendo 64 FPS gameplay (giant floating pick-ups and all)
positive · AI labelView post →2024 was a crazy year on a personal level but,, somehow I still did a lot of stuff! • Shipped Dread Delusion Clockwork Kingdom update (the region I directed) • Ran Slug World 2024 and it went great! • Shipped cult classic rpg Dread Delusion • Began development of my next game, Feral Blood Doll
neutral · AI labelView post →This is barely an RPG, more of an action-adventure game. Enemies don't give EXP. Lockpicking is a literal dice roll. There is no manual saving. Melee combat is extremely simple, and very boring. There is no depth, you just backpedal and poke enemies with charged attacks. If you start as a spellcaster they don't even give you a simple fireball to start out with. Forcing the player to spends several hours poking enemies with a rusty dagger when they specced into a magic build is just lame. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DREAD DELUSION is coming out of Early Access on May, 14th! Wishlist our game in Steam, and in just two weeks from now play the game to see all of the game’s quests and endings with yours truly’s artwork🙏🏻😎 www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGhW...
neutral · AI labelView post →Preface: If you're looking to pick this up solely because you think the gameplay looks great or you've heard "it's just like Morrowind!" - don't pick this up. This isn't a game you play for interesting gameplay, rewarding combat or RPG/character-building mechanics. That out of the way, I really wanted to like this game more than I did after completing it but still feel like giving it a Positive review because it is a good experience as long as you accept what kind of experience the game is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →there was some sort of flying monster somewhere in Dread Delusion the previous guys-from-the-work-discord game & inside sources (work discord) tell me at some point this creature was a 2d picture of an attack helicopter
neutral · AI labelView post →My game of the year hands down is Dread Delusion. Surprised me in so many ways, just weird old school perfection.
positive · AI labelView post →Post Four indie games you think more people should have played Dread Delusion - best new RPG I've played in years Teardown - property crimes, the game The Last Door - point and click adventure from the Blasphemous devs Heat Signature - impossible to show how cool this game makes you feel
positive · AI labelView post →Really enjoyed the Dread Delusion demo years ago and got the full game recently. I'm obsessed
positive · AI labelView post →LESBIANS AND BI WOMEN: My understanding of your people is that if the lady has big sword, it doesn't matter how many pixels she has. Let me show you this lady with big sword, from the game Dread Delusion.
neutral · AI labelView post →I've kinda slacked on games this year. I need to finish Prince of Persia still, very fun game. Slay the Princess looks really cool. I bought Animal Well and Crow Country. Almost done with Dread Delusion, I think? Played a few stages of Penny's Big Breakaway, which was so cool.
positive · AI labelView post →New game coming from the people who made Dread Delusion, which was my fave game i played last year!! Check it out!! Also if you haven't played Dread Delusion and you're into retro open world fantasy games, check it out!
positive · AI labelView post →Daily #20 Another Orlaith from Dread Delusion, but I used 90% of my power. Very cool game btw, love the worldbuilding and narrative.
positive · AI labelView post →This is one of those games that really makes you wish for a neutral or a "not for everyone" option. At the time of this review, I have completed a playthrough entirely, finished all side quests except a 10 minute timer fetch quest, and have done pretty much all there is to do. Having said that, the core point of a review is "did I have fun" and "would I recommend this game to other people". The tl;dr is a little bit but maybe ~3 of those 24 hours were enjoyable, and mostly in the early game.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →COMPUTER WORLDS - A New Showcase Celebrating Strange & Distinctive Games. - [Invidious](https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=Og6_t5eiz_s) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og6_t5eiz_s) --- #### COMPUTER WORLDS on Steam: https://bit.ly/computerworlds 00:00 - [Intro] 01:47 - Ultimate Drummer 02:39 - Queen's Domain 03:49 - Metamorphosis 05:08 - goblinAmerica 06:20 - [Steam Event URL] 07:05 - Brush Burial Bruiseland 08:24 - All Living Things 09:00 - Dread Delusion 10:03 -…
neutral · AI labelView post →I can't remember the last time a game blew my mind over and over and over again. It's slow, it's enrapturing, and it rewards tireless exploration. This game is a triumph
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's no secret that I absolutely adore Dread Delusion. Still, I'm not naive enough to think it's for everyone, so I'm going to play devil advocate for this review, so people are aware of the gameplay pattern and what they are getting themselves into, so people make the right decision when deciding to purchase this game. Don't be fooled if the aesthetic appeals to you at first glance. Even if you're considering trying this game out for a bit, I don't think spending 2 hours is enough to fully…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finished the Main Story Dread Delusion, by @lovelyhellplace.bsky.social Such a gorgeous game!
positive · AI labelView post →❤️ this pub piece by @brendyc.bsky.social Games are games, but they are also Places. I love explorations of game artistry beyond like, whether the critical hits feel good. (Also, I spent too long making the Wobbly Noggin in Dread Delusion b/c I just fking love pubs) www.jank.cool/a-love-lette...
neutral · AI labelView post →I've got back to finish Dread Delusion, great game, real good original fantasy stuff, very cool places to wander about. I'll join the people going "huh.." at the endings, but overall so much worth it.
positive · AI labelView post →Dread Delusion is, in my opinion, a classic case of a game's writing hitting above the weight of its gameplay. That's not to say the game plays poorly, but it's definitely somewhat simplistic. The combat is clunky, ranged-vs-melee is unbalanced, offensive spellcasting takes forever to catch up... But it all works just enough to let you cut through to the story and writing. But, there's one big problem with even that, in my opinion. Once you get through the beginning area, the game puts you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dread Delusion should be taken, first and foremost, as an exercise in world building. Its combat is shallow, its itemisation meaningless beyond basic stat increases, but it’s writing and setting are as accomplished as some of the greatest works of weird fantasy seen in recent memory. It’s story, its worldbuilding, are thus what captures the player’s attention as they wander the green pastures of Hallowshire, the frigid dead fields of the Clockwork Kingdom, and the sepulchral silence of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fantastically empty game. While the setting and lore make me desperately want to like this game, the gameplay is just abysmally boring. You spend a small portion of the game listening to these incredible characters talk about a world full of magic and intrigue, and the rest of the time you are doing the gameplay equivalent of walking around a big empty parking lot looking for quarters. I keep looking at cool-ish looking things and going "Wow! I bet that does something cool!" and it never…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm so happy to live in a world where Dread Delusion exists the immaculate vibes of its soundtrack exists. This game was a gift to fans of weird fantasy.
positive · AI labelView post →LIVE NOW... LET'S TRY DREAD DELUSION BECAUSE GOD I NEED A GOOD INDIE GAME RN www.twitch.tv/skullvolver
neutral · AI labelView post →I have to give credit where it is due, this is quite frankly an astounding feat of a solo developer, and has some really interesting worldbuilding, and a unique artstyle that feels like it shouldn't work but just somehow does. It leans somewhat into CRPG territory with quests that have multiple possible outcomes and sometimes consequences. Aside from that, it's just obscenely boring. The open world is gigantic, barren and devoid of really anything interesting to find, exploration is at best…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This one of the best indie games I've ever played. Even though I've completed it a long time ago, I still think about it from time to time. To get the caveats out of the way - combat is, well... present I suppose, you hit things until they die, as simplistic as you can imagine. There is no in-depth buildcrafting or character customization to speak of. Now, what really matters: The world building, and the writing is possibly the most evocative and creative fantasy fiction I've ever experienced.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On this note y’all should also check out the beautiful game Dread Delusion!! It’s how I first learned about his art!!
neutral · AI labelView post →instead of breaking the bds boycott to buy oblivion and fund microsoft, you should instead buy Dread Delusion, a better 'elder scrolls' game than any actual elder scrolls game that's come out in the last 20 years
positive · AI labelView post →OH BOY! store.steampowered.com/app/1574240/Dread_Delusion/ A huge update for DREAD DELUSION is live! I couldn't recommend the game enough (I'm a part of it due to my own passion for its early demo), but if you need persuasion, maybe character designs & in-game artwork made by me will do the trick!;)
neutral · AI labelView post →I'd probably say this game is a 7.5/10. The story is good, and the exploration is MOSTLY enjoyable. Nice side quests as well, and the universe is very cool. It is also not very glitchy, I had very few bugs during gameplay, and it ran very stable the entire time. The negatives are quite glaring though, and while I'm quite patient so they didn't bother me specifically I would like to write these out for people who should avoid buying. This game is a story game. Despite there being…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Check this out, especially if you’re into retro (ps1 era) rpgs and weird fantasy/ horror. I’m a huge Dread Delusion fan, and so far this is giving me all the great vibes of that game, but with a totally different play style. Works amazing on the deck too. Love it, can’t wait until August.
neutral · AI labelView post →Genuinely Dread Delusion whips ass, it's a fantastic game people keep going, "oh it's like morrowind" and it's...not, it's it's own thing, and that thing rules
positive · AI labelView post →Really chuffed to see @najarala.bsky.social beat Dread Delusion for #SGDQ2025! It's humbling to see someone who knows the game basically better than I do 😅 Oh and pls consider donating - GDQ have already raised a ton of money for DWB, a truly great cause ❤️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=L83b...
neutral · AI labelView post →Artificer- Comette Steel Defender- Ward Infused Homunculus Servant- Momo For a Dread Delusion themed game with friends
neutral · AI labelView post →I can keep going too Every New Blood game Pathologic 2 Mount and Blade AtomRPG Troubleshooter WW1 Game Series (Verdun, Tannenburg) American Truck Sim Jagged Alliance 3 Art of Rally EYE Divine Cybermancy Dread Delusion Pacific Drive
neutral · AI labelView post →Wow cant believe Dread Delusion swept at The Game Awards. Thank you Geoff
neutral · AI labelView post →game where you can live out fantasies such as owning real estate.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →finally finished this Dread Delusion piece i had in mind ever since i finished this incredible game. vela, orlaith, little godlet and my favourite: shroomweave sword. what a fantastic gem of a game! @lovelyhellplace.bsky.social #painting #digitalpainting #art
neutral · AI labelView post →Hey Algorithm, listen up Disco Elysium Outer Wilds Pathologic Darkwood Dishonored Fallout Baldur's Gate 3 Dusk Mouthwashing Dread Delusion The Forest Elden Ring Bloodborne Video Games 3D Art Game Dev Indie Games Horror Books Fantasy Lord of the Rings Malazan Thanks for listening.
neutral · AI labelView post →Thought I was about to beat Dread Delusion but instead I unlocked a massive new mechanic 💀 this game is incredible
positive · AI labelView post →I played this a year ago and I think about it constantly. The world premise is fascinating, the way it informs the gameplay is sick, the quests go hard. If you like quests with choices that change the world around you, this is it brother. Music is sick. Sound design is delicious. The art rocks. This IS MY GAME. THIS GAME WAS MADE FOR ME.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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