The Town of Light
The Town of Light
Game
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Martha Is Dead
Developer LKA
Martha is Dead is a psychological thriller game developed by Italian studio LKA and published by Wired Productions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. On January 16, 2024, it was revealed that it would be receiving a live action film adaptation. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
290 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
72
Fresh
154 positive · 61 negative
95% range 65–77%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 154 | 61 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 13 | 5 | 53 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
1,213 of 1,614 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
73% recommend · 148 yes, 55 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 203 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (3,143 of 3,973 positive).
Players praise the game's gripping story, strong atmosphere, and voice acting. [1][2][3] Many reviewers note significant technical issues like stuttering, crashes, and bugs. [2][4][5] Some find the game's dark themes and slow pacing off-putting. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
Martha Is Dead really didn’t work for me. The story felt slow, confusing, and honestly pretty boring most of the time. It tries really hard to be deep and disturbing, but it just ends up feeling weird without much meaning behind it. The atmosphere is fine and the visuals are decent, but that’s not enough to carry the whole experience. The pacing is rough, and a lot of moments feel dragged out for no real reason. By …
- [2]
What a thrilling game! I had plenty of ideas about how the game might play out, but that was not what I expected. The game offers clear graphics, strong voice acting, a gripping story, and shockingly horrific moments... The only issues are the poor performance and low volumes. This game will undoubtedly stay in my mind for a long time. Also, if anyone knows any other good-quality similar games, please contact me! …
- [4]
Martha is Dead is a unique take on the body horror and psychological horror genres. It presents some welcome new ideas like photography system, but I had a few frustrating technical and gameplay issues, which made the game a bit laggy from time to time. The game has huge amount of topics from loss and war to personal identity which was presented in a very respectful manner, but some parts even for a horror fan like …
- [5]
Amazing game hindered by the gameplay. Lots of stuttering and quite a few bugs. Narration is amazing. unreliable narrator. horror. trauma. repressed memories. We got it all here. Proceed at your own pace though; there are warning labels all over in this game for a reason. https://safeinourworld.org/find-help/
- [1]
A brilliantly narrated thriller, coupled with stunning photorealism, that brings us to the border between reality and the supernatural, for the best and nothing but the best.
Summarised from 34 of the 276 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 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Martha Is Dead sits at 72% positive across 215 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Martha Is Dead received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. The game was censored for its release on PlayStation consoles. The changes include removing interactivity from certain graphic scenes and removing references to masturbation. The game is uncut on all other platforms. Critics generally praised the game's visual presentation, atmosphere, and recreation of 1940s Tuscany. Chris Scullion of Video Games Chronicle described its setting as convincingly realized and highlighted its haunting soundtrack, although he warned that its graphic content would not appeal to all players. Stuart Gipp of Push Square similarly praised the Tuscan landscapes, historical…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 290 · most liked firstA brilliantly narrated thriller, coupled with stunning photorealism, that brings us to the border between reality and the supernatural, for the best and nothing but the best.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a thrilling game! I had plenty of ideas about how the game might play out, but that was not what I expected. The game offers clear graphics, strong voice acting, a gripping story, and shockingly horrific moments... The only issues are the poor performance and low volumes. This game will undoubtedly stay in my mind for a long time. Also, if anyone knows any other good-quality similar games, please contact me! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3622990483
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A rather mediocre psychological horror. The story is pretty good, definitely the highlight of the entire game. Otherwise, I pushed myself to stay awake. Gameplay is basically you walking around, inspecting items, doing mundane things and taking photos. The only puzzle I can think of is the one where you need to decipher morse code, it's annoying more than anything else, I ended up looking a tutorial anyway. For those who don't care about achievements or extra lore, the quest is luckily…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Studio behind Martha is Dead, the game too extreme for PlayStation, debuts gameplay from its psychological serial killer horror When Sirens Fall Silent www.eurogamer.net/when-sirens-...
neutral · AI labelView post →I have never seen a game start and end with a mental health support site and after finishing it, I can see why. This game does not hold back with it's subject matter at all. Truly unsettling narrative that plays out with a beautiful Italian landscape to explore.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Started Martha is Dead, a game full of trigger warnings (rightly so). It looks all nice and picturesque on the left, but the theme and certain scenes are horrific. It's about a woman who loses her twin sister, and takes over her identity in order to find out the truth surrounding her death.
neutral · AI labelView post →The studio behind disturbing Italian horror game Martha is Dead has revealed the first gameplay from its next title, When Sirens Fall Silent. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/martha-...
neutral · AI labelView post →A quick thread of only the best shots I've taken from the Wired Productions collection as a #WiredCreator! Game 1: Martha is Dead! Absolutely adored this game! Strong opening, sections of fun gameplay, intriguing questlines and definitely spooky at times! #VirtualPhotography
positive · AI labelView post →🎃🕯️ HAPPY OCTOBER! 🕯️🎃 If you're looking for something scary to play this month, let me put you on to my all-time favorite horror games: 🐙 Still Wakes the Deep 🪦 Martha is Dead 📷 MADiSON 🗼 Fears to Fathom: Ironbark Lookout 👽 Alien: Isolation And lemme tell ya why 👇 #horrorgame #indiegame
positive · AI labelView post →Suggestive and intense. As an Italian artist working in an indie game studio, I see this as a true gem in the Italian game scene. Blending our history with a haunting horror atmosphere, this story-driven experience brings something genuinely fresh. Great job!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Martha Is Dead really didn’t work for me. The story felt slow, confusing, and honestly pretty boring most of the time. It tries really hard to be deep and disturbing, but it just ends up feeling weird without much meaning behind it. The atmosphere is fine and the visuals are decent, but that’s not enough to carry the whole experience. The pacing is rough, and a lot of moments feel dragged out for no real reason. By the end, I was more confused than interested. Performance was honestly pretty…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I thought this game was going to be a lot better but it fell waaaaaaay short. - The narrative and storyline were interesting for the most part, but by the end of the game I just wanted it to be over - certain parts felt forced and rushed and other things were confusing. - Gameplay and travelling is TEDIOUS, and by that I mean almost every conversation or thing you interact with is done at a snail's pace. You will have to walk back and forth between the house, the forest, the lake several…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One amazing game that gives you stuff to thing about and does touch you deep. Use the dx 11 version,it did run better for me!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Martha is Dead is a unique take on the body horror and psychological horror genres. It presents some welcome new ideas like photography system, but I had a few frustrating technical and gameplay issues, which made the game a bit laggy from time to time. The game has huge amount of topics from loss and war to personal identity which was presented in a very respectful manner, but some parts even for a horror fan like me were a lot. The voice acting and audio is fantastic absolutely no…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I put 25pound on my Steam account to buy spooky games in their Halloween sale. I can't quite stretch far enough to get new Life is Strange Yet. New purchases: The Rocky Horror Show game Martha is Dead House of Ashes Dark Pictures 👻🍂🎃
neutral · AI labelView post →Hold on, just finished it and I cannot see through my tears...oof... "We think danger is all around us, ready to attack, but the most devious and misleading dangers are the ones that are inside of us. They grow without us realizing, they make us suffer, remain confused and remove our self-respect". I came into this game blindly and I expected paranormal horror as the story began with an urban legend about a ghost lady that preys on young women. I was taken for a ride in the complete opposite…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I went into Martha Is Dead expecting a more relaxed narrative walking simulator with photography elements and a focused story. Instead, the game leans heavily into psychological horror with a chaotic narrative structure. While I understand this is part of the intended tone, the execution often felt unbalanced and lacking proper buildup for many of its twists. At times, the portrayal of the protagonist’s suffering came across as exploitative and humiliating rather than meaningful or narratively…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story was intriguing enough for me to look over some CTDs and occasional visiual glitches, but now 4 hours in I get a "fatal Video error" and simply cannot progress any further. Even spend some time playing around with grafic settings, but to no end. It's simply unplayable. Nothing more I can say.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My October Horror Game Rotation: The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Martha is Dead The Quarry Resident Evil 6
neutral · AI labelView post →the game bugs at the developing photos tutorial and i cant progress. i tried everything :(
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Hollow Shell Disguised as ArtMartha Is Dead opens on a genuinely gripping note. Italy, 1944. War rumbles in the distance. A young woman discovers the lifeless body of her twin sister, Martha, floating in a lake. The two are so alike that even their parents can barely tell them apart. In the confusion and trauma that follow, the protagonist assumes Martha’s identity, while her own persona is presumed dead. The question hanging in the air: who killed Martha? The premise is ripe with potential -…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I liked it, but I see where the complaints come from. I turned the graphics down a bit but still got stutters, but they're manageable. It's more of a psychological drama than a true horror game. I'd place it closer to an adventure game than a walking sim. There's really no failure state, the story is linear but there's plenty you can miss. Some people disliked the occasional gore and unsettling scenes. I was fine with them, but you'll have to make that decision for yourself. The ending seems to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do I know what happened? Absolutely not. Would I recommend it? Absolutely yes. Came for the psychological horror, stayed for the psychological damage. By the end, I wasn't sure what was real, what wasn't, or whether I needed a therapist. 10/10. My GPU also experienced psychological trauma.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hi cuties! Wanna help me pick my next game to play? 1) South of Midnight 2) Tell Me Why 3) Martha Is Dead (Heavy Trigger Warning) Please let me know your vote in the comments! 👽
neutral · AI labelView post →The 5th time I was stuck in textures I quit the game for good. I'm not compelled to make an effort for the sake of completing the story because right away I placed my bets on Dissociative Identity Disorder, and after 4hr on record I'm still thinking it wants to dig that way. I'm tired of the horror/thriller genres using that.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A dark, walking simulator game with a great story that should become a movie! Was hard to find a "good spot" to pause the game once I started playing it. During the chapters you got plenty of stuff to do and options. The only minus would probably be that sometimes you run back and forth with not the greatest speed when you got no patience like myself!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🚨New Game Announcement!🚨 Announced during the recent PC Gaming's Most Wanted showcase, the next game from LKA, devs behind Martha Is Dead, their new game When Sirens Fall Silent @whensirensfall.bsky.social The full trailer is below and be sure to wishlist #indiegames #indiedev #horror
neutral · AI labelView post →This is one of those times where I wish Steam had a sideways thumb for reviews instead of just up or down. Personally, I err on the side of not recommending this game, but it definitely still has a lot of merit and I think a certain type of person will still enjoy it enough. For the most part, I actually was really enjoying this game and getting super interested in the setting and story. I found myself hardly being able to wait to play it again. The lead up to the ending though is abysmal.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was gonna post this yesterday. I had plans to stream the SIMS. But, with everything happening with the EA acquisition, I figured I ought to change it 😞 So, this Friday to kick off Spooky Month on Twitch I'll be playing the horror game Martha Is Dead #vsky #indievtuber #twitchstreamer #ENVTuber
neutral · AI labelView post →Martha is Dead 7/10 Martha.... damn she really is dead. An interesting horror-lite first person walking sim. Walk around the house and countryside and forest over a span of four days or so and uncover what happened to your twin sister Martha. Was it you? Was it your mom? Your dad? The Germans? Use your camera and develop pictures, walk and interact with things, ride a horribly optimized bike for two steps, make light choices, and solve the mystery. At least thats what you think would happen…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Listen, here is a review coming from a guy who does not often *not* recommend games. You can see most (if not all?) of my reviews have been positive. I honestly can't remember. The point is this game had some potential in the story, but the details got muddied and it felt like they were continually just trying to put you into more and more of a mindf*** of a situation the entire time. Yes, it is very traumatic and tragic. But it feels almost unnecessarily so. And I'm a guy who thrives in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →(Played half of it offline, actual play time is 5.1 hours when reaching the end) Hmmmm... Ultimately, I found this to be a muddled experience overall that tipped the scale into the negative because it has issues I think could have been easily avoided. I typically prefer to just NOT review a game, rather than negatively review it, but some games, that frustrate me through it’s design, compels me to. On paper, it looks to be made for a player like me, who is an avid player of both…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story was good in my oppinion, it gets dark and seems to be for the more mentally matured audience. The game mechanics where good. The amount of issues with the camera randomly just going somewhere else is a problem. There's the war looming over on the background untill a certain point. Your perspective might change during the story. The game looks beautiful. Controller works but i'd prefer K&M. There's a bug with a few interactible papers that made me unable to back out off. You…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game hindered by the gameplay. Lots of stuttering and quite a few bugs. Narration is amazing. unreliable narrator. horror. trauma. repressed memories. We got it all here. Proceed at your own pace though; there are warning labels all over in this game for a reason. https://safeinourworld.org/find-help/
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Martha Is Dead Martha Is Dead is a first-person psychological thriller set in 1944 Italy during World War II. I like games with a story that makes you think, I really liked Martha is dead and the sad story behind it, I already liked the town of light (TTOL) first LKA game but Martha is dead is from another level, and I can't wait to see the next one ''When Sirens Fall Silent'' . Be aware this review will have spoilers! I don't even know where to start story wise, I'm confused I've played…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Walk = barely move , Run = walk , Bicycle is janky af , getting stuck in almost everything , story might be decent but I had no patience to continue playing for some reason , 3/10 for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: After 9.9 Hours playtime, I have a few things to say about Martha is Dead... starting with: This game is VERY boring. It had fantastic trailers that will leave you disappointed after a long drawn out set of chores and a story that will put you to sleep with its unexciting dialog. (below explanation may contain mild spoilers) The only technical errors I experienced was random frame drops and on every transition, level, day... the game reset the motion blur and depth of field. I was…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Martha is Dead is a disturbing and emotionally heavy narrative experience set in WWII-era Italy. The story tackles dark themes with striking realism and strong voice acting. It’s not for everyone, but those looking for a mature, unsettling story will find it unforgettable.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still recommended but i give 5/10 because bad performance Drop Fps, Crash in mid game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good morning I’m Ummeryon I like: 🗡️Assassin’s Creed 🐺The Witcher 🐉Dragon Ball 🌀Alan Wake 🚀Mass Effect 🏍️ Days Gone 🗡️🇯🇵Ghost Of Tsushima 🐎🤠Red Dead Redemption 2 😱Martha Is Dead 🗡️🏛️Gladiator 🐉🐺Game Of Thrones 🚬🥃Peaky Blinders 🛡️⚔️Vikings 🗡️🩸Spartacus 🚀🧑🚀Star Wars 🧙The Lord of the Rings 💻 PC ☕️ Coffee 🍣🍱Sushi
neutral · AI labelView post →Excited for my first game next week. Join me for the premier of Martha Is Dead. 🕯️
neutral · AI labelView post →Martha is not dead! She will live in our hearts forever. Dear LKA, if you're reading this, just know that I absolutely adore you guys. Thank you for making such deep awesome games!!! Story. Just like the first game, we follow a young girl's tragic and deeply moving journey. It all starts when we find Martha's body, and from there, the plot keeps throwing crazy twists at you all the way to the credits. Gameplay. Now this is what I’m talking about. Unlike the previous game, which was basically…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Martha Is Dead is a dark and disturbing psychological horror game with an interesting story and a strong atmosphere. The game constantly creates a feeling of tension, while the mystery surrounding the events keeps you interested and wanting to find out what really happened. The story is definitely the strongest part of the game, with plenty of unexpected moments and themes that will not be for everyone. The visuals also look great and add a lot to the overall atmosphere. It is not perfect, but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Martha Is Dead — Review The graphics are beautiful, and the environments are really well designed. It’s also a choice-based game, but from what I understood, the choices don’t actually have much impact on the ending, which makes the whole choice system feel a bit pointless. The game also feels poorly optimized, and it’s definitely not very keyboard-and-mouse friendly. The controls can feel awkward and frustrating at times. As for the story… honestly, it’s not good. They could have done so…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the most beautifully disturbing game i have ever played. it reminds me a lot of Alice madness returns
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Studio behind Martha is Dead, the game too extreme for PlayStation, debuts gameplay from its psychological serial killer horror When Sirens Fall Silent.
neutral · AI labelView post →Best game i ever seen, the graphics, the story telling, the voice acting especially if your Italian like me , its way better than English. Amazing game overall the story is top tier.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't recommend this game, but it's not because of the extreme content. I've seen worse (any number of movies, Subahibi/Sadistic Blood in VNs, etc.). The problem is that this game felt exploitative and messy for no good reason. This is also very much in line with what I saw from another Italian giallo-influenced series called Remothered. Everything there, too, was just an edgy exercise in some shock value scenes and bizarre, chaotic storytelling without any real point. On the surface,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If tedium and adolescent edge lord shocks were a game, this would be it. I went in with a horror fan's hope for Martha is dead, but found myself swimming in the doldrums of an old-timey film development sim. Yet still I was willing to give the game a shot since it hinted at some tantalizingly dark subject matter in the future, But, when a segment asked me to play aa a baby born from a corpse in a room rapidly being submerged in piss colored water, I gave up. It wasn't scary, it wasn't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It’s a bit of a rough diamond This is one of those games where you really wish there was a middle rating option. The story is raw and intriguing, with exciting twists and surprisingly graphic moments that keep you engaged throughout the journey. The world is clearly built with a lot of attention to detail, and the voice acting (at least in German) is well done. BUT…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Holy sh*t this game is BORING. The characters wont shut the f*ck up. Gameplay and controls are super tedious. The only thing this game will be remembered for is the part where you remove your sisters face. The game also lags. Specs: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Corsair DDR5 16GB x 2 Resolution: 2560 x 1440p
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes, this is me. No one was ever able to tell us apart. It's strange how what identifies us most deeply is not visible to anyone.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was one of the most conceptual games I've ever played and it became one of my favorite games. If I were to tell you the story, at the beginning of World War II there are two sisters named Martha and Giulia. Maria dies and we want to find out what or who killed her and along the way we encounter many flashbacks and experience many heartbreaking scenes. I recommend this game 100%. This game is for people over 18. People under 18 this game may damage your spirit.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First and foremost the game is a wonky, laggy, POS with a good story and twist it's worth a play through BUT it's a painful one.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Starting Martha is Dead, I've been warned this game might be very distressing www.twitch.tv/juuuustnick
neutral · AI labelView post →The longer this list went on the easier it was to find games I genuinely hate... But my god... HEAVY RAIN IS ON THIS LIST!? It is, by far, the worst in a game I've ever played with the exception of Martha is Dead. The narrative has to lie to you to work, and not in a way that makes sense.
negative · AI labelView post →A disturbing psychological thriller that really stuck with me. The game does an excellent job of creating an unsettling atmosphere, mixing mystery, family drama, and psychological horror into a story that constantly keeps you questioning what's real. Set in the Italian countryside during World War II, the game has a beautiful but eerie setting. Exploring the abandoned locations, countryside, and family home gives you plenty of opportunities to uncover details about what happened. The visuals…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i love this game with all my heart. the atmosphere is stunning, the story disturbing in the best way. had me thinking about it even after i finished the game. 10/10 game for me. 100% worth playing!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The ending ruins the game. There are some great moments and concepts but the ending purposefully removes the importance of those moments. In the end, you are left with a game that makes the last 5 hours you spent learning about the story and characters pointless. The movement also feels bad. I walked everywhere because the bike felt unintuitive.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The level designer did a 10/10 job, but the story drags in places and ruins it a bit. Then there is VRAM leakage that fills up all 16GB of my VRAM every ~45 minutes so I have to save and restart the game. Some horrible frame drops that leave me disoriented as well. Kinda shame for a 4 year old game, they should have patched bugs by now. All in all it is an interesting game and I am not sorry for purchasing it and playing it, but beware that it is far from perfect. VERY far.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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