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Game
Game2015
Pathologic Classic HD
Developer Ice-Pick Lodge, General Arcade
Pathologic Classic HD is the Definitive Edition of the original Cult Classic Psychological First-Person Survival game. In this unforgettable experience, players control one of three unique characters as they try to save a mysterious town from a deadly plague that cannot be stopped. From the Steam store page
203 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
84
LovedLoved
157 positive · 29 negative
95% range 79–89%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 157 | 29 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 1 | 11 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,961 of 2,246 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
84% recommend · 152 yes, 29 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 181 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (4,062 of 4,638 positive).
Players describe Pathologic Classic HD as a deeply punishing yet unforgettable experience. [1][2][3] Many note its oppressive atmosphere and narrative brilliance despite hostile design. [2][4][5] Some reviewers warn it is not for everyone, calling it a test of endurance. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [15]
one of the worst games I've ever played, it's easily one of my favourites though. I'd recommend it for the severely mentally ill and/or those with masochism, but telling someone to play this should be an unforgivable sin
- [1]
a game for masochists, folklore fans, self-flagellants, literature enthusiasts, western wannabe commies, the clinically depressed, enjoyers of Terrible Awful Gameplay, fujos, and annoying people who keep an 100% guide in another tab whenever they play a game. it is perfect.
- [2]
Pathologic is one of the most fascinating and maddening games I’ve ever played. It’s an incredible piece of storytelling buried under layers of rough, outdated, and downright hostile design choices. Somehow it inspires both absolute frustration and an undeniable urge to keep going just to see what happens next. For atmosphere and narrative alone, it’s almost unmatched. The town feels oppressive and alive in its own …
- [3]
I've hated every second of this game. It has driven me absolutely insane. There are few words adequate to describe the all consuming tormentous nightmare that is Pathologic. I hate this god forsaken town and every single riddle-speaking bastard that inhabits it. I hate that smug little girl that had me searching for 30 minutes for an invisible bloody cat! This game represents one of the best examples of …
- [7]
This is NOT a game for everyone. The gameplay is mostly walking around town and talking to people, only broken up by occasional combat and trading. What you need to do next, who you need to talk to and what to say, etc. can be very unclear at times. But the rich atmosphere of the town, the fascinating and well-written characters, the lore to be learned, and the grand mystery to be uncovered really pulls it all …
Summarised from 34 of the 198 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 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
84% of the 181 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Pathologic Classic HD. The complaint that keeps coming up: outdated, clunky mechanics and tedious walking. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 203 · most liked firsta game for masochists, folklore fans, self-flagellants, literature enthusiasts, western wannabe commies, the clinically depressed, enjoyers of Terrible Awful Gameplay, fujos, and annoying people who keep an 100% guide in another tab whenever they play a game. it is perfect.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Town Game: Pathologic Classic HD Dev: Ice-Pick Lodge | General Arcade Release: October 29, 2015
neutral · AI labelView post →Never played this game, never will. But it provided me with the best YouTube content possible. Some games can entertain you even if you don't play them.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game not only actively hates you, but it also makes sure you know it every step you take, every little attempt you take to try and be a play-hard, a smartass, or just an overdoer We play as one of three healers each time, but not the typical kind of "healers" we usually think of: holy, pristine, clean and full of mercy. Nope, we're flawed, tired, dirty, scared... One wants to cheat death, another wants to find the culprit of his father's death after being pointed as blasphemous heathen.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pathologic is one of the most fascinating and maddening games I’ve ever played. It’s an incredible piece of storytelling buried under layers of rough, outdated, and downright hostile design choices. Somehow it inspires both absolute frustration and an undeniable urge to keep going just to see what happens next. For atmosphere and narrative alone, it’s almost unmatched. The town feels oppressive and alive in its own strange way, the plague ridden districts are genuinely unsettling, and even with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In a city ravaged by plague, survival is less a matter of skill and more about the slow erosion of moral resolve.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pathologic tutorial: 1. finish the whole bachelor campaign (took me 42 hours). 2. open reviews of the game. 3. see a review suggesting not to play the game. 4. agree. 5. regret life decisions.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of the worst games I've ever played, it's easily one of my favourites though. I'd recommend it for the severely mentally ill and/or those with masochism, but telling someone to play this should be an unforgivable sin
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Russians - or just slavs in general - have this tendency of creating wonderfully dark, depressing, or even painful gaming experiences, this is exactly such example. I was originally sold by all the talks about how "painful" Pathologic is, and how depressing this game is, and as stated above - I guess that's to be expected when you learn about the game's origins. However, for this game specifically, people were *especially* adamant on calling this game literally "painful to play". As in it's an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my favorite... things. The more I interact with it, the less I can consider it a game. It is, as the manual calls it a "simulator of human behavior". It is uncomfortable. It will push your limits. But like any other survival horror experience, there is always a way out of the darkness, a hope pushing you forward, even if you have to force yourself to embody that hope. It creates one of the most depressing worlds I have ever inhabited and yet still does not give into cynicism. It is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →amazing game for if theres something wrong with you
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When Sartre said hell is other people, he was wrong: hell is--in fact--buying this game, forcing yourself to go through hell by playing it hoping that the design and the obscure charm would win you over despite the absurdity and tedium it offers ad nauseum. this is the game of life and there is no reprieve. the world is a stage, just like ours, and the biopolitics of it all cries Burroughs + Kafka + The Master and The Margarita. experience madness in quote-unquote HD. this is like Russian…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've hated every second of this game. It has driven me absolutely insane. There are few words adequate to describe the all consuming tormentous nightmare that is Pathologic. I hate this god forsaken town and every single riddle-speaking bastard that inhabits it. I hate that smug little girl that had me searching for 30 minutes for an invisible bloody cat! This game represents one of the best examples of psychological warfare in modern history. That prickly prick Dankovski can go suck an egg.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One does not simply play this game; one endures it to the very end. And then... maybe in a few months, maybe in a few years, the echoes return. Fragments of the game start flashing in front of your eyes whilst playing yet another mediocre hollow creation of some imbecile, and feeling of regret over the times you criticized Pathologic would weigh heavy on your soul. Thank you Nikolay Vladimirovich Dybovsky for blessing us with this masterpiece. :wt_snail_boring:
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This wildly broken despair and pain simulator is still my favourite game of all time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Does the game feel good to play? Nah. Is the combat good? Nah. Do conflicts feel fair and rewarding? Nah. Do you constantly feel unsafe walking even thirty feet down the street? Yea. Does what would be a level one rat in other games become a stressful encounter? Yea. Is this game a cathartic test of your patience? Yea. I like the way this sucks (affectionate). The music slaps and the lore is amazing-- but you should probably play Pathologic 2 if you want to experience the story and lore…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →two doctors rummage through garbage and try not to flirt with one another while a shapeshifter goes around doing magic and whatnot
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nooo Peter don't kll yourself your so sexy aha
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is great if you experienced/knew gaming back in 2003-2008 era. This game is a little dated with mechanics and shows absolutely no mercy when it comes to combat, walking around, or saves. If you happen to save in a really bad spot and you cannot complete your daily quest, if you have no other save, you're kinda cooked. As someone who lived through that era when I was really young, I kind of understood that the game is a victim of its time, but that's just how it was back then. That's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →no money. no food. no sleep. no health. no medicaments. no time, either. oh, ESPECIALLY no time. you're rushing to finish the main quest of the day, else your close friend gets sick with a plague. it's 22:53, you're at the opposite end of the town, and there's no way to get to your destination but walk, because you can't run even if you want to. you're chased by 2 muggers, 3 rats, and, if you're unlucky enough to let your reputation drop lower than 40%, - by an entire male population of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Terrible game, I love it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pathologic is by far one of the best games I have ever played. It is also one of the worst. I have never been as enraptured by a game's story as I have with Pathologic. When asking someone about the original Pathologic, one of their main complaints will be that this is a difficult game. I didn't find it that difficult? If you play through the healers as intended (L->R), you should quickly learn a lot of the games more bothersome mechanics. As the Bachelor, you are given a plague-vision that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love Pathologic, do not play it. Ever. I personally only played the Bachelors path, and it took me nearly 30 hours. I didn't play the other 2 paths, and I don't know when I will play those 2 paths. I might, someday. First, walking. The game is just 95% walking. And it's not the fun and productive type of walking, most of it is just going to be mindless walking. You might try putting together stuff you know as you walk, but there isn't much you can put together within the 25 hours of walking.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is NOT a game for everyone. The gameplay is mostly walking around town and talking to people, only broken up by occasional combat and trading. What you need to do next, who you need to talk to and what to say, etc. can be very unclear at times. But the rich atmosphere of the town, the fascinating and well-written characters, the lore to be learned, and the grand mystery to be uncovered really pulls it all together. And its wonderfully, unabashedly WEIRD. The experience has truly…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is Pathologic fun? No. Exciting? Not quite. All-consuming? Absolutely. This game is the best toxic relationship you will ever have.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. Don't play it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Life will forever be bound to Pathologic franchise. I played it all in order and it is has been the best experience I have ever had. It is ofc not a game for everyone, it has its flaws and requires a lot of analyze, attention and it can feel overwhelming. But it opens your perspective to knew and not so common philosophical ideas that apply to the real world. I completely recommend to play the game. Best phrase ever: "any choice is right as long as it`s willed"
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A piece of Art, But not a fun game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →world’s fragilest plague doctor is the steppe’s hot new errand boy and boy is he new and hot on the errands
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pathologic Classic HD, developed by Ice-Pick Lodge and General Arcade and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment, is one of the most unsettling and singular experiences ever crafted in gaming. Originally released in 2005 and remastered a decade later, it stands as a bleak masterpiece of existential horror and narrative experimentation. The game places you in a strange, isolated town on the edge of a vast, desolate steppe, a place gripped by superstition, decay, and a mysterious plague that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →hears a dog barking irl: omg this is just like pathologic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The writing is, simultaneously; sophisticated, dumb, schizophrenic, funny, complex and autistic. Good stuff. This is how the game goes: You're trying to solve a murder. Literally everyone in the town is apparently clairvoyant aside from you, for some reason. Literally nobody greets you with a "Hello" or any other thing a normal person might say when meeting someone for the first time. They full speed into a paranoid rant or whatever's on their mind at the time. They spout a bunch of vague…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To start this out, I wouldn't exactly *not* recommend this game, however the audience I would recommend it to is very niche. For the general player I would not recommend this. The story itself is actually pretty good. I very much enjoyed the bachelor's story and honestly the characters themselves were well written. The dialogue for the characters in general is a bit more on the ramble side, but is mostly understandable. The atmosphere is nice as well with the sound design and the music playing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the top three best-written games in the history of the medium. Unique, inventive, deeply Russian; painful enough that console commands were the only way to reasonably get through it, and painful enough to feel little guilt over the fact. Utterly absorbing despite so much of the playtime simply being walking around The Town, over and over and over again, to get cheated, tricked, and lied to. There's nothing else like Pathologic.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i, on the other hand, am used to winning
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i've only just finished the bachelor route as of initially writing this review but boy do i have thoughts and feelings i honestly think the difficulty is overplayed. the game wasn't terrible to play - bar one late day that i struggled on because i was stupid and didn't do the quest properly; i enjoyed my experience from start to finish! i *am* however a fan of walking simulators (ie. yume nikki), lol, and also a fan of heavy literary games (ie. disco elysium)...all while being someone who…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the second i finally got my first bullet for my revolver i was ready that this game would have an option of ending it this game is not for the weak but you should still try it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Whosoever plays this game... Follows the path... of logic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a hard recommendation, because it is slow, and tedious, but there are very specific personal reasons and history why this game struck me so deeply. I don't know man, I dreamt about the game for the entire time I played it. I spoke to the characters in it and walked around the maps in my sleep. It made me want to read and write again. I don't know if I played any other game that was as dense other than maybe Disco Elysium. Perhaps their difference is in their levels of subtlety, and the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up. it makes you walk everywhere. go around in circles talking to people who will then lie to you to your face. this game will test your patience, reading comprehension, and most of all, your ability to either manage a disease or just loading a quicksave when you catch it. also the bachelor is hot
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In the game, you are a errand boy that has to walk from several to tens of minutes from point A to C, D, F, H and many times to A again to deliver items or information to someones house. Your character wants too much food, is quickly to get exhausted, thus, you have to spend your meeger amount of money on supplies. This is mostly the gameplay + street encounters, in which you have no idea whether the enemies will hit you or not (when you are trying to attack them) + random very fast plague…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is it a good game? No. Is it a good story? No, it's an amazing one of which there aren't many of out there. Thing is, you gotta be a masochist to put yourself through the grueling process of playing this repetitive, save-scummy game (of which I am, I guess). And if you are one too, then by all means give it a try.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A terrible game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great art direction and interesting story but the gameplay is absolute garbage. And I don't believe anyone who says it's intentional, I do think the devs wanted to make it challenging but lacked the experience to make it good. And furthermore if you make garbage and then say it's meant to be garbage it doesn't absolve you of wasting time and resources on that garbage. Highly recommend either using the console commands or reading a guide so you can avoid the mindnumbingly tedious homeless…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Many online reviews open by saying "I cannot recommend this game". I can. But you have to be looking for something very specific. This is a game where you're okay with long periods of being alone with your own thoughts. This is a game about inventory, market, status, and time management. Do you like games like Frostpunk and Cultist Simulator for the general systems they have of juggling a bunch of plates to avoid them falling all around you? Then odds are good you have the patience to enjoy…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I paid 2 dollars for this game, and was given a 2 dollar experience. I know this is supposed to be a cult classic and I have immense respect for the artistic direction and pristine vibes of this game, but objectively it is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ walking simulator from 2003 with bad combat mechanics, strange UI choices and no sprint button. Either listen to your boyfriend infodump about the plot like I did, or watch a youtube essay instead.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a game I had to die to a couple times, look up a few guides, play through day 3, forget about the game for a couple years, pick it up, read a tips articles, and start playing again to really appreciate it. Everyone who says its a bit of a confusing game to succeed at is right, and if you prefer games to hand hold you this one will not do that. You have to be a little bit of a masochist if you want to play this game "as intended", and following a guide word-for-word makes a lot of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I understand that the game is from 2005, but still: 95% walking 4% dialogue 1% everything else Overall, the vibe and style are excellent. If there were a neutral option, I’d probably choose that.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite possibly the best game ever. Really really difficult and punishing but I was hooked. Its like I was the one there fighting the plague. This game gave me resilience through constant frustration; if it wasn't for this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game I don't think I would have passed one of my classes because as much as this game is hard, the reward of finally getting things right is unparalleled. Thats not even going into the brilliance of the world building and the characters. Its visually stunning and the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun vacation in a lovely, rural town full of diverse folks. Unique flora and inventive architecture make the strolls around the village truly unforgettable! You play as one of three completely morally-unquestionable characters, who are not paid actors, while you go on fun adventures to support the friendly locals in their cozy, idyllic, normal everyday-life. The music does not haunt my nightmares. A cute game for the whole family! :) At least that's how I remember it after all those…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Non-standard game, gameplaywise I'd label it as a survival long (and I mean it) walking simulator with really unique setting (weird, feels like a mix of mid XX century eastern Europe and a lot of folklore/pagan stuff - but not shallow or forced - just great). We get three routes in one game, every spans across 12 days, story is shared by the characters but the perspectives are vastly different, so far I've finished two and I absolutely loved both, as they allow us to see things at different…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →please never play this game. it is incredible tho
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sure Path 2 is technically better, but this one has such a deep and distinct atmosphere that a more polished game isn't able to produce. I've never played anything else that pulled me into its world quite like Pathologic classic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game has a way of making you obsessed with it even as you suffer
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THE WORMS!!! THE WORMS!!! THE WORMS!!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Extremely niche artsy game that is kind of "bad" on purpose. It's definitely not fun, I'd call it "captivating". Genuinely 99% of people will not like this game or even be able to play it long enough to appreciate it, so I can't really recommend it. Shi, I don't even like it that much, but it is extremely interesting and I don't regret playing it. Very atmospheric, music is great, story is intriguing, miserable experience that you can't wait for it to be over but also (me personally) can't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Incredible game, not nearly as frustrating as HBomberGuy made it out to be. A must play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I finally finished the whole game...PHEW!! What a ride! Honestly, the gameplay sucks. Grueling, not bc it's super difficult per say, but it's repetitive and buggy. The gameplay is 95% walking around and talking to npcs, so if you're looking for engaging gameplay mechanics, this one probably isn't for you. Did I mention you have to walk around a lot? Oh, I did? That being said, it has a very unique story and atmosphere, with great world-building and interesting characters. A lot of games with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pathologic has changed me forever.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →use cheats if you don't hate yourselves besties update: my bam is boozled
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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