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Game
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Saturnalia
Developer Santa Ragione
Saturnalia is a survival horror video game developed and published by the Italian studio Santa Ragione, and released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch on October 27, 2022. It is the first Italian game to be created with the support of the Sardegna Film Commission. This morbid jigsaw puzzle is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
160 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
89
LovedLoved
77 positive · 10 negative
95% range 80–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 77 | 10 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 14 | 1 | 47 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
80 of 90 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
92% recommend · 77 yes, 7 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 84 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (124 of 137 positive).
Players praise Saturnalia's unique giallo-inspired visuals, oppressive atmosphere, and unsettling soundtrack. [1][2][3] Many note the game's non-linear, clue-based investigation and four-character system as fresh survival horror mechanics. [4][5][6] Some reviewers find the controls, camera, and navigation frustrating, especially for those with poor sense of direction. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
There's a good game here, but its being held back by very rough movement and camera. Character gets stuck on nothing frequently, and while I appreciate the dark atmosphere, not being able to see three feet in front of me, even with matches lit is a bit excessive. Judging from these other reviews, I think there is an audience for this kind of game. Much of the charm of old silent hill was the scary environment paired …
- [4]
Finally a horror game that is not just about "shoot the evil guys" or "find the red key to open the red door". Saturnalia leaves you hopeless in a surreal maze, surrounded by the mystery that unravel before you. Don't be fooled by the non-AAA graphic style, the game will get you and the soundtrack will shake you.
- [2]
Saturnalia deserves far more recognition. It's a survival horror drenched in giallo aesthetics, and it absolutely nails its sinister presentation. It's not for everyone. The world is deliberately disorienting (it is a nightmare to navigate if you have no sense of direction), and there is no hand-holding (though you can temper the difficulty by tweaking some gameplay settings before you start). The map gets …
- [6]
The best horror game I've played this year. The game is quite ambitious and despite some minor jank it manages to come together masterfully. Unlike a lot of other slasher horror games (where you get chased around by a single enemy), getting caught is not the end, as you have 4 characters you can play as and at least early on there are opportunities to rescue the others. But that's not all, even if all your …
- [7]
Has some siren vibes, and I can see it being decent, but had to refund it because of one big issue... if you have no sense of direction (like I dont) this game is hell, most of my playtime is getting lost in the prologue/tutorial where you are basically railroaded. If you have some better sense of direction and/or far more patience, you are likely going to love this.
Summarised from 34 of the 156 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 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Saturnalia talk about unique giallo aesthetic and oppressive atmosphere; those who didn't talk about clunky controls and camera issues. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Saturnalia received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator platform Metacritic. Edge praised the roguelike mechanic and disquieting mood, writing "[But] The knowledge that on our next visit Gravoi will be unknowable once more is a major reason why this disquieting, disorienting place leaves us as properly rattled as we've been by a video game since Immortality". IGN Italia felt that "Saturnalia works more as a conceptual idea and visual level than on a strictly playful one, but it is an imbalance that does not excessively affect the pleasure of the experience." Rock Paper Shotgun appreciated "its character and location design in the style of a giallo movie but isn't…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 160 · most liked firstTo celebrate HORSES’ Nuovo Award win, we’ve launched a new Italian Horror Trilogy bundle featuring 2024 IGF Excellence in Narrative winner Mediterranea Inferno and 2022 IGF Grand Prize Honorable Mention Saturnalia, all for $15.99 for a limited time! www.gog.com/en/game/ital...
neutral · AI labelView post →Saturnalia is 90% off for the first time on Steam. If you were ever curious about this multi-character non-linear narrative horror game, or if you think your friends should check it out, now is the time. store.steampowered.com/app/916350/S...
neutral · AI labelView post →There's a good game here, but its being held back by very rough movement and camera. Character gets stuck on nothing frequently, and while I appreciate the dark atmosphere, not being able to see three feet in front of me, even with matches lit is a bit excessive. Judging from these other reviews, I think there is an audience for this kind of game. Much of the charm of old silent hill was the scary environment paired with rough controls, but its just not for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →All very cool games. Saturnalia is an especially undersold gem of a horror game. It's like Giallo-style Alien Isolation. Non-linear slasher adventure/horror set in a claustrophobic, procedurally generated Spanish mountain town. Fantastic aesthetic, too.
positive · AI labelView post →Finally a horror game that is not just about "shoot the evil guys" or "find the red key to open the red door". Saturnalia leaves you hopeless in a surreal maze, surrounded by the mystery that unravel before you. Don't be fooled by the non-AAA graphic style, the game will get you and the soundtrack will shake you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Saturnalia creators Santa Ragione will "wind down operations" after Valve ban horror game Horses from Steam.
neutral · AI labelView post →Only 57 reviews for this cracker? Saturnalia came out around the time of Signalis and it's heartbreaking to see it so sorely overlooked, still. I finished this before it came to Steam but just look at that trailer. Listen to it. Beyond its gorgeous and arresting sketchy giallo-infused visuals (and an absolute banger of a theme), Saturnalia is a unique, compact, intimate, mechanically mysterious, narratively intriguing and oppressive (bordering on hostile) investigative mystery horror game.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is a must-play if you like the survival horror games. crafted with great passion and talent, it makes u feel unique sensations thanks to its mood and great story telling. definitely, a gem. I completed it on nintendo switch, but I bought it on PC to play it with high settings. game offer great replay value since you can toggle the experience at the beginning of the game. yes, I want that Fotonica cabinet in my flat :D
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Get this game Then get HORSES on a different platform than Steam or Epic because Gabe and Tim eat corn the long way.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Santa Ragione the Indie studio behind games like 'Saturnalia' is facing closure after its horror game 'Horses' got blacklisted on Steam without any explenation from Valve. www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-it...
neutral · AI labelView post →B-side gaming zine #9 last one for now (news, emulation, horror, humor). ## Welcome This is going to be the last one. The interest in these has dropped a lot, so for now I am putting this project on pause. I might try again sometime next year, but I am not sure. In this issue we have the usual indie gaming news, an article on emulation (the winner of the poll I did last time, with 2 votes vs. the other options that got 0 votes), horror and Day of the Dead game recommendations, top 10, and…
neutral · AI labelView post →Saturnalia is a survival horror mystery set in a small Sardinian town where a strange ritual is unfolding. You control four outsiders who are visiting Gravoi, each for their own reasons. However, they are forced to work together as a monster begins stalking the streets during the night that the game takes place. Your goal is to explore the empty town, investigate public buildings and underground tunnels, gather clues, interact with the few people still outside, and try to find a way out of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty fresh take on the survival horror genre, that creates its thrilling surreal atmosphere by mixing industrialized rural area in Sardinia, where yet the spirit of ancient paganism dwells. From the very start everything signals that we are very much on our own here, with only one non playable character that is not trying to hurt us in some way. The gameplay loop is relatively simple, but given the game length it doesn't get too frustrating. You're looking for clues, which in turn open up…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Saturnalia deserves far more recognition. It's a survival horror drenched in giallo aesthetics, and it absolutely nails its sinister presentation. It's not for everyone. The world is deliberately disorienting (it is a nightmare to navigate if you have no sense of direction), and there is no hand-holding (though you can temper the difficulty by tweaking some gameplay settings before you start). The map gets reshuffled and your consumables are gone each time you lose all your characters (but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got this game year ago for free on epic and it completely fascinated me. it is a very unique and scary experience, discovering all the mysteries of character's past and what is happening in the village. I decided to buy this game on steam once it came out to support the devs of this amazing game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Saturnalia is a really overlooked game, which is a shame because it's something I legit think about weekly. Get it bought (and here's my review)
positive · AI labelView post →Played this when it came out on the Epic Games store, bought here on Steam to support the devs. Wonderful giallo folk horror with a truly unique vibe - it's well worth your time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Allison noted that Epic had previously showcased another Santa Ragione game (Saturnalia) as a timed EGS exclusive a few years back
neutral · AI labelView post →If your first game from Santa Ragione was Horses, and you enjoyed that, you should check out their previous game, Saturnalia
neutral · AI labelView post →Saturnalia tied with Pentiment for my favorite game of 2022 while taking on a lot of similar narrative themes! So if you're like me and love sacrifice theory and scapegoating in your horror (or even if you just trust my taste in stories TBH), please run to play it. But not too loudly.
positive · AI labelView post →I bought Saturnalia while on sale and started it on a whim not expecting much, but I quickly became engrossed in the experience. It is easily one of the most fascinating games I've ever played, but it will only appeal to a certain audience. This isn't a game for everyone, which makes it tough to give it a broad recommendation. You control four different characters, each with their own backstories, goals, and special abilities. You'll spend most of your time exploring the small town of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wonderful Horror Game with great Atmosphere and Soundtrack. Even though the controls were a bit clunky at first i got used to them really quick and the game is a blast after that (still geting lost in the village nonetheless...). Im also really loving the Story and its Mysteries so far. Can't wait to figure out the rest of the Story and hopefully not get cought by the Monster.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Saturnalia is a slow-burn folk horror with plenty of style. Find clues among the ever shifting roads and buildings of Gravoi. Fill your mind map and solve the mysteries of the past. Switch between four characters with different abilities. Don't get caught! Criminally underrated! Had a lot of fun playing this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a pretty fun game overall. The art style, atmosphere, and soundtrack are all great. The gameplay mechanics are generally well-designed, and the story/mystery is truly captivating, drawing you in with its intrigue. However, I did encounter a couple of problems. The controls and camera can be somewhat janky, and there were a few bugs. But despite these issues, the game managed to keep me hooked.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought this and went in BLIND and trusted steam reviewers were telling the truth. Ended up playing six hours straight LOL! I love the unique style and everything really about this game. I almost don't wanna say more, just go play it if you like gritty, spooky things where the story unfolds depending on how much you wanna dig.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best horror game I've played this year. The game is quite ambitious and despite some minor jank it manages to come together masterfully. Unlike a lot of other slasher horror games (where you get chased around by a single enemy), getting caught is not the end, as you have 4 characters you can play as and at least early on there are opportunities to rescue the others. But that's not all, even if all your characters get caught, the town simply gets reshuffled and you lose some vital items from…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Take this with a grain of salt, as I only have about 30-40 minutes on the game so far. I love the art style. I love the idea of the game and what they were going for. Everything changing when you lose everyone sounds like an awesome idea, even if I didn't get far enough to experience it. What I played was also decently scary as well. However, the camera is just so wonky that it makes it very difficult to enjoy, especially when the game specifically tells you to make sure you watch your back…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pulls some punches I wish it didn't. But this is one of those survival horror games in the vein of Siren and Pathologic which rely just as much on resource management as they do upon the intrinsic value of knowledge to a player who has to make tough risk/reward calls all the time. It's not as intense as either of those, which is my main issue. But you will sometimes discover, in terror, the consequences of an obscure decision made hours prior and entire mechanics far, far too late to save you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got this for 90% off and I love it. This game is a horror game, but its much more than that. Its an exploration game. There are secrets and mysteries around every corner, in every room. There are some puzzles as well which make you think a little outside the box as well, though so far its not very difficult. Thats another thing I like about the game. It doesnt feel too punishing, even when you do die.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An excellent horror game. Great aesthetic and sound design. I play a lot of horror games and most of them don't give me that feel of terror anymore. Saturnalia definitely gave me that feeling again. It manages to terrify you be using great audio queues. letting you know something is nearby. so try to run or hide. The story and characters were interesting too. You don't really see video games protagonists like these a lot. While playing I encountered some small issues. 1. A little buggy in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like it. This is a fun horror game with a really cool setting and time-period (Sardinian-Italian Catholic 1980's). The gameplay is similar to many horror games (e.g., a door is locked, find a tool to open it), with the twist that, if your characters die, you keep the progress made on your objectives, but lose the tools, and the city map procedurally regenerates. A big part of the game is feeling/being lost in crowded, Italian alleys, looking for an objective while being hunted by the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey folks! Happy Christmas/Yule/Solstice/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Saturnalia to all who celebrate. I'm Arrow. I dabble in every kind of art, but my main focus is on concept art, real-time 3D game art, and illustration. Thank you for setting up an art share for the smaller accounts!
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy Saturnalia all you Children of Saturn! Little #wipwednesday for you. Many of our ideas for the game are based on our own experiences. Including this:
neutral · AI labelView post →The FOV change when entering buildings made me nauseous and motion sick, and there aren't options to change it :(
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Doing a blind dive into Saturnalia, a game requested by @berymuch.bsky.social that looked interesting. Also trying a new bulltuber today, of a character of mine I rarely get to use. Come on by! Link: foxyareku.live #vtuber #twitch #furry #stream
neutral · AI labelView post →One of the best survival horror experiences I've ever had. I don't know how they made a game so kind difficulty-wise while also making it feel like an impossible feat to beat at times. The stress-pacing this game offers is absolutely incredible. I think horror games require a level of difficulty that feels unfair in order to push the anxieties that the characters would be feeling through to the player--but that usually makes the game not fun to play (think Silent Hill 4 [aka the best silent…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Has some siren vibes, and I can see it being decent, but had to refund it because of one big issue... if you have no sense of direction (like I dont) this game is hell, most of my playtime is getting lost in the prologue/tutorial where you are basically railroaded. If you have some better sense of direction and/or far more patience, you are likely going to love this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The style in this is strong enough that it makes me disappointed that it's somewhat lacking in substance. It has a lot of good in it but it doesn't feel fully formed. Everything from characters (likeable but not deep enough to really demand narrative gravity), to the monster (threatening in design but not memorable in concept or spectacle), to ideas like the town shifting every time you get a gameover (I never got a real gameover once, but my character did get stuck under the map at one point,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A greate horror game. The sound of the creature makes me shiver Has a lot of a cool investigation, and when you hear the creature near, you just think "oh ♥♥♥♥, he is coming" haha
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →enjoyed it a lot until i got forcibly glitched into a wall 45 minutes into the game and couldn't load an older save to get out :/
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Single player giallo dbd
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Incredible game! I enjoyed this game so much, I completed 100% of the clues and unlocked every Steam achievement. Good storyline, game mechanics even better. The clue board is deeply satisfying. Gorgeous Giallo style visuals, although the B&W Noir option sets a great alternative mood as well. There's an initial learning curve but once you get the hang of it, it's pure fun! Absolutely worth playing (and replaying)! 100% recommended!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty awesome horror game. It doesn't hold your hand and in my opinion it's one of the best horror experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great story-driven game. The horror aspect here is mainly the creature, but it fits in well. The rest is a psycho-religious-esoteric story of several characters. Gameplay has its flaws, but who cares, it's engaging and makes you want to find out what happens to the characters. The non-linear story is delivered through some interesting mechanics: roguelike game over, meta-progression, personal quests, etc. In short - I recommend it for purchase, to explore, and play through, followed by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The challenge is to choose 20 games that greatly influenced you. One game per day, for 20 days. No explanations, no reviews, no particular order. #GameChallange #Games #GameDev #PromoSky Day 3: Saturnalia
neutral · AI labelView post →Absolutely amazing and unique game. One of the freshest experiences I've had in years. Perfect length and pacing, perfect balance between disorienting and intuitive, masterful storytelling, and the entire thing just *drips* with atmosphere.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →graphics looked nice, refunded because it was kinda triggering my motion sickness
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good, creepy, queer, italian
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a criminally underrated game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No way Saturnalia is still under 100 😱 while not my favorite horror game, I thought its art style, gameplay, and story were compelling enough to draw an audience (just added my review, hope it helps)
neutral · AI labelView post →If you enjoy experimental horror games, Saturnalia will probably catch your attention. The game has a little bit of jank here and there, but the gameplay core is solid : Exploring the town, and figuring out the underlying mysteries that have been buried over the years, while avoiding a creature that stalks the town. I've played through the game in about 5 hours, I never interacted with the "the town's layout changes" mechanic, honestly that is perhaps the part of the game that's the weakest. I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wrote a thing for spooky season at @unwinnable.com about the oddly comfortable nostalgic feeling I got from playing Saturnalia. Also you should absolutely play Saturnalia. unwinnable.com/2024/11/20/t...
positive · AI labelView post →I strongly reccomend this game if you love folk horror and some original gameplay. Being myself a Sardinian, maybe I a little biased, but I think that this title deserves your attention and your time. Let's support little video games company (when deserving!).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is cool detective rogue-lite horror with so much connections between people, rituals and passion. I like it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super atmospheric. The visuals and sound design are first class whilst the mystery is engrossing. Very glad I got the deluxe version
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Last movie you saw 🎬 • Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen-Jō-Hen Last game you played 🎮 • Cult Of The Lamb Last show you watched 🖥 • Baki-Dou Last song you listened to 🎶 • Saturnalia by Marilyn Manson
neutral · AI labelView post →Horror game Horses from Saturnalia dev is banned on Steam but will release on Epic. Also on GOG, itch.io, and Humble.
neutral · AI labelView post →A criminally overlooked little horror adventure, brilliantly broody and claustrophobic in it's style and system. Whilst not as violent or horny as the giallo I'm familiar with, the homage is otherwise evident in the absolute nailing of the atmosphere, tone, and tale - unravelling occultish mysteries, shadowy figures skulking at the penumbra of match-light, folk-horrors clattering about unseen (until they're not 😬) - a true triumph of the genre. I guess I played it a bit too quick and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#blutoid #indiegames @riffraff79.bsky.social I tried a good bit of Saturnalia and sadly felt mostly same as you about it didn't enjoy it much at all. But is is a pretty intresting/unique game. Would say its worth anybody trying for a few euro.
negative · AI labelView post →An interesting mystery to uncover, novel applications of procedural generation, stylish graphics, and lots of tension. A satisfying journey from feeling utterly lost and confused to somewhat less lost and confused.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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