绝命游歌
—
绝命游歌
Game
Game2022
This Way Madness Lies
Developer Zeboyd Digital Entertainment LLC
This Way Madness Lies is a 2022 role-playing video game by Zeboyd Games. It combines magical girl and Shakespearean themes in a retro pixel art aesthetic. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
339 reactions from 3 sources (Bluesky, Steam reviews, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
87
LovedLoved
143 positive · 22 negative
95% range 81–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky * | 49 | 2 | 120 |
| Steam reviews | 143 | 22 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 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
147 of 171 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
87% recommend · 145 yes, 21 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 166 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (166 of 191 positive).
Players praise the game's unique blend of Shakespeare and magical girls. [1][2][3] Many note the game is short and linear, but well-paced. [4][5][6] Some reviewers criticize the combat system and a game-breaking bug. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
FYI : still has a gamebreaking bug. Saving in the backstage area will permanently brick your save, sending you back to the first post-tutorial area. This will be unsalvageable, and you'll have to delete and start over no matter how far into the game you were. After two restarts because of this, I'm regrettably giving up on the game. Maintain multiple saves.
- [10]
A fun jaunt. A lot of good customization in your party and cast but not as expansive as you might want to really explore them. Hard mode is a good reason to really dig in without being overbaring like insane modes of the past games have been. Graphics are a treat. Seasoned RPG fans looking for something lighter to chomp down on should take a look, but this feels like a great game for a young kid to try to play …
- [5]
Basic RPG with phenomenal music. Very linear nearly no exploration. Short and didn't overstay it's welcome. Not bloated with useless content like a lot of JRPG's. Some comedy. No gear or weapons to loot. Definitely took inspiration from Sailor Moon. Didn't provide much of a challenge. However I enjoyed my time with it, 100% in under 8 hours. It was a decent game. 7/10
- [2]
This Way Madness Lies is a pretty neat, very underrated but short JRPG gem. The plot of the game is that you're a group of Magical Girls traveling from dimension to dimension to save every play of Shakespeare under attack by vicious nightmares. Yes. The plot is really silly, and the game is absolutely meant to be 100% humor. If you come in expecting a deep story, you won't find it, but a bunch of very good laughs …
- [1]
🎭 Well, this is definitely not a game for everyone, but if you love mahou shoujo, JRPG and for some reason have read the most famous works of Shakespeare, then there it is! This is a playful incarnation of a daily animated series with an episodic structure. Don't expect depth or massive interactivity. It has funny dialogues, fancy plots and heroines with bright char traits. The presentation is top notch, the art & …
Summarised from 34 of the 314 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
This Way Madness Lies sits at 87% positive across 165 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
This Way Madness Lies received "generally favorable" reviews on Metacritic. Calling it "fun and engaging", PC Gamer praised the graphics and pacing. RPGamer said that it is a welcome respite from longer games while remaining just as fulfilling. They enjoyed the humor, art, and combat system. Though they criticized the replay value, RPGFan called it "an excellent snack-sized title for fans of Shakespeare, magical girls, or JRPGs in general" and designated it an editor's choice. Digitally Downloaded said the combination of Shakespeare with magical girls was "a resounding success" and said that although the game may seem short, it is the perfect length for its content. Nintendo World Report…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 339 · most liked firstThis Way Madness Lies is a great game and barely anybody bought it. It should be played by more people. If everybody here on @bsky.app banded together and bought a Steam copy and played it, well, that'd be a miracle and I would be forever grateful. store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
positive · AI labelView post →Murtop is not “shovelware”. Pampas & Selene is not “shovelware”. Astlibra is not “shovelware”. Planetarian is not “shovelware”. The Legend of Dark Witch is not “shovelware”. This Way Madness Lies is not “shovelware”. It goes on and on. This is wildly disrespectful to these developers.
positive · AI labelView post →Banger OST time! This track plays during Act 3 in This Way Madness Lies! The vibes on this track are crazy! The synths, piano, organ, vocals, strings and drums match the cold and snowy setting of Act 3 perfectly! I absolutely love the strings, they sound so immaculate 🥹 it's an incredible track!
positive · AI labelView post →It's the Steam Party-Based RPG Fest and Cosmic Star Heroine, Cthulhu Saves Christmas, This Way Madness Lies, and our other RPGs are heavily discounted! It's been a rough few weeks so if you could share this, I'd greatly appreciate it. :) store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →This track is called "Now Is The Winter"! This Way Madness Lies was an awesome game! The game combined magical girls with Shakespeare to create a setting that was incredibly unique! As well, the game had a ton of funny moments, the combat was fun, and the OST is a bop! It's a banger of an RPG!
positive · AI labelView post →Their "better eShop" lists our This Way Madness Lies as "Shovelware." The Switch version of This Way Madness Lies has an 89% critic rating on Metacritic.
neutral · AI labelView post →Banger OST time! This track plays in Act 1 of This Way Madness Lies! This track is so awesome! The synth, piano and bass guitar lead the track in perfectly, and the drums be bumping, but when that electric guitar comes in? Oh my goodness, it is so shredding and so beautiful 🥹 it's an amazing track!
positive · AI labelView post →It's the "Almost Christmas means it wasn't Christmas!" Zeboyd Steam sale! Get Eldritchly jolly deals on Cthulhu Saves Christmas, Cosmic Star Heroine, This Way Madness Lies, and more! Ho ho ho, MeR'ly(eh) Christmas! store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →Started This Way Madness Lies. Magical girls explore Shakespeare's tales in a retro pixel art aesthetic. Clever dialogue and a vibrant soundtrack make up for a unique theater-inspired RPG.
positive · AI labelView post →All of our RPGs are 80%-86% off! That includes Cosmic Star Heroine, Cthulhu Saves the World, Cthulhu Saves Christmas, and This Way Madness Lies! Support indie devs! store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →This Way Madness Lies is $1.49 on Steam buff.ly/jGHRogJ Deck playable
neutral · AI labelView post →In a good mood so here are some Steam codes for This Way Madness Lies. First come, first serve. Good luck! ZRC55-FZK38-FHR2K CLDRV-RCC40-MF28M 9DK0M-D5EFR-YDVKK VEIBW-8CI7F-LLZ67 YFVF5-9ACZG-EHPVQ store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
neutral · AI labelView post →This track is called "Every Rose"! This Way Madness Lies is an amazing game! It is such a fun and unique experience, with a great cast of characters, good humor and a banger OST! I really hope to eventually see more from either this game or Cosmic Star Heroine, cuz both were awesome experiences!
positive · AI labelView post →If you have any funding or remote opportunities, please reach out. I've directed, designed, coded, and written many great RPGs including Cosmic Star Heroine, Cthulhu Saves the World, and This Way Madness Lies (Switch version has an 89% on Metacritic). I can be reached at rdespair at gmail.
neutral · AI labelView post →Massive sale on all our RPGs on Steam! 85% off Cosmic Star Heroine, This Way Madness Lies, and Cthulhu Saves Christmas! store.steampowered.com/search/?term...
neutral · AI labelView post →I think this is the first time I've seen an actual measurable effect on sales from a post on a social media platform. This Way Madness Lies sold 20+ copies the first day and over a dozen copies the second day. It usually only sells when it's discounted on Steam. @bsky.app rocks!
positive · AI labelView post →Imogen - This Way Madness Lies #art #magicalgirls #fanart
neutral · AI labelView post →I think this is the first time I've posted here and actually seen a change in my Steam stats. Thank you to the 13 people who picked up This Way Madness Lies today!
positive · AI labelView post →Here's your reminder that This Way Madness Lies does NOT use Amazon Web Services in any way and is NOT affected by the outage. It is a magical girl RPG with a bunch of theater kids saving the worlds of Shakespeare from cosmic evil. Your choice is clear. store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
neutral · AI labelView post →With the Zeboyd bundle, you get This Way Madness Lies, Cosmic Star Heroine, Cthulhu Saves the World & BoDVII, Cthulhu Saves Christmas, and Molly the Werezompire. 75% off right now in the Steam Party-Based RPG Fest! Further discounts to complete your set! store.steampowered.com/bundle/53253...
neutral · AI labelView post →A fun jaunt. A lot of good customization in your party and cast but not as expansive as you might want to really explore them. Hard mode is a good reason to really dig in without being overbaring like insane modes of the past games have been. Graphics are a treat. Seasoned RPG fans looking for something lighter to chomp down on should take a look, but this feels like a great game for a young kid to try to play through.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →All of our games are currently on sale in the Steam Summer Sale. Save when you buy RPGs like Cosmic Star Heroine, This Way Madness Lies, and more! store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →10 hours left on our big Steam RPG sale! Cosmic Star Heroine, Cthulhu Saves the World/Christmas, This Way Madness Lies, and Molly the Werezompire! store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →New to Bsky, looking to make new friends/moots! Some things that I like: 🌟Pokemon 🌟Final Fantasy 🌟Indie jrpgs (Virgo Versus the Zodiac, This Way Madness Lies, CrossCode) 🌟Persona 🌟Borderlands 🌟Bocchi the Rock 🌟Frieren 🌟Eizouken!!! 🌟Land of the Lustrous 🌟Romance manga 🌟LycoReco 🌟Sk8 #promosky
neutral · AI labelView post →All of our comedy RPGs are currently NOT on sale on Steam. Enjoy Cosmic Star Heroine, This Way Madness Lies, Cthulhu Saves Christmas, and more at MAXIMUM PRICE! If you want to give us as much money as possible, now is the time! store.steampowered.com/search/?term...
neutral · AI labelView post →All of our games are heavily discounted on Steam right now. Cosmic Star Heroine, Cthulhu Saves the World, This Way Madness Lies, even Molly the Werezompire! store.steampowered.com/search/?term...
neutral · AI labelView post →90% off on Cosmic Star Heroine, This Way Madness Lies, and Cthulhu Saves Christmas. Get your dirt-cheap indie JRPGs here! store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →This Way Madness Lies is 80% off on Steam! This is the steepest Steam discount we've done to date. This is for all the theater kids - a magical girl JRPG with a Shakespeare theme! store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Lots of big sales on our games for the Steam Scream! Get Cosmic Star Heroine, This Way Madness Lies, Cthulhu Saves the World/Christmas off at very heavy discounts! Please spread the word. store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →All of our RPGs are 50% off on the NA eShop - This Way Madness Lies, Cosmic Star Heroine, and Cthulhu Saves Christmas! www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
neutral · AI labelView post →Can't afford any of the cool new expensive JRPGs coming out right now? We've got you covered! This Way Madness Lies is only $1.99 USD on Steam right now. 84% Metacritic score, 90% positive on Steam. store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
neutral · AI labelView post →It's an 80s sale... as in everything on sale is 80% off! This Way Madness Lies, the Cthulhu Saves the World bundle, and Cthulhu Saves Christmas are all on sale! Get your comedy turn-based RPGs here! store.steampowered.com/search/?term...
neutral · AI labelView post →To preface this, I loved Zeboyd's earlier titles. Cthulhu Saves The World was great, and I enjoyed Breath of Death and the Rainslick games as well. But around that point onward I just feel like some of the spark's been lost. Cosmic Star Heroine lost me before I had finished half an hour. I love magical girls so I thought I'd give them another shot on this one, but I can't say it was worth it. Right off the bat, I wasn't a fan of the battle system. Zeboyd games feel like they're trying way too…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In the past few days, I’ve been playing This Way Madness Lies by the legendary studio @zeboydgames.bsky.social The grand adventure of a team of magical girls connected with Shakespeare: a true #indiegame gem that you don’t wanna miss: it’s fun, odd, clever, and with a lot of heart! 10/10 for me.
positive · AI labelView post →They be going heavier on the humor in This Way Madness Lies than they did in Cosmic Star Heroine, this pops up if you try to skip the transformation cutscene (which is fair, real Yakuza don't skip the transformation cutscenes 😤)
neutral · AI labelView post →3. This Way Madness Lies (Switch) I was a big fan of Cosmic Star Heroine and @zeboydgames.bsky.social crushed it again with this magical girls meets Shakespeare RPG. Fast paced, genuinely funny, and short enough to play through in a weekend. Highly, HIGHLY recommend it.
positive · AI labelView post →I'm only an hour into This Way Madness Lies, and it has been equal parts funny and charming so far. I don't know how much overlap there is between people who like Shakespeare, magical girl animes, and 16-bit JRPGs, but this game somehow blends them all together quite well. Very niche, but very fun!
positive · AI labelView post →Game devs, post your first shipped game and your latest shipped game. Left: Epiphany in Spaaace! (2009), Right: This Way Madness Lies (2022)
neutral · AI labelView post →This Way Madness Lies ($2.39, 152 reviews) - Sure, everyone always SAYS they want a Magical Girl JRPG about theatre troupe girls entering Shakespeare plays to fight monsters, but when one actually comes out, nobody shows up! It's time to rectify that, gamers!!
neutral · AI labelView post →My Steam Sale Damage: Hundred Line Atelier Marie Remake Beloved Rapture The NOexistenceN of You and Me This Way Madness Lies (Last two were only $1 so I figured why not lol)
neutral · AI labelView post →This Way Madness Lies.
neutral · AI labelView post →If there's one thing I want to communicate here, it's that there is an excellent sense of pacing in the classic RPG gameplay-to-story ratio. Generally, nothing ever drags or goes on for too long before you're onto the next thing. The same approach informs their writing and approach to jokes - maybe not everything lands with you but that's fine, you won't have to dwell on it long. TWML is a fun game to play, the battle system is a clever refinement of Cosmic Star Heroine with an absolutely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Massive sale on all Zeboyd games RPGs on Steam right now! Among other things, This Way Madness Lies is 85% off! Get the critically acclaimed turn-based magical girl RPG you've been waiting for! store.steampowered.com/search/?term...
neutral · AI labelView post →This Way Madness Lies (2022) If you're like me and fit in the middle of the niche venn diagram of people who like Shakespeare, magical girl animes, and 16-bit JRPGs, you are in for a great time. The writing is both incredibly funny and charming, and the combat system is surprisingly robust. (17/x)
positive · AI labelView post →This Way Madness Lies is a wrap! Took 7 hours total to beat. This game was awesome!...and really short! lmao tbh I wish it was a bit longer, it feels like it starts to get rolling and then it ends! Other than that, I loved it! Crazy OST, fun combat, hilarious dialogue, it's a banger of a game!
positive · AI labelView post →So, I think everyone should play this game, and maybe This Way Madness Lies just to learn what JRPGs can be when you focus entirely on delivering an interesting combat system. The concept of using up your actions and having to recharge them, along with other scheduling is really interesting.
positive · AI labelView post →Starting with Cosmic Star Heroine and including Cthulhu Saves Christmas & This Way Madness Lies, we started using variations of a combat system that didn't use MP. How do you feel about this combat style? Anything that you'd like to see improved?
neutral · AI labelView post →Periodic crits in Cosmic Star Heroine and This Way Madness Lies. Every character scores a crit every n turns, tracked in the combat UI, so you can stragegize around them. Works really well with the rest of that combat system but could work in most systems with turn count constrained buffs/debuffs.
neutral · AI labelView post →Made my GameFAQs guide writing debut this week with This Way Madness Lies by @zeboydgames.bsky.social! It's a charming, well-worth-your-time RPG that mixes Sailor Moon and Shakespeare's classics with chuckles and QoL features in equal measure. Break a leg: gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/383208-th...
positive · AI labelView post →Less than 24 hours left to take advantage of the "Almost Christmas means it wasn't Christmas!" Zeboyd Steam sale! Get Eldritchly jolly deals on Cthulhu Saves Christmas, Cosmic Star Heroine, This Way Madness Lies, and more! Ho ho ho, MeR'ly(eh) Christmas! store.steampowered.com/search?term=...
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't think this dev is capable of missing when it comes to OSTs, it's...it's all peak 🥹 Game: This Way Madness Lies by Zeboyd Games (Nintendo Switch version)
neutral · AI labelView post →Any rich guys really like Cosmic Star Heroine or This Way Madness Lies? Anyone?
neutral · AI labelView post →Really enjoying Cosmic Star Heroine from Zeboyd. I love the humor of their games, and the sixteen bit polish on this one is really nice. Lots of playable characters to enjoy as well. Glad I just played This Way Madness Lies because it makes the learning curve less steep for the combat systems
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm positive that we've only reached a tiny fraction of theater kids who also love magical girl anime and RPGs. This Way Madness Lies has been out for over 2 years.
neutral · AI labelView post →This Way Madness Lies by @zeboydgames.bsky.social is a delight: I've played it three times since it came out and find it infinitely charming. Great RPG gameplay. Fast-paced combat. All-female cast! It's very exploration light (which I like by your mileage may vary) and is very charming!
positive · AI labelView post →FYI : still has a gamebreaking bug. Saving in the backstage area will permanently brick your save, sending you back to the first post-tutorial area. This will be unsalvageable, and you'll have to delete and start over no matter how far into the game you were. After two restarts because of this, I'm regrettably giving up on the game. Maintain multiple saves.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This Way Madness Lies has +100 Steam reviews, 93% positive, with an 84% Metacritic. ✨ Sadly, indie hidden gems get lost in the crowd.💎 If you like turn-based RPGs, the theater, or magical girls, we think you'll love it. A RT would help us A LOT. 🙏 www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDcq...
neutral · AI labelView post →#ThisWayMadnessLies summary: I didn't realize the folks who made Cosmic Star Heroine were behind this game until I started playing it, & it shows! It's funny, AND educational! Sorta! ♥️ to @deltad03.bsky.social for the raid! We went to @ttvmadamenoelle.bsky.social's Space Station 14 stream after!
positive · AI labelView post →A new game from Zeboyd, you know I'm there! And this was such a fun game This game is about as long as Cthulhu Saves Christmas and it's just as Linear. However given their statement on this video, that's meant to be the point these days. The Graphics for the main game are basic but it's fitting for the Genre. Also they have dropped the random battles with on screen monsters to avoid if you want to not fight (And you still have the option to start a battle through the main menu). The fighting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm obviously biased since I worked on them, but I think Cthulhu Saves Christmas (334 reviews) and This Way Madness Lies (187 reviews) are both great games.
neutral · AI labelView post →
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