Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus
Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus
Game
Game2023
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness
Developer Indiesruption
Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness puts your sanity to the test, challenging you to escape a labyrinth of nightmares and torment. Test your mind against a slow burn of puzzles, light survival mechanics, and methodical action. From the Steam store page
87 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 26, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
58 positive · 13 negative
95% range 71–89%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 58 | 13 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 13 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
64 of 77 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
82% recommend · 59 yes, 13 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 72 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (182 of 204 positive).
Players praise the game's creepy atmosphere, pixel art, and story. [1][2][3] Many reviewers note the game is short, with a disappointing ending. [4][5][6] Some players complain about excessive backtracking and tedious gameplay. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [9]
I really wish I could give it an all thumbs up, because I love the artstyle, the atmosphere. The character stories are brilliant and I love the setting... If only the other aspects of the game weren't dragging it down. The inventory system is basically pointless and it makes you run around more and you can't even run across most rooms on a single sprint. It makes the game more tedious or, you just dump everything …
- [1]
Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. If you are just interested in point and click adventures go here: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43642699-The-Adventure-Library/lists/] The Adventure Library Is this game a masterpiece? No, but I still finished it within a few days after starting. It …
- [4]
Beware, it's a ~2.5 hour game with a rushed, crappy ending for 20€. Feels like they ran out of budget towards the very end or something. BUT if you are looking for a fun journey while not paying too much attention to your destination, it was an enjoyable game especially if you like games such as Yuppie Psycho, The Count Lucanor, Mad Father, Lamentum etc..
- [10]
A high quality pixel art psychological horror game that blew my socks off with its presentation, atmosphere, music, art, and cast of characters. Play as Ollie, a circus clown recovering from the horrible trauma of a fire that burned the circus he was a part of to the ground. Game play is a mix of survival horror and puzzle elements, featuring inventory management (expanded with bags you can find), finding puzzle …
- [8]
A disturbing game that is a little too short and long in the wrong places. There's a lot of backtracking. Several times have I had to go to one place only to find a key or a tool to a place across the map. At the same time, the game's story is too short and there's not enough story. I feel like the characters could have been fleshed out more. Despite what I said this is a good game but maybe at a discount rather …
Summarised from 34 of the 89 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
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness sits at 82% positive across 71 opinionated reactions from 2 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 87 · most liked firstReview by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. If you are just interested in point and click adventures go here: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43642699-The-Adventure-Library/lists/] The Adventure Library Is this game a masterpiece? No, but I still finished it within a few days after starting. It is creepy. Totally creepy. You play a clown in his old clown costume. And…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm unsure as to how I feel about Vlad Circus. The art is absolutely stunning, the music and atmosphere is amazing, the diary was a nice inclusion, and for the first half of the game, i think the puzzles are spot-on. I personally enjoy when the puzzles make logical sense, and for the first half, though some puzzles were tricky, they were something you could figure out. However, for me, the puzzles were less straight-forward in the latter half. I went from not having to look up any solutions to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Loved this game. Intriguing story, great visuals, lovely characters, some intense scares and even a really nice touch of humor. I would say this is a 2D survival horror, not a point & click: you control the character with the keyboard or the controller (I used the last one as recommended by the game); the confrontation with enemies take an important part of the adventure; you also have a lantern that you need to fill with oil from time to time; among other stuff that are part of the survival…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too by-the-numbers to stand out. As yet another spooky mansion crawler with a traumatized protagonist, arbitrary puzzles, and cookie-cutter enemies, this circus is not worth the price of its ticket.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is definitely worthwhile. The dialogues aren't text-heavy, and visually everything looks good. However, by the end of the playthrough, things take a turn for the worse, and the negatives start to outweigh the positives. Let me break it down: 🔘Difficulty: There are two difficulty options. I was interested in playing on the harder setting, and everything went great up to a certain point. The game features large areas with numerous enemies who are extremely resilient. Moreover, the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My feelings are mixed. + Loved the premise, pixel art, atmosphere. Captivating. + Mental illness is a hard topic to make a horror game keeping it tasteful. Vlad Circus does this great. + Loved the game mechanics like diving into past memories and that "Run clown, run!" scene. - Some puzzles are quite illogical (yes, I'm talking about the rainwater) and sometimes feel like mundane tasks. - Considerable part of play time is spent with backtracking. Having a limited space for inventory doesn't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wish I could give it an all thumbs up, because I love the artstyle, the atmosphere. The character stories are brilliant and I love the setting... If only the other aspects of the game weren't dragging it down. The inventory system is basically pointless and it makes you run around more and you can't even run across most rooms on a single sprint. It makes the game more tedious or, you just dump everything into the central room and make a pile of bags in the middle of the floor, like me.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I did receive this game for review purposes but that does not mean an automatic positive for me. I would highly recommend this game to anybody who enjoys a good psychological horror game. Vlad Circus is amazing in nearly every category. It was never buggy or crashed on me. The story is compelling and very uncomfortable. The sound design and pixel art is fantastic. This game fires on all cylinders for me. There’s some heavy subject matter including mental health trauma, physical health,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beware, it's a ~2.5 hour game with a rushed, crappy ending for 20€. Feels like they ran out of budget towards the very end or something. BUT if you are looking for a fun journey while not paying too much attention to your destination, it was an enjoyable game especially if you like games such as Yuppie Psycho, The Count Lucanor, Mad Father, Lamentum etc..
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another great point’n’click (this time - horror) with light survival mechanics from the developers of very fun and very underrated “Nine Witches: Family Disruption”. Unique story, chilling atmosphere and heavier-on-the-puzzles/lighter-on-the-action gameplay lets us take part in the freak circus reunion years after the deadly fire. Let the insanity begin… And it begins with you as Oliver “Lazy Ollie” Mills, a clown, waking up in the mansion of the circus ringleader after he hinted at getting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎉 Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus is a finalist for Best Game: Latin America at the @gamescomlatam.bsky.social Big Festival! #pixelart #adventuregame #horrorgame #BuiltWithMonoGame #indiedev #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →STREAM TIME!! I'm playing the demo for the upcoming indie pixel art horror game "Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus" and descending into a macabre adventure with parallel timelines & puzzles twitch.com/malfunctioni... (leg PT-BR na tela) #Gifted #vladcircuscurseofasmodeus #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →Pixel-art horror adventure game Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus officially announced. It is the sequel to the 2023 game, Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness. Wishlist here: store.steampowered.com/app/1567530 #indiegame #indiegames #steam
neutral · AI labelView post →Full Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/a6z4aZ5C2F0 ★★★★☆ Gameplay: Good Graphics: Good Music: Decent Story: Good PC Requirements: Potato Game Time: 2-4 hrs
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fun game with good characters and a well written story (for the most part). only gripe is all the backtracking with a not so large stamina bar for sprinting.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness is a haunting video game experience that plunges players into a nightmarish world of mystery, pain, and grotesque characters. Vlad Circus invites you to explore a 1920s freak circus that has been consumed by the flames of the past, and embark on a quest to resurrect it. But be warned, every shadow hides a twisted secret, and no one is safe from tragedy in this grim and surreal world. The standout feature of Vlad Circus is its dark and twisted story. From the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Spooptober’s a wrap! 🎃 25 days, 16 games, 56 screams, 177 deaths, 15 spicy gummies! 😱🔥 Favs Played: Gloomy Eyes, Dead Space, Amnesia, F.E.A.R. 2, Ib, Still Wakes the Deep, Vlad Circus 💀 Taking this week off to rest + reset. Back November 10 with a new Monday game!
positive · AI labelView post →Final week of #Spooptober and, shocker, I didn’t get through the whole list again 🎃 Mon–Tues I'll tackle Frank Stone, Wed trying to cram in 2 games, Thurs’ Vlad Circus may spill into Fri. where I’ll wrap with Killer Frequency! Just over 50 screams, will I finally hit 100?
neutral · AI labelView post →A high quality pixel art psychological horror game that blew my socks off with its presentation, atmosphere, music, art, and cast of characters. Play as Ollie, a circus clown recovering from the horrible trauma of a fire that burned the circus he was a part of to the ground. Game play is a mix of survival horror and puzzle elements, featuring inventory management (expanded with bags you can find), finding puzzle objects, and needing to visit locations on the grounds to refill your kerosene…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game was great! Retro looking, simple but enjoyable, mystery with horror...it had it all. Until the end, when things got a little tedious and sad. Not sad in a "this game is bad" way, but emotionally SAD. Sort of a downer TBH. . I would have preferred a different ending, but otherwise the game was pretty good. The graphics were great! The storyline was interesting, kept me wanting to know more and gameplay mechanics were solid. I appreciated the chance to regain health/sanity by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m not a big fan of bloody horror and jump scares, but I do enjoy being chilled by suspense and psychological mind games, and "Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness" largely succeeds in this respect. The adventure game tasks involving locked doors and scavenger hunting are fun, and except for the final sequence, the combat segments shouldn’t bother non-action players too much, and the ones who do enjoy the adrenaline rush can easily switch to a more challenging mode. The story of a former circus…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is severely lacking in the survival and horror aspects of the survival horror genre. The story is alright but the ending is bad. The $20 price tag for this game is a scam. I would say $5 is a far price for this game. The entire game felt like I was playing the opening chapter of a survival game but it never progressed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Every minute that went by I was starving to know more, to find out more, I could feel the madness consume me fr. This is a must-play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vlad Circus Is A Pixelated Nightmare I Couldn't Wake Up From www.neonlightsmedia.com/blog/vlad-ci... #indiegame #game #gaming #games #review
neutral · AI labelView post →🔴NOW LIVE🔴 Got a scary game or two to check out! Right now its "Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus" DEMO #vladcircuscurseofasmodeus twitch.tv/pearlaran
neutral · AI labelView post →A very good point & click game. I respect their decision to create a light-survival horror game, but I honestly don't really understand why, the game just ends up feeling like a P&C with extra steps. Either way, great story, somewhat abrupt ending, but WELL worth the $2 I paid for this. As a $2 game: A++ As a point & click horror game: A+ As a survival horror game: B
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm really disappointed that this game turned out to be boring over complicated fetch quests. The story wasn't really interesting at all and predictable from what I played. The biggest reason why I'm hitting the not recommend is because I just can't bring myself to finish the game. Usually I can suck it up for the "sake of getting easy achievements", but this game was nothing more then a pretty disappointment.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A disturbing game that is a little too short and long in the wrong places. There's a lot of backtracking. Several times have I had to go to one place only to find a key or a tool to a place across the map. At the same time, the game's story is too short and there's not enough story. I feel like the characters could have been fleshed out more. Despite what I said this is a good game but maybe at a discount rather than full price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've mixed feelings for Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness. Captivating story, art, atmosphere. Mental illness is a hard topic to keep a horror game tasteful. Vlad Circus does this great. On the other hand, some game design flaws are present. #indiegame steamcommunity.com/id/Gord10Ahm...
neutral · AI labelView post →A good game if you like the mechanics. Not a Point&Clicker. 1/3 play time is backtracking and there were some frustrating shooty bits my old controller hated. Had to bench this a few times, but the story kept pulling me back. Finished now. Good game. Would buy their next game - survival mechanics dependent though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness is a point-and-click-style survival horror puzzle game that tells a chilling story of a former clown being reunited with his old circus colleagues and friends. It is a fantastic game that will take 4-6 hours to play. It features the best elements from a range of game genres and blends them seamlessly to create a unique and atmospheric experience. Horror is delivered through creepy narrative elements, disturbing hallucinations, visceral imagery and the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An amazing Game.. the ending took me by surprise even tho i could kinda tell it was on the way. Adore the Style and the setting of the game! Also really loved the writing was WAY to short but omg AMAZING if you have the chance pick it up Really good game ^^
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Intriguing horror experience with gripping atmosphere, gorgeous twisted art, and haunting characters - all beautifully written and executed. Absolutely in love with the art direction and would purchase an artbook if available.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Combat is very unfun, you constantly have to pray to heal yourself, which takes more time. Constant backtracking since there's very few hints. Running is a chore. The game. Gives you 8 seconds on running, then you're just magically tired again for about 3 seconds. I had to hack the game to give me infinite running to making getting around normally. Then it's actually possibly to softlock yourself. I'm giving this a thumbs down, which is a shame as I did kinda like the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm giving it a positive review ONLY because i enjoyed 95% of the game BUT... the ending was so so SO disappointing that I feel like I should give it a bad review. Also, why would I even think about getting/playing Curse of Asmodeus considering what now I know about the game? Spoilers: Basically, all they had to do is keep the supernatural elements and that's it. No "it's all in your head" lazy writing. I could see that miles away I made the stupid decision of believing that they wouldn't go…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For better or worse, depending on your perspective, @indiesruption.bsky.social's "Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus" trades in survival horror gameplay for more straightforward adventure game puzzling. But even toned down it’s another creepy-fun installment in the lives of these twisted tragic carnies.
positive · AI labelView post →Going live in an hour playing Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus! There is a macabre secret hidden in this game...Let's discover it together. 👻 #DaisyMooLive #vtuber www.twitch.tv/daisy_moovr
neutral · AI labelView post →Game Review: ‘Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus’ #gamereview #gaming #PixelArt #3d #gamingnews #horrorgame horrorfuel.com/2025/08/22/g...
neutral · AI labelView post →Pros: - Keeps track of important things to remember in your journal - Multiple weapons and ways of getting new ammo/fixing weapons - Atmosphere - Pixel art - Story was interesting - Unique characters Cons: - Map isn't detailed - Puzzles were super minimal, moreso had you going from place to place and finding items
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty short game, with a lot of it spent running back and forth across the same areas. Run to one end to get a key, run back to the other end to open the door. In the door is another locked door and an item that lets you get another key on the other end. Repeat and repeat. The story was a bit uninspired and predictable, and the characters did not really do much for me as far as making me care enough to feel engaged. This isn't a bad game per se, but it's underwhelming and I think probably not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only recommend it on a big sale as I bought it for 80% off. I really liked the story and the build-up of understanding the protagonist's past, but that build-up was fallen short on the ending. I was hoping they would've done something with the twist they introduced and have more substance to that given the story confuses you of reality vs. madness. It could have been more interesting but reality wins. I liked the gameplay progression overall and the style is nice, characters are unique and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful work. Graphics and story/characters! Thanx for the experience, waiting for the next project from this team.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Feels bad to put a negative review on this, I feel like it could have been way better. Had to go Back and Forth pretty much all game and the stamina was very annoying which felt like a chore. Had a bug that made me unable to finish the game so the review is negative, *SPOILER* Had to do something to remember where a key is after going there and getting V checked when i came to the wagon to look behind the wheel my button was still labled as WAGON and i was unable to finish the game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gettin the band back together after an unfortunate ordeal is no easy feat. This a very good game. The sound design is nice. Havent experienced the combat yet but the world building etc has been done nicely. I'd love for this to have voice overs. Very solid game. Gameplay here: https://youtu.be/weDJnSGOMtg
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing atmosphere, incredible high quality puzzles, interesting characters. This is definitely one of the 5 or 10 best adventure games of all time! My only complaint is you can't play with just one hand. You need two hands to run. But I like to play while smoking a cigar or drinking mojito. What's the point of playing if you can't even have a mojito?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautiful, tense, and tightly driven story of a man who suffers from the loss of his friends and family and tries to piece together fragments of his past. this is a must try solid 8/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really loved the art style, setting, music, and atmosphere. Running around the map got really annoying really quickly, so I wish there was some kind of fast travel once you'd been to a place. Overall I really enjoyed it though, and I look forward to picking up the sequel when it goes on sale!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness 2D horror game with an interesting cast of characters with established complex relationships. store.steampowered.com/app/1702430/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Nine Witches was fantastic. but this is just a big meh.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While not breaking new ground by any means, it's definitely just compact enough not to overstay its welcome. The story is something anyone can see a mile coming, but the individual beats are engaging enough to keep you going. The characters aren't phenomenal, but they're intriguing enough to keep your attention. What the game does do fantastically, however, is the pixel art and sound design. It's worth the price of admission, but just that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sad clown pixel art horror with a strong narrative focus that sort of eclipses the gameplay. I did really enjoy my time with this game and I thought the story was interesting and well told with solid characters and very nice art. As a lover of survival horror games however, it felt like the game was actively resisting an innate desire to truly BE a survival horror game, which I found dissapointing. Despite flirting constantly with the nature of survival horror, Vlad Circus sadly pulls its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's got a great backstory, world and tone- but the gameplay isn't that fun, and it takes too long to get going and plods along to a pretty predictable ending. If this wasn't a three person team, I would give it a thumbs down, because you should know- this is a game that feels like it was made by three people. Backtracking, poor pacing, and many other hallmarks of early design work- but if you can live with that, it's worth diving into the narrative, even if that too is not perfect.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have descended into madness.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very enjoyable game! absolutely a throwback to some of my favourite point and click, 8-bit graphic games growing up like Maniac Mansion or Discworld. Compelling story and characters, engaging puzzle solving and some unsettling piano chords to keep the whole thing ominous. Only wish the game were longer but for the price I definitely enjoyed it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn’t get to try the demo on time and suddenly found out about this game. I wasn’t sure whether it was worth buying ‘day 1’ but I went ahead after some research. I’ve completed the game the next day in 5.5 hours according to Steam. It was clearly a very good decision! It’s the story, setting and characters that are the star of the show. It’s something I haven’t experienced before. When was the last time you played a game with a circus theme and you being an ex-clown with a traumatic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short enjoyable cosmic horror
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game. Didn´t finish it yet, aroun 3,6h but I love every minute of it so far. The style, the sounds, the music, the feeling that something is not quite right, not too much of a brain teaser(good for me as dumbdumb). A solid 10/10, worth the money :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a perfect new Horror Point and Click Adventure! I loved every second of this new journey no matter how creepy it felt. Vlad Circus is a must play if you are a fan of the genre. Played it during the Halloween Season and it was just what I wanted!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It takes about this amount of time (about 4 hours) to finish the game at a leisurely but still very active pace, so keep that in mind when considering what is comfortable as a price point for you. With that in mind, I actually adore this game. It was a slow burn game with lots of horror elements. The music was somewhat sparse but used well when it popped up, the other sounds in the game mainly consisted of ominous, soft whispers and the pattering of rain upon the roofs, with the occasional,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good aesthetic and the characters and story are interesting. I wish the stamina was optional. Would also recommend the lower difficulty, combat has not been fun on high difficulty edit: finished the game. fairly short but enjoyed the story, all the characters, the "descent into madness". wish there was a little more to it but overall I enjoyed it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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