MADiSON
Games review
As of Aug 12, 2026, MADiSON is rated 75/100 on Metacritic (21 critic reviews), and 87% positive on Steam (3,414 reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
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Is MADiSON worth it in 2026?
MADiSON earns its 87% Steam approval by doing one thing genuinely well: it is scary, with effective jumpscares and oppressive atmosphere that multiple reviewers across languages independently confirm. The core problem is that this is primarily a puzzle game, and those puzzles are frequently so unintuitive, with no in-game guidance, that a significant portion of players report abandoning immersion entirely to consult external guides, which actively undermines the horror pacing the game otherwise builds; tedious item-hunting in dark rooms compounds this friction. The 12-point gap between Steam's 87% player approval and Metacritic's 75 critic score reflects exactly this unevenness: players who accept the puzzle-heavy design enjoy it, while those expecting sustained atmospheric dread in the vein of PT or Visage find a design conflict, not just a genre mismatch.
Horror fans who genuinely enjoy puzzle-solving, can tolerate, or welcome, frequent guide use, and are buying at a sale price after checking current patch notes on the final-combination bug before purchasing.
A hard-lock bug at the final combination lock has wiped full playthroughs for multiple players, and the puzzle design is so opaque, with no in-game hints, that immersion-breaking guide dependency is a recurring complaint; if you came for sustained dread over puzzle-solving, this game may frustrate
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Pros
- effective scares and jumpscares8
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- This game get's an "8". Scary fun, though the musical puzzle in the last quarter of the game was drawn out a bit more than it should have been. Recommended, especially if on sale.
- In all honesty, it's a great horror game like I peed my pants in some moments BUT and it's a BIG BUT it is a HORRIBLE PUZZLE GAME. The game has great graphics and the story is in...
- What a horror game. i was scared the whole game and the jumpscares was on point and it was definetly the scariest game i have ever played. some of the puzzles were a little diffi...
- creepy atmosphere and tension4
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- la ambientacion dpm, los sustos igual. el juego da miedo la verdad. la unica queja que tengo es que o yo soy imbecil o el 80% de los puzzles son 0 intuitivos y necesitas jugar el...
- The idea of demons and supernatural forces is a fantastic thing to explore and MADiSON did just that the puzzles are challenging the atmosphere is creepy and the occasional scream,...
- It has become my newest favorite, I'm glad I bought it and took my time playing it. It wasn't easy but it wasn't hard to follow. It had great atmosphere, makes it scary or at the...
- solid overall game quality3
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- The idea of demons and supernatural forces is a fantastic thing to explore and MADiSON did just that the puzzles are challenging the atmosphere is creepy and the occasional scream,...
- Reminds me of visage, silent hill, and the movie hereditary all thrown together. great game. Puzzles weren't too difficult. everyone was fairly straight forward.
- Idk why but I like it better than visage! Feels smoother in both controls and puzzle design, same level of horror (or even higher??)
Cons
- unintuitive puzzle design4
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- la ambientacion dpm, los sustos igual. el juego da miedo la verdad. la unica queja que tengo es que o yo soy imbecil o el 80% de los puzzles son 0 intuitivos y necesitas jugar el...
- In all honesty, it's a great horror game like I peed my pants in some moments BUT and it's a BIG BUT it is a HORRIBLE PUZZLE GAME. The game has great graphics and the story is in...
- у игры явный дисбаланс между хоррор состовляющей и головоломками хотя на самом деле сами головоломи которые можно назвать головоломками простые а вот хождение туда не знаю куда в п...
- puzzle-heavy over horror4
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- Short puzzle-style game. I loved it. If you're looking for more of a PT or Visage experience, this is NOT it. Just to be warned. This is much more puzzle than it is enemies. If...
- In all honesty, it's a great horror game like I peed my pants in some moments BUT and it's a BIG BUT it is a HORRIBLE PUZZLE GAME. The game has great graphics and the story is in...
- THE MOST BORING HORROR GAME EVER. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE PUZZLE GAME, PLEASE COLLAB WITH SUDOKU DEVELOPER GAME. THANK YOU. 1/100
- lack of puzzle guidance3
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- la ambientacion dpm, los sustos igual. el juego da miedo la verdad. la unica queja que tengo es que o yo soy imbecil o el 80% de los puzzles son 0 intuitivos y necesitas jugar el...
- у игры явный дисбаланс между хоррор состовляющей и головоломками хотя на самом деле сами головоломи которые можно назвать головоломками простые а вот хождение туда не знаю куда в п...
- Its a very fun game, best jumpscares but there is like no clues and the game gets confusing
Themes and quotes are drawn from 19 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 3.4K ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.