Withering Rooms Review

Indie game developers are — in my opinion, at least — producing the best, most unique titles on the market right now. There are so many great games to try, so I was intrigued by Withering Rooms, the debut title from developer Moonless Formless. Has this atmospheric horror roguelike got enough going for it to put it up there with some of the latest and greatest indie titles? Let’s find out.

The story opens in 1892 with our main character, Nightingale, who has been sent to the Mostyn Asylum by order of her father. Already a rather ominous start, but Withering Rooms actually takes place within Nightingale’s dreams, meaning all sorts of horrors await her in this eerie setting. It takes no time at all to discover the first monster prowling the rooms of Mostyn (although our heroine doesn’t seem phased by it in the slightest), thus beginning your journey through the nightmare version of the asylum where death isn’t the end.

With Withering Rooms having roguelike elements, retreading the same ground with the narrative on the back burner isn’t unusual for the genre. However, there is enough here to keep things interesting and relatively engaging as you seek to escape from this nightmarish asylum.

The dark and gritty asylum paints a rather bleak picture, and despite some locations looking somewhat similar, it fits the theme of the game. Now, it isn’t the most detailed title out there — with some odd-looking animations and occasionally uninteresting environments — but for an indie game, the developer has done a great job creating a world that, despite its nightmare setting, is still grounded in realism. Well, until you come across the game’s many enemies, that is! From weird mutant monstrosities to more humanoid-type creatures that seem just as scared to be there as you are, the variety of uniquely designed horrors reminded me somewhat of those found in The Evil Within.

The sound design also does a great job of putting you right in the middle of the action, with the shambling, moaning monsters heard long before you spot them. The audio helps to quickly ramp up the tension and sets the player up to expect anything to come at them just out of shot. The musical scores are also suitably eerie, with macabre orchestral tracks really driving home the point that this is not a welcoming place to be.

Despite the opening sections of Withering Rooms focusing more on stealth and avoiding enemies, the game opens up more as you play. Blending survival horror with action, Nightingale quickly becomes a one-woman army as she acquires weapons, magical abilities, and increased stats. The combat itself, however, is a bit of a letdown. Melee attacks feel sluggish and unresponsive, dodging feels imprecise, and the whole system just doesn’t quite work with such dangerous foes, often leaving you vulnerable to a fatal strike. These enemies can strike hard as well, meaning one misstep and it’s game over. Things get easier over time as Nightingale grows stronger and her arsenal increases, but the core gameplay remains the same. Combat is most comparable to Salt and Sanctuary, a 2D souls-like that requires the player to pay attention during encounters or suffer the consequences; it’s just not half as refined as that title, unfortunately.

With this being a roguelike, death is never the end. You’ll lose the majority of your inventory upon reawakening, but some items can be stashed for future runs. NPC and enemy placements are also randomised, as are room locations and items. However, any unlocked doors or completed puzzles will, thankfully, remain that way for the rest of the game. There is a decent sense of progression even when falling to a fatal blow, and I found myself becoming a more magic-based attacker to keep some distance between Nightingale and the bloodthirsty abominations on the prowl. Magic isn’t an automatic easy mode, though, as the more you use, the more negative effects, or curses, will be inflicted upon Nightingale in the long run. These curses can be subdued with the right items, but I did like the balancing act that had me returning to swinging a weapon on occasion.

Although the combat was underwhelming, I enjoyed my time with Withering Rooms. The constant fear of the unknown, learning and crafting magic, and multiple endings to discover create an often engaging (if occasionally underwhelming) roguelike with a decent amount of challenge. The subpar combat system is the real disappointment, unfortunately, but there is still a lot of fun (is that the right word for a horror game?) to be had here!