Buy Miasmata

This game was vastly different from any other game I've ever played and I've played my fair share. You are defenseless, but there's nothing really to kill you except for your own mind. The concept behind this game is amazing and the AI for the monster is one of the best I've ever seen. I've read it was supposed to be based on the dev's cat and I can totally see that. It behaves just like a real life cat would, and if you treat it thusly you can generally escape it.

This game was a very well rounded game in my opinion and once I started playing it I couldn't stop until I was finished. I completed the game in two days I think. Not only is it an incredibly unique and interesting idea, the execution was great as well. The visuals, and most importantly the flowers, were stunning and I could tell a lot of them were modelled after real flowers. The story line which you garner from notes left by people before was intriguing and chilling. The behavior of the monster just blew me away. The heartbeat noise alone was enough to get my own heart pounding. I could tell the dev put a TON of effort into thinking out the monster which I must applaud.

At first I disliked the triangulating your position aspect of the map, but after a while I came to like and respect it as an idea. Also I liked that it wasn't as hard as just wandering through the jungle, aimlessly and that you were actually pointed in the right direction gently. The size of the map and the details within the terrain were very well done.

I practically have nothing but praise for this game. I think one of my biggest... dislikes? Was that when you died you were merely sent back to your last save point. So there was really no threat.

Anywho, I would definitely recommend this game.

Probably one of the most memorable games I've ever played.

Im gonna begin this review with two definitions of horror: You got cheap/graphical horror, in wich its mostly based on jumpscares or things that are scary to look at. you dont need to be skilled to do so, since even little kids can hide behind a curtain and give you a jumpscare. And then you got psychological horror. The tension slowly builds up. you fear what you cannot see, because you know its there. and eventually it will come out.
Miasmata uses the first one briliantly. The feeling of being watched is constant. a must have for tense survival fans.
The graphics are not that good, but its an indie game made by 2 dudes, so i guess you should judge that. comparing it with, lets say, Battlefield 3 is like comparing your uncle Doe´s lil shop with Wal-Mart.
In overall, it requires some patience to deal with some unpolished controls, but its definitively worth it.

This is the first survival game I've played that really makes use of nature as an Antagonist. In all my playtime I have yet to see "The Beast", although I know twice he's been near, which always adds a little tension.

But on more than one occasion I have found myself doing a perfect Nathan Drake "NO NO NO" as I lose my footing on a cliff and careen down the side, losing my precious herbs and axe along the way. Landing at the bottom of an unknown section of map, with a major fever.

This game has the most robust mapping system I have ever seen, relying on known waypoints and a compass to open your map, which you then use to triangulate your position, then adding the option to plot out unmarked waypoints, opening up more map. Make no mistake, if you don't like cartography or map-reading you will dislike this game. But, if you are into conquering nature while trying to map out a survival plan for yourself then this is the game for you. The mapping is the highlight of this game for me, it is fantastically implemented and should be the standard for any game going forward that uses a mechanic like building a map based on exploration.

Focusing on exploration and narrative over scares and enemies, your wits are put to the test. Get stuck at night in the wilderness in a section that you have not mapped well and you'd better hope you run across a makeshift camp, or you're dead. yes, Nature is a formidable foe in this game.

With a beautiful island (which seems HUGE in scope), and a backstory from the early 1900's that plays out through scattered notes, there is an elusive mystery to uncover whilst acheiving the main game end-goal, which is to find 3 suitable plants that make a cure for the plague (which you are suffering from). With dozens of plants to find on the island you will find your eyesight put to the test as you watch for plants and man made objects to triangulate your map with, all the while keeping note of your surroundings for footing and dangers. Add in research stations that let you analyze your plants and then make different medicines with them, leading to buffs for your character to keep his health, endurance and sanity up and you're adding in hours of careful playtime.

The movement system is just as unique as the rest of this game. As a plague victim you are succumbing to the effects of the disease. Stay hydrated, stay feverless. The movement is based on a physics engine that reacts to the environment around you; climbing uphill dehydrated, you WILL know, you will feel the struggle. Going down a steep incline too fast? You will lose your footing, possibly sending you hundreds of feet downwards in a spiralling arc, hurting and disorienting you. Which could easily lead to a swift death. It's not perfect in it's execution, but it is something entirely different that really adds a unique aspect of challenge to the gameplay. Heavily wooded areas increase the chance of slipping on wet leaves. riverbeds are rocky, adding to the fall factor. Swamps get deep and there's always the chance of wading too deep, and if you're health isn't tended to, drowning becomes a real fear.

I've hardly mentioned the Beast, as I have yet to encounter him. The Beast randomely patrols the island, the AI is based on sight, smell and sound. When he's stalking you, your heartbeat becomes your indicator. Hide or run, lose the Beast and you're alright...but if he continues to get closer you may have to fight him off, using weapons found around the Island, but I am told that fighting is for fools. Flee and stay hidden. I really don't mind that I have yet to come face-to-face with him. The Beast is almost as much about emotional fear than jump scares. But IMO, he is second to Nature as to the dangers around you.

Saving relies on light. Fires, candles and lanterns populate the island, find one and light it and you have a saved game. A beautiful day/night cycle is active, with beds that allow you to sleep, save and skip a few hours ahead. Sticks can be used as torches at night to help in almost pitch-black wilderness, don't let The Beast see that light!

I could go on and on about how much I enjoy this game, how great the community is; I could talk about the mods available that make it a more challenging and daunting survival sim. I could also tell you how much value I find in this game for only $15. But you should find out for yourself.

If you want a real survival challenge, that fiinally makes nature the main antagonist (while keeping the game exciting and challenging) then Miasmata is the game for you. The laerning curve is in the medium range of difficulty, but the community is always ready to help out, and there are plenty of guides to help you get started.

Highly enjoyable, highly recommended. :)

Miasmata is a game that will test your perseverance and patience. Initially, this came across as a tedious and boring - I wasn't crazy about the game after spending thirty minutes in it, so I put it down and played other games.

Eventually, I came back to give it another try.

After 9.1 hours of play, I can safely say that this game surprised me, and I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Exploring the island in search of remedies for Robert Hughes' ailments was astonishingly fun and rewarding; although, this game remains one that had room for improvement.

Pros:

- Fantastic exploration
- Learning curve that makes succeeding that much more rewarding
- Beautiful environment (most of the time)
- Unexpectedly strong sense of isolation and survival
- Very realistic
- Beautiful music (during the few instances that you are able to hear it)
- Touching plot
- Being stalked by the creature was actually terrifying

Cons:

- Very awkward animations
- Bizarre physics when falling down hills (falling down hills is not advised)
- Lack of sound effects during synthesis
- Pretty buggy (the two devs acknowledged that after five years developing Miasmata, they were exhausted and stopped fixing bugs)
- Some mechanics may only be learned the hard way (either never explained or poorly explained)

All in all, I will reiterate that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Miasmata. I needed some time to warm up to it, but once I gave it that luxury, I became immersed in the world and my surroundings. The astonishing sense of isolation and survival kept me on my toes and kept me efficient throughout my in-game experience. It was a rewarding endeavor, and I would recommend this game as long as you are willing to give it the time it deserves.

We just had to keep up, and we became the story.

This game was rather attractive when I first spotted it some years ago. Everything felt good at first but after a while I left it. Why? This game, in my opinion, is quite limited. For you are not truly free in your actions. Yes, you got an illness and that's a valid handicap to make gaming more interesting. But that doesn't entirely explain why, for instance, I need to redo some actions which are not that interactive.

I'll give you some examples:

Discovery:
In order to know where you are you need to triangulate your position, it is not difficult and neither bad, but it grows dull after a while and then you feel like gonna quit (luckily you can find some maps at times). The map automatically shows your position which you have triangulated (this is okay) adding some unknown areas (quite unrealistic and I did not like it very much). It would have been better giving you a map of the island, or pieces of it, and then had to triangulate. Some books are filled with a rather common plot but still quite interesting at times. Player movements are really odd: it is completely uncomfortable for the character finds very difficult to climb flat hills.

Research:
1) You find a flower
2) You pick it up
3) You take it back to one of the labs within the island
4) You run a research over it and soon after process it (in a standardized way indeed for any item you find)
5) You get an output: an aspirine or some sort of boost or whatever

This feels very annoying and repetitive after a while. One pro point is that it there's a huge variety of stuff to find and analyse. It would have been quite cool if your working lab had an interactive feature on it.

Enemies:
The only enemy you have is some sort of black lion-like creature which can kill you with a single blow (it can infect you with fever if you're lucky enough to survive the attack). It can be everywhere around the map, especially at night during which is almost invisible (this is a good feature indeed). Weapons like knives or rocks prove useless. This is another interesting point which makes gameplay less boring. But still devs had to put some sort of weapon with which you could stun it (for more than a handful of seconds) instead of running away with the thing right just behind you (both you and the creature are liable to some glitches like getting stuck between trees). In order to go ahead with the game you'll encounter it a lot. Same point as before: annoying and repetitive.
There are some intangible enemies like fever and thirst but they are easily manageable if you get the hang of the game.

You can say: "The game implies you're desperate to survive". But I think that if they added some sort of food & build (placing a small camp given the necessary tools and items) mechanics, or just giving more interactive features on the things you do as a habit, it would have been a really good game.

In short:
I do not recommend this game to anyone who doesn't like doing the same stuff all the time. This game had the potential to be a good game indeed.

This is my review, now you are free to choose. I don't give Universal principles here and there so you do what you want.

Thanks for reading.

I absolutely HATE! Horror games, the acception being Damned, but I found it in my heart to but this game for £9.99 a year ago and ever since... I only have 5 hours on the game. Heres why, I HATE THE MONSTER!, when I was playing I realised that if you run he finds you easier in the first minute of the game I drowned... So sad. The game is challenging for wimps like me because its only about 2% of the time you see the monster but you spend 98% of the time cowering hoping to never see him. But he will find you... He will... Trust me. I did learn something cool about the monster and it's what made me buy the game. The monster doesn't just appear when you go to a certain place (Sometimes he does but thats only in places where theres something to do with the cure there (don't quote me on that)) he actually is always moving and when your in your lab making some science shizzles he's out there following your trail and looking for you... He's not just going to appear when you go somewhere, he appears whenever he has tracked you down! The starting area is safe but once you cross that line the beast will GET YOU!!!! Overall I like the game even though I hate horror games, but hey we all hate something right?, but this one will give you the creeps!

9/10 Good but losing that plant that you needed being chased by the monster is a bummer :(

P.S. He appears more the more time into a save you do. Example, Day 1: You won't see him unless you run in circles the entire day, Day 2: You might encounter him briefly, Day 5: You will see him on multiple occasions by now, Day 10: You will see him everyday, Day 20: How are you still alive?

This Is an acutal boundry pushing indie game made by two people if I am correct. Its an escapists wet dream as well as a thinking mans game involving finding a cure for yourself and surviving agains the beast of the Island that you are trapped on.

This is a really unique and nice game with some challenges such as having to create your own map by cartographing landmarks. all things considered I would give it a 9.3/10 if you are interested in expansive surreal getaways.

I've played for 4 hours and though the game has potential I find it lacking in anything that resembles entertainment. The point of the game appears to be nothing more then running around the island looking for flowers to create ever more potent medicines from. You don't eat, you don't build, you don't encounter but one beast type and you do nothing but sleep, drink water, collect plants, make meds and take them when necessary. This game takes place within a nicely done 3D world but the game play lacks any depth. I was bored within the first 30 min but continued, hoping there was more to this then I had already discovered - there wasn't. I also find the physics very annoying i.e. the inertia. As your character approaches a steep incline, he can't seem to put on the brakes before he goes over the edge. It just feels clumsy. While the notebook is a neat idea for a GUI, I found it to be a tedious way to get to the info you are looking for. After watching the research and crafting animations a dozen times, you will be looking for a way to skip them - to no avail. As I said the game has potential but is severely lacking in depth. If running around an island collecting flowers (while running from a singular beastie) sounds fun then perhaps you will enjoy this game. If you need a game with more then a singular goal you should look elsewhere.

This is a great scavenger hunt game. The point of this game is to find 6 plants, make a cure and get off the island while avoiding "The Creature". Now this island is HUGE and you'll need to use the unique mapping system to find your way around or you'll be stupid lost. Once I got a hang of how you unlock the map it was alot of fun and felt very realistic. Character movement was something I also give a high score for. Running down a steap hill will most like end up as you sommersaulting down it instead and whatever you where carring to go flying. I also enjoyed all the different biomes. There are quite a few and each one is very impressive due to the wildlife sounds, critters running about and the huge sizes for tress and plants. Did i mention there are ants moving on the ground? My point is A LOT of little details went into making this game and for that i give this game a thumbs up!

A bit of a downside for this game for me would have to be the story and threat from "The Creature". There are notes around the island that give some story but I felt they were a bit lacking. At the start of the game you get alot of story hints about whats going on around the island then they just dry up around half way through the game. It took me 12 hours to finnish this game and for the first 8 hours I never once saw the creature. So it was just me waundering through the woods picking flowers and making my map. Yep slow and boring for most I think. Then near the end "The Creature" must have sensed I omost had my cure and was stalking me every 5 mins! This added 4 more hours to my game play trying to hide from it and if that wasnt working running for my life, only to not see a cliff in front of me and I go flying, lose my plant, frantically try to look for it on the ground, oh snap here comes the cat! To say the least those last 4 hours where the best and it should have been that way most of the time.

overall GREAT GAME!

You can tell in the first few minutes playing this game that the developers had a great time making it. This game has an incredible amount of detail, and not just in graphics. Movement mechanics, game menus, inventory system, researching, all done very well. When I was a kid I loved running out into a forest by my house and getting lost, finding my way home. This game brings that feeling back completely, except with added risks of being caught out at night or stumbling across the creature. Also, the creature is the perfect touch to this game. It's AI is really well built. Lastly, the horror aspect of this game wasn't like jump scare horror, but rather more like worrisome horror, which I tolerate a lot better. I will definately keep my eyes open for any other games created by Joe and Bob Johnson. ~Jack

Best single player open world Science related game I have ever played.
Extremely good eye candy.
Best Dawn & Dusk ever coded.
Large area with most realistic map uncovering system I've ever seen using triangulation.
Only 1 creature out to get you and if you so choose a mod exists so you can remove it.
No trolls can get you in this fantastic environment.

When my mom decides to retire and start playing video games (which she want's to do XD) this will be the first one I give her.

Highly Recommended

Played this game awhile back, year and half ago. I was not expecting a whole lot, but I got to say, it was suprisingly good.

Break it down for: You collect a bouquet of flowers while running from a badass pokemon.

I'd highly reccomend it for people who like to take their time and explore.

Miasmata is, in essence, a game of exploration; moreover, an exploration simulator. The devs went to great lengths to rethink gaming fundamentals such as mapping, stealth, even basic movement. These changes may spook a lot of players, but those that let go of traditional gaming conventions will discover a rich new genre of gaming.

At the core of this game is the mapping system. Left to map out the environment yourself with a compass and triangulation, I often tell people interested in this game that it is a cartography simulator. While some find this method of mapping tedious, it brought about something both rare in games, and exciting: getting lost. I was often faced with decisions regarding how far to explore because getting lost sucked. The flip side was that finding your way back to someplace familiar provided an awesome feeling of accomplishment!

Stealth comes into play when faced with an undefeatible predator. This mechanic was a rush. You have no indicator of where the predator is except that when it is near, your heart beats. Many hide now/ search later moments. Running like hell works often for a rush of adrenaline. Rushing towards a shack lit in candlelight while the beast is at your heels, then crouching in a corner hoping not to be noticed as you peek your head up to see if it's gone was a common thrill for me in this game.

The movement has been criticized by a few (at least), but I really enjoyed the dev's take on it. Think: momentum.
Your character starts off relatively weak, so often times you are left to risk walking down a steep looking hill or trying to rush up one. Walking down presents you with having to press the back button as a way to balance/ control your descent. Ascending requires taking a bit of a run to push your way up. Misjudging either causes a tumble which drops your items in hand and a big chance at getting a fever. Both a bit of a hassle. Mostly, this doesn't pose much of a problem, however when chased by the predator I found it exciting as hell. Split moment decisions risking death or losing that plant that took a bit to find provided a truly unique gaming experience.

Wrap up: 14 y.o. into COD and hoping to play an indie FarCry? Pass. Enjoy discovery and exploration of both the gaming enviroment and new conventions? BUY NOW.

CYA

This indie survival-adventure game, in a genre that has spiked in popularity in recent times, significantly stands out. The plot is straightforward and an example of the power of simplicity. Your boat washes up on an island shrouded in mystery, where you hope to find a cure to the disease you suffer from.

You must utilize the islands vegetation to ultimately find a cure. While you are immersed in this journey playing survivalist/botanist/mycologist, you must also utilize other skills, such as cartography, especially the process of triangulation, to navigate around.

Overall, If you enjoy fun adventure games that are "open world", thrilling, and suspenseful, then this is a game worth taking a look at.

8.0/10

(Let's be realistic here, there are some flaws in the game....It is not perfect, by any means)

Very good game, but it's certainly not for everyone. Don't expect Michael Bay explosions and action.
The game itself is just walking around the island, making the map yourself with triangulation, picking various plants and turning them into potions/medicine and making sure you will not die from dehydration and going too fast (yes, that is a thing). All of this while you are chased by a wierd cat/lion/panther/demon/whatever hybrid.

It kind of feels like Robinson's Reqiem, but without everything trying to kill you.

This game has become one of my top favourites of all time. Gritty, believable survival and realistic player motion. Buy it, be sure to apply the patch found here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/223510/discussions/0/648812916771880184/ and try not to be up too late if you don't want a heart attack.

"It was time to get out of Eden. I took off at full sprint across the length of my dominion. Joy and remorse swashed around my mind like two components of one of my synthesizing drugs. Despite all the pain this island represented, it also represented hope and resilience. But ultimately, I felt joy that I would soon be freed from this prison.

As I ran past my familiar haunts, I was confronted with the sins of my scientist brethren: their bodies litter the island and rot in one accord. I felt complicit in the same cold-transgressions of power-pursuit and going to any length possible to survive, but I can’t help but feel like a changed man.

At the end of my final run through the island, I saw my escape. And I swam for it. But as I swam, I didn’t mind looking back. Almost afraid I’d be turned to stone like Lot’s wife, I couldn’t help but miss this terrible place.

Do I miss the fight for survival, the desperate quest for a cure, and the haunting notion that everybody else on the island is dead? I really do. Now, I sit here. I’ve made my final triangulation. But I don’t need to. I already know where I am. I’m on my way home."

Read more: http://gamechurch.com/three-weeks-in-eden-a-chronicle-of-human-strength-and-weakness-in-miasmata/

Please do not let the technical flaws of this game (of which there are plenty) turn you away from it. If you're the kind of person who can allow yourself to get completely immersed into a virtual world, look past those flaws and give this world a try.

Yes, there are issues. The uphill/downhill momentum can at times feel a bit... overzealous. Graphical fidelity is all over the place - while the general environment and landscape looks beautiful from afar, certain ugly details are exposed given a close-up. Several Steam Achievements are broken. You should probably avoid Alt+Tabbing the game due to the dreaded "One Moment Please..." problem. Performance issues can bring the entire world to a complete standstill for several seconds at a time, and you'll eventually realize that the only thing that "no loading screens" really means is that loading can get you killed. As the game was made from scratch by a pair of brothers, this sort of stuff is to be expected. There is an unofficial community patch out there (along with other helpful game utilities), and I'd recommend that you check that out before taking things too far.

But to be perfectly honest, since I decided to give this game another try after a near-year-long hiatus taken shortly after the intro, I'm thankful that I didn't pass it up. As one of those aforementioned people who can immerse themselves in games quite easily, I found a tension in this game that few other games have ever made me feel. That moment when I'm standing on the porch of my safehouse, barren map in-hand, building up the courage to take my first step into the unknown. That moment when I've got my headphones cranked up, and I'm crouch-walking through the forest, eyes peeled, my heart stopping at the crunch of every twig. That moment when all hell has broken loose and I've gone into a full-on panic-sprint, knowing that my only chance at survival is to put myself at the complete mercy of the terrain and just run. Those moments are gaming gold.

Miasmata has a bit of a learning curve; anybody who has played it can tell you that. For all of the things that this game can give to you, there are just as many things that it will leave you to take for yourself. You'll struggle with movement. You'll struggle with cartography. You'll leave the house a bit too late one night and find yourself completely lost, staring death in the face. But give this game your time and your effort, and it will give you a completely unreplicated experience in return.

Save early, save often. Stay alert, stay alive. You've been warned!

Really great experience. Some may find the movement to be too icey (and it occasionally is) but I loved the way it was implemented and quickly adjusted. The atmosphere was great and the fact that this was made by two brothers only is amazing. I'll probably load this up from time to time just to run around the island - it's a blast - and the cartography system is also something to be applauded. There haven't been many games that scratched the true exploration itch for me but this absolutely did.

I really enjoyed the game. It is truly a unique experience and unlike anything I have encountered so far.

The character handling is different than in the usual FPS shooters - it feels like you're really moving a body around.
It reminded me of Arma2 - with the addition that if you start sliding on cliff it's hard to stop. Watch your step!

The start of the game is nicely paced and teaches you what to do without making it feel like you're confined to a particular path. It's just natural to do the start the way it's intended to and if you really want to be unreasonable you could run into the other direction as well.

And then you're alone, all on a big island, free to explore!