Psychological point-and-click horror adventure
Vlad Circus: Curse of the Asmodeus is a premium adventure game from developer Indiesruption. It’s a pixel art point-and-click experience featuring psychological horror themes. It tells the haunting tale of a man scarred by a tragic past who awakens deformed and without memories, and the journey his brother will take to uncover the truth behind what happened.
Much like No, I’m not a Human or Sally Face, Vlad Circus: Curse of the Asmodeus offers a harrowing journey that delves deep into the human psyche and touches on mature themes, such as personal trauma and regret. The game utilizes time jumps between two parallel timelines to tell its story.
Past and present horrors
In Vlad Circus: Curse of the Asmodeus, you play as Josef Petrescu, who was convicted and executed for murdering his brother, Vlad Petrescu, but mysteriously awakens mutilated and without memories in a dark and mysterious facility. He must uncover the truth about the fire that killed his brother, and uncover the dark secrets of the titular Vlad Circus, which he is a co-heir of.
The game will jump between two parallel timelines, wherein you’ll play as yourself in the past and the present. Explore the dark and decrepit facility to find a way out by solving puzzle problems. Each time you stumble on a mirror, jump back to uncover the secret of the incident that killed your brother, linked to the Vlad Circus itself, by doing some detective work.
You’ll also uncover a dark paranormal secret about an ancient demon reimagined as a parasite that causes insanity in its victims, a cult of religious fanatics, and how everything ties together. Having said all that, the narrative is a bit convoluted and confusing at times. Also, Vlad Circus: Curse of the Asmodeus is a short experience, with a playthrough of roughly three to four hours.
Dark and disturbing
Overall, if you’re a fan of point-and-click adventure games and psychological horror experiences, Vlad Circus: Curse of the Asmodeus offers an immersive and harrowing tale of madness and tragedy, told through a unique time-bending journey. It can get a bit confusing along the way, but it is worth it to figure out for the great narrative it has.
