Velan Studios has always had a knack for games that thrive on chaos, and Midnight Murder Club is no exception. At first glance, it might look like another social deduction party game, but the reality is far more unpredictable. Equal parts horror experiment and slapstick comedy, it throws you and your friends into a pitch-black mansion, strips away certainty, and asks you to survive with nothing but a flashlight, a revolver, and your wits. The result is tense, funny, and frequently ridiculous – though not without some rough edges.
The premise is refreshingly simple but instantly effective: put on a mask, blend into the shadows, and try not to get shot while hunting down others who are doing the same. The darkness isn’t just a gimmick; it shapes every decision. Do you risk flicking on your flashlight to get your bearings, knowing you’ll give away your position, or stumble blindly and hope you’re not walking into a trap? When proximity chat is layered on top of this, matches often feel like a horror movie gone wrong – whispers turning into screams, panicked footsteps betraying allies, and (evil) laughter erupting when a trap takes out half the room.
Where Midnight Murder Club shines brightest is in its unpredictability. The Wildcards mode keeps matches from settling into predictable routines, with modifiers that can change everything from character sizes to the way weapons function. One round might feel like survival horror, the next like slapstick chaos, and the variety keeps players coming back for more. The PvE-focused “Graveyard Shift” mode is also a welcome addition, letting players team up against supernatural threats in the mansion rather than only facing each other. It’s not as finely tuned as the core versus modes, but it broadens the game’s appeal and gives you a reason to keep playing even when your group isn’t online.
That said, the game isn’t without frustrations. The controls can be clumsy, especially in the heat of combat where the difference between fumbling a reload and landing a clean shot often feels dictated more by awkward animations than player skill. The mansion’s level design, while atmospheric, sometimes feels overly reliant on long corridors and dark rooms, which can lead to stretches of confusion rather than tension. And while the chaos is part of the fun, it can also be overwhelming – especially when traps, modifiers, and voice chat collide into moments that feel more messy than thrilling.
On a technical level, Midnight Murder Club runs well on PlayStation 5, though its visuals are deliberately more functional than striking. The gloomy mansion interiors capture the right mood, but they lack the polish or variety to stand out compared to bigger-budget horror games. What does make an impression, however, is the audio design. From creaking floors to muffled laughter in the next room, the soundscape is crucial to both tension and comedy. Proximity chat in particular is the secret weapon here, transforming matches into dynamic horror-comedy sketches that feel impossible to script.
Ultimately, Midnight Murder Club thrives on being less about skill mastery and more about shared experience. It’s the kind of game that works best with friends, where the fun comes from stories you tell afterward rather than the matches themselves. Its design isn’t flawless, but when everything clicks, it creates some of the most memorable multiplayer moments you might have this year. As long as you go in expecting messy chaos rather than tight precision, Velan’s latest is a club worth joining – preferably with the lights off.
Score: 7.5/10
Press Play Media 