Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals Review (PC Game, 2020)

Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals is a new multiplayer horror game from Glowstick Entertainment, the developers of the Dark Deception games. This P2P game sees you play as either a monster or a mortal character from the Dark Deception universe, with additional characters available through paid DLC inspired by Monstrum and Silent Hill. There are three different gameplay modes that change up the rules of how the match works.

The overall gameplay mechanics are simple. You are dropped in a maze-like map filled with purple soul shards. You run around collecting them. As the match progresses, you have to avoid traps and NPC monsters that are trying to destroy you. You can fight other players. LMB is a basic attack and RMB is a special attack. You also collect energy as you go, enabling a special ability that can do anything from teleport you somewhere else, steal shards, or unleash a super powerful attack. Each character has their own special ability, and what’s useful to you is going to vary based on your playstyle and the game mode.

Maze Escape is a 3v1 asymmetrical mode. Three mortals go up against one monster. For the mortals, you have to gather a specific number of shards to unlock the portal and escape. For the monster, you have to do everything you can to stop the mortals from opening the portal and escaping before the match is over.

Shard Mayhem is a four player monster only mode. Your goal is to collect the most shards by the time the match ends. Killing your opponents steals shards from them. New shards form in waves, but so do traps and boss fights.

Soul Collection is a four player mortal only mode with a twist. Your goal is to collect the most shards in each round. If you have the least amount of shards, Lord Malak (the big bad in the Dark Deception universe) collects you and you become a monster working for the bad guys. Your new goal is killing the mortals to impact who even has a chance of winning in the end.

Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals differs from other multiplayer horror games on the market right now. I’ve jokingly called Dead by Daylight “spooky Mario Party” on stream a lot, but Monsters & Mortals really is a horror party game. You either queue up with random players from around the world in World Play or build your own match in Friend Play. Either way, once your lobby is full, the game chooses the map, gameplay mode, and roles. You always get to choose which mortal or monster you play, but whether you start as a monster or mortal is not up to you.

I have so much fun playing this game. The action is super responsive for a P2P online multiplayer system. Lag is minimal, and it’s easy enough to adapt in combat. It doesn’t affect the shard collection, boss spawns, or traps.

The downside right now is two sides of the same coin. The game is new, so the player base is small. Depending on the time of the day, you’re going to be sitting in queue for a while to get a match. You’re also going to see a lot of the same players over and over.

The player base is small, so the more experienced players know which characters are best for each mode. If you’re playing Shard Mayhem, you’re going to face a lot of Agatha players. Agatha teleports to the player with the lowest HP and is guaranteed an attack. This will typically kill you. You’ll also see Agatha a lot in Maze Escape, and a good Agatha player can stop you from getting anywhere near opening the portals. The more common survivor characters are Nikson (who “hacks” the game and generates extra shards) and Penpen (who electrifies herself for 16 seconds, stunning anyone she comes in contact with). The mortal characters are a bit more balanced, but Agatha is the dominant character for players more comfortable with combat.

The game has plenty of DLC planned, including the new UK Creator Pack coming out this Friday, 30 April. Glowstick Entertainment is going to include more characters from the Dark Deception games as new chapters in the story become available.

Their licenses are already impressive. They already picked up Heather Mason, Cybil Bennett, Nurse, and Robbie the Rabbit from Silent Hill as playable characters, plus a map, Red Pyramidhead as a boss, and Air Screamers as a trap. The Monstrum DLC added Prisoner Borisof, Brute, and Fiend as playable characters, plus a map and Super Brutes as a boss. The confirmed future DLC (so far) are Yandere Simulator, Evil Nun: The Broken Mask, and The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters.

If you’re looking for a fun multiplayer horror game with low stakes and some good scares, check out Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals.

Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals is available on PC.