Withering Rooms Reviews
While the combat is clunky and systems aren't explained as well as they should be, Withering Rooms is a great entry into the horror genre.
A good mix of ideas that work well for the most part, although there are some drawbacks that can complicate the lives of certain players. Ideal for fans of classic survival horror, even 16-bit.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
In the end, Withering Rooms’ somewhat clunky and graceless combat is not enough to seriously detract from what it does well. Withering Rooms looks unlike any recent game in the genre. Its setting is haunting and haunted and its blend of roguelike, puzzle, and action mechanics guarantees variety. It’s a compelling choice for fans of action games with more than a dash of horror.
Withering Rooms provides a great horror RPG experience with its gameplay. You never stop being a fragile girl trying to leave a horrible dream. But the tools to fight back give you courage and let you battle the undead. Coming up with strategies is genuinely rewarding and adds variety to the combat. Learning from your mistakes and making death painful forces you to pay attention. The story isn't as strong as it could be and some aspects could use better explanations. However, Withering Rooms is not a horror experience you want to miss if you've been looking for a challenge.
A fantastic combination of horror, combat and puzzle solving elements, Withering Rooms is one nightmare that you may not wish to wake from!
Part roguelike, part horror, part puzzle adventure, we've not played anything quite like Withering Rooms before. It's a little scrappy, and we wish combat was better, but there's something about it that will keep us coming back.
The content in Withering Rooms is comparable to what could be expected from a big AAA game. The various gimmicks and mechanics that affect how you play the game always make players consider what to do and how to overcome unbelievable odds. Countless outfits, weapons, enemies, and plenty of imposing boss battles will give gamers a lot of bang for their buck. If you ever thought Bloodborne needed to be 2D and about witchcraft, you have come home.
Withering Rooms boasts a surprising amount of content, rivalling some AAA titles. Players will encounter a variety of outfits, weapons, enemies, and challenging boss battles, offering a high value proposition. For fans of Bloodborne seeking a 2D action RPG with a focus on witchcraft, Withering Rooms provides a compelling experience despite its uneven rogue-lite mechanics.
By the end of Withering Rooms, what remains is a layered and difficult-to-define impression that resists any neat or definitive judgement. his is not a game striving for conventional polish or immediate accessibility, but rather one that derives its value from atmosphere, experimentation, and an unmistakably singular creative vision. It is precisely this strong, at times uncompromising identity that makes it as fascinating as it is divisive. Its most striking quality is its creative ambition. In a genre often defined by familiar conventions, Withering Rooms attempts to bring together survival horror, roguelite structure, and RPG mechanics in one cohesive framework. The integration is not always perfectly smooth, but it makes clear the game’s intent to move beyond well-worn genre boundaries. The result is uneven at times, yet it achieves something increasingly uncommon: a game that resists easy categorisation or straightforward comparison. Atmosphere, however, is where the game most consistently succeeds. The Mostyn House, with its shifting architecture and near-living presence, functions as more than a setting – it becomes the structural and emotional core of the experience. It is a space that does not merely frame the action, but actively shapes it, sustaining a persistent sense of unease. That said, Withering Rooms is unmistakably designed for a specific audience. It is neither immediately legible nor particularly forgiving. Its roguelite structure, fragmented narrative delivery, and reliance on iterative learning create a deliberate barrier to entry. Progress is earned through repetition, observation, and adaptation rather than explicit guidance, demanding a level of patience and engagement that not all players will be willing to offer. One of the game’s more interesting qualities is the way it absorbs its own imperfections into its design language. Repetition, narrative opacity, and occasional mechanical rigidity are not fully disguised; instead, they often become part of the broader atmosphere of instability and disorientation. This does not always work to the game’s advantage, but it frequently strengthens its distinctive personality. Longevity and replayability follow a similarly uneven rhythm. The multi-run structure offers considerable potential for extended play, yet engagement varies in practice. At times, the game delivers genuine discovery and tension; at others, repetition becomes more apparent. The result is an experience that shifts between freshness and familiarity rather than maintaining a steady pace. Emotionally, the game avoids traditional horror escalation in favour of a slower, more persistent form of tension. It rarely relies on overt shocks, instead cultivating a steady accumulation of unease that lingers well beyond individual encounters. It is a quieter approach to horror, but often a more enduring one. Ultimately, Withering Rooms is best understood not as a pursuit of refinement, but as a work of clear creative conviction. It is imperfect, unapologetically niche, and occasionally frustrating, yet also deeply authentic. In an increasingly crowded horror landscape, its strongest achievement is simply this: it feels wholly and unmistakably itself. For players willing to meet it on its own terms, it offers an experience that is challenging, atmospheric, and frequently unforgettable.
Withering Rooms marks the intriguing debut on the scenes for Moonless Formless, which successfully blends seemingly irreconcilable elements resulting in a bizarre but fascinating creature. Although some elements are not exactly flawless (above all, the confusing combat system, but also a far too nebulous narrative), the final product represents a pleasant breath of fresh air in a genre, horror, that is witnessing several experiments in the last period. Recommended for all thrill-seekers, but also for those who want to try something different and original.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Withering Rooms might not be the easiest game to get into, but eventually, the combination of roguelike, puzzle, and action game elements will keep you entertained.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Withering Rooms pays homage to survival horror classics like Clock Tower while injecting fresh roguelike RPG elements to create one of the most unique indie horror games we've ever played.
Withering Rooms isn’t for the faint of heart, but for those who persevere, a world of rewarding challenges, twisted horrors, and deep satisfying progression awaits.
Mostyn House is not for the faint of heart, those braving the corridors of this nightmare will find a fun yet disturbing time, just be prepared to swap between difficulties in some situations.
If one excludes the fact that in some places the game shoots itself in the foot, wanting to show that it can give something more, we are talking about a worthy game that will arouse interest.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Withering Rooms feels incredibly nostalgic and yet does plenty of new things, making for a horror game that utterly stands out. Its creativity, downright amazing writing, and incredible characters will suck you in, and the tense, ever-present horror of the Dream will keep you on the edge of your seat.