Strangeland

About Strangeland

Strangeland is a point-and-click adventure game set in a nightmarish carnival that feels less like a park and more like a fractured psyche. Wormwood Studios crafted it, releasing it in May 2021 under Wadjet Eye Games. The game’s vibe is claustrophobic and eerie, with warped rides and unsettling characters that hint at deeper psychological turmoil. You start awake in this surreal setting after witnessing a woman’s suicide, thrust into a mystery where answers are buried in riddles and cryptic dialogue. It’s a follow-up to Wormwood’s Primordia, so expect similar themes of existential dread and abstract worldbuilding. Play it if you want to untangle a story where the rules of reality don’t apply.

Gameplay

You explore Strangeland’s carnival by clicking to interact with objects, characters, and the environment. Puzzle-solving is the core, often requiring inventory items to be combined in non-obvious ways. The first half focuses on navigating shifting locations, like a hall of mirrors that loops infinitely, while the second half leans into logic puzzles tied to the carnival’s lore. Combat is absent; instead, you avoid or appease hostile entities using dialogue choices or item manipulation. The UI is minimal, with a small cursor that changes shape based on context. Each session feels like piecing together a jigsaw where half the pieces are missing, and the others are covered in riddles. The game’s 30-hour average playtime includes backtracking, as late-game reveals retroactively reframe earlier scenes.

What Players Think

Strangeland holds a 76.1 IGDB score from 15 critics, with 42% of players completing it. Average playtime is 31 hours, and 68% finish under 100% achievements. Community moods lean “confused” (22%) and “puzzled” (19%), with 11% calling it “frustrating.” A Reddit user noted, “The second act’s difficulty spike nearly made me quit, but the ending justifies it.” Steam reviews highlight the “stunning art style” and “weird, memorable NPCs” but criticize the “obscure puzzle hints.” Completionists track 35 achievements, including “Find the Dark Thing” and “Talk to the Carnival’s Creator.” The game’s 29% completion rate suggests it’s a polarizing pick, loved for its ambition, but not for the faint of heart.

PlayPile's Take

Strangeland is a niche pick for puzzle fans who thrive on ambiguity. At $19.99, it’s a mid-budget risk, but the 35 achievements and 10+ hour story justify the price if you stick through it. The game’s strength lies in its surreal design and payoff, but the obtuse puzzles and pacing drops may alienate others. If you’ve finished Primordia or loved the abstract mystery of The Witness, give it a shot. Otherwise, be prepared to rage-quit. It’s not great for casual players, but hardcore adventurers might find it rewarding.

Storyline

You wake in a surreal carnival, where a woman cries out to you before leaping to her death. Who was she? And who are you? The denizens and devices of Strangeland answer with riddles, puzzles, and warnings of a Dark Thing lurking at the park’s peak. A new adventure from the creators of Primordia.