In a gaming landscape filled with battle royales, shooters, and cozy sims, Midnight Murder Club dares to toss players headfirst into a mansion where trust lasts about as long as a flashlight battery. Developed by the quirky visionaries at Hazelight Studios, renowned for their innovative co-op narratives like It Takes Two and A Way Out, and published by Electronic Arts, this latest release promises a darkly comedic and thrillingly strategic multiplayer experience, wrapped in enough deception to make you question even your closest friends’ intentions.

The premise of Midnight Murder Club is brilliantly simple yet dangerously deceptive. You and your friends don elaborate masks, wield flashlights and firearms, and stalk each other through the eerie halls of a grand mansion, blending tactical gameplay with heart-pounding paranoia. This setup, while reminiscent of popular party games like Among Us or Deceit, ups the ante by requiring precision shooting and decision-making under constant pressure. Who knew hide-and-seek could get this intense?

New features such as the delightfully chaotic “Wild Card” mechanic bring an extra dose of unpredictability, elevating each match from tense to outright pandemonium. Whether you’re dealing with invisible foes, setting clever traps, or cleverly outsmarting your adversaries by plunging them into darkness, the game ensures every encounter feels fresh. Midnight Murder Club isn’t afraid to challenge friendships—indeed, it’s practically designed to test just how much trust you’ve built over the years.

The combination of tactical FPS elements, witty game design, and an addictive, socially driven gameplay loop positions Midnight Murder Club as a refreshingly innovative entry in multiplayer gaming. If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to play a murderous game of hide-and-seek, armed only with your wit and a flashlight, this title offers exactly that—wrapped in an irresistibly polished and slightly twisted package.

Setting and Story

Midnight Murder Club sets players within the dark, lavish halls of a sprawling mansion called Ravenscroft Manor—an ominous estate dripping with gothic charm and mysterious allure. While mansions might seem like well-trodden territory, Brain Seal Entertainment injects the scenario with subtle humor and tension-filled ambiance, crafting a setting that feels both familiar and delightfully sinister. Every creaking floorboard, shadowy corridor, and flickering light has been placed with strategic intent, adding layers of paranoia to an already nerve-wracking environment.

Narratively, the game cleverly leans into minimalism, allowing players to fill in the gaps with their own imagination. You and your companions assume the roles of anonymous participants invited to the titular Midnight Murder Club—a clandestine group that enjoys a very specific brand of entertainment. Armed only with flashlights and firearms, the masked guests navigate a mansion packed with mystery, suspense, and treachery. While the narrative doesn’t strive for grand cinematic storytelling, the premise is effective enough to set the mood perfectly for the social intrigue that unfolds in each match.

The addition of masks is a brilliant thematic element, amplifying the game’s focus on deception and trust—or rather, the lack thereof. The anonymity provided by these masks adds to the tension, creating scenarios where friends become foes, allies become threats, and no one is truly safe. It’s this simple yet smart narrative detail that ensures players are constantly second-guessing every interaction, effectively bringing the game’s psychological elements to the forefront of every encounter.

Though Midnight Murder Club isn’t heavy on traditional plot-driven elements, it offers rich storytelling through player interaction. Each round organically creates its own narratives—whether through whispered alliances quickly shattered by betrayal or heart-stopping encounters where trust hangs by a thread. The result is a unique experience with limitless, player-driven storytelling potential, making the mansion’s mysteries and your companions’ intentions equally compelling threats.

Gameplay and Mechanics

Midnight Murder Club brilliantly reinvents the familiar formula of multiplayer shooters by blending tactical shooting with stealth and deception mechanics. At its core, it’s a first-person experience where every action, from clicking a flashlight to pulling a trigger, carries consequences. The mechanic of balancing visibility versus vulnerability is superbly executed, making each decision feel like a high-stakes gamble. Turn on your flashlight, and you might spot your opponent—but rest assured, they now see you too. This simple but genius design choice keeps gameplay tense and engaging.

The game features a wide assortment of interactive items scattered across Wormsley Manor, each offering its own tactical advantage—or comedic disadvantage, depending on how adeptly you wield it. Night vision pills grant momentary sight in the shadows, bulletproof vests offer a sense of security, and a bear trap placed cleverly at the entrance to the ballroom will ensure your friends won’t forget your treachery anytime soon. These whimsical yet deadly tools encourage strategic creativity, ensuring matches remain unpredictable and fun, even after multiple playthroughs.

Perhaps the standout gameplay feature in Midnight Murder Club is the newly introduced “Wild Cards” mechanic. These chaotic modifiers spice up the standard gameplay formula, randomly altering match rules and forcing rapid adaptation from players. Whether you’re navigating reversed controls or suffering from sudden blindness, Wild Cards ensure every session is hilariously chaotic. It adds a rogue-like flavor, keeping every encounter distinct and fresh. Expect laughter, confusion, and maybe even a few curses directed at friends as well-planned strategies crumble into glorious disasters.

The controls are precise and intuitive, reflecting the strong pedigree of Hazelight Studios. Movement feels tight, responsive, and polished—essential traits in a game where precision shooting can mean the difference between victory and a humiliating defeat. Additionally, the immersive proximity voice chat system not only heightens tactical possibilities but transforms matches into a delightful blend of paranoia and comedic banter. Nothing beats sneaking up behind your friend, whispering ominously into their virtual ear, and savoring their panicked response—moments like these encapsulate why Midnight Murder Club succeeds brilliantly.

Multiplayer and Replayability

Midnight Murder Club thrives where many multiplayer-focused titles falter—its replayability factor is off the charts, thanks largely to its blend of whimsical mayhem and deeply strategic gameplay. Supporting matches of up to six masked players, the game strikes a perfect balance between competitive tension and hilarious, unexpected moments. Whether you’re cautiously hunting your friends through shadowy corridors or frantically scrambling away after a botched ambush, the game’s robust multiplayer always delivers thrills that keep you coming back.

Cross-platform multiplayer integration is seamless, and it deserves special commendation. Regardless of whether your squad mates are wielding keyboards, controllers, or even joy-cons (we won’t judge), Midnight Murder Club ensures a consistently smooth experience. The online matchmaking feels solid, with stable connections during matches, though as always, your mileage may vary depending on internet providers—and the temperament of your teammates.

Perhaps the smartest move made by developer Velan Studios is the inclusion of a Guest Pass Edition. This feature lets one player who owns the game invite up to five friends to join their game for free, significantly lowering the barrier of entry for newcomers. It’s an excellent move to keep the game’s player-base thriving and ensures you’re never short of competition—or potential victims. Kudos to Velan for recognizing that games are better when shared, especially when betrayal, trickery, and deception are key gameplay elements.

The varied game modes, ranging from simple deathmatches to objective-based challenges like hostage rescue and bomb-defusal, offer players ample opportunities to flex strategic muscles or cause delightful chaos. The Wild Cards further escalate the replay value, ensuring that no two matches feel identical. Midnight Murder Club excels in multiplayer, making it an ideal title for repeated game nights—assuming your friendships survive the frequent betrayals and heated debates about “who shot whom” at 3 AM.

Graphics and Sound

From the moment you step into the dimly lit corridors of Midnight Murder Club, it’s clear that Velan Studios invested considerable effort in crafting an atmosphere thick enough to cut with a flashlight beam. Graphically, the game leverages the power of current-gen hardware to deliver shadowy environments that are both eerie and visually striking. The lighting effects, especially the flickering of your flashlight and the dynamic shadows cast during gameplay, create an atmosphere rich enough to make even the bravest players glance nervously over their shoulders.

The character models and mask designs are detailed, varied, and suitably unsettling, with a wide array of customization options allowing each player to express themselves—or, more accurately, conceal their identities—in delightfully creative ways. Whether it’s a masquerade-style mask or something a bit more whimsical (think animal heads and surreal carnival creations), the diverse selection adds both personality and visual humor to each match. Watching a fellow player nervously peek around a corner while sporting a comically oversized rabbit mask never stops being amusing.

Audio plays an equally critical role in building the game’s haunting yet playful vibe. The use of proximity-based voice chat is a particular highlight, providing opportunities for both strategic deception and comedic interaction. Hearing muffled whispers or panicked breathing grow louder as someone approaches adds to the tension of encounters, while the distant echoing footsteps keep you perpetually alert. The ambient sounds—creaking floorboards, howling winds, and distant laughs—add an additional layer of immersion, making every step you take feel like it might be your last.

The soundtrack is subtle but effective, dynamically shifting from tense ambient sounds during exploration to adrenaline-fueled beats during moments of action. The sound design and visual presentation come together seamlessly to amplify the experience, striking the perfect balance between spine-chilling suspense and laugh-out-loud absurdity. Midnight Murder Club clearly understands the importance of audio-visual harmony, ensuring that your senses remain fully engaged from the moment you step into the mansion until the thrilling end of each match.

Final Thoughts

Midnight Murder Club succeeds brilliantly in its pursuit of balancing paranoia-inducing thrills with tongue-in-cheek hilarity. It’s not every day you find a game where hiding in the dark, desperately clutching a flashlight, feels simultaneously terrifying and amusingly ridiculous. Hazelight Studios continues to demonstrate their uncanny ability to blend unique multiplayer concepts with inventive mechanics, making Midnight Murder Club one of their most enjoyable and chaotic offerings to date.

The game’s distinct approach to multiplayer, combined with a richly designed environment, creates experiences you’ll want to share repeatedly with friends—just make sure your friendships can survive the deception-filled shenanigans. The unpredictability offered by the Guest Pass Edition and its whimsical yet tactical gameplay ensures there’s never a dull moment, even when you’re being repeatedly outwitted by your so-called friends.

That said, Midnight Murder Club might not suit everyone’s tastes. If you’re a player craving a deeply narrative-driven experience or solo-centric gameplay, this one might leave you a bit lost in the shadows. However, for anyone who delights in deception, strategy, and group chaos, this game is an easy recommendation. It thrives as a go-to party staple, offering endless replayability with its inventive mechanics and dynamic multiplayer matches.

In a market saturated with generic multiplayer titles, Midnight Murder Club stands out as a uniquely entertaining experience—one that masterfully blends suspenseful gameplay with the absurdity of playing hide-and-seek with armed pigeons (metaphorically speaking). It’s a game best enjoyed with friends, a sense of humor, and perhaps a healthy distrust of those lurking in the shadows beside you.

We prepared this review with a digital copy of the Midnight Murder Club for the PlayStation 5 version provided by Electronic Arts.