Review: The Midnight Walk – And We Took Every Step

Pitch-black screen. Total darkness. A narrator begins to recount how The Burnt One awakens after the end of the world. Deaf, blind, and broken, he claws his way out of the ground to find a desolate universe where light is a rare luxury. The surrounding hills are covered in thorn bushes—and massive hands with equally enormous eyes embedded in their palms, looming ominously…

Released on May 8 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 (optionally with PS VR2), and PC (also VR-compatible), The Midnight Walk is a grim stop-motion adventure game with a striking visual style. Every element in the game was first sculpted by hand in clay, then 3D scanned. Developed by MoonHood—a newly founded studio created by the minds behind Lost in Random and Fe—and published by Fast Travel Games, the game was clearly designed with VR in mind for both console and PC. Fortunately, it can also be fully experienced without VR. This review covers the non-VR PC version.

A Noble Mission In The Dark

It quickly becomes clear that the world of The Midnight Walk revolves around light and fire—both literally and thematically. Especially when Potboy enters the stage, a living lantern with a flaming head and expressive facial animations, evoking memories of the ever-lovable Sackboy. Not long after, you’re joined by Housy, a walking house reminiscent of REKA’s witch cottage on legs. It serves as your inventory hub, where you store collectibles and view the gramophone records you’ve found. Together, the three of you journey through six chapters—or are they mythical tales?—toward the mysterious Moon Mountain, on a mission to restore fire and warmth to a lost world.

Along this one-night journey, you’ll explore a variety of bizarre, imaginative locations. Like Coalhaven, a hopeless town both literally and figuratively chained to the ghost of a thief. Or Nobodyville, now inhabited only by disfigured heads after the “Great Beheading,” plagued by the Molgrims—physical manifestations of their past traumas. Each chapter tells its own story, with lore slowly revealed through the ramblings of numerous NPCs, and audio logs that double as a hint system. However, not every story beat lands with the same emotional punch; the opening hours in particular often feel dull and directionless, largely due to their overlap with the tutorial segments.

Listening To See

In terms of gameplay, The Midnight Walk treads the line between walking sim, puzzle game, and stealth experience. Those expecting a lot of variety or action may walk away disappointed. The world is highly linear, and progression hinges on extended puzzles stretched across multiple areas. The core mechanics required to solve them often repeat. And that’s not even mentioning the stealth segments—frequently unclear, sometimes unfair, and deeply frustrating.

Everything in the game revolves around creating light and fire in the overwhelming darkness. You can give Potboy simple commands—crawl through a passage, slide down a pipe, light one or more candles or fuses. Sometimes, though, you’ll need to do it yourself, using matches you strike against matchboxes scattered throughout the world.

Later on, you acquire the Matchlock, a ranged item that lets you light candles from a distance. One of the game’s strongest elements is its audio-based puzzle mechanic, where you must close your eyes to switch between light and dark—or as the game puts it, “to see beyond the reach of the naked eye.” In absolute darkness, spatial audio guides you—whether it’s whispers, voices, or a bell playing hide and seek—leading you to a required item or the path forward.

Sneaking Through The Dark Can Feel Like A Gamble

And then there’s the stealth, which I personally found to be the game’s weakest mechanic. Sneaking past the many monsters (like the Grinners, whose unsettling mouth sounds strongly resemble the Clickers from The Last of Us) doesn’t always work as intended. It’s often unclear whether you’re supposed to hide—say, in one of the game’s eerie wardrobes—or sprint for your life. In other words: the trial-and-error aspect here is more than incidental—it’s core to the experience. Especially during pitch-black segments and some overly scripted chase scenes, you’ll be caught off guard by some grotesque creature one too many times, forced to replay the same stretch again and again until frustration sets in.

Trial-and-error is more than a minor detail here.

Graphically, The Midnight Walk is a work of art, with its surreal, analog dreamscape. The stop-motion effects during character animations and scene transitions are bizarre yet effective. In VR, this must feel incredibly immersive—as though you’re a part of a living stage play… or rather, a haunting, magical puppet show. That said, the graphical fidelity isn’t always consistent. Some textures are razor sharp, while others appear noticeably muddy. This is especially true for Potboy, who often looks blurry when viewed from afar or when he’s not in focus.

Small Bugs, Grand Sounds

On PC, the game generally ran smoothly on max settings, though there were some stutters when loading into new zones. Occasionally, Potboy or enemy monsters would get stuck in the environment. Thankfully, this was never game-breaking, as Potboy automatically respawns if you stray far enough.

The music sets the mood, but also challenges your emotions.

When it comes to sound, The Midnight Walk does not disappoint either. Some NPCs sound over-the-top or cartoonish, but others are perfectly in tune with the game’s atmosphere. The standout, however, is the soundtrack. From the frantic violin strings that urge you to take risks, to the solitary flute that instantly evokes emptiness, and that melancholic saxophone that paints the air with sorrow… The emotional depth and tension in the music do more than just enhance the mood — they dare you to feel something deeper.

Final Thoughts

The Midnight Walk delivers a unique, deeply immersive experience—but it’s not for everyone. The slow start, frustrating stealth segments, and prolonged puzzle sequences may turn some players away. But for those willing to embrace this dark clay fable, there’s plenty to admire—from its striking handcrafted visuals and compelling audio challenges to a finale that lingers in the mind. With or without VR, this is a bold and melancholic journey—one worth taking for anyone brave enough to walk alone through the dark.

Additional Information

Release Date: May 8, 2025
Reviewed On: PC.
Developer: MoonHood
Publisher: Fast Travel Games
Official Website: https://www.moonhood.se/moonhood-studio-games
Relevant Links: The Midnight Walk on STEAM