The Skin Stapler
The Skin Stapler screenshot 1The Skin Stapler screenshot 2
ActionIndieWalking SimulatorHorrorDark ComedyAtmospheric1980s

Playing nowFewer than 10

Peak in the last 24 hours: 15

Peak in the last 7 days: 33

The Skin Stapler Steam store

Game description

The Skin Stapler is a retro-styled PSX grindhouse horror adventure set in the rotting, crime-soaked sprawl of Carrion City. Players follow jaded detective Dick Slater and his eager rookie partner Robbie Knox as they hunt a mysterious serial killer known only as The Skin Stapler.

Basic info

DeveloperTainted Pact
PublisherAssemble Entertainment
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckPlayable
Release dateAug 6, 2026
Price
  • Steam store −40% $14.99 $8.99 · Steam ↗
  • Lowest-price store $8.99 · Steam
  • Historical low $8.99 · 3-month low $8.99Other stores ↗

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSMicrosoft Windows 10
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz / AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHz
Memory4 GB
GraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 760 or higher
Storage2 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 368 reviews from the past 1 year

85.6/ 100
Top 30%

Steam rating: Very Positive (89%)

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 19, 2026)

Grimy neon streets and a B movie horror vibe carry this comedic horror adventure to 85.6 across 368 analyzed reviews.

👍 Strengths

85 reviews say The Skin Stapler is fun, and some found that it kept them hooked to the end. 76 praise the world, describing a strong low budget horror movie aesthetic, a VHS style mood and a gritty city where everything feels connected. Story & World ranks 432nd of 1096. 62 admire the visuals, from hand crafted dirty neon environments to a stylish art direction, and Visuals & Sound ranks 330th of 1249. A few reviewers also enjoy the music and the humor.

👎 Where it falls short

33 reviews find the loop repetitive, with job tasks and jokes that start to feel formulaic. 24 criticize the story and writing, saying the narrative grows lazy and the shock humor, much of it sexual, wears thin. 15 say the content is too short for the price, with some finishing in a few hours. Content Volume ranks 1196th of 1351, and Gameplay ranks 1208th of 1396. Others note there is not much gameplay beyond simple minigames, and some find the voice acting weak.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“incredible demo, full purchase, no issues, 10/10” · 85 reviews
“strong B horror movie aesthetic and world building in first third” · 76 reviews
“technically and visually well-made with solid core game design” · 62 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 16% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Freedom -1.73 · Room to explore, build, and play your own way
Negative “linear game with limited actions, no open world” · 3 reviews

Progression 0% · Difficulty 5% · Onboarding 2% · Strategy 3% · Controls & feel 4%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 77% of reviews · Top 40% of the games we've analyzed

World +3.51 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “strong B horror movie aesthetic and world building in first third” · 76 reviews
Negative “fails to cultivate spooky atmosphere, lacks horror game qualities” · 6 reviews

Story 52% · Characters 23%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 30% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Variety -2.21 · Fresh content and situations versus repetition
Negative “gameplay loop becomes formulaic, repetitive job tasks” · 33 reviews
Positive “character swaps prevent tasks from feeling redundant” · 1 review

Volume 22% · Replayability 2%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 50% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +3.88 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “technically and visually well-made with solid core game design” · 62 reviews
Negative “looks like a PS1 game left in a dumpster” · 1 review

Audio 35%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 3% of reviews mention this.

Playing together +2.77 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals

Community 1% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 7% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Pricing +0.01 · Whether the price, DLC and microtransactions are reasonable, and how much paying gives you an edge
Positive “well worth it at $11.99 sale price” · 3 reviews
Negative “overpriced for the limited gameplay and content offered” · 5 reviews

Anti-cheat 0% · Balance 0% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 7% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Developer support +0.07 · Updates, patches, and how devs respond to players
Positive “dev releases quality games consistently, once a year” · 3 reviews

Stability 2% · Performance 2%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

Was this analysis useful? Sign in with Steam to vote

🎲 What kind of gamer are you? Find your title in 3 minutes.