Critical Reflex

Critical Reflex
Founded2020; 6 years ago (2020)
FoundersRita Lebedeva
Headquarters
Limassol
,
Cyprus
Websitecriticalreflex.com

Critical Reflex is an independent video game publisher based in Nicosia, Cyprus. The studio published games such as Mouthwashing, No, I'm not a Human, Arctic Eggs and Buckshot Roulette. They are widely recognised for "creepy" and "surreal" aesthetic of their games.

History

Critical Reflex was founded in 2020, as a video game publisher that focuses on "experimental, atmospheric, genre-bending titles". The CEO of the company describes it as a publisher that wants to promote a developer's vision long-term, that makes projects "from fans, for fans".

On 20 October 2023, Critical Reflex, a sub-label company CR Channel focused on working with horror games, now included games such as Drowned Lake, Teleforum, Buckshot Roulette and Flawless Abbey. CR Channel was described by company as "haunted television broadcast you tune into by accident at midnight".

On 5 April 2024, the company released a game called Buckshot Roulette on Steam, that originally started as an indie game on Itch.io by Estonian developer Mike Klubnika. The game quickly attracted mass attention, collecting more than 6,000 reviews in 4 days on Steam, with 96% of them being positive, and peaking over 75,000 viewers on Twitch upon its launch.

On 26 September 2024, the video game Mouthwashing developed by Wrong Organ was published on Steam. The game has collected about 1,500 positive reviews in 9 days, achieving a user score of 9.0 on Metacritic, being one of the highest-rated games of 2024. By 20 February 2024, the game has sold 500,000 copies on Steam, winning "Best Narrative" and "Players' Choice" categories in The Horror Game Awards 2024.

List of published video games

Year Title Developers Platform(s)
2021 Aeon Drive 2Awesome Studio Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
2022 How Fish Is Made Wrong Organ Windows
ORX johnbell Windows
2023 Teleforum Monumental Collab Windows, macOS
Lunacid KIRA LLC Windows
2024 Outcast Tales: The First Journey Hardlane Studio Linux, Windows, macOS
Buckshot Roulette Mile Klubnika Windows, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Arctic Eggs The Water Museum Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5
Mouthwashing Wrong Organ Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Threshold Julien Evieillé Windows
2025 TROLEU andrground Windows
No, I'm Not a Human Trioskaz Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Eclipsium Housefire Windows
Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs Bastinus Rex Windows, macOS
2026 Burden Street Station IODINE Windows
Deadlock Station Lucorix Games Windows
Cucina Stellata Filthy Eden Windows
Tanuki: Pon's Summer Denkiworks Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
2027 Militsioner TALLBOYS Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Being and Becoming Ichthys Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Inkblood Hey Bird! Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
TBA SCP:Valravn Subtle Bravado Studios Windows
Drowned Lake Monumental Collab Windows, Xbox Series X/S
HEAVY AS STONE jøy Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Altered Alma 2Awesome Studio Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
GIMMIKO SorryPoniko! Windows
IRONHIVE Wondernaut Studio Windows
Regular Home Renovation Simulator Substandard Shrimp Windows
IDET Deblue Windows
Freaked Fleapit Finch Bird Studio Windows
Flawless Abbey Bed Head Games Windows
Complex SKY Momosundeass Windows
GRINDSET T.V. INFINITE ANIMAL Windows
amFM Calvin “Prox” Klein Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Pipes.exe Moving Pieces Interactive Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Tiny Chills - Not From Ear Ducktopus Games Windows
Grobnopolis | Last Days BananaDevJeff Windows
KEYCRUNCHER Sunscorched Studios Windows, Xbox Series X/S

References

  1. 1 2 3 WEST, AUTOMATON (23 June 2025). "Meet the creepiest publisher in indie games. Critical Reflex are "midwives bringing monsters into the world," backing projects no one dares to touch". AUTOMATON WEST. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  2. ↑ Federico, Philip (22 July 2025). "CRITICAL REFLEX EXPANDS THEIR TERRIFYING AND SURREAL PUBLISHING LINEUP WITH TWO NEW GAMES". Capsule Computers. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  3. ↑ Marshall, Cass (3 December 2024). "Critical Reflex's focus on horror has led to some of the year's best, weirdest games". Polygon. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "CR Channel". www.criticalreflex.com. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  5. ↑ Obedkov, Evgeny (5 April 2024). "Horror game of chance Buckshot Roulette becomes another indie success of 2024, with 6k concurrent players and counting". Game World Observer. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "The horror game Buckshot Roulette is another indie phenomenon of 2024. Online with 9 thousand players and 96% rating on Steam". WN Hub. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Morris, Daniel (6 October 2024). "New Steam Horror Game Has 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Reviews". Game Rant. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  8. ↑ Blake, Vikki (15 December 2024). "Finally, an awards show gives Silent Hill 2 Remake and other horror games the love they deserve". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  9. ↑ Gerblick, Jordan (20 February 2025). "After hitting 500,000 copies sold and nearly 24,000 reviews on Steam, viral $13 horror game Mouthwashing is coming to consoles this year". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 31 July 2025.