Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗A Matter of Pain
Microtaur · Published by Microtaur
Content notice: This game contains depictions of torture, suffering, and themes of damnation within a stylized and institutional portrayal of Hell. Players manage the processing of condemned souls and oversee disciplinary devices. The presentation is procedural and systemic rather than graphic, but the themes are dark and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Humanity is depraved. Judgment is inevitable. Build and manage Hell in this dark strategy simulation, process the damned, and extract suffering to sustain its endless machinery.
About this game
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.
In A Matter of Pain, you oversee a vast institutional complex dedicated to the administration of the damned.
Souls arrive bearing guilt. Damnation is an industry like any other. It requires middle management.
Your duty is simple: process souls efficiently and keep the system running.
Design and expand your domain. Construct torture chambers, research offices, dormitories, vanity halls, infernal workshops, and more.
Each soul arrives with distinct sins, temperaments, and thresholds of endurance. Some collapse under pressure. Others resist correction.
Classify them. Route them. Assign them to appropriate torture cycles.
Extract Dolor, the refined currency of torment, and use it to expand your institutional capabilities.
Your workforce consists of demonic administrators, engineers, and scholars of pain. Assign them carefully and maintain strict operational discipline.
Poor planning invites systemic failure.
Develop new devices. Unlock new processing methods. Refine architectural layouts. Expand your authority.
As the institution grows, so do its demands.
Construct and expand a modular infernal domain
Process souls shaped by distinct sins and personal histories
Assign specialized demons to maximize efficiency
Unlock new devices and methods through doctrinal research
Balance extraction, resistance, and institutional stability
Presented in a measured, literary tone
Defined by a minimalist, oppressive aesthetic
Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10 or greater
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 or similar
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update: Further fixes and UX Improvements
Changelog:Fix occasional crashing on very fast room building.Added a new room building wall animation.Added a Discord button to the main menu.Added a release button to the Cauldron inspector.Added tooltips to Cauldron action buttons.Fixed an issue where hidden penitents inside the Cauldron could block interactions.NPC inspect windows now close when the NPC is picked up.Reduced UI and world grain.Increased the dolor reward for the Scribe objective.Read full article on Community Announcements (Microtaur)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update: Quality of Life & New Content
Gameplay & ObjectivesAdded progressive objective button highlights for early onboarding, guiding players through the first Platform, Bridge, Vestibule, Desk, Candlestick, and Research button interactions.Added a new late-demo event: The Plague on Earth.Added a new Codex/Doctrine path for learning about fatigue.Completing Décorum now unlocks additional decorations: Brazier, Dead Tree, and Gargoyle.Updated Wages of Sin narrator audio/transcript.UI & UXAdded click sound fixes for category buttons, Research opening, menu Back, and several UI interactions.Notification clicks now correctly block world/building clicks underneath.Codex, Doctrine & JournalAdded new Doctrine entries and reordered them for better learning flow.Doctrine now explains how platform, room, and object erase tools differ.Inspection PanelsAdded a Lectern inspect panel with basic research stats and a button to open Research.Simplified the torture device inspect panel to show less cluttered, more useful information.Building & Placement FixesFixed rotated objects snapping incorrectly.Fixed a room merge issue where devices could disappear visually after connecting rooms.Improved platform/bridge/room/device/decoration build and erase behavior consistency.Cauldron output now respects temporary dolor gain modifiers.Performance & SettingsFixed stutter when changing volume in settings by avoiding unnecessary save/apply behavior during adjustment.Default background effect setting changed to a slower option.Read full article on Community Announcements (Microtaur)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update: UI scaling and motion fixes
We’ve pushed a small update based on your feedback:Added UI scaling options for better readabilityAdded option to stop the moving background (motion sickness fix)Settings menu is now available in-gameThanks for all the feedback so far, it’s been very helpful.Read full article on Community Announcements (Microtaur)AnnouncementsOfficial
Demo is now available
The demo for A Matter of Pain is now live. I’d appreciate any feedback, especially on the early experience. Thanks!Read full article on Community Announcements (Microtaur)AnnouncementsOfficial
Building and flow
Working on the demo. Here’s a quick look at building and arrivals.Read full article on Community Announcements (Microtaur)
