Madness: Project Nexus
Madness: Project Nexus
Madness: Project Nexus
Madness: Project Nexus
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Madness: Project Nexus

Original name:
Madness: Project Nexus
Date published:
December 2025
Date modified:
May 2026
Technology:
HTML5
Platforms:
Browser (Desktop)
Madness: Project Nexus

Madness: Project Nexus is a brutal 2D action game set in the Madness Combat universe, where you fight through story missions and arena battles — gunning down and beating up waves of enemies while leveling up your character and squad.

The game takes place in Nevada from the Madness Combat web series universe, where a secret program called Project Nexus creates and trains supersoldiers.

In Story Mode, you play as Hank, Sanford, Deimos, and Dr. Christoff as they work to bring down the Nexus Training Program — breaking out of prison, storming labs and bases, and wiping out guards, agents, and experimental monsters along the way.

The gameplay blends run-and-gun with beat-em-up: you move through 2D levels, shoot, brawl up close, grab any weapon off the floor, and try to survive rooms that keep filling up with enemy waves.

The main goal is to push through each episode, tearing apart Project Nexus and its training complex until you reach key bosses like Mag Agent: N and Phobos.

Story Mode: Episodes and Bosses

Story Mode is structured as a series of back-to-back episodes — you have to fully complete the current one before the next unlocks.

You take turns playing as familiar characters: Hank, Sanford, Deimos, and Dr. Christoff.

Levels are built from rooms and corridors — prisons, labs, and tech zones — where fresh waves of enemies keep pouring in.

As you push through each episode, you're shooting your way forward, moving through doors and terminals (interact with Space), and surviving until the mission ends.

Key episodes:

  • Episode 1 — an assault on the remnants of Project Nexus featuring Hank, Sanford, and Deimos, culminating in a boss fight against Mag Agent: N.

  • Episode 1.5 — a harder episode starring Dr. Christoff that digs into the origins and inner workings of Project Nexus, with Phobos as the final boss.

Episode 1.5 is widely considered a noticeable step up in difficulty: more enemies, denser firefights, and tougher boss encounters.

Arena Mode: Your Own Fighter and "Life in the Nexus"

Arena Mode in Madness: Project Nexus feels like a game within a game — you create your own fighter and put them through the Nexus Training Program.

Here's what you do in this mode:

  • Create and customize your own character — not Hank or any other story protagonist.

  • Fight wave after wave of different enemy types: standard agents, heavy combatants, and G03LM units.

  • Earn XP and cash for kills, completing contracts, and surviving.

  • Level up and distribute points across stats (health, damage, speed, etc.), and unlock perks for different weapon types.

  • Buy new weapons, armor, and helmets, and hire and upgrade AI mercenaries who fight alongside you.

Over time, Arena Mode becomes your personal hub: you've got your own weapon stash, gear loadout, and squad — and every new mission is a test of how well you've built it all out. There's also a Zombie Arena mode where you hold off waves of the undead, which shifts the rhythm toward pure survival.

Weapons, Customization, and "Tools of Chaos"

One of the biggest thrills in Madness: Project Nexus is the massive arsenal of weapons and gear at your disposal.

The game features pistols, SMGs, assault rifles, shotguns, and sniper rifles, as well as melee weapons like swords and other blades.

Classic version updates added new entries to the arsenal — the Thompson, MP40, G36, AutomagV, P1445, and additional helmets.

Everything that happens in a location stays there: shell casings, bullet holes, enemy corpses — all of it feeds into that feeling of absolute, glorious mayhem.

In Arena Mode, you can:

  • Buy different helmets and armor pieces to fine-tune both your character's look and their stats.

  • Build your own squad of AI mercs, equipping them with weapons and upgrades so they can hold their own during the higher waves.

The variety of weapons and gear lets every player carve out their own playstyle: some go all-in on assault rifles and heavy armor, while others roll a light, fast character with a compact weapon and a focus on hand-to-hand combat.

Pace, Style, and Difficulty

Madness: Project Nexus is a fast and brutal experience — almost every screen throws you into a fight, with gunfire flying and enemies rushing in from all sides.

Standout features:

  • Relentless pacing: there are very few quiet moments — you're almost always in the middle of a fight.

  • Tons of enemies and over-the-top gore — the game looks like the Madness Combat cartoon cranked up to eleven in terms of raw energy.

  • Difficulty ramps up level by level and wave by wave: players often have to replay episodes to find the right weapons and tactics.

The visual style stays true to the iconic stick-figure aesthetic of Madness Combat: simple character designs brought to life with incredibly expressive animations, bright muzzle flashes, and buckets of blood. That makes the game especially appealing to fans of the original web series.

A Sense of Progression and the "One More Run" Pull

The feeling of growth hits hardest in Arena Mode: your character starts out weak, can barely take a hit, and gets swarmed fast — but with each level gained and each new weapon purchased, the tide starts to turn.

After just a few fights, you're already holding your own against the early waves.

New armor and helmets let you take more punishment and play more aggressively.

Upgraded mercs make battles more spectacular and easier to manage.

It all adds up to that classic gameplay loop: "one more wave, one more contract, one more run" — always chasing the next perk, weapon, or piece of gear waiting to be unlocked.

How to play Madness: Project Nexus?

Attack: Left mouse button
Movement: WASD Pick up/Drop weapon: E Switch weapon: Q Action: Space

What genre is Madness: Project Nexus and what is it based on?

Madness: Project Nexus is a 2D side-scrolling run-and-gun/beat-em-up based on the Madness Combat web series from Newgrounds. The game combines gunfights, melee combat, and arena modes with character progression.

What is the difference between Story Mode and Arena Mode in Madness: Project Nexus?

In Story Mode, you play through story episodes as Hank, Sanford, Deimos, and Dr. Christoff, dismantling Project Nexus and fighting bosses like Mag Agent: N and Phobos.

In Arena Mode, you create your own fighter, battle waves of enemies, earn money and experience, upgrade stats, unlock perks, buy weapons and armor, and assemble a squad of mercenaries.

Is there character progression and customization in Madness: Project Nexus?

Yes, especially in the arena: you increase your character's stats, unlock perks for various weapons, purchase armor and helmets, and build out your loadout. You can also hire and upgrade bot mercenaries, strengthening your squad for tougher waves and contracts.

How difficult is Madness: Project Nexus and is it suitable for children?

The game is fairly challenging: enemies attack in waves, Story Mode features tough bosses, and Episode 1.5 is considered noticeably harder than the first. The game is also very gory and graphically violent, making it better suited for teenagers and adults, as it may be too intense for young children.

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