8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure

About

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Rootless Studio and was released on June 17, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

8Doors is Metroidvania style 2D action platformer game based on Korean afterlife world view. Explore 8 different area of purgatory by becoming the main character 'Arum'. Solve the mystery of happening on purgatory through fight against the specter and lead fugitive souls to the right path.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure screenshot

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 472 reviews

story94 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and music that enhances the atmosphere.
Engaging story inspired by Korean folklore with interesting characters.
Challenging gameplay with a variety of weapons and abilities to explore.

Combat can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating encounters.
Some players may find the backtracking tedious due to limited fast travel points.
Occasional bugs and issues with save files that can disrupt the gaming experience.

story
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The story of "8doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure" is a blend of Korean folklore and personal journey, following Arum as she navigates a mysterious afterlife in search of her father. While some players found the narrative straightforward and occasionally lacking depth, many appreciated its emotional resonance and the way it integrates with gameplay through environmental storytelling and character interactions. Overall, the game offers a charming and engaging experience, enhanced by its beautiful art style and atmospheric music, though some felt the execution could have been more polished.
- “The story follows Arum, a young woman who finds herself in a mysterious afterlife after a tragic accident.”
- “This balance between story and gameplay allows players to become emotionally invested without feeling overwhelmed by exposition, making Arum’s journey all the more compelling.”
- “The game has a fascinating lore and story to keep you engaged.”
- “The story is baffling; I think I know what happened in the end, but the game doesn't tell you this. NPCs get whole swaths of new dialogue every time you reach a milestone in the game, so exhausting all conversations might make the story work better if story is important to you.”
- “The story really feels like it was only made to link locations together. It was such dull drivel that I had to stop playing.”
- “The translation also causes almost all dialogue to feel quite stilted, making it lose any impact it could've had, which drags the story down even further.”
graphics
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique and charming art style, often described as hand-drawn or reminiscent of traditional Asian aesthetics. While some players found the visuals to be beautiful and immersive, others criticized the limited color palette and occasional clarity issues that affected gameplay. Overall, the art style is a standout feature, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “One of the game’s most striking features is its pixel art aesthetic, which is both detailed and expressive.”
- “The game has a beautiful and quite unique art style, mesmerizing music and a captivating story with a challenging playstyle and difficulty.”
- “The art style is very unique, the bosses are fun except the last one had me steamed.”
- “The graphics are the quality of a kid's drawing (but that one you'd know from the screenshots and video) and the controls are just ... meh.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Because of the muted and gray art style, many platforms are difficult to see immediately and many projectiles become essentially invisible.”
gameplay
133 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The gameplay of this title is characterized by tight mechanics, fluid controls, and a blend of action platforming with metroidvania elements, making it engaging and rewarding for players. While it draws inspiration from successful games like Hollow Knight, it offers a unique experience with challenging boss battles and a variety of abilities that encourage exploration and adaptation. However, some players noted that certain mechanics felt simplistic or underdeveloped, leading to mixed feelings about the overall depth and challenge of the gameplay.
- “Its combination of tight gameplay mechanics and evocative presentation makes it a standout title for fans of action platformers seeking a meaningful journey alongside skillful combat.”
- “Gameplay in 8doors is characterized by fluid, responsive controls that allow for fast movement, precise platforming, and a satisfying combat system.”
- “This metroidvania-style game really hits all the high notes: great platforming, a progressive ability mechanic that encourages you to go back and re-explore previous areas, and bosses that present a serious challenge and are so satisfying to beat.”
- “Gameplay is also basic, but effective.”
- “Despite the charming artwork of this title, the gameplay falls flat in more than a few areas.”
- “Many of the tools you acquire are mostly useless outside of niche environmental gameplay or specific boss encounters, and worse still, as the game reaches the late stages of the story, things become an absolute chore to play through with various areas feeling like overly padded elongated messes.”
music
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the art style, particularly during key moments like boss battles. While some found the soundtrack to be beautiful and immersive, drawing inspiration from traditional Eastern music, others described it as average or forgettable, lacking the memorability of standout titles in the genre. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's experience, though opinions vary on its impact and uniqueness.
- “The music helps create the atmosphere, especially during boss battles.”
- “This artistry is complemented by an evocative soundtrack that blends haunting melodies with dynamic combat themes, further immersing players in the game’s world.”
- “Music is great, with tracks that draw inspiration from traditional Asian instruments, which makes the OST range from beautiful to epic.”
- “The music is unremarkable, unfortunately.”
- “The music isn't memorable; aside from the trailer theme and mountain boss theme, getting 100% for the areas is irksome.”
- “The soundtrack tries to be reminiscent of traditional eastern music, which supports the mood pretty well, is never annoying, but also never outstanding.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
4%
86%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to the frequent backtracking required in a world that lacks interconnectedness and has limited warp points. While some appreciate the shorter map and smaller rooms that reduce the grind, many still feel that the combat and platforming can become monotonous, particularly with clunky mechanics and repetitive boss fights. Overall, the game offers a mix of rewarding challenges but often feels bogged down by its tedious traversal and combat elements.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Most achievements are 100% map, items, etc. There are no grindy achievements.”
- “The world is nowhere near as interconnected as other metroidvanias, with every area being entirely separate and warp points few and far between (there is only one in each area), which means backtracking often feels tedious and unnecessary.”
- “Backtracking isn't inherently bad, but the areas are so big, with so few connection points that are far apart that it makes backtracking tedious.”
- “It felt like they content stuffed this game not with content but tedious platforming travel and a map that feels like it's three times bigger than the story.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
21%
16%
The atmosphere in "8doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure" is widely praised for its captivating blend of beautiful pixel art, diverse environments, and a well-crafted soundtrack that enhances the mood, particularly during boss battles. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke specific feelings through its settings, from eerie forests to ethereal temples, although some note that repetitive sound effects can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmospheric presentation, combined with engaging combat and storytelling, makes it a memorable indie title, despite some criticisms regarding consistency and depth compared to other games in the genre.
- “The environments range from eerie forests and crumbling ruins to ethereal temples, each beautifully crafted to evoke a specific mood and atmosphere.”
- “Overall, the setting, story, music, atmosphere, and amazingly charming art and animation really shine in this game, making for a great time just to experience it all.”
- “Especially thanks to the wonderful atmosphere, courtesy of the visuals and soundtrack.”
- “In terms of atmosphere, world building, characters, and complexity in general, it's lagging far behind a Hong Kong game.”
- “The soundtrack, although more ambient and background, still gives the areas a nice touch and builds a great atmosphere. However, the sounds are not that great; you will hear the same slashing sound all the time, which can get annoying quickly. It doesn't have the 'punch' or 'weight' you would expect from a hit, and most of the enemies screech the same sound repeatedly, leading me to mute the game and play my own music.”
- “The graphics are pretty and consistent with a cartoon-esque style, but the murky colors combined with vibrant red fail to create a compelling atmosphere.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "8doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure" is highlighted by its compelling narrative and heartwarming endings, which resonate deeply with players. The game's beautiful artwork and engaging gameplay create a captivating experience that fosters emotional investment, making the journey through purgatory both touching and memorable. Players appreciate the balance between story and gameplay, with many finding the characters and their arcs to be particularly endearing.
- “This balance between story and gameplay allows players to become emotionally invested without feeling overwhelmed by exposition, making Arum's journey all the more compelling.”
- “The ending, both the 'good' and 'true' ones, are very heartfelt and beautiful.”
- “Incredible game with a touching storyline and memorable characters.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
Players highlight the strong replayability of the game, noting that its mechanics encourage adaptation and refinement of playstyles, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding. The thoughtful design, combined with an engaging story and characters, contributes to its appeal as a highly replayable action-platformer. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to offer varied experiences, ensuring players remain invested over multiple sessions.
- “I hate this kind of comparisons especially since, in this case, it's very clear that a lot of work and passion went into creating a unique and pleasant art style, while in a 'ripoff', as many reviews have called it, much less effort could have been made to make it feel a truly different game, both in plot, in art style and in the perks mechanic, which adds a little variety to ensure replayability.”
- “I hate this kind of comparison, especially since it's clear that a lot of work and passion went into creating a unique and pleasant art style. In a 'ripoff', as many reviews have called it, much less effort could have been made to make it feel like a truly different game, both in plot, art style, and in the perks mechanic, which adds a little variety to ensure replayability.”
- “With its thoughtful design and replayability, 8doors is a worthy addition to the action-platformer genre and a game that many players will find both rewarding and moving.”
- “These mechanics not only enhance replayability but also encourage players to adapt and refine their playstyle as they progress deeper into the afterlife world.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
Overall, players have mixed experiences regarding stability; while some report occasional glitches and freezes during specific gameplay moments, others praise the game for being well-optimized, bug-free, and offering smooth performance with fast loading times. Despite minor issues, many users find the game enjoyable and stable enough to appreciate its engaging content and design.
- “It has pretty much everything going for it: good level design, fun combat, an engaging story, great music, and unique visuals, whilst also being well optimized and bug free.”
- “Lastly, the game was bug free for me, with fast loading times and no frame drops.”
- “Beautiful game, with amazing graphics and story, challenging bosses, puzzles, secrets, weapon variety, and a smooth bug free ride all the way through.”
- “Every time I get to where I have to do a smash-up, it freezes and says, 'What is this place?' or something like that.”
- “There are some glitches when moving around, but if you can look past that, it's a great game.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its charming hand-drawn art style and lighthearted NPC interactions, featuring amusing animations and quirky hitboxes. While the story is basic, the overall experience is enjoyable, with players appreciating the funny elements woven throughout the gameplay.
- “Npcs have a lighthearted sense of humor with funny animations.”
- “This one has a few flaws like basic story, bad hitboxes (not as bad as ds2) and a few translation issues, but overall it's a really enjoyable metroidvania with a charming art style; also the frog animations are pretty funny.”
- “Funny little game with nice graphics and story.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing noticeable stuttering and synchronization issues that hinder smooth gameplay. While the overall design and features are praised, there is a consensus that the developers need to address performance problems to enhance the gaming experience.
- “It has pretty much everything going for it: good level design, fun combat, an engaging story, great music, and unique visuals, whilst also being well optimized and bug-free.”
- “While it's disappointing to encounter such problems in a 'verified' game, it's clear that the developers could improve the game's performance with some attention.”
- “I will complain about one thing, and that is a slight performance issue for me.”
- “There was always this sort of slight stuttering going on.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Character development is highlighted by impressive and unique designs, with smooth animations that enhance the visual appeal of both the protagonist and her enemies. However, opinions on the art style and character designs are mixed, with some praising their creativity while others find them inconsistent.
- “The character designs are equally impressive, with Arum and her enemies exhibiting smooth animations and distinctive visual flair.”
- “Character design and animations are unique and well thought out.”
- “I really loved the character designs and the art style.”
- “The art style and character designs are a bit hit and miss.”

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10h Median play time

9h Average play time

10-15h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure is a action adventure game.

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 9 hours playing 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure.

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure was released on June 17, 2020.

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure was developed by Rootless Studio.

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure is a single player game.

Similar games include Voidwrought, Vigil: The Longest Night, Afterimage, Souldiers, Aeterna Noctis and others.

8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure

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