ANYU

About

ANYU is a single player simulation game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by DigiPen Europe-Bilbao and was released on June 16, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A 3D third person narrative exploration game, set in a frozen wasteland where an ancient civilization fell. Centered around movement puzzles and dealing with environment mechanics.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 99 reviews

graphics22 positive mentions

stability19 negative mentions

Beautiful and atmospheric visuals with detailed frozen landscapes and captivating art style.
Relaxing and well-timed music that complements the ambiance and enhances immersion.
Unique gameplay mechanics including rope climbing and puzzles integrated into the narrative, providing a charming and peaceful exploration experience.

Numerous bugs and glitches including falling through geometry, softlocks, crashes, and character freezing, which significantly affect gameplay and progression.
Controls are clunky and not well-optimized for keyboard and mouse, with issues like awkward camera angles and slow movement due to backpack mechanics.
Gameplay can feel repetitive, slow-paced, and lacking depth, with limited story clarity and minimal puzzle variety.

graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
31%
8%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their cute, polished, and emotive art style, described as beautiful, charming, and visually cohesive, often likened to a children's book or an academy painting. While some users note minor bugs and occasional design roughness, the visuals consistently set a relaxing, immersive mood that enhances the overall experience. For a student project, the graphics are considered impressive and a standout aspect of the game.
- “For a student-made game, I am in awe of the graphics.”
- “The best part of the game is the art style and how everything looks like they belong together; each asset is beautiful and the game's graphics are very nice.”
- “The graphics are very successful, the crystal effect of the frozen lake under the illuminated lighthouse is extraordinary!”
- “The graphics in this game are passable, but could be better.”
- “I appreciate what they tried to do and the graphic style used but the game didn't pull me in whatsoever sadly.”
- “Gameplay is very slow, music not good, visuals and controls are fine.”
story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
52%
10%
The story is generally praised for its intriguing, bittersweet, and subtly delivered narrative that invites player interpretation, complemented by immersive lore and charming characters. However, many find the pacing slow and sometimes repetitive, with bugs and control issues detracting from the experience and affecting story progression. While the art, audio, and storytelling approach are appreciated, some players felt the story lacked clarity or depth to fully engage them.
- “The story is quite brilliant and I really enjoyed the time I spent on this game.”
- “Absolutely a great short story, this game is premium, fun, and a delight; the soundtrack is fantastic.”
- “The storytelling is delivered subtly, letting you piece together the fragments of the past and form your own interpretations.”
- “Very repetitive, slow storyline and gameplay.”
- “The slow pace, on top of lack of progressive story and odd controls, did not capture my attention.”
- “Started it, thought it was a slow start but would get more action with the story, but no!”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The gameplay in the game is generally seen as slow, repetitive, and lacking depth, with some bugs affecting player experience. However, unique elements like rope climbing mechanics add a layer of interest, and the short duration prevents it from becoming overly tedious. Overall, while visually impressive, the gameplay is considered mediocre and in need of further development.
- “The rope climbing mechanics in Anyu add a unique layer of gameplay depth.”
- “The game features some skiing mechanics and lightweight problem solving.”
- “I sincerely hope that the creator expands upon this mechanic in a further title.”
- “Gameplay is very slow, music not good, visuals and controls are fine.”
- “Very repetitive, slow storyline and gameplay.”
- “Visually it's a top tier game, gameplay wise it's terrible.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
19%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing, calming, and well-timed qualities that beautifully complement the visuals and atmosphere. It effectively sets a zen, cozy, and immersive mood, enhancing the overall experience despite the slow gameplay. The soundtrack is considered fantastic, emotive, and a key element in creating the game's unique ambiance.
- “Emotive art style and a relaxing music score.”
- “Music and SFX combined with the visuals is enough to put me into a zen state.”
- “In addition to its gameplay and narrative, Anyu boasts a captivating soundtrack that complements the icy ambiance.”
- “Gameplay is very slow, music not good, visuals and controls are fine”
- “-calming music”
- “In addition to its gameplay and narrative, anyu boasts a captivating soundtrack that complements the icy ambiance.”
stability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from frequent bugs, glitches, and visual issues that often disrupt gameplay, causing character glitches, progress loss, and even game freezes. While some players found it still enjoyable despite these issues, many consider the stability problems severe enough to significantly hinder the overall experience. Fixing these bugs would greatly improve the game's playability and immersion.
- “Jumping at certain spots glitches your character out and you can lose progress, which is one of my biggest gripes.”
- “But I can't, and I can't because this is a student project, and the outcome of that is that this is a buggy train wreck that barely works.”
- “Sometimes the story wouldn't even let me continue because of how buggy it is, not to mention the way the character controls is like I'm always on ice!”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
12%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive combination of haunting music, atmospheric sound effects, and visually striking icy environments with dynamic weather. These elements work together to create a deeply emotional and captivating experience that draws players into the frozen world. Despite minor bugs, the overall ambiance is considered perfect for headphone play and absorbing escapism.
- “The combination of icy textures, atmospheric lighting, and dynamic weather effects breathes life into the frozen world, evoking a range of emotions as you venture deeper into the unknown.”
- “Combined with atmospheric sound effects, the audio design creates a deeply immersive experience that lingers in your mind long after you've put down the controller.”
- “There are some bugs here and there, but overall, it's a perfect game to play with headphones on and leaning back immersed in the atmosphere.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Grinding in the game is generally seen as tedious and monotonous, requiring significant time investment, though the overall short length helps mitigate extended boredom. It may not appeal to those seeking action-driven gameplay.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It is not an action-driven game and it may become tedious and monotonous, but is short enough for you to finish before getting bored!”
- “A nice but tedious game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game runs smoothly with stable 60 FPS at 4K resolution, indicating strong performance optimization. However, controls are not well optimized for keyboard and mouse, suggesting room for improvement in input handling.
- “No performance issues at all—solid 60 fps in 4K from start to end.”
- “Controls are not optimized for keyboard and mouse.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by quirky and endearing language choices, including amusingly awkward translations and unusual vocabulary that give the character a unique, illiterate yet articulate voice. Its playful, almost childlike art style combined with these linguistic quirks creates a charming, comically Spanish atmosphere that adds to the overall whimsical experience.
- “It's funny reading the English text knowing what it was translated from in Spanish, like the word 'saltpeter'. The use of such words like 'valence' is wild since nobody talks like that—it's like the character is very well articulated while simultaneously being illiterate with the way he writes. The backwards rs are simply endearing.”
- “The game is almost comically Spanish in taste with the art style, like a children's book, with a great air of exploration, even if fully linear. It is tasteful like an academy painting, rigid and unpolished to meet a deadline.”
- “The over-the-top rainbow effect on the waterfall and bewildering mechanics like having to press 'E' while on top of pressure plates add a quirky and humorous touch to the gameplay.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highlight the game's strong emotional impact, noting that its haunting melodies and desolate atmosphere deeply resonate, often evoking powerful feelings such as tears.
- “The haunting melodies resonate with the desolate atmosphere, intensifying the emotional impact of the journey.”
- “I cried.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is praised for its appealing and well-designed characters, contributing positively to the overall experience.