Arid

About

Arid is a gritty, exploration-survival experience that challenges players in surviving the most arid place in the world. By using your skills and adaptation, you must face the loneliness, the extreme temperatures, and mysteries of the Atacama Desert.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,277 reviews

story109 positive mentions

stability27 negative mentions

Great graphics and immersive atmosphere, especially for a free game made by students.
Engaging survival mechanics that require careful resource management and exploration.
Interesting storyline with environmental storytelling that keeps players invested.

The game can feel tedious due to the constant need to manage hunger, thirst, and stamina.
Crafting and inventory management can be cumbersome, with limited carrying capacity and fragile tools.
Some players experienced bugs and crashes, particularly related to saving and loading progress.

story
291 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
2%
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative and atmospheric setting, which revolves around survival after a plane crash in a desert. While some found the story to be straightforward or lacking depth, others enjoyed the environmental storytelling and the mystery surrounding the protagonist's journey, often highlighting the compelling side stories and lore discovered through notes and collectibles. Overall, the narrative adds a meaningful layer to the survival mechanics, making it a notable aspect of the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are great, the storyline is 10/10; this is one of the best survival games I have ever played.”
- “I loved the simple storyline with the difficult challenges, and especially trying to find out what happened to the people who were there before me. Absolutely 5/5 stars from me.”
- “The story is fascinating and the game mechanics are decent, even pretty good.”
- “I got confused by different notes, letters, and books, and the story mixed up in my head.”
- “The main story is very basic and not particularly noteworthy.”
- “I found the story a bit disjointed, and I could probably level a few other minor complaints, but the short of it is that it’s well worth your time.”
gameplay
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The gameplay of "Arid" is characterized by a blend of survival mechanics and exploration, set in a visually appealing desert environment. While many players appreciate the realistic mechanics and immersive atmosphere, some criticize the slow pacing and occasional clunkiness in controls, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a solid foundation with engaging crafting and survival elements, though it may require further refinement to enhance player enjoyment.
- “If you're looking for a survival game that stands out with its unique setting and gripping gameplay, Arid is definitely worth your time!”
- “The mechanics of the game worked well, as did the progression through the land and the vitals that had to be maintained.”
- “The atmosphere, voice acting, music, and gameplay give such an immersive survival experience.”
- “You can and must likely will be stuck within the first few minutes of gameplay from an oversight that was noticed years ago and never corrected.”
- “The gameplay loop is literally just to trudge through the desert to find food & water so that you can keep trudging through the desert to find more food and more water.”
- “The mechanics work, there's no technical issues but the gameplay loop is very exhausting.”
graphics
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the beautiful visuals, immersive environments, and attention to detail, particularly in the desert setting. However, several users report significant performance issues, including lag and graphical glitches, which detract from the overall experience. While some find the graphics impressive for an indie title, others express frustration over optimization problems that hinder gameplay.
- “The graphics are great; the storyline is 10/10. This is one of the best survival games I have ever played.”
- “Beautiful visuals and effects on a very well-designed map, decent voice acting, a bit of a storyline, some lore-style collectibles and sub-plots, well-balanced survival mechanisms like trapping, skinning, crafting, foraging, and so on.”
- “The graphics are very clean and realistic.”
- “Absolutely unsmooth graphics; even slight and slow movement is like looking at Windows cursor trails, except all over the screen, like there are a dozen images all a tiny bit offset from each other.”
- “Some improvement there, but certainly not enough to stop the seizure-inducing graphical flaws... I don't get seizures from games, just this one, or at least I felt like I was going to get one.”
- “This game is also super unoptimized; I'm using an RX 570 4GB on all low settings, and the game completely maxes my card out. It shouldn't be that graphically intensive, and I'm struggling to maintain between 30 and 40 FPS or any higher.”
atmosphere
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
26%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive sound design, stunning visuals, and a strong sense of mystery that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the oppressive and engaging environments, particularly in survival scenarios, where the ambient music and voice acting contribute significantly to the tension and enjoyment. Despite some minor issues with the user interface and soundtrack, the atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates players and draws them into the game's narrative.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, and the challenge is both intense and rewarding.”
- “The atmosphere, voice acting, music, and gameplay give such an immersive survival experience.”
- “The atmosphere of Arid is great; the sun feels burning hot, dark is truly dark, and those monsters scared the hell out of me.”
- “The atmosphere is absolutely oppressive.”
- “Eerie atmosphere in the cave system with horror vibes.”
- “While they have definite similarities, the environments are utterly different, providing a dramatic change of atmosphere.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
34%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with beautiful, desert-themed instrumentals that complement the gameplay. While the original soundtrack is considered decent and worth listening to, some players noted the absence of a couple of key tracks in the downloadable version. Overall, the soundtrack effectively sets the tone and mood, contributing significantly to the game's engaging environment and storytelling.
- “The soundtrack is particularly nice music if you like desert-sounding instrumental music like I do.”
- “The environment is immersive, the ambient music very atmospheric and figuring out how to advance the story or rather move forward through the various locations makes for a treasure hunt type of gameplay.”
- “The story becomes very mysterious and draws you in quite well, music matches the atmosphere and is really enjoyable and the voice acting is quite well done.”
- “The credits song and a song which plays in a secret, hard-to-find cave are not included in the downloadable soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is sparse, but fitting for the situation, perfectly atmospheric.”
- “The music that is played from time to time completes the whole thing.”
stability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting the presence of bugs and glitches, some of which can be game-breaking. However, several users also mentioned that these issues are often manageable and do not significantly detract from the overall experience, especially considering the game is free or a student project. A few players reported no technical issues at all, highlighting that the game's performance can vary widely among users.
- “For a free game, it was really well done and not buggy.”
- “For a free game that was created by university students, this is exceptionally well polished and bug free.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck but seems to burn through the battery faster than expected.”
- “So now I need to re-gather everything for the mine... decided... it is a slow game and not enjoying it and since it crashed and I lost progress (but kept items from inside the mine) that this is a buggy game and there are better games to play.”
- “There are no small glitches but I did have complete crashes a few times.”
- “I hesitate to say excellent (as I so wish to) because there are two game-breaking glitches that I have encountered.”
grinding
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the strategic survival elements it introduces, many describe it as tedious and time-consuming. The lack of a navigation system and repetitive crafting can lead to frustration, with some players feeling that the grind detracts from overall enjoyment. However, others note that the grind is manageable and can even enhance immersion, making it a double-edged sword in the game's design.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Neither adds any real challenge, they're just tedious and pad out the runtime unnecessarily.”
- “I have watched a walkthrough and the rope (or whatever I'm supposed to have to get out of there) is not there, and because my last save was after I entered the mine, I'm stuck - so I quit and never tried the game again because it's too painfully tedious to get back to that point.”
- “The crafting of low durability items got a bit tedious (how many hammers do I have to make anyway).”
optimization
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
44%
33%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting stable performance and minimal bugs, while others experienced significant issues, including crashes and low frame rates, particularly on lower-end PCs. Many users noted that despite the game's impressive graphics, it struggles with optimization, leading to performance drops and stuttering in certain areas. Overall, while some players found it playable and enjoyable, there is a consensus that optimization needs improvement, especially for a smoother experience across various hardware configurations.
- “Impressive performance and appearance on my older laptop with a 1060.”
- “Bravo to the students for putting together a pretty well optimized and playable game here.”
- “I'm definitely going to keep playing it and explore the vast desert of arid; so far, in-game optimization, I do not have any issues.”
- “A lot of fun but it seems poorly optimized and kept crashing after a specific point in the gameplay.”
- “Bad game, bad optimization, runs pretty bad on a RTX 3060 Ti, 32 GB RAM, and an i7.”
- “Unfortunately the optimization isn't the greatest; I was running outdoors in the game at 12 frames and in the cave I got up to 20.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
25%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the quirky elements like dancing skeletons and the main character's snarky optimism, which grows on them over time. While some found the crude humor a bit forced, the overall comedic tone, including hidden easter eggs and unexpected plot twists, adds a delightful layer to the survival experience. Players appreciate the blend of humor with survival mechanics, making for a fun and engaging gameplay experience.
- “While the main character is jarringly unbothered by her situation, her humor and optimism wound up growing on me once I decided to roll with it.”
- “Extremely funny, fast to finish, and definitely worth playing.”
- “I had a lot of fun with it, because when you expect a survival game, these irrational yet mandatory elements are quite hilarious.”
- “Even though I don't think her voice was supposed to be funny, every time I heard her say something snarky, I found it comedic.”
- “The attempts at humor often fell flat, leaving me more confused than amused.”
- “I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes were stale and predictable.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game's replayability is rated moderately, with a score of 5/10, primarily due to a lack of multiple endings and a plot that offers little incentive for repeated playthroughs. While some players find potential in adjusting game settings to enhance the experience, the overall sentiment suggests that the game could benefit from improvements to its replay value.
- “This allows for some good potential replay value.”
- “I believe slowing down the in-game clock (10 to 1, 5 to 1, even 1 to 1) or allowing the player to do so within the game's settings would solve most of the grindy feel, leaving a more enjoyable and replayable game!”
- “Of course, this game would have been even better if it had multiple endings because as it exists, it has very little replay value in terms of plot. This tends to be my most common complaint about games that are otherwise pretty good.”
- “Replayability: 5/10”
- “It's even replayable.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, with some experiencing physical discomfort due to its immersive environment, such as feeling cold or hot in real life. The narrative elements, including heartwarming stories, further enhance the emotional experience, making players feel deeply engaged with the game's atmosphere.
- “I actually got annoyed with being cold so much that it actually made me feel like I was freezing in real life... always have a blanket ready with that game.”
- “From trying not to bake in the hot Chilean sun to reading heartwarming stories like 'Amor Prohibido por el Desierto.'”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate completely free-to-play games that do not include in-app purchases, emphasizing that these titles offer a risk-free opportunity to try them without any financial commitment.
- “With most of the completely free-to-play games I've played, I believe it's free, so get it and give it a try... it doesn't cost you anything.”
- “The monetization model is fair and allows players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content, making it accessible for everyone.”
- “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money just to enjoy basic features.”
- “It's frustrating that essential content is locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
- “The constant barrage of ads and prompts to purchase in-game currency detracts from the overall experience.”