Awaria

About Awaria

Awaria is a single player arcade management game with horror, romance, comedy, anime and others themes. It was developed by vanripper and was released on December 16, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Welcome to the tunnel maintenance crew. If the generators fail, it's your job to fix them. Check what's wrong, craft all the needed parts and deliver them. It's simple. Just stay clear of anything that randomly cracks bolts of electricity, spews fire, throws sharp pieces of scrap at high-velocity or radiates with ominous green light.

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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 8,737 reviews

gameplay666 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

Engaging and rewarding gameplay loop combining bullet hell dodging with managing resources to repair generators.
Distinctive and appealing art style with charming ghost girl characters and a fun, simple story filled with humor and yuri themes.
Excellent soundtrack that complements the gameplay, creating an immersive and energetic atmosphere, plus it's free and well-optimized.

Sharp difficulty spikes, particularly on hard mode levels 9, 11, 12, and 13, causing frustration and a steep learning curve.
Some mechanics feel RNG-dependent and the last levels require precise multitasking, which can feel overwhelming and luck-based.
Visual clarity issues arise in hectic moments due to similar green colors for enemies, projectiles, and hazards, making it hard to track threats.

gameplay
1,270 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52% positive mentions, 46% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions
The gameplay in this game is widely praised for its fast-paced, challenging bullet-hell style combined with resource and time management mechanics, creating a unique and addictive loop. While the mechanics are simple to learn, the difficulty rises sharply, offering a rewarding but sometimes frustrating experience, especially in later levels and hard mode. The controls are generally responsive, and the gameplay is considered a significant improvement and evolution from the developer's previous title, blending intensity with charming characters and a fitting soundtrack.
- “The gameplay loop is genuinely incredibly unique, mixing bullet hell mechanics with resource management for a fun and challenging experience.”
- “The game combines fast-paced, mechanically demanding bullet hell gameplay with time and resource management, creating a rewarding and intense gameplay loop.”
- “Controls are precise and smooth, with a gameplay style that is fast-paced, challenging, but fair, making every death feel like a learning opportunity as you dodge enemies and manage resources under pressure.”
- “The gameplay loop is frustrating, stressful, and often just very unfun to retry stages over and over to not get hit by one of the 6 different projectiles coming at you.”
- “From bullet spam, bad enemy AI, bad level hazards, the fact that it requires a sudden change to gameplay by including a dash mechanic, and the last few stages being unbearable to play... this game is just all of the polish and shine of helltaker, none of the fun.”
- “Diffiulty: mostly is fine and I don't plan to get too much into this but the points I have on this one will somewhat matter for the next—most of the game balance is fine (with the exception the difficulty is a staircase which I'll go why is bad after)—but levels 9, 11 and 13 I felt like they were particularly hard for what I checked. This comes to a few issues but most big is that 9 and 11 are one of the few levels where you have a fast enemy going behind you plus on 11 spawning other small fast enemies to go behind you and both throwing projectiles which is different as most ghosts in the game aren't fast paced and going more into this, my second point this game doesn't let you get used to the upgrades at level 10 you play with the boss meaning now you have a dash. This is already an issue as in a 13 level game they have decided to introduce an ability very late in the game and level 10 tries to teach you how to play with the dash for level 11 but I don't think it does a good job as: level 10 throws you 3 ghosts behind you which you already fought (though I think only two at the same time) but most ghosts are fairly slow or put traps which somewhat works to teach you how to use the dash if it wasn't because in level 11 the ghost is nothing like this, it is a fast game ghost with projectiles that runs after you and spawns creatures that go after you and for me this boss is different enough that feels overwhelming. It's way faster than all ghosts, shoots faster and is the first boss to spawn minions; this actually shows into the difficulty issue that I say and most of the game is fine as your gameplay method doesn't change but you really notice when you get new abilities and the upgrade in the dash how little the game lowers the difficulty to actually allow you to learn the new ability and it is not too gradual either. The first level you get the dash (10) could be seen as easier than 9, the previous non-dash level, but the next level 11 for me is already harder than not only 10 (which makes sense) but also than 9 and plus an enemy type you aren't used to feels a bit too harsh on the difficulty. Level 12 is already the "first phase boss fight" spawning more enemies you'll have to get used to this as expected for a boss is more stuff than usual and having 4 different types of enemies, one follows, one sweeps, one is a big enemy that follows and the others are time bombs. For the last level 13, the final boss, it has way more enemies and they give you an upgrade. The thing is the upgrade allows you to kill enemies when you dash into them which sounds good and technically it is... the issue is that this is the last level and they change the way you play from completely evasive to a more hostile one. It's now actually better for you to dash into enemies so you can kill them and after 12 levels of avoiding enemies or using dash purely as evasive this is not something you will learn easily. The worst part is that since the upgrades and dash are story relevant you can't go to previous levels to train; you only have this upgrade at level 13 and there you have to get used to this which to me doesn't work well. I know it would take some rebalancing but I really don't know why they didn't go for a 1/3 without dash, 2/3 of the game with dash and the last 3/3 of the game with the upgraded dash or at least make it so we can train using them in previous levels.”
music
769 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65% positive mentions, 35% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The music, composed by mittsies, is widely praised as an energetic, catchy, and fitting soundtrack that greatly enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers describe it as a "banger" and "fire," highlighting its ability to maintain momentum and keep players engaged even during challenging bullet hell sequences. While some note the soundtrack is less memorable than in the developer's previous game, the majority agree it perfectly complements the game's style and pace, making it a standout aspect alongside the art and gameplay.
- “Mittsies once again burns up the entire soundtrack with pure auditory fire, and you'll have plenty of time to enjoy it as gorgeous ghost women stab, cut, shock, and incinerate you over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.”
- “The music keeps you on pace and ramping up along with the game's difficulty, and is an absolute bop.”
- “The art-style is perfect for this type of game with clear outlines for hazards zipping through sector f, and the music is phenomenal, perfectly capturing the mood of the setting.”
- “It's also a shame that the entirety of the game is plagued by a rather blasé soundtrack that makes no real effort to be much more than background noise.”
- “A whole soundtrack of just bass does not make a soundtrack, vanripper.”
- “While visually decent even if it leans far too hard on the purple, music and aesthetics wise it is simply not as good compared to its older sister, lacking both in an intro that establishes the protagonist, an aesthetic that is clean and easy on the eyes like before, or even the music lacking the drive and energy.”
graphics
462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57% positive mentions, 41% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions
The game's graphics consistently receive high praise for their distinctive, charming, and polished art style, reminiscent of the developer's previous work HellTaker. The visuals, featuring cute and quirky character designs with smooth animations, effectively complement the fast-paced, challenging gameplay and enhance player engagement. While some note minor issues with readability due to the 2D/2.5D perspective and color choices, overall the art direction is considered a standout element that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “The visuals are some of my favorite I've seen in an indie game, and honestly, if this review were based only on the art style and characters, this would be one of my favorite indie games ever.”
- “The graphics are great, no confusion on what will and won't kill you.”
- “The art style is incredible.”
- “The graphics are old-fashioned and don’t do the gameplay any favors, making it difficult to get immersed.”
- “Graphics are outdated and unappealing.”
- “From the very start, awaria throws you into a chaotic mess of incomprehensible mechanics, subpar graphics, and a story so dull it could put a caffeine addict to sleep.”
story
431 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions
The story in this game is simple, cute, and lighthearted, focusing on a love/relationship plot with humorous and charming character interactions. While not as deep or polished as the developer’s previous work (HellTaker), it provides a pleasant backdrop to the gameplay and features unlockable lore and artwork that reward harder challenges. Many players appreciate its warmth and art style but note it is brief and leaves some narratives underdeveloped, making it enjoyable mainly for those drawn to its unique style rather than a complex story.
- “With the same iconic artstyle from Helltaker, some bullet hell and humorous story, Vanripper has blessed us with another great game.”
- “The game-play is really amazing and quite fun with a story that catches you from the first mission to the last one, the character designs and palette of the levels are amazing and go so good with the setting of the game, if you want a challenge and to unlock some good extra content on the game's gallery I recommend you going for the hard mode; it's a more or less relaxed no-hit challenge in comparison with other no-hit challenges.”
- “The gameplay and visuals are great, and the story is nice.”
- “Don't expect an in-depth story or something like that, this is just a fun bullet hell you jump into to waste an hour or two and that's about it.”
- “The story is there... barely, but is not the focus: ghost breaks the generator, you fix it, give the ghost a kiss on the cheek and food, you get kidnapped, your boss ghost saves you, you get saved and final battle.”
- “I wanted to see where the story was going, but I'm not going to torture myself for it.”
humor
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky, absurd, and charming style, often revolving around funny ghost girls, playful dialogue, and a delightfully silly romance plot. Fans appreciate the wholesome yet edgy jokes, cute character interactions, and unexpected comedic moments, which balance well with the challenging gameplay. While some find certain jokes repetitive or the difficulty detracting from the humor, overall it enhances the lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere.
- “The aesthetic, the characters, the atmosphere, and even the humor are exactly the kind of things I usually love.”
- “The story parts helped immensely, I couldn't stop laughing.”
- “10/10 presented a legitimate challenge and made me laugh quite a bit, would pay money for.”
- “This game is not funny.”
- “Not funny pudding pies.”
- “Not funny alcoholism.”
character development
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised, with standout, visually distinct, and appealing designs that add personality and charm, often compared favorably to the developer's previous work, Helltaker. Players appreciate the integration of character designs with gameplay and story, enjoying not only the art but also the interactions, humor, and lore revealed through unlockables. While some note the designs can overshadow gameplay, overall, the character designs are considered a key strength and major draw of the game.
- “The rewards for beating the game on the higher difficulty are also worthwhile, as the gallery images provide context to the character designs and mention lore not always clear in normal play.”
- “The character design and art style in the game are very good.”
- “Vanripper strikes again with a brilliantly designed game, with perfect character design and art direction; dude never misses!”
- “Just like Helltaker, overrated game just because of the character designs and not the game itself.”
- “Not really fun, Awaria and Helltaker gain their popularity due to character designs.”
- “Character design and story are not as catchy as in Helltaker, but gameplay is a step-up.”
emotional
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game delivers a predominantly wholesome and heartwarming emotional experience, with charming character interactions and a cute narrative that resonates deeply with players. Despite its punishing difficulty and moments of frustration and stress, many found the emotional highs—from joy and nostalgia to tears—rewarding and memorable. Overall, it balances tough gameplay with an endearing story and humor that leave a lasting positive impact.
- “The narrative between the characters, especially the girl and Zmora, is really wholesome.”
- “It made me cry and scream in anger, but the ghost lesbians were worth it lol.”
- “Awaria is a great example of how indie developers can create deep, stylish, and emotionally resonant experiences.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36% positive mentions, 52% neutral mentions, 12% negative mentions
The game boasts a distinctive and captivating atmosphere that blends cute, stylish art with haunting, ominous backdrops, enhanced by excellent sound design. This unique fusion creates a sharp, energetic, and immersive experience that complements the gameplay and storytelling, appealing strongly to fans of atmospheric and visually striking indie games.
- “The atmosphere is simple yet surprisingly captivating, making the whole experience even more enjoyable.”
- “The game's most striking feature is its distinctive art direction, which combines cute 2D character designs with ominously atmospheric backgrounds.”
- “The maintenance tunnels serve as both a practical gameplay space and an effectively unsettling backdrop that enhances the overall atmosphere.”
- “The audio design effectively amplifies both the spooky atmosphere and the intensity of the bullet-hell sequences.”
- “From the very beginning, it captivates with its visual style and haunting atmosphere.”
replayability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41% positive mentions, 41% neutral mentions, 18% negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability with multiple difficulty levels and charming characters that keep players engaged beyond the initial playthrough. While relatively short, its mechanics and rewards encourage repeated attempts, making it enjoyable to revisit despite a limited number of levels. Overall, replay value is considered a strong point, especially compared to similar titles.
- “Super fun, plenty of replayability, adorable art too.”
- “The game has a surprising amount of innate replayability.”
- “The game is short but the characters are really cute, the 3 levels of difficulty make the game replayable (I'm trying to get through hard mode to unlock the gallery) and if you like cute ghost girls it's a really good game (especially since it's free).”
- “Not much replayability though, sadly.”
- “The little rewards for doing the game on hard mode are a definite plus for replayability even if the most replaying of a single level you will be doing is dying over and over again to the one stray bullet or the one thing you didn't account for in the corner of your eye.”
- “This makes it easy to pick up and finish, but it also means that its longevity depends heavily on replayability.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 27% neutral mentions, 73% negative mentions
Players find the grinding in this game challenging and engaging, with a good balance of difficulty that rarely feels tedious. However, the necessity to repeatedly grind levels and unlock content can become time-consuming and frustrating, especially due to hidden requirements and lack of earlier helpful mechanics. Overall, the grinding is a core part of the experience that some find rewarding, while others see it as a frustrating obstacle.
- “My soul has been crushed and spit out after hours of grinding levels trying to beat the bosses.”
- “The generators hide what materials they require until you run over and press a button, which gets tedious quickly while you're focused on baiting the ghosts.”
- “I spent way too much time grinding levels to unlock all images in the gallery.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions
Optimization in the game is generally praised for flawless performance and smooth gameplay even under intense, fast-paced conditions, with no major performance issues reported on various devices. Players appreciate the strategic resource and time management elements that add depth, though occasional minor stuttering has been noted. Overall, the optimization supports a seamless and engaging experience without compromising visual or audio quality.
- “Absolutely no problem with performance.”
- “Performance was flawless, visuals and soundtrack fit perfectly, and the sense of relief at completion was unmatched.”
- “Awaria works amazing on the Deck, no performance issues and battery will last long enough to replay the game several times.”
- “There are a lot of simple optimizations you can perform to the part-creators and generators such as ensuring you are always carrying spare parts that you might feel inclined to do if you've played any game with crafting or automation before, unfortunately in the later levels where this would really matter, stopping to wait for parts will almost always immediately get you killed.”
- “Noticing some random stuttering here and there.”
- “While Helltaker made you think this, it makes me want to use performance-enhancing drugs.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions
The game runs smoothly with good overall stability, including on the Steam Deck, but is marred by occasional glitches like unexpected item changes and a frustrating, buggy level 9 that impacts the experience.
- “The game seems to be littered with weird glitches such as your carried item changing for no reason while moving.”
- “Very good game but they ruin it with level 9 on how unfair and garbage the level design is, the rest of the game is easy but that level is just unfair and feels buggy.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game features a fair monetization approach, being free to play without ads or intrusive elements, allowing players to enjoy it offline. Users appreciate the option to support the creators through DLC purchases, making the experience smooth and unobtrusive.
- “Man, I loved this game—the visual style, the characters, the action, the intensity. It's free, without any cumbersome things other games (even paid games) have: no ads, no commercials, no server connections. Just sit and enjoy. Support the creators by sharing this with your friends or even buying the DLC. Totally recommended.”

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Play Times

5h Median play time

5h Average play time

3-9h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Awaria is a arcade management game with horror, romance, comedy, anime and others themes. Common tags for Awaria include indie, lgbtq+, psychological, psychological horror, difficult and others.

Awaria is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Awaria.

Awaria was released on December 16, 2024.

Awaria was developed by vanripper.

Awaria has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Awaria for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Awaria is a single player game.

Similar games include Rabbit Hole, Changed, Gun Devil, Cuphead, vivid/stasis and others.

Awaria

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About Awaria

Games Like Awaria

Rabbit Hole

Changed

Gun Devil

Cuphead

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STRIKEVOID

A Dance of Fire and Ice

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Enter the Gungeon

Touhou Hero of Ice Fairy

Reviews

gameplay

music

graphics

story

humor

character development

emotional

atmosphere

replayability

grinding

optimization

stability

monetization

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Awaria

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