Bad Cheese

Bad Cheese stands out thanks to its visuals and the world it builds, which is only enhanced by the gameplay. However, a couple of technical issues hold it back from being a perfect experience.

66%Game Brain Score

graphics, story

gameplay, grinding

67% User Score Based on 195 reviews

Critic Score 66%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

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About

Bad Cheese is a single player arcade action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Simon Lukasik and was released on September 1, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

In Bad Cheese, you play as a mouse trying to keep your dysfunctional family satisfied while Mom is away. Complete chores, avoid trouble, and navigate a tense household filled with challenges and dark moments. Explore the house in search of small joys amid the struggle to maintain normalcy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 195 reviews

graphics28 positive mentions

gameplay9 negative mentions

The game features a unique and stunning art style reminiscent of 1920s cartoons, creating a creepy and memorable atmosphere.
The narrative explores deep themes of childhood trauma and domestic abuse, providing a thought-provoking experience.
Many players appreciate the game's quirky charm and humor, making it a fun and bizarre experience despite its flaws.

The gameplay is often criticized for being tedious and lacking depth, with many tasks feeling like chores rather than engaging gameplay.
Numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes and glitches, significantly detract from the overall experience.
The game is relatively short, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied and wanting more content or a more developed story.

graphics
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
42%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and captivating art style, reminiscent of 1920s cartoons, which effectively creates a haunting and unsettling atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the blend of charming visuals with dark themes, noting that the art direction is the game's standout feature, despite criticisms of gameplay and narrative depth. Overall, while the graphics are celebrated, they are seen as a double-edged sword, as they elevate the experience but also highlight the game's shortcomings in other areas.
- “The game's visuals are stunning, with a blend of 1920s cartoon and horror elements that create a unique and unsettling atmosphere.”
- “Unique and stunning art style: the 1920s cartoon aesthetic is brilliantly executed and is what makes this game stand out.”
- “The art style is great, a blend of the old cartoons and Garbage Pail Kids; it's haunting and spooky.”
- “Don't be suckered in by the art style; it's the only point the game is successful on.”
- “Really has little to do with 'legally distinct mouse' in Steamboat Willie in anything but visuals, and the game as a whole is unfortunately the low effort slop you'd expect it to be.”
- “And while the art style is charming at times (when you can see it due to the heavy use of fogging and vignette), the jump scares are just low-res PNGs being waved in your face.”
story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
65%
8%
The game's story is generally seen as intriguing but underdeveloped, with many players expressing a desire for more depth and complexity. While the art style and themes of trauma resonate with some, the execution often feels rushed or lacking, leading to a disappointing conclusion that leaves players wanting more. Overall, the narrative has potential but fails to deliver a satisfying experience, with many reviewers noting its abrupt ending and limited exploration.
- “Besides that, it's a work of art that stands on its own -- a gross and heartbreaking story of domestic abuse and a child coping with his trauma, quite similar in spirit to Binding of Isaac.”
- “The game's narrative is engaging, and the story is conveyed through a surreal and unsettling world that's both disturbing and fascinating.”
- “Honestly, this has a very emotional story that really struck a chord with me.”
- “The plot and mechanics do not build upon each other to a satisfying conclusion, ending so abruptly that I thought it was an obvious early end game bait-and-switch, only for it to turn out the game was actually done, just like that, no final boss, no final puzzle, just hitting three switches and bam, done.”
- “But unfortunately, it's not a very scary game, it's not a fun game to play, and while I understand it's a tragic story of abuse, I can't help but feel the story fell flat in its presentation.”
- “There was a lot of potential here, but ultimately it was squandered on an ambiguous story and strange gameplay decisions that hold the experience back.”
gameplay
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
66%
19%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it dull, clunky, and lacking depth, often describing it as tedious or a "chore simulator." While some appreciate the unique art style and atmosphere, they feel the mechanics are frustrating and the overall experience is too short, lasting only 2-3 hours. Despite a few positive notes on exploration and stealth elements, the consensus leans towards disappointment in the gameplay execution and its failure to deliver a satisfying experience.
- “The mix of creepy elements and simple mechanics are fun and nice to see.”
- “A true gem, one of a kind game, loved the art style and gameplay is smooth.”
- “It may not be super long or have any crazy gameplay mechanics, but the atmosphere was perfectly unsettling while also being unique in its art direction and presentation.”
- “The gameplay is extremely dull and clunky.”
- “But ultimately it's a rather dull gameplay experience with a couple of scares that got me and a story that intrigued me but not enough for me to recommend.”
- “There was a lot of potential here, but ultimately it was squandered on an ambiguous story and strange gameplay decisions that hold the experience back.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
27%
14%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of 1920s cartoon visuals and horror elements, creating an unsettling yet memorable experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound design and art style to evoke tension and dread, making the atmosphere a standout feature despite some gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the game's creepy ambiance and distinctive aesthetic contribute significantly to its appeal, particularly for fans of atmospheric horror.
- “The 1920s Disney-style cartoon visuals give it a creepy, unforgettable atmosphere, and the weird monsters and strange characters make the whole world feel unsettling in the best way.”
- “The game's unique art style and atmospheric design successfully create a sense of unease and tension, making it an unforgettable experience.”
- “Jumpers and screamers are not really frightening; however, the atmosphere and realization of what's happening to the little one is quite scary by itself.”
- “Strong atmosphere: the game builds its fear through subtle details and unsettling sound design, creating a constant feeling of dread.”
- “With its incredibly unique art design, grotesque characters, and depressing atmosphere, we won't forget it even though it can be finished in a few hours.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and boring, with players finding the objectives and boss fights unengaging and frustrating. While the art style and atmosphere receive praise, the overall gameplay experience is marred by sluggish mechanics and a lack of compelling story, leading many to feel that the effort required to progress is not worth the reward.
- “From long and boring objectives to tedious and boring boss fights, not even worth it when it's on offer. If it was 2-3 pounds I wouldn't mind; absolutely not worth it. The only redeeming factor is the collection system and the art style, which feels like wasted potential.”
- “I didn’t get far into it because it just felt too tedious and boring.”
- “But the gameplay is just tedious.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music in the game is praised for its haunting and nostalgic qualities, effectively enhancing the eerie atmosphere created by the art style. While some players found the soundtrack to be a standout feature, others noted inconsistencies, such as moments of silence that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the combination of music and sound design contributes significantly to the game's unsettling ambiance, despite some criticisms regarding its effectiveness in evoking fear.
- “If you are a fan of early 1900s animation and like bleak, cartoony aesthetics, this might be for you. The standouts being the voice work, art, and music.”
- “Solid character style, nice voiceover, and soundtrack.”
- “The old-timey art style and the music really create the creepy ambiance that seems familiar yet off in a lot of ways.”
- “The art style and soundtrack is straight up fire because it was generally haunting, but oh my god not only was it super boring gameplay, there was only one time where I jumped in fear.”
- “I believe the audio is being falsely claimed, or the music in the game is not content-creator-friendly.”
- “Some parts had like no music, and it wasn't even the slightest bit scary, and I'm the biggest wuss for things like this, 1 jumpscare.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
83%
The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent bugs, crashes, and glitches affecting gameplay, including issues with achievements and audio-visual elements. While some players appreciate the art and horror elements, the overall technical performance feels rushed and in need of significant improvements.
- “Great horror elements, easy to learn the controls, runs smoothly, and looks fantastic.”
- “The game maintains a stable frame rate throughout, ensuring a seamless experience.”
- “I appreciate how well the game performs; there are hardly any bugs or crashes.”
- “I like the art, but the game is buggy and very broken. You will have to reload the game from the menu multiple times, restart the game due to fatal crashes, and the camera FOV is nauseating. I'm used to a lot, including VR without camera snap or teleport... it's bad.”
- “I'd forgive the above issue if it weren't for the achievement glitches.”
- “The game is technically rough, and sound and visual glitches are common.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark and raunchy elements, drawing inspiration from classic cartoons like Ren and Stimpy, and featuring absurd scenarios and twisted creatures. While some players find the comedic aspects, such as the sound effects of digesting snacks, to be hilarious, others feel that the humor can become overdone and lose its impact, resulting in a mix of scary, funny, and sad moments.
- “The art style is reminiscent of classic cartoons like Ren and Stimpy, with a dash of dark humor and twisted creatures.”
- “The humor is raunchy, the tone is unfiltered, and it leans hard into the absurd.”
- “It is a scary, funny, and very sad game.”
- “It's what happens when an idea is just overdone and it's just not 'scary' or 'creepy' anymore; even worse, it's not funny anymore.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The main character's development is praised for its depth, contrasting effectively with the grotesque environment, which enhances the overall unsettling atmosphere of the game. Additionally, the enemy designs are noted as visually appealing, contributing to the game's unique aesthetic.
- “The main character you play as has exceptional character development.”
- “The simple, almost friendly character design of the little mouse you play as clashes perfectly with the grotesque and distorted world around him, creating an unsettling feeling that lingers long after you've stopped playing.”
- “The game features impressive character designs for the enemies.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the protagonist's journey.”
- “I expected a rich backstory, but the characters are one-dimensional and lack any real growth throughout the game.”
- “The interactions between characters are often repetitive, making it hard to feel invested in their development or relationships.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, exploring themes of domestic abuse and childhood trauma, which resonates strongly with players. Its unique visual style enhances the emotional experience, making it a standout work of art that leaves a lasting impact.
- “Besides that, it's a work of art that stands on its own -- a gross and heartbreaking story of domestic abuse and a child coping with his trauma, quite similar in spirit to Binding of Isaac.”
- “Honestly, this has a very emotional story that really struck a chord with me.”
- “Also, the unique visual style made me feel so comfortable. <3 10/10.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily revolving around the pursuit of collectibles, but its short playtime of under three hours may not incentivize players to replay it extensively.
- “It's less than 3 hours, and there's some replayability if you choose to pursue all the collectibles in this game.”
- “It's less than 3 hours long, and there's only some replayability if you choose to pursue all the collectibles in this game.”
- “The game feels too short, and while there are collectibles, they don't add enough to make me want to replay it.”
- “Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”