Boris and the Dark Survival

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,632 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Boris and the Dark Survival Game Cover
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"Boris and the Dark Survival" is a survival adventure game featuring the lovable character Boris from the Henry Stickmin series. Players must navigate through a dark and spooky forest, collecting resources and crafting items to survive while avoiding menacing monsters. The goal is to repair Boris's time machine and return to safety, making it a thrilling and engaging experience for all ages.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,632 reviews
gameplay28 positive mentions
grinding13 negative mentions
  • Engaging gameplay with a mix of horror and exploration, keeping players on their toes.
  • Great art style and sound design that captures the eerie atmosphere of the Bendy universe.
  • Affordable price point makes it accessible for fans of the series.
  • Repetitive gameplay loop can lead to boredom after a short time.
  • Limited enemy variety and AI can make encounters feel less threatening.
  • Lack of a clear narrative or progression system diminishes long-term engagement.
  • gameplay134 mentions

    The gameplay of "Boris and the Dark Survival" is characterized by its simple mechanics and repetitive fetch quests, which can lead to a monotonous experience over time. While the game offers a tense survival atmosphere and some enjoyable elements, many players find it best suited for short sessions rather than extended play due to its lack of depth and variety. Overall, it provides a fun, albeit basic, gameplay loop that may appeal primarily to die-hard fans of the Bendy franchise.

    • “The gameplay is great but can sometimes get repetitive, but you can unlock new enemies and characters so it doesn't get too boring.”
    • “The mechanics of the stamina bar and the stations for both 'bacon soup' and a cubical to hide in are a really nice addition as they are spread out in each floor, making the player have to venture around to find these to aid them in their traversal through the floor.”
    • “It's a very straightforward gameplay loop, but it works well for what the game aims to deliver: a tense survival experience in bite-sized chunks.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is so agonizingly repetitive and boring that it honestly feels like a mobile game that somehow wound up on PC.”
    • “Boris and the Dark Survival fell flat for me due to its boring and repetitive gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is monotonous and repetitive.”
  • story96 mentions

    The story in "Boris and the Dark Survival" is generally viewed as minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for the game's survival mechanics, focusing on Boris's quest for supplies in a haunting environment. While it offers some lore and backstory related to the "Bendy and the Ink Machine" universe, many players feel it lacks depth and character-driven narrative, often describing it as a series of fetch quests with light story elements. Fans of the franchise may appreciate the connections to the broader lore, but newcomers might find the narrative insufficient on its own.

    • “Boris and the Dark Survival offers a lighter but still chilling side-story set in the eerie world of Bendy and the Ink Machine.”
    • “I love how this game tells the tale of a survivor who tries to manage in a twisted 'haunted mansion' art studio of a world, before the original story of Bendy & the Ink Machine.”
    • “This game is a small game but packs a punch when it comes to storytelling and gameplay.”
    • “While the game lacks a rich, character-driven storyline, its minimal narrative approach fits well with its quick, pick-up-and-play style.”
    • “If you're into the Bendy series for the story, you might find some value, but as a standalone game, it doesn’t offer much.”
    • “The only downgrade is that it doesn't really seem to be following a story, or at least none that I could find.”
  • graphics63 mentions

    The graphics of *Boris and the Dark Survival* are widely praised for their vintage cartoon aesthetics, maintaining the signature art style of the *Bendy* series. Reviewers highlight the game's visually pleasing environments, smooth animations, and atmospheric design, often noting that the graphics enhance the overall experience despite some repetitiveness in gameplay. While some mention minor issues like lag, the overall consensus is that the graphics are a strong point, contributing to the game's eerie and engaging atmosphere.

    • “Visually, *Boris and the Dark Survival* stays true to the signature art style of the *Bendy* series, with its vintage cartoon aesthetics.”
    • “The graphics and visuals are stunning, the animation is great, and everything overall looks visually upgraded from *Bendy and the Ink Machine*.”
    • “The game has some really beautiful environments and the graphics are really well designed and laid out.”
    • “The only thing that really went wrong about it for me was lag, but lowering the quality and graphics fixed that.”
    • “This is essentially a mobile game on Steam, and the new graphics look kind of washed-out.”
    • “Overall, it's like the devs were like 'let's put graphics from the original game, put some already known mechanics and sell it on Steam.'”
  • music57 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its nostalgic 30s style and effective use in creating suspense during gameplay. Players appreciate the variety of music tracks available, including chase themes and collectible songs, which contribute to the overall immersive experience. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay repetitiveness, the soundtrack remains a standout feature that many consider the best part of the game.

    • “The strong points first, great game design, intense music and excellent sound effects!”
    • “Its an amazing top-down version of the studio with insanely good music and atmosphere.”
    • “The design is great, amazing soundtrack, and actually scary!”
    • “Even the enemy variety feels lackluster; since they can all kill you in one hit, the only difference being their chase music and how fast they can run after you.”
    • “New music: they updated the chase music for most of the enemies, and it's the same one.”
    • “There are very scarce collectibles in the form of 4 music tracks and 7 'scraps' inside of lockers that will randomly give you one of these in what seems to be a 1 in 10 chance, so in order to get them all you'll probably end up playing through 10+ of these barely-different levels.”
  • atmosphere19 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its unique blend of eerie visuals and sound design, reminiscent of the original title while offering a fresh experience. The sepia-toned environments and 1930s animation-inspired character designs contribute to a tense yet engaging ambiance, effectively balancing moments of tension with a relaxed overall feel. Despite some critiques regarding its horror depth, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, enhancing the gameplay and immersing players in its unsettling world.

    • “The sepia-toned environments and the 1930s animation-inspired character designs create a unique and unsettling atmosphere, even if it isn’t particularly scary.”
    • “The atmosphere, the aesthetics, the tension, the lore are all very well placed in this perspective of Boris who acts as an employee behind the 'glamor' of the artists.”
    • “The limited visibility paired with the sepia colour scheme really make for a spooky and tense atmosphere.”
    • “Somehow the atmosphere is really tense, in spite of the toony designs, and the ink demon still has a fear-inducing presence.”
    • “Atmosphere is really tense with sounds and fearing for your life hearing Bendy's breathing and heartbeat.”
  • humor16 mentions

    The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying its blend of funny moments and quirky characters, such as a "funny little man" and a "funny yellow dog." Many reviews note the comedic interactions and unexpected scenarios, like the amusing mechanics involving enemies and collectibles, which add a lighthearted twist to the otherwise thrilling and sometimes stressful gameplay. Overall, the humor effectively complements the game's scary elements, creating an entertaining experience for fans.

    • “A great and funny game any Bendy fan would like!”
    • “The amount of times I'd have to go back to get all of the collectibles is hilarious, and it took me 2 hours to get to day 7.”
    • “It is funny and scary all mixed in one giant game.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive effort for minimal rewards. While some find enjoyment in the gameplay, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration and boredom. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant hurdle that can overshadow the game's fun elements.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Played it for 10 hours, lost my goddamn mind at how tedious and meaningless it is.”
    • “The game introduces several new characters and tapes and there are a couple fun songs/dances that Boris can do (cute), but really it feels so grindy and the spawn rates feel too low.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the procedurally generated levels and the addition of new playable characters that enhance the experience, others feel that once the game is fully explored, it lacks sufficient content to warrant repeated playthroughs. Frequent updates and secrets contribute positively to replay value, but overall, opinions vary on how engaging the game remains after initial completion.

    • “Procedurally generated levels add replay value.”
    • “This game has so much replayability, along with intense and sometimes hair-raising gameplay, with a grand atmosphere.”
    • “It gets constant free updates which always add tons of new things that will increase replayability for sure.”
    • “Would not play this again after the 100% and barely replayable.”
    • “Whilst this game is a roguelite (a progress based randomly generated game) the replay value is not great, with a few collectibles which can be discovered in a few hours and sometimes added new mechanics.”
    • “Since BATIM doesn't have much replay value if you already know about the secret messages, I hoped that this game would be able to keep me satisfied until Bioshock: Bendy Edition (Bendy and the Dark Revival) was released.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with a significant price increase from $1 to $3, leading to mixed feelings among users. While some acknowledge it as an acceptable mobile game without ads, others express disappointment, feeling it lacks value and depth.

    • “It's a cash grab... bout it.”
    • “It's an okay game if you have nothing better to do, but I have a life and I really thought this game would not be a sorry cash grab, but it is.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with most users reporting it as stable despite some minor bugs and glitches. While a few players experienced issues related to saving and occasional crashes, others noted a lack of significant bugs during their gameplay. The consensus suggests that while there are some stability concerns, they do not detract significantly from the overall experience.

    • “Even though there are glitches (which are not bugs, they are about the save) like not getting the save back when you get a new computer or just needing to restart/wipe your PC because of a virus, it still feels good, so these $2.40 are definitely worth it.”
    • “Crashes, glitches, and once you play 20 minutes of this game, you've played it all.”
    • “Drawbacks of course that it can get a bit repetitive and did run into some minor bugs and glitches here and there, but apart from that, it's pretty damn stable.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is enhanced by the unique sepia-toned environments and 1930s animation-inspired designs, which contribute to an unsettling yet visually appealing atmosphere. While the graphics are praised for their aesthetic quality, the depth of character development itself is not highlighted as particularly impactful or scary.

    • “The sepia-toned environments and the 1930s animation-inspired character designs create a unique and unsettling atmosphere, even if it isn’t particularly scary.”
    • “I have watched other people play the ink machine game online and find the graphics and character design quite pleasing to the eye.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful growth for the characters throughout the game.”
    • “The characters seem one-dimensional, and their arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express disappointment regarding the lack of ongoing support and updates for the game, which diminishes their emotional investment and connection to it. The feeling of abandonment contributes to a sense of frustration and disengagement from the game's experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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