Dark Scavenger

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 197 reviews
  • story
  • humor
  • gameplay
Dark Scavenger Game Cover
Dark Scavenger lacks on the technical side but its quirky writing and interesting mechanics make it a unique experience where your choices matter.
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Dark Scavenger is a humorous point-and-click RPG adventure where you are stranded on a planet amidst a massive conflict. Your choices drive the dark comedy sci-fi narrative, and you can earn lots of loot to convert into unique equipment. Deep turn-based combat, epic boss battles, and New Game Plus mode are also featured, with tons of secrets to discover.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 197 reviews
story38 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Fantastic aesthetic and writing that creates a unique and engaging atmosphere.
  • Simple yet fun gameplay mechanics that allow for creative item crafting and decision-making.
  • Humorous dialogue and quirky characters that enhance the overall experience.
  • Graphics may appear low-budget and reminiscent of older games, which could deter some players.
  • The game may feel short, with limited replay value despite the New Game+ feature.
  • Some players may find the crafting system vague, leading to potential frustration in item usage.
  • story103 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by its quirky humor and engaging characters, offering a mix of light-hearted and deeper narrative elements that enhance the overall experience. While the plot may not be groundbreaking, it is enriched by player choices and dynamic interactions, leading to a variety of outcomes and memorable moments. Despite some criticisms regarding its simplicity and linearity, many players find the storytelling captivating and enjoyable, making it a strong point of the game.

    • “Absolutely loved the game, incredibly captivating story and unique gameplay.”
    • “The story and characters are extremely well written, and the hand-drawn art style is a refreshing change of pace.”
    • “The unique systems reward exploration and experimentation, and the story goes from curious to compelling as you reveal more of the wild plot.”
    • “This game has cheap design, cheap visuals, cheap soundtrack, cheap effects, cheap story, cheap characters, cheap universe, and cheap price as well.”
    • “I feel like I'm just clicking through a bunch of immature jokes and loosely garbled together anachronistic 'weird fiction' storytelling.”
    • “If a lot more effort was put into the story and artwork, then I think this would be a lot better game because it really is much more like interactive fiction, but due to the effort to make it a game, it has had a great deal less attention paid to the development of the story and the crafting of the literary element.”
  • humor63 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, memorable characters, and absurd scenarios that often lead to hilarious interactions. While the game features a mix of dark and quirky humor, some jokes may not land well, and there are moments of tastelessness. Overall, players find the humor to be a significant highlight, enhancing the engaging storytelling and unique gameplay experience.

    • “Each piece of loot has a branching choice to become a weapon, item, or ally, each coming with a generally humorous hint as to what it would be by your shipmates who can craft them.”
    • “The characters you encounter are funny as hell and have great (in a writing sense) personalities.”
    • “You'll constantly be laughing at the crazy situations and humorous characters you find yourself interacting with.”
  • gameplay56 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a blend of simple mechanics, point-and-click exploration, and RPG elements, making it accessible and enjoyable for casual players. While the visuals may not impress, the unique mechanics, engaging story, and humor contribute to a captivating experience, with crafting and combat systems enhancing replayability. However, some players found the gameplay repetitive and criticized the art style, indicating a mixed reception overall.

    • “Absolutely loved the game, incredibly captivating story and unique gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay turned out to be really fun, with a wide variety of crazy weapons, allies, and items with unusual conditions for use.”
    • “Unique gameplay: the gameplay of this game is akin to an interactive book combined with a video game with the point-and-click exploration element added to the mixture.”
    • “Gameplay is also not enjoyable and the background music is annoying.”
    • “The other side is the bad art style, graphics, and overall gameplay.”
    • “I had my laughs and enjoyed the funny moments, but I really didn't enjoy the gameplay or how the game was set up.”
  • graphics46 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as basic and low-budget, often resembling hand-drawn or retro styles that evoke nostalgia for older video games. While some players appreciate the unique and charming aesthetic, others feel that the visuals lack polish and could benefit from more development. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in complementing the game's humor and storytelling, though they are not the main draw for most players.

    • “Bolstered by the often clashing yet effective art style, the game truly embodies a sense of order through chaos in its narrative that strengthens through each interaction.”
    • “A hidden gem on Steam; the art style is unique, and the characters are charming and memorable.”
    • “The story and characters are extremely well written, and the hand-drawn art style is a refreshing change of pace.”
    • “No one is going to be getting this game for its graphics, that's for sure, but what it lacks in visual appeal, it more than makes up for with humor, creativity, and a pretty interesting story.”
    • “Very basic graphics.”
    • “The graphics are pretty basic and mostly static, but they're decent enough to serve their purpose.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its fitting and original compositions that enhance the atmosphere and gameplay, while others criticize it for being repetitive and annoying. Notably, the combat music is described as unusual yet engaging, and the variety of tracks helps maintain player interest. Overall, while some find the music memorable and enjoyable, others feel it detracts from the experience due to its lack of variety and quality.

    • “A point & click/RPG hybrid with a bizarre story and world, expressive art, absurd weapons/items, memorable characters, dark humor, and great music.”
    • “The music is strange but characteristic because it fits the strange atmosphere of the game, and it sounds very original.”
    • “The music is quite fitting with the battle scenes and the game itself.”
    • “This game has cheap design, cheap visuals, cheap soundtrack, cheap effects, cheap story, cheap characters, cheap universe, and cheap price as well.”
    • “Gameplay is also not enjoyable and background music is annoying.”
    • “The effects are highly repetitive and there is a lack of variety in music.”
  • replayability15 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability through its diverse loot selection, item-crafting mechanics, and multiple narrative choices, encouraging players to explore different strategies and outcomes. While the average playthrough lasts around 4-5 hours, features like New Game Plus and various crafting options enhance the experience, allowing for multiple runs and increased enjoyment. However, some players feel the overall length may limit replayability for those who prefer longer experiences.

    • “While you can wait for a sale, this game is well worth the small full price it asks for, and while an ultimately shorter experience landing near a 4-hour playthrough, there is a ton of replayability here in its spiderweb of narrative choices.”
    • “I've had such a blast playing through this game, and there is a new game + mode so you can go back through the game and hand the loot over to different crafters than you did the first time, so there is good replayability.”
    • “The only problem is it's too short (you finish one playthrough in about 5 hours, taking your time), but thanks to the replayability, you can triple it.”
    • “It's short (took me about 4 hours to beat) but has enough replay value for you to want to play it at least 3 times over.”
    • “As said, the game has a decent replay value (4-6 runs or a lot more if you want to find everything) and the length is able to allow that (average 3 hours).”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its creative and detailed designs, reminiscent of 90s sci-fi aesthetics. The hand-drawn artwork and minimalist static designs contribute to a humorous and engaging experience, culminating in a heartwarming end battle that showcases the characters' growth.

    • “The character designs are really interesting and detailed with a 90s sci-fi feel.”
    • “All the artwork in the game looks like it was hand-drawn, and the developers use the minimalist static character design in a great and often fantastically funny way.”
    • “The end battle was heartwarming, and the character design was nice.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its unique, albeit low-budget graphics and original, quirky music that complements the overall strange vibe. While the art style may not be top-tier, it effectively contributes to the immersive experience, reminiscent of classic LucasArts humor. Overall, players find themselves fully engaged in the game's distinctive atmosphere.

    • “The music is strange but characteristic because it fits the unusual atmosphere of the game, and it sounds very original.”
    • “The aesthetics are good - the art style is definitely not the best, however, it is still nice and works well with the overall feel and atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The humor was reminiscent of the old LucasArts games, and I felt captivated by the atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics are 'low budget,' but if anything, they help add to the atmosphere.”
    • “The aesthetics are good - the art style is definitely not the best; however, it is still nice and works well with the overall feel and atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The music is strange but characteristic because it fits the strange atmosphere of the game, and it sounds very original.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players appreciate that "Dark Scavengers" minimizes traditional grinding found in many RPGs, focusing instead on strategic use of collected items and streamlined gameplay. This approach allows for a more engaging experience without the tediousness often associated with leveling up and quest management.

    • “It's like a choose your own adventure book mated with a wizardry game, only instead of grinding and looting, you have to make strategic and constructive use of the items you collect.”
    • “Approaching the game objectively as possible, dark scavengers is a good turn-based RPG that feels as if it was designed to give you the meat-and-potatoes of its genre while forgoing a lot of the fluff turn-based RPGs are known for (grinding, turning in quests, messing around with level progression and so on).”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The game effectively evokes strong emotions through its engaging story, well-designed characters, and thought-provoking encounters, culminating in a heartwarming final battle. Players feel a deep investment in the narrative, enhanced by visually appealing art and unexpected twists that enrich the overall experience.

    • “There are constant twists in the story, characters that you get emotionally invested in, and even extremely interesting concepts that get explored.”
    • “The story made me feel, the encounters made me laugh and think, and all of the art was visually appealing.”
    • “The end battle was heartwarming and the character design was nice.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The game's monetization model is praised for being user-friendly, as it avoids intrusive advertisements, excessive permissions, and additional purchases, setting it apart from similar-priced titles on iOS and Android.

    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should just to enjoy the game.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to fully experience the game without spending extra money.”
    • “While the game is enjoyable, the constant prompts to purchase in-game currency detract from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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