Dead

About

Dead is a single player action game. It was developed by Dane Winn and was released on April 6, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Dead" is a single-player action game centered around boss fights, featuring 10 spooky bosses and a perfect soundtrack. The game offers tight controls, challenging yet fair gameplay, and the option to customize difficulty in NG+ mode. It strives to provide a rewarding experience by pitting you against formidable foes, pushing you to master their moves and tactics. The game's success lies in its ability to deliver the satisfaction of a hard-fought victory.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 156 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a variety of unique and challenging bosses, each requiring different strategies to defeat, making the gameplay engaging and rewarding.
The controls are easy to use, and the game has a solid soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Despite its difficulty, the game is fun and addictive, with a replayable nature that encourages players to improve their skills and tackle additional challenges.

The game can be frustratingly difficult, with some bosses feeling unfair or requiring a significant amount of trial and error to defeat.
There are technical issues, such as inconsistent dodge mechanics and lack of invincibility frames, which can lead to frustrating moments during boss fights.
The game's title makes it hard to find on platforms like Steam, which may prevent potential players from discovering this hidden gem.

gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
70%
9%
The gameplay features 12 unique bosses with distinct mechanics, offering a mix of challenge and simplicity that appeals to casual players, though some find it tedious or inconsistent. While the controls and visuals are generally praised, issues like clunky dodging, lack of invincibility frames, and confusing mechanics can detract from the experience. Overall, the game is enjoyable for those who appreciate its design and challenge, but may frustrate players seeking a more polished experience.
- “The gameplay is pretty simplistic but it works; each boss has their own attacks and you have two assets: an explosion that attacks everything around you and can be used to push bosses away, and a dodge that can be used to dash through incoming attacks. You will be constantly shooting at bosses to damage them, but while shooting, you don't refill stamina which is needed for dashing. The game is solid and fun to play for a casual 'just beat every boss' experience.”
- “Alongside straightforward gameplay, sublimely themed arenas and backgrounds, and a classic soundtrack, this game is highly enjoyable for me.”
- “Amazing game! Although a few minor bugs and a particular boss that lacks a voice, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. It's fair, fun, and challenging, not too easy, and has many fun and unique mechanics, such as some bosses having different ways of attacking them, with achievements for those who want to push themselves further.”
- “Slightly clunky dodge mechanics, weird layout choices, slightly annoying design choices, inconsistencies with the explosion mechanic, random slowdowns on Steam Deck, lack of i-frames, and either boring or overly tedious fights.”
- “Much of what made it interesting has been removed, and though the aesthetic is definitely a lot better, I can't say the same for the gameplay.”
- “I try not to refund inexpensive games, but this game is so broken on a basic mechanical level.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
81%
6%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its intensity and ability to enhance the emotional experience during battles, with many noting that it effectively complements the unique themes of each boss fight. While some tracks may feel cut short, the overall soundtrack is considered solid and atmospheric, contributing significantly to the game's immersive quality. Players appreciate the sound design as a crucial element that not only sets the scene but also aids in gameplay by telegraphing attacks.
- “Very fun game with a good layer of polish and a great soundtrack.”
- “The sound effects are also fitting and the music outstanding - furnace and totem's, in particular, are just epic - just the sort of thundering backing you'll need!”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Music is intense to match the feeling of the battles.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The game's graphics feature a retro pixel art style that some players appreciate for its atmospheric and menacing design, particularly in boss encounters. However, the lack of resolution options and visual clutter in certain areas detracts from the overall experience. While not the most graphically advanced, the aesthetic is praised for its unique charm and alignment with the gameplay, making it a visually appealing title for fans of the genre.
- “The graphics are clean looking, I do love how menacing and just blighted looking each boss is. It sets an atmosphere that feels very dreary and dilapidated, which fits so well. However, some bosses have visual clutter, mostly Glass Master, where you can barely spot one of his attacks coming because everything from the background, floor, boss, and attacks are cyan colored, resulting in a bit of a mess.”
- “This is an amazing hidden gem, and I hope someday everyone talks about this game. The visuals are amazing, and I love every bit of it!”
- “The art style is fantastic, and aesthetically, the game nails it.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “Some bosses have visual clutter, mostly Glass Master, where you can barely spot one of his attacks coming because everything from the background, floor, boss, and attacks are cyan-colored, resulting in a mess.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game's story is a blend of minimalism and poetic themes, focusing on rebirth in a dying world and the player's role in confronting corrupt spirits. While some players found the narrative compelling and emotionally engaging, others felt it lacked depth, leading to mixed interest overall. Despite its challenges, many players enjoyed the story's impact on their gaming experience.
- “Anyway, it was hard, it was fun, it had a great story, it made me rip my hair out, it made my heart beat so fast doctors are now concerned about my new resting heart rate.”
- “But so far beating 5 of the story mode bosses, I am absolutely enjoying the game.”
- “Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
- “The story is minimal and surprisingly poetic: the world is dying and is begging to be born anew, so it's up to you to kill the corrupt spirits that keep this universe going.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, describing it as tedious and frustrating due to clunky mechanics and inconsistent design choices. While some players appreciate the challenge and excitement of eventually defeating bosses, many find the overall experience to be more boring than rewarding, especially when compared to the more engaging gameplay of the developer's previous title, "Mini Dead." Overall, the grinding aspect detracts from the enjoyment of the boss rush experience.
- “Difficult is definitely one way the game could be viewed, but I ended up finding it tedious more than anything.”
- “This game sucks if you think it's anything like their fun 'demo' game called Mini Dead. Unlike Mini Dead, where killing bosses is satisfying and fun, in Dead the bosses are boring and grindy. Mini Dead feels like it was made with passion, whereas Dead was made to make money, so do not buy this game if you want to play a fun boss rush game.”
- “I'm a huge fan of the boss battles in games, but I prefer when they cut out all the boring grinding and bring you straight to the front doorstep of all the boss battles you could ask for.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by clean graphics and a menacing, dilapidated aesthetic that enhances the overall experience, particularly during boss encounters. While the music and unique designs contribute to an immersive environment, some visual clutter, especially with the Glass Master, can detract from clarity. Overall, the combination of engaging lore and a captivating hub world makes for a compelling atmosphere.
- “Pros: the music for most of the bosses was atmospheric and fitting, really setting the scene for an intense confrontation; each boss was unique with their own themes, attacks, and designs; the lore really had me engrossed and led me to make a few theories; bosses Furnace and Glass Master stood out to me the most, really nice job on those two.”
- “With a sweet hub world and an incredible breathtaking atmosphere, it is well worth the $5.”
- “The graphics are clean looking, and I do love how menacing and blighted each boss looks. It sets an atmosphere that feels very dreary and dilapidated, which fits so well. However, some bosses have visual clutter, especially Glass Master, where you can barely spot one of his attacks coming because everything from the background, floor, boss, and attacks is cyan-colored, resulting in a mess.”
- “With an eerie atmosphere and plenty to do.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is praised for its strong design, particularly highlighting the appeal of the little spirit that players control.
- “I find the little spirit you control to be very well-designed in terms of character development.”
- “The character arcs are incredibly well-written, making each journey feel personal and impactful.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their backstories and motivations becoming clearer as the story progresses.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game offers high replayability due to multiple challenges for each boss and the inclusion of a hard mode, making it a recommended experience for players seeking to revisit the content.
- “High replayability value, definitely recommend.”
- “All the bosses have a couple of challenges to add replayability, as well as a hard mode for all of them.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably inconsistent, particularly with the dash ability, which can lead to frustrating moments where players either evade attacks or get hit despite clear dodges. Additionally, there are various bugs that affect gameplay, and players often find themselves relying on luck to avoid boss attacks, further highlighting the game's instability.
- “The dash is one of the most inconsistent abilities I've used in a game. There are times when I should have blatantly been hit, yet I dashed and the game was okay with it. Other times, I've dodged every single pixel of an attack and still got hit. No idea what's up with it, but it really got on my nerves after a while. Also, there's an option to toggle auto-shoot, which refills stamina between shots, giving a tactical advantage to holding the mouse button. The game generally has a lot of buggy issues too, so be warned.”
- “Most of the time, if you take the gamble, you'll have to run away until the boss is off-screen (now you can't see its pre-attack wind-up) and pray it does an attack that momentarily freezes its position.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users criticize the monetization of games made with Gamemaker Studio, often labeling them as retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs, suggesting a focus on profit over quality.
- “Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the emotional impact of instant deaths in the game, particularly feeling that many of their deaths stem from unfair mechanics, such as being killed by a boss's flash attack despite having full health. This leads to a sense of helplessness and disappointment, detracting from the overall emotional experience.