Dead Age

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,394 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dead Age Game Cover
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Dead Age is a survival RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Manage a group of survivors, scavenge for resources, and navigate through randomized scenarios and permadeath. Make difficult decisions that can alter the story and outcome of your group's survival.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,394 reviews
story182 positive mentions
grinding114 negative mentions
  • Engaging camp management and resource allocation mechanics that add depth to gameplay.
  • Turn-based combat system that allows for strategic planning and character development.
  • Randomized events and character interactions provide replayability and keep the experience fresh.
  • Repetitive combat and grinding can lead to boredom over time.
  • Clunky user interface that makes navigation and management cumbersome.
  • Limited variety in enemies and quests, leading to a lack of excitement in gameplay.
  • story854 mentions

    The story in "Dead Age" is generally perceived as generic and uninspired, often following typical zombie apocalypse tropes without significant depth or character development. While some players appreciate the non-linear elements and the potential for varied outcomes based on choices, many find the missions repetitive and the dialogue flat, leading to a lack of emotional engagement with the characters and plot. Overall, the narrative serves its purpose but fails to elevate the gameplay experience, leaving it feeling shallow and lacking in originality.

    • “The story is interesting enough to keep you entertained reading the captions day after day for the first playthroughs.”
    • “I love the storytelling, but the fighting is just too much.”
    • “The turn-based combat keeps you on edge as you strategize each move, while the engaging storyline and impactful choices create a sense of urgency and emotional investment.”
    • “The story is shallow and generic, and there’s nothing to really tie me to any of the characters or the world.”
    • “The dialogue can feel flat and uninspired, and the overall plot progression may lack depth and emotional resonance.”
    • “The story is incoherent, what happens in fights doesn't translate to the storyline, the interface is clunky and its parts are poorly connected, and the text from the quests will completely contradict what you were told before beginning the quest.”
  • gameplay414 mentions

    The gameplay of "Dead Age" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive nature and grindy mechanics, which can lead to boredom over time. While the turn-based combat and resource management elements are appreciated for their simplicity and potential for strategic depth, they often feel shallow and lack variety, resulting in a tedious experience. Despite some enjoyable aspects and a decent replayability factor, the overall consensus suggests that the game struggles with monotony and could benefit from more engaging mechanics and improved variety.

    • “The gameplay is fun at the start; you have a camp with survivors which you can assign to different jobs (crafting, hunting, and camp defense), and also you have a map where you explore different zones and do missions.”
    • “The survival aspect adds tension and urgency to the gameplay, creating a sense of vulnerability and challenge.”
    • “With its challenging gameplay, intense atmosphere, and unpredictable events, Dead Age offers an immersive zombie survival experience that will keep you hooked until the last undead threat is vanquished.”
    • “The gameplay is sluggish and boring; after a while, it gets repetitive.”
    • “The core mechanics can become monotonous over time, with a cycle of scavenging, managing resources, and engaging in turn-based combat encounters.”
    • “The gameplay gets extremely repetitive and generally quite boring early on.”
  • graphics268 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the comic book art style and decent visuals, while others criticize them as dated, basic, or lacking polish. Many users note that the graphics are not the main draw of the game, often describing them as functional but not impressive, with some animations feeling stiff or repetitive. Overall, while the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they are generally considered acceptable for an indie title, with a few standout elements that contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “Good game, good storyline, good graphics, able to run on my Surface Pro 9 with ease.”
    • “I really dig the art style and animations!”
    • “The graphics are nice and vibrant, but the characters and the antagonists themselves are just too campy, and not in the fun way, rather, in the generic way.”
    • “The graphics and animations are basic and lack polish, and the user interface can be clunky and unintuitive.”
    • “The graphics could be made in the early 2000s.”
    • “The graphics are not great (looks like a game from the late 90s), but the game uses a ton of power for the ridiculous and over the top bloom effects, so my 1070 is running flat out to get full fps.”
  • grinding115 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players finding the turn-based combat dull and lacking in engagement. While some appreciate the basic gameplay loop and resource management elements, the overwhelming consensus is that the excessive grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment, making it feel like a chore rather than a rewarding experience. Players recommend approaching the game with caution, especially if they dislike grind-heavy mechanics.

    • “Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
    • “There's a lot going for this game, but I can't recommend it because the meat of the game is boring and shallow grinding through battles.”
    • “Has a decent basic gameplay loop, but the repetitive grinding is a chore and by the end you'll be bored to tears with it.”
    • “The heart and soul of the game is grinding, which is not something I'm fond of unless there's some other payout (e.g. character development, story arc, etc).”
  • replayability94 mentions

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth and variety due to impactful choices, random events, and multiple character roles that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, others criticize its linearity and repetitive elements, suggesting that once the main story is completed, the incentive to replay diminishes significantly. Overall, while there are elements that enhance replay value, many players feel it ultimately lacks sufficient content to sustain long-term engagement.

    • “The consequences of these decisions can be far-reaching and affect the overall progression, adding depth and replayability to the gameplay experience.”
    • “With lots of unlockable roles, there is no end to the replayability!”
    • “Random quest chains, survivors, events, supplies, and so on give each playthrough a different twist and add to the replayability.”
    • “There's no replayability; it's linear.”
    • “The campaign can be completed in less than 50 hours with more than 85% achievements. After four attempts (the game can be finished in three, and less time, perfectly), it has no replay value because the main events are always the same, and the player knows what will happen and when.”
    • “Yet after one playthrough, you've pretty much seen it all, so there is no replay value.”
  • music65 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as decent and fitting, with each zone having its own theme; however, it quickly becomes repetitive and forgettable for many players. While some appreciate the atmospheric qualities and variety in certain tracks, others recommend muting the game and listening to external soundtracks instead. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a mixed bag, with some praising its ambiance while others criticize its lack of memorability and variation.

    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal.”
    • “From the haunting moans of zombies to the heart-pounding music during intense encounters, the sound elements contribute to the game's suspenseful experience.”
    • “Animation and graphics make the apocalypse look sexy and the musical soundtrack perfectly fitted the armageddon scene.”
    • “The background music sounds awful as if it's very highly compressed.”
    • “From its uninspired aesthetics to the incredibly annoying looped music, it's a complete turn-off right from the start.”
    • “The music is forgettable (a blessing since it repeats constantly).”
  • stability25 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting occasional glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with quests and animations. While some players experience minimal problems and find the game runs well, others highlight significant stability concerns, particularly in early access. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization to enhance its stability.

    • “First of all, it runs great on GNU/Linux.”
    • “Bug-free at least until the point where I am at the moment.”
    • “Considering it's early access, it's remarkably bug-free.”
    • “The performance optimization could be improved, as the game may experience occasional glitches and crashes.”
    • “Further to that though, and the reason why I honestly can't recommend it after a few more hours of gameplay - your playthroughs will always end prematurely, no matter what you do, because the quests are buggy as hell.”
    • “Awful UI and extremely buggy.”
  • atmosphere25 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its immersive qualities, effectively conveying a sense of urgency and tension appropriate for a zombie survival setting. While some players appreciate the detailed aesthetics and sound design that enhance the experience, others criticize the lack of engaging character dynamics and the simplistic mechanics that detract from the overall immersion. Overall, the game succeeds in creating a compelling atmosphere, though it may not innovate significantly within the genre.

    • “The atmosphere is appropriate for the subject at hand and really gives you a sense of urgency to get the job done.”
    • “With its challenging gameplay, intense atmosphere, and unpredictable events, Dead Age offers an immersive zombie survival experience that will keep you hooked until the last undead threat is vanquished.”
    • “The sound design in Dead Age adds to the overall atmosphere of desperation and tension.”
    • “However, background designs don't enhance the overall atmosphere due to in-game mob designs.”
    • “I see no redeeming qualities: the graphics are mediocre, the animations are simple, the 'story' is a badly written, American style 'shit happens, go deal with it' excuse, the mechanics are so simple that it's insulting the player's intellect, and the combat doesn't fit very well with the zombie atmosphere.”
    • “[*] Lack of atmosphere, characters have no soul, and the storyline is basic, no tension at all so far.”
  • character development24 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the depth and variety in building their survivors through different job and combat types, while others criticize the writing and forced interactions that detract from the experience. Although there are elements of interesting character arcs and replayability, many feel that the potential for deeper storytelling and character relationships is not fully realized. Overall, while the mechanics of character development are well-implemented, the execution in terms of dialogue and narrative leaves much to be desired.

    • “And it's disappointing because the itemization and character development is really well done; you have a lot of choice and decision-making.”
    • “The variety of items and the flow of character development, traits, skills, and attributes is very well achieved overall.”
    • “The characters each have decent depth, and I love their character development. I also appreciate that if you do something one of your fellow survivors isn't a fan of, they'll actually become unusable for a day or two.”
    • “While the game attempts to create a compelling story with branching paths and character relationships, the writing and character development fall short of their potential.”
    • “The dialogue just doesn't seem believable to me, and at the start of seemingly every single day will be more forced character development and forced romantic happenings and quests/jobs to do.”
    • “The mechanics are clunky and unreliable, the combat is atrocious, the soundtrack will drive you insane in an hour or less, the missions and character interactions are laughable and terribly done and forced, and there is 0% character development for any of them.”
  • optimization22 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting smooth performance on specific systems, while others experience significant glitches, crashes, and slow loading times. Many players note that the game feels poorly optimized for various hardware configurations, particularly on Linux, and that it requires further balancing and bug fixing to enhance the overall experience. Despite these issues, a few users have managed to achieve stable frame rates, indicating that performance may vary widely depending on the setup.

    • “It runs smoothly under Steam on Xubuntu 22.04.”
    • “No performance differences between Sandy Bridge, Haswell, and Kaby Lake Intel processors.”
    • “Judging by the Steam community hub, the developers are active with any consumer query, and performance is rock solid.”
    • “The performance optimization could be improved, as the game may experience occasional glitches and crashes.”
    • “Extremely poor optimization for a point and click game.”
    • “Had such potential, but so poorly optimized for different computers.”
  • humor15 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding enjoyment in the absurdity of scenarios, such as punching zombies and quirky character interactions. While some appreciate the comedic elements and engaging narrative, others criticize the humor for being overshadowed by gameplay frustrations and repetitive content. Overall, the humor can be entertaining but may not resonate with everyone due to the game's complexity and balance issues.

    • “It's very funny to punch a zombie to death and see them do a 360 flip in the air.”
    • “Funny, challenging, surprisingly addictive.”
    • “The quest and narrative is funny and engaging.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the engaging storyline and impactful choices that create a sense of urgency, others criticize the dialogue and plot for lacking depth and emotional resonance. The game is seen as a casual experience rather than a fully-fledged RPG with significant emotional investment, appealing more to those looking for lighthearted fun than profound storytelling.

    • “Already looking forward to Dead Age 2 and hopefully there are more wholesome interactions and more freedom in gameplay, less rushed I mean.”
    • “The turn-based combat keeps you on edge as you strategize each move, while the engaging storyline and impactful choices create a sense of urgency and emotional investment.”
    • “Imo though this is a fun little gem to kick back and relax, and if the phone rings or you need to stop in the middle, no big emotional or time investment lost.”
    • “The emotional moments felt forced and didn't resonate with me at all.”
    • “I found the character development lacking, which made it hard to connect emotionally.”
    • “The attempts at creating an emotional impact fell flat and felt cliché.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The game features no in-app purchases, allowing for straightforward progression without the interference of microtransactions, which is a refreshing change compared to typical offerings from larger companies. However, some players feel that the combat system is misleadingly marketed, as it relies on a frustrating action point system that can detract from the overall experience.

    • “No in-app purchases, very simple and it's easy to progress.”
    • “If this was a game made by one of the huge companies, they would've probably added some kind of microtransactions and made it barely playable, so kudos to you, Silent Dreams team!”
    • “The touted 'Final Fantasy-like combat' is a little disingenuous in its advertising; it's more like the superficial surface controls of any JRPG driven by a frustrating AP system that chokes the fighting sections into a monotonous war of attrition.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

Buy Dead Age

Play time

15hMedian play time
19hAverage play time
5-25hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 21 analyzed playthroughs

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