Endoparasitic

About

Endoparasitic is a single-player Horror Shooter game set in a lab, where you must survive as a partially devoured subject, preventing a parasite from consuming your body. The game features a fantastic story, gameplay, visuals, and soundtrack, with plenty of humor and grinding, despite some bugs. The atmosphere is dense, and it was made for Ludum Dare 48, with the objective of escaping the lab while infected.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,998 reviews

gameplay358 positive mentions

grinding36 negative mentions

Unique gameplay mechanics that create tension and immersion.
Satisfying gunplay and resource management, making every action feel impactful.
Interesting story and character development, with a cliffhanger that sets up for a sequel.

Final boss fight is frustrating and feels unbalanced compared to the rest of the game.
Some bugs and glitches, particularly with achievements not registering properly.
Game length is short, which may leave players wanting more content.

gameplay
768 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
51%
3%
The gameplay of "Endoparasitic" is characterized by its unique one-handed mechanics, requiring players to navigate, shoot, and reload using only the mouse, which creates a tense and immersive experience. While many players appreciate the innovative design and engaging combat, some express frustration with certain mechanics and enemy encounters, particularly towards the game's conclusion. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its creativity and challenge, making it a standout title in the survival horror genre, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and difficulty spikes.
- “The gameplay loop is incredibly unique, brilliantly designed, and absolutely exhilarating.”
- “The main mechanic of dragging yourself around and managing your weapons and inventory with one arm is very engaging; the gameplay loop is simple but demands some dexterity and skill.”
- “Endoparasitic is a unique survival horror game with excellent gameplay and story integration and surprisingly interesting writing for a game that's really all about dragging yourself around and shooting monsters!”
- “The final part of the game was terrible, gameplay-wise.”
- “Endoparasitic expects perfection after about an hour or two of gameplay, and it ruins the whole experience.”
- “This got pretty old about 10 minutes in and the game never really used its mechanics for anything new all the way to the end.”
story
394 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The story of "Endoparasitic" is described as intriguing and immersive, featuring a unique cosmic horror theme that captivates players despite its brevity, typically lasting around three to four hours. While some reviews highlight the engaging narrative delivered through logs and dialogue, others note that the plot can feel simplistic or underdeveloped, often ending on cliffhangers that leave players wanting more. Overall, the game successfully combines its gameplay mechanics with a compelling, albeit not groundbreaking, storyline that encourages exploration and sets the stage for potential sequels.
- “A very unique concept on its own, complemented by an intriguing and immersive plot regarding cosmic horror. I thoroughly enjoyed the game.”
- “Endoparasitic is definitely one of my favorite all-time survival horror indie games. It goes to show that even if something is short and sweet, it doesn't mean it can't be absolutely amazing and leave a lasting impression on you.”
- “The story is also quite engaging, with you finding different bits and pieces of it on monitors or notes that have been left around the station, giving more insight into the situation and the origin of these parasites.”
- “The worst part of the game is the 'story' and writing.”
- “Not to mention the story isn't even complete, nor is it very interesting in the first place.”
- “Overall, not worth $10, a waste of a few hours for a story that could've been told a better way.”
music
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
6%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the quality of the tracks when they do appear, describing them as phenomenal and fitting for the game's atmosphere. However, players have noted that the soundtrack is underutilized, often disappearing during gameplay and only playing at specific moments, leading to a predominantly silent experience that some found awkward. Overall, while the music is well-crafted, its sporadic use and lack of ambient sound detract from the overall immersion.
- “The soundtrack for this game is phenomenal, only issue is that we don't get to hear it more than like four times.”
- “The music is really well made despite having just a few tracks.”
- “The music is good too to go along with your one-armed adventure, keeping you feeling suspenseful and anxious or maybe just find yourself thumping to the music!”
- “While environmental sound effects designed to indicate enemy positions do add a layer of realism and immersion, they also result in almost no background music throughout the game, with music suddenly starting at some levels, creating a stark and eerie contrast.”
- “A vast majority of this game is completely silent, and the few times they do use music it's rather short and doesn't loop, so you just get back to silence again.”
- “In terms of the bad, it's mainly just the atmosphere, and more specifically, the music, or rather lack thereof.”
atmosphere
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
36%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its ability to create a tense and immersive experience, characterized by minimalist art, effective sound design, and a sense of dread. Players appreciate the combination of challenging gameplay mechanics and a spooky ambiance that enhances the horror elements, although some note that the lack of ambient music can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully delivers a gripping atmosphere that keeps players engaged and on edge throughout their journey.
- “The gameplay and atmosphere alone easily make this one of the most inventive horror games in recent memory.”
- “The tension is unreal; reloading the gun manually, the little rats which jump out that test your reflexes and slowly dragging yourself across the floor all add to the unnerving atmosphere.”
- “Endoparasitic is an awesome game with a spooky atmosphere, great sound design, music, voice acting, epic graphics, and interesting mechanics that interconnect in interesting ways.”
- “What goes from being a really unique survival/horror title completely loses all of the atmosphere and experience once you have to reload twenty times to beat a small section because your accuracy for one of the thirty enemies wasn't exactly pixel-perfect.”
- “In terms of the bad, it's mainly just the atmosphere, and more specifically, the music, or rather lack thereof.”
- “It really took me out of the atmosphere of the game.”
graphics
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The graphics of "Endoparasitic" are characterized by a minimalist art style that, while simple and sometimes monotonous, effectively contributes to the game's atmosphere and gameplay. Many reviewers appreciate the clean, polished pixel art and the clever design that enhances the horror experience, despite some noting a lack of detail and occasional glitches. Overall, the visuals are deemed serviceable and fitting for the game's mechanics, making it a solid choice for fans of indie survival horror.
- “The art style is great in its simplicity and was visually appealing all the way through.”
- “Overall the graphics are great, I love the style, the atmosphere, and the limited weapons.”
- “Endoparasitic is an awesome game with a spooky atmosphere, great sound design/music/voice acting, epic graphics, and interesting mechanics that interconnect in interesting ways.”
- “I'd recommend this game if you can get over the basic graphics and are looking for a well-made survival horror experience.”
- “For most indie games, graphics are never the main selling point, but it's undeniable that the scenery in 'endoparasitic' is rather monotonous and far from detailed.”
- “The art style is the same generic indie-title pixel art style that's been used in plenty of other indie titles, which, to me, looks like a lack of effort in every detail, especially character design.”
grinding
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
3%
95%
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be both tedious and enjoyable, with players noting that while certain mechanics, like manual reloading and navigating levels, start off interesting, they often become frustrating and repetitive, especially towards the end. Many players appreciate the initial challenge but feel that the gameplay loop drags on, leading to a loss of tension and excitement. Overall, the experience is described as a mix of fun and annoyance, with some elements feeling unnecessarily drawn out.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “One of the most tedious games I've ever played.”
- “However, the game has a few issues that kill any sense of fear or tension and instead turn the game into a tedious slog.”
- “It started off nice and interesting but by the end it just peters out into a frustrating and tedious gameplay loop.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
68%
18%
Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with many players noting its short length and lack of substantial post-main-story content. While some modes and difficulty settings offer a slight incentive to replay, the consensus is that the experience is enjoyable but not particularly deep in terms of replay value. Players may return for achievements or to relive the engaging gameplay, but it is generally seen as a one-time experience.
- “It's a very short game but fully worth it for its creativity and replay value.”
- “There's replayability with endemic mode, a very well-crafted story, and fun gameplay that makes you actually think about when to reload instead of just pressing one button.”
- “I'm always super excited to dive back into Endoparasitic even after dropping it; it's tense and I always find myself wanting to beat it faster than my last playthrough.”
- “It's fun, but it's pretty easy and not very replayable.”
- “Survival mode isn't replayable, so there's not much there after you get every upgrade and gun.”
- “Sadly, there's not much replayability in the form of any kind of post-main-story content, but the gameplay is so nice that I might just replay it anyway.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
5%
91%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with some players experiencing significant bugs and glitches, particularly in later levels, while others report smooth performance with minimal issues. Although there are occasional text errors and micro-freezes, most users found the game enjoyable despite its instability. Overall, while the game has its share of bugs, they are generally not game-breaking and do not detract significantly from the overall experience.
- “As far as issues go, the game ran fine for me (with specs well above the required), with no glitches, bugs, or slowdowns.”
- “Just barely yes, the excitement of dodging monsters and quick-drawing rats is barely enough to make you forget how buggy this game is.”
- “I'm not leaving a negative review because I don't like the game; it's more of a sign of protest of how buggy this game is. Some of the later stages feel like they weren't even play tested or are there just to mess with you.”
- “The only nitpicks I have are that it would be awesome to see spent shells and cartridges outside of the inventory screen, which itself was a cool touch. Running this at a high framerate is a very inconsistent experience, with practically only the mouse cursor actually at your native refresh rate. Achievements don't save and apply on Steam, with a restart causing them to reset in-game. I did have micro-freezes while playing in the later levels, but that stopped occurring in the final levels.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
10%
The game is noted for its humor, particularly through its quirky one-armed protagonist and the comedic voice acting, which adds a layer of irony to the survival horror experience. Players appreciate the blend of fun mechanics and humorous elements, although some found the difficulty frustrating enough to temporarily halt their progress. Overall, the humor is seen as a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal.
- “It expresses the funny irony that is inherent to all survival horror games, the heightened giddy nervousness of the person who is willfully subjecting themselves to something that they might come to regret.”
- “Very funny game.”
- “Funny meme voice man is here.”
- “Was it supposed to be funny?”
- “Was it supposed to be funny?”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game is praised for its smooth performance, with players reporting no glitches or bugs during gameplay. The optimization contributes to a satisfying experience, particularly in gunplay and sound design, leading to an overall positive reception.
- “When it comes to performance, it ran really smooth and I didn't run into any glitches or bugs throughout my playtime.”
- “I got the game and everything runs smoothly; I find the gunplay unique and the satisfying sound is nice. Overall, it's about an 8/10.”
- “Also loved hearing Gianni too; the unscrupulous scientist as a protagonist was a really fun touch, and his performance really sold it.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotionally resonant story that highlights the capabilities of differently abled individuals, creating a touching narrative experience. Players appreciate the pacing of emotional encounters, particularly in the final levels, though some express a desire for more moments that evoke genuine struggle. The ability to play with one hand enhances the connection to the main character, further enriching the emotional experience.
- “Truly a touching story about how the differently abled in society are just as capable as the rest of us, if not more in some cases.”
- “It's of course best this type of encounter didn't last the entire game, but paced into the final few levels feels perfect, and I wish there were more segments in the endoparasitic that actually made me feel like I was genuinely struggling.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviews indicate that the character development is hindered by a generic pixel art style commonly seen in indie games, leading to perceptions of a lack of effort in character design. This sameness detracts from the uniqueness and depth of the characters.
- “The art style is the same generic indie-title pixel art style that's been used in plenty of other indie titles, which, to me, looks like a lack of effort in every detail, especially character design.”