Everhood

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 7,480 reviews
  • music
  • story
  • gameplay
Everhood Game Cover
An adventure that follows in the footsteps of Undertale but also dances to its own beat.
Starting at $1.33Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Epic Games Store

In "Everhood," become a wooden doll on a journey to retrieve your stolen arm from a blue gnome. Engage in music-based battles, explore a strange world, and conquer unexpected challenges with customizable difficulty. Be aware of potential photo-sensitive epilepsy triggers, adjustable in the accessibility menu. This 5-6 hour adventure offers many twists and visually striking experiences set to magical music.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 7,480 reviews
music1,441 positive mentions
grinding41 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique fighting system that combines rhythm and bullet hell mechanics, making battles engaging and challenging.
  • The soundtrack is outstanding, with every song being a banger that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • The visuals are trippy and colorful, creating a psychedelic atmosphere that complements the game's themes.
  • The story can feel disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters and their motivations.
  • The pacing is uneven, especially towards the end where the game feels drawn out with multiple fake endings.
  • Some players may find the visuals overwhelming, especially those sensitive to flashing lights, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • music2,614 mentions

    The music in *Everhood* is widely praised for its eclectic and engaging soundtrack, featuring a variety of genres that enhance the game's psychedelic visuals and unique gameplay. Many players highlight the music as a standout element, often describing it as "banger" and integral to the overall experience, even if the gameplay mechanics do not strictly align with traditional rhythm game expectations. While some critiques mention that the music can feel disconnected from the gameplay, the majority agree that the soundtrack is a significant draw, making it a memorable and enjoyable part of the game.

    • “The music is super funky and groovy.”
    • “The soundtrack is a banger, the story is good and the gameplay is fun!”
    • “The music is fantastic, the characters are fun and well fleshed out, and the way the story unfolds is really interesting.”
    • “The music really isn't that great for being a music battler; the boss battles are very similar, and the way you just fight and then just says try again doesn't feel like you accomplished anything.”
    • “It's set up like a rhythm game, in that you're limited to a five-lane note highway and every boss is timed to music, but that's where it ends; you don't move in time to the music, you just dodge the bullets as you see them.”
    • “The music is not quite what I had hoped it would be; considering music is a huge component in this game, I had hoped each and every song would be an absolute jam with a memorable melody.”
  • story1,823 mentions

    The story of Everhood has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its unique and psychedelic narrative that explores themes of life, death, and morality. While some found the characters engaging and the plot intriguing, others criticized it for being confusing, lacking depth, or feeling derivative of games like Undertale. Overall, the game is noted for its emotional impact and thought-provoking elements, though opinions vary on its execution and coherence.

    • “A wonderfully sincere story, cute characters, and some very unique art/music direction make Everhood unforgettable.”
    • “The story is insane; you just play and have fun until the story really starts.”
    • “The story is moving, charming, hilarious, and deadpan serious all at once.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional, and the tonal shifts and plot twists fall flat.”
    • “Biggest criticism would be that the story isn't really worth caring about.”
    • “The game kind of throws you into everything right away with zero context and no backstory.”
  • gameplay1,226 mentions

    The gameplay in Everhood is widely praised for its unique blend of rhythm and bullet-hell mechanics, offering a fun and challenging experience that evolves throughout the game. Players appreciate the engaging combat system, which introduces new mechanics and twists in each encounter, alongside a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. However, some critiques mention that the gameplay can feel repetitive or disconnected from the music at times, and the story may not resonate with everyone, but the core mechanics and visuals keep players invested.

    • “The gameplay, that being dodging, jumping, and deflecting musical notes, is really fun and unique, although I wouldn't call it a rhythm game.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and challenging with some insanely cool visuals.”
    • “The gameplay is fantastic, the writing is profound yet silly, and the visuals are absolutely banging.”
    • “I don't understand the praise for this game; there is zero attempt to ease you into its bullet hell mechanics. It starts off with one of the hardest fights, followed by ten too easy ones, then a borderline impossible one, and back to boring easy ones.”
    • “The gameplay isn't satisfying to me at all - I just feel like I'm jumping around in clunky ways to avoid clunky attacks. There's no snappiness to anything, leaving the experience just disappointing and frustrating.”
    • “The gameplay itself is rather boring and repetitive, and when it's not, it's trying to show off that the devs could do something technically but they didn’t think of whether they should, which sucks because it's the only gameplay you have.”
  • graphics589 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their unique and psychedelic style, often described as a blend of pixel art and trippy visual effects that enhance the gameplay experience. While some players find the visuals stunning and immersive, others note that they can be overwhelming or even headache-inducing at times, particularly during intense battle sequences. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, complementing the game's eclectic soundtrack and engaging mechanics.

    • “The visuals and effects throughout the fights are trippy and creative.”
    • “The characters are charming, the world is mysterious and interesting, the visual style is unlike anything I've ever seen (seamlessly blending 2D and 3D graphics), and of course the soundtrack is killer.”
    • “The visuals are simple but it will drag you in and immerse you at some points.”
    • “The visuals gave me more than one small headache, so sensitive eyes be warned.”
    • “The visuals, aside from a few standout moments, have had their priorities clearly placed into the battle system.”
    • “The visuals are overwhelming at times - to the point that one or two fights were very difficult to complete simply because of how wibbly-wobbly and colorful the screen gets.”
  • emotional297 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game has garnered a wide range of responses, with many players expressing that it made them cry or feel deeply moved. While some found the emotional moments impactful and touching, others felt that the lack of character development hindered their ability to connect with the story, resulting in emotional climaxes that fell flat. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster, blending humor and heartache, but opinions vary on its effectiveness in delivering a resonant emotional experience compared to similar titles like Undertale.

    • “This game made me cry.”
    • “Everhood is a surprisingly heartwarming experience about accepting death.”
    • “The story is fantastically heartbreaking, and playing it for the first time was magical.”
  • humor238 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as quirky and reminiscent of titles like *Undertale*, featuring a mix of genuinely funny moments and some that fall flat. Players appreciate the lovable characters and clever dialogue, which contribute to a light-hearted atmosphere, though some critiques mention that the humor can feel random or forced at times. Overall, while the humor may not resonate with everyone, it adds a unique charm to the game's engaging narrative and gameplay.

    • “The characters were fantastic, the jokes were genuinely funny, and everything just...connected.”
    • “The humor of this game is also really on point!”
    • “The dialogue is cleverly written, and it has absolutely made me laugh on a number of occasions.”
    • “You can't go 10 feet in this game without getting into a battle with no motive or reasoning behind it. The dialogue is unfunny, unrealistic, and forced, trying way too hard to be like Undertale. Also, the map design is lazy; it's just a black screen with some dots on the ground half the time. Don't waste your money on this.”
    • “The second part (big spoiler) where you have to kill everyone is, for me, not funny.”
  • replayability61 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability through multiple endings, a New Game+ mode, and various secrets that encourage players to explore different paths and challenges. While some players find the short length a drawback, many appreciate the engaging gameplay, customizable battles, and the potential for discovering new content with each playthrough. Overall, it is praised for its replay value, making it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy exploring all aspects of the game.

    • “Although the game is rather short, there are multiple endings and a New Game+ for people who want replayability.”
    • “Everything about this game I loved, the combat system, lore, the characters, and their personality, and even the style of it and how everything feels like an acid trip while playing this game was made flawlessly with a huge skill ceiling and not to even mention the huge amount of replayability in it with the different endings, custom fights, or just trying to perfect every fight.”
    • “The replayability, with the secrets, insane milestones, and no-hit achievements, alone is worth 10 dollars.”
    • “A more subjective problem is that the replay value that this game offers isn’t necessarily something I enjoy.”
    • “Keep in mind that it is a single-player game, and there is not much replay value.”
    • “Beyond its complex self-examination and replay value, it is not like Undertale.”
  • character development55 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as a weak point, with many reviewers noting that while the character designs are unique and visually appealing, they often lack depth and meaningful connections. Some players appreciated the distinct personalities of the characters, but felt that the limited exposition and dialogue hindered emotional engagement. Overall, while the game draws inspiration from titles like Undertale, it struggles to achieve the same level of character attachment and narrative depth.

    • “The character development and the story itself are engaging, and then the music makes you want to buy the soundtrack immediately.”
    • “Some RPGs are suited for exposition through long stretches of dialogue, but this game finds a way to weave character development into the songs/battles themselves.”
    • “Great characters (green mage all the way), awesome character development, and boy howdy the twist that hits you the first time you play it.”
    • “While the quirky character design fits the surreal setting, it's hard to connect with them on a deeper level.”
    • “The story, characters, and character designs feel like a failed attempt to reverse engineer Undertale.”
    • “There isn't really much character development beyond a few very small characters, and even so they only get a few lines.”
  • atmosphere54 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique and compelling qualities, often drawing comparisons to titles like Undertale and Yume Nikki. Reviewers highlight the effective use of music and distinct thematic areas that contribute to a surreal and immersive experience, although some note moments of silence and minimalistic visuals that can detract from immersion. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as trippy, engaging, and integral to its storytelling and emotional impact.

    • “The atmosphere is thick.”
    • “The atmosphere in general is amazingly trippy and unique.”
    • “Everhood, however, proves to be quite a refreshing journey that manages to keep the thoughtful elements one expects from the genre, but brings a whole new level of exciting atmosphere.”
    • “So you spend like 2-3 hours in this depressing atmosphere.”
    • “-lots of the backgrounds/environments are barren, or just straight up black, which definitely took away from the immersion factor/atmosphere at points.”
    • “Once you get to the hub area, though, the game's atmosphere loses its luster, as it almost looks like a dev room with its blank black background and randomly strewn door sprites.”
  • grinding50 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with many expressing frustration over repetitive battles, long fight durations, and the need for backtracking. While some enjoy the challenge of learning fight patterns, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind detracts from the overall experience, making it feel unnecessarily prolonged and frustrating, especially for those aiming for 100% completion. The game's design choices, such as maze-like maps and tedious achievement requirements, further contribute to this perception of grinding as a major flaw.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “For achievement hunters, the jump grinding is super tedious and some challenges are annoying to repeat due to a lot of downtime before it really starts.”
    • “Getting hit once in a 5-minute 'fight' means you have to restart from the beginning, and the first 3-4 minutes are tedious.”
    • “The game is challenging, fun, addictive, and sometimes tedious.”
  • optimization11 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end systems. However, some users have experienced performance issues, particularly during specific fights or later levels, leading to frustration. While the Switch port has some loading time concerns, most players find the game runs well on various platforms, suggesting a mixed but mostly positive optimization experience.

    • “Psychedelic experience with effects I've never seen being used in a game, with great performance and a masterful mix of 2D and 3D elements, as well as an interesting story with a deeper meaning than you might think at first.”
    • “(Also for the record, I have a potato laptop computer and Everhood runs great, so do not worry about performance unless you are playing on Windows 98 or something!)”
    • “[b]Performance:[/b] Overall very smooth.”
    • “In others, it's mainly overcharting that makes it feel frustrating to play and also caused issues with optimization.”
    • “People have complained of performance issues, but I am leaving this review after playing the Switch port, which played smoothly other than some awkwardly long loading times here and there.”
    • “I've had very few problems with overall performance, but there might be a small data leak or something.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with most players reporting only minor glitches that do not significantly impact gameplay. While some complex battles may introduce visual distortions, these issues are manageable and not game-breaking. Users with lower-end systems have also noted satisfactory performance, indicating that the game runs well across various setups.

    • “Even on my old laptop, Everhood runs great, so performance is not a concern unless you're using something like Windows 98!”
    • “There were no glitches, crashes, or bugs to speak of.”
    • “As you progress, you encounter more and more complex battles, some of which begin to distort the game itself and cause visual glitches - which you have to factor into your gameplay in order to win.”
    • “I guess the only thing would be custom battles; I've had a couple of glitches in that mode, nothing major though!”
    • “There are a few very small glitches here and there, nothing game-breaking.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

Buy Everhood

Play time

7hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
3-13hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News