Evil Tonight

About

Evil Tonight is a single player survival shooter game with horror, fantasy and mystery themes. It was developed by DYA Games and was released on October 14, 2021. It received positive reviews from players.

"Evil Tonight" is a survival horror game where players must navigate a haunted house and survive the night. Using stealth and puzzle-solving, players try to avoid being caught by the vengeful spirits that inhabit the house. With permadeath and limited resources, each playthrough presents a new challenge as you uncover the dark secrets of the house.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 376 reviews

story44 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Gorgeous pixel art and animations that create a captivating atmosphere.
Engaging gameplay that combines resource management, puzzle-solving, and action elements reminiscent of classic survival horror games.
Charming characters and humorous dialogue that add a light-hearted touch to the overall experience.

Lack of an in-game map, making navigation and backtracking frustrating at times.
Combat can feel repetitive and enemies may be damage sponges, leading to tedious encounters.
Some players may find the main character's dialogue and personality grating or overly self-referential.

story
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-executed, while others criticize it as clichéd or lacking depth. Many appreciate the balance of lightheartedness and darker themes, though the writing and character development often feel simplistic or silly. Overall, while the narrative may not be the game's strongest aspect, it still manages to provide an enjoyable backdrop to the gameplay experience.
- “Evil Tonight is a masterful survival horror with phenomenal background music, astonishingly pretty environments, gripping boss fights, and a wonderfully interesting little story to boot.”
- “The story is simple and still easy to emotionally involve without being too overt, and there's a lot of context given in diary entries and such.”
- “This game, in my own opinion, was very rewarding and fun; the gameplay, storyline, presentation, and conclusion were all well executed.”
- “The story and the setting failed to capture my interest.”
- “All the game gives you in the way of an introduction is to suggest a cliched haunted manor horror story setup, and before you are presented with any actual novel mystery that might draw you in, you are quickly thrown into the action.”
- “The story on the other hand is very bizarre – it’s seemingly written as a comedy, but this is in complete contrast to the atmosphere, sound design and all the notes that piece together the plot which are clearly going for a straight horror experience.”
gameplay
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The gameplay of "Evil Tonight" is a unique blend of survival horror and action RPG elements, presented in a charming top-down pixel art style reminiscent of SNES games. Players engage in challenging exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat against a variety of creatively designed enemies and bosses, though the lack of a map can lead to tedious backtracking. Overall, the game is praised for its fluid controls, engaging mechanics, and rewarding gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding difficulty and resource management.
- “Evil Tonight embraces its action RPG look with survival horror gameplay and adds enemies that could only be thought of in a top-down game.”
- “The gameplay is definitely where the game shines.”
- “Evil Tonight is a fantastic top-down 2D survival horror adventure with gorgeous pixel art and satisfying resource-management gameplay.”
- “There is no map in the game and most of the gameplay will be you trying to find the right room where there was an item.”
- “The game starts off a bit too lively, with the main character's jokes that contrast with the game's name, and soon the player is thrown into the gameplay without much explanation as to why.”
- “But something I just can't get over is the conflicting gameplay.”
graphics
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning 16-bit pixel art style, reminiscent of classic SNES titles, with detailed animations that enhance character and monster personalities. Players appreciate the charming visuals and atmospheric design, which effectively evoke nostalgia while contributing to the overall immersive experience. However, some users recommend adjusting the default graphics settings to avoid a softening effect that detracts from the visual quality.
- “Perfect recreation of the SNES era graphics; the game looks beautiful, the sprites are detailed and perfectly animated to give each character and monster a distinct personality and screen presence.”
- “The artwork really manages to nail down the atmosphere of the game.”
- “I enjoyed every moment; the art style is impressive, I loved the pixel art, the environment, ambiance including the scenery, lighting, and music.”
- “Make sure to turn off the graphics softening that's on by default for some reason.”
- “Firstly, I love the look of the game (if the softening option is turned off in the graphical settings) and the sound design is nice enough, but the auto lock on is just totally pointless and combat is tedious with spongy enemies even down to the lowliest of mobs to the point of just being a patience test and my not wanting to play anymore.”
- “The pixel graphics are very reminiscent of late 16-bit/early 32-bit, and they even managed to capture the feel of that 90's-era localization nostalgia with the dialogue.”
music
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
37%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its haunting and immersive quality, with many players highlighting the beautiful soundtrack and atmospheric sound effects that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers noted the exceptional attention to detail in sound design, including memorable boss battle tracks and effective use of silence to build tension. Overall, the music is described as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional depth.
- “I found myself listening to the soundtrack on YouTube, a soundscape of haunting and chilling but extremely immersive and, in many cases, even relaxing melodies (title screen and save room are my highlights - simply phenomenal).”
- “The music is beautiful and haunting and spooky; when there is no music, every single piece of the atmospheric sounds and sound effects are incredible and really sell the mood.”
- “The music and sound effects are done very well, presenting some very memorable tunes (especially the boss battle ones), an effective use of sound effects to scare the player, and setting the atmosphere through most of the game.”
- “Shame the story is pretty bland, and the music is almost non-existent.”
- “I'm not a musician, so I'm saying this with just blind intuition, the music is there, it's well made, but it isn't quite memorable.”
- “I'm not a musician, so I'm saying this with just blind intuition, the music is there, it's well made, but it isn't quite memorable.”
atmosphere
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
29%
4%
The atmosphere in "Evil Tonight" is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, enhanced by stunning pixel art and a well-crafted sound design that includes beautiful and eerie music. Reviewers note that the game successfully balances a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles while maintaining a tense and spooky environment, making it a standout in the survival horror genre. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as thick, engaging, and integral to the player's experience, contributing significantly to its appeal.
- “The music is beautiful and haunting and spooky; when there is no music, every single piece of the atmospheric sounds and sound effects are incredible and really sell the mood.”
- “Evil Tonight caught my attention when the visuals just reminded me so much of an old classic favorite, my favorite game of all time in fact, the adventures of Alundra. The nightmarish atmosphere and feel of the game ended up being nostalgic to me in the oddest of ways; the game oozes atmosphere like you wouldn't believe, had me pretty tense at a lot of times and even scared me a few times too.”
- “The pixel art is incredibly well done and the neat lighting effects really add to the mood and atmosphere of the game.”
- “The story, on the other hand, is very bizarre – it’s seemingly written as a comedy, but this is in complete contrast to the atmosphere, sound design, and all the notes that piece together the plot which are clearly going for a straight horror experience.”
- “The creaks and ambient noises also add to the heavy atmosphere of the game.”
- “The music and sound effects are done very well, presenting some very memorable tunes (especially the boss battle ones), an effective use of sound effects to scare the player, and setting the atmosphere through most of the game.”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, adding a light-hearted touch that contrasts with darker themes, though it may not resonate with everyone and can sometimes feel forced. Characters like the mischievous protagonist bring a mix of charm and wit, contributing to a blend of cheesy and engaging dialogue. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, making it enjoyable for fans of whimsical storytelling, despite some moments that may come off as annoying or out of place.
- “Tom-boyish in appearance, good-natured though mischievous, and often humorously confident, Silvia has some real character.”
- “Ps1-style games are an absolute joy to me, and this one stands a cut above the field for its excellent blend of humor and over-the-top villain.”
- “Gotta admit, I was genuinely afraid that the character was simply not going to work, but her no-bullshit attitude and humor actually grew on me!”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with combat described as unengaging due to spongy enemies and repetitive melee mechanics. Many reviewers express frustration with the lack of variety in weapons and the overall combat experience, which detracts from the enjoyment of the game. While some appreciate the game's aesthetics, the grinding elements lead to a sense of frustration rather than challenge.
- “The combat in the game does not feel enjoyable at all and most of the boss battles are tedious and unfun.”
- “Puzzles are tedious (one of them requiring brute force), combat is tedious, and the bosses are ponderous.”
- “Where other survival horrors promote skillful evasion and tactical dispatches, Evil Tonight seems to promote repetitive melee combat and tediously tippy-toeing through areas as its consistent method of resource management.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's replayability is mixed among players; while some find it offers significant replay value through achievements and challenges, others feel it is limited after completing the main story. The game is relatively short, taking around four hours to finish, and certain challenges, like no-save or no-healing runs, are suggested as ways to enhance replayability. Overall, it appeals to fans of the classic Resident Evil style, but opinions on its long-term replay value vary.
- “Especially, the main character, Silvia, has everything and just very few things to complain about that aren't worth mentioning since the things I enjoyed about the game outweigh the things that I didn't. It was a fantastic game from start to finish! It has a lot of replay value, too.”
- “There is some replayability due to achievements and challenges (some of which are hard to get).”
- “Replayability for me is low.”
- “I don't know if there's a lot of replay value after you beat the game, but I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of the old Resident Evil style.”
- “The whole thing shouldn’t take you more than four hours, and judging by the achievements, it seems like no-save or no-healing challenge runs are the intended replay value.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively balances a spooky atmosphere with emotional depth, allowing players to connect with the story through subtle storytelling and diary entries. While it features epic moments, such as exciting boss fights, some gameplay elements can detract from the emotional experience, making players feel like they're back in a classroom. Overall, the narrative is engaging and accessible, fostering emotional involvement without being overly dramatic.
- “Spooky enough to turn the academy into a place you don't want to be in, but that also knows how to be both epic (there are really cool boss fights in here) and emotional at the right times!”
- “The story is simple and still easy to emotionally involve in without being too overt, and there's a lot of context given in diary entries and such.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the monetization strategy, primarily through ads, detracts from the gaming experience by padding game time rather than enhancing it.
- “All these ads are just game time padding, not enhancing the experience in my opinion.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, with full gamepad support and smooth performance, earning high recommendations from users.
- “Metal Slug meets Resident Evil, with full gamepad support and runs great. Highly recommend.”
- “Metal Slug meets Resident Evil, with full gamepad support and runs great. Highly recommend.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is highlighted by impressive spritework, solid animations, and well-crafted character designs, contributing to a visually appealing and engaging experience.