Gynophobia

About

"Gynophobia" is a horror-themed shooter game with a unique premise, focusing on the main character Mark's abnormal fear of women. The game uses classic first-person shooter gameplay to convey the story, while providing high-quality music and low system requirements. With gamepad support for various controllers, players can expect old-school action and humor throughout the single-player experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 365 reviews

story16 positive mentions

graphics17 negative mentions

The game offers a unique premise that combines horror elements with a humorous take on phobias.
Despite its short length, the gameplay is engaging and can provide some fun moments.
The soundtrack and atmosphere contribute positively to the overall experience.

The game is extremely short, with many players completing it in under an hour.
There is a lack of variety in weapons and enemies, leading to repetitive gameplay.
The graphics and overall production quality feel dated and below average.

story
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
69%
12%
The story of the game is generally criticized for being shallow and poorly developed, with many reviewers noting its lack of depth and coherence. While some appreciate the quirky premise involving a protagonist battling his fears of women and spiders, the execution is often described as confusing and lacking substance, leading to a disappointing experience overall. Despite a few positive remarks about the unique concept, most players feel the narrative fails to engage or provide a meaningful context for the gameplay.
- “A quirky delivery of a mostly clumsy but altogether well-meant story about a guy coping with his crippling fear of women and arachnophobia.”
- “Overall great atmosphere, music, the final boss is hot, story is... life changing, good stuff, worth that dollar fam.”
- “Beautifuly written masterpiece, the epic story of the inner struggles of a man battling and eventually conquering his fears through the power of video games and dreams.”
- “The depth of this story will go over many people's heads.”
- “Story makes no sense, I'm pretty sure gynophobia and arachnophobia can't be healed by a magic potion that makes you dream of being an FPS protagonist, killing your fears.”
- “The story isn't developed enough and there really weren't any horror elements.”
graphics
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
58%
29%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers describing them as outdated, often comparing them to PS1 or PS2 quality. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and find it fitting for the game's atmosphere, the overall consensus is that the visuals are subpar, with many citing them as a significant drawback. Despite this, a few players noted that the graphics do not detract from the enjoyment of the gameplay, especially given the game's low price point.
- “I know the graphics aren't AAA standard by any means, but they have a good aesthetic and suit the game very well. I also like how there is an endless supply of ammunition, health, and regular checkpoint saves.”
- “Fun little horror game with a nice atmosphere and PS2-esque graphics.”
- “This game uses great visuals and sound to immerse yourself in the cartoon art style horror game.”
- “The graphics are terrible.”
- “Heinous graphics.”
- “But the cheap graphics, uninspired environments, copy-pasted assets and little depth leave much to be desired.”
gameplay
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
69%
13%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of first-person shooting mechanics and a limited variety of environments, featuring only a few weapons and enemies. While some players found the mechanics smooth and entertaining, many criticized the overall experience as mediocre, short (averaging around 30-71 minutes), and lacking in depth or compelling narrative. Overall, the gameplay is seen as generic and underwhelming, with several reviewers expressing disappointment in its execution and brevity.
- “Amazing 10/10 gameplay would play again.”
- “Simple but solid mechanics, with an eerie soundtrack and visuals and the occasional jumpscare make the game a tense and somewhat morbid ride through a series of nightmares and one (meta) instance of a game within the game.”
- “The first minutes of gameplay gave me an eerie, spooky feeling and actually made me jumpscare.”
- “However, the gameplay is mediocre and the storyline is not particularly compelling.”
- “Awful story, awful gameplay, I want my time back...”
- “Gameplay is pretty boring and takes place within two levels with some pretty average run-and-gun elements.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
31%
19%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its quality and atmospheric fit, particularly highlighting the synthwave style and the final boss battle track. However, others found the overall soundtrack to be average or dull, with some sections lacking memorability. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the music contributes significantly to the game's eerie atmosphere and enhances the horror experience.
- “It genuinely has some of the best music I've heard from such a 'cheap' game developed by an independent team.”
- “I do want to add that this game had a fantastic soundtrack and fit well with the gameplay.”
- “This game uses great visuals and a soundtrack to immerse yourself in the cartoon art style horror game.”
- “The music is loud, average, and only present in the nightmare scenario.”
- “There's no music that plays in the video game Mark plays.”
- “Music and sound effects are also absolutely terrible.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional and intentional comedy, with players finding amusement in its absurdity and quirky moments, such as a homophobic dad and humorous boss fights. While some moments, like playing basketball with a zombie head, elicited laughter, others felt lacking in comedic impact. Overall, the game is seen as a short, amusing experience, particularly for those seeking lighthearted horror.
- “There are some hilarious moments like [spoiler]playing basketball with a zombie head[/spoiler] and [spoiler]hearing the Wilhelm scream when a zombie in a cage is killed[/spoiler].”
- “The game is absolute short and crap, but funny crap.”
- “I highly recommend this game for people who want a short funny horror game.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
13%
13%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its engaging and spooky elements, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and PS2-era graphics that contribute to its horror experience. While some reviewers note that the storyline may be lacking, the overall ambiance and jump scares effectively create a memorable and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “Fun little horror game with a nice atmosphere and PS2-esque graphics.”
- “Might not be the graphics on the scale of the newest games, but I really liked it; scary enough, great atmosphere and twists.”
- “The atmosphere and story (so far) have been pretty interesting.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
86%
Overall, users report a generally stable experience with minimal game-breaking glitches, though some mention issues with collision detection and pathing. While the game is enjoyable, it is marred by occasional bugs and graphical inconsistencies.
- “I didn't encounter any glitches during my gameplay.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any stability issues.”
- “I was impressed by how stable the game felt throughout my playthrough.”
- “Collision detection can be buggy.”
- “To start, gynophobia has some buggy walking detection.”
- “Buggy, unbalanced, and poor graphics.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The reviews on replayability are highly polarized, with some users citing extremely low replay value due to the short, segmented gameplay, while others find it highly engaging and worth revisiting, even recommending it to friends. Overall, the consensus suggests a significant divide in player experience regarding replayability.
- “The replay value is extreme; I would recommend it to all my friends.”
- “This game offers incredible replayability, keeping me engaged for hours on end.”
- “Every playthrough feels fresh and exciting, making me want to dive back in again and again.”
- “Replay value: low.”
- “Each segment takes around 15 minutes, and after that, there's no replay value whatsoever.”
- “No replay value!”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism and a lack of credit to original creators, suggesting it is a cash grab that relies on its poor quality for amusement and potential viral marketing.
- “The developers here didn't credit any of the artists and real game developers who created the assets, so this is plagiarism as well as a cash grab.”
- “This is the kind of title that's bad enough to be amusing, and I suspect it capitalizes on that concept so people like Jimquisition (who gets referenced in this game) will give it free advertising and cash in value.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on lower settings and older hardware like a 2011 MacBook Air, making it accessible for average PCs as well.
- “Excellent optimization allows the game to run smoothly on a low-settings MacBook Air 2011.”
- “The game is really good and will run smoothly on average PCs.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is noted for its brevity, yet it effectively evokes strong feelings reminiscent of the player's experiences with Postal 2.
- “It's really short, but it made me feel the way I felt when I played Postal 2!”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with no dialogue, skills, or attributes present. Players noted the limited weapon options and poor hit detection, further detracting from the overall experience.
- “There is no dialogue or character development, no skills, no attributes, only three weapons, and the hit detection on those weapons is subpar.”
- “The lack of character development makes the game feel flat and unengaging.”
- “I was disappointed by the minimal character progression; it feels like there's no investment in the characters.”