Gynophobia
- July 31, 2015
- Gua
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique concept that explores the fears of women and spiders, providing an interesting narrative.
- Despite its short length, the gameplay is engaging and offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of old-school shooters.
- The soundtrack is surprisingly good for an indie game, enhancing the overall atmosphere.
- The game is extremely short, with most players completing it in under an hour, leading to disappointment regarding its value.
- Graphics and animations are subpar, often feeling dated and poorly executed, which detracts from the experience.
- There are significant gameplay issues, including bad AI, lack of checkpoints, and frustrating respawn mechanics.
- story144 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally viewed as shallow and poorly executed, with many players finding it confusing and lacking depth. While some appreciate the quirky premise involving phobias, the narrative is often described as simplistic and disjointed, failing to provide a compelling or coherent experience. Overall, the game's brief length and lack of substantial storytelling leave many players disappointed, though a few find humor and charm in its unconventional approach.
“A quirky delivery of a mostly clumsy but altogether well-meant story about a guy coping with his crippling fear of women and arachnophobia.”
“However, you can tell the creator put time and care into generating a very interesting story.”
“I don't want to spoil anything but the story is interesting and how it tells it is even better.”
“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.”
“There is no story to speak of.”
- graphics86 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers describing them as outdated, comparable to PS1 or PS2 standards, and often "terrible" or "cheap." While some players appreciate the retro aesthetic and atmospheric fit of the visuals, others find them unpolished and lacking detail, detracting from the overall experience. Despite the criticisms, a few users noted that the graphics do not significantly impact gameplay enjoyment, especially in a fast-paced context.
“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 is a short, unusual game that has graphics (on its very best setting) comparable to Half-Life 1.”
“Plus... the graphics are horrible.....”
“The graphics are terrible.”
“Poor graphics, even at highest resolutions.”
- gameplay80 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of first-person shooting mechanics and a limited variety of environments, featuring three weapons and multiple locations with different enemies. However, many players find the overall experience to be mediocre, with complaints about short playtime, lack of engaging mechanics, and a weak storyline. While some appreciate the smooth controls and nostalgic feel, the game is often criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth, making it feel more like a rushed project than a fully realized experience.
“It has 3 weapons with multiple locations, each featuring different enemies and new gameplay mechanics.”
“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.”
“Gameplay was smooth, zombies, and a little horror.”
“However, the gameplay is mediocre and the storyline is not particularly compelling.”
“Awful story, awful gameplay, I want my time back...”
“To whoever wants to play this game, it's not worth your time. It's legit 25 minutes from start to end, and I had zero idea what to do. There is no story; screenshots made it seem like at least an hour of gameplay, but come on, less than a half hour?”
- music26 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and atmosphere, particularly the synthwave-inspired soundtrack and the final boss battle music. However, some players noted that the music is often loud and average, with memorable tracks being few and far between, and sound effects being criticized as terrible. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the eerie atmosphere and complements the horror elements, its inconsistency and limited presence in certain scenarios detract from the experience.
“It genuinely has some of the best music I've heard from such a 'cheap' game developed by an independent team.”
“This game uses great visuals and a soundtrack to immerse yourself in the cartoon art style horror game.”
“Simple but solid mechanics, with an eerie soundtrack and visuals, and the occasional jump scare make the game a tense and somewhat morbid ride through a series of nightmares.”
“The music is loud, average, and only present in the nightmare scenario.”
“Music and sound effects are also absolutely terrible.”
“There's no music that plays in the video game Mark plays.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as hit-or-miss, with some players finding it amusing due to its absurdity and unique moments, such as playing basketball with a zombie head and the Wilhelm scream. However, others felt that the humor fell flat at times, leading to mixed reactions about its comedic value. Overall, it seems to provide a few laughs, particularly for those seeking a short, quirky horror experience, but may not satisfy everyone’s expectations for humor.
“There are some hilarious moments like [spoiler]playing basketball with a zombie head[/spoiler] and [spoiler]hearing Wilhelm scream when a zombie in a cage is killed[/spoiler].”
“I highly recommend this game for people who want a short, funny horror game.”
“This was a really unique game; at first, I thought the concept and title were funny.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its engaging music and effective horror elements, creating a fun and immersive experience despite its PS2-era graphics. While the storyline may be lacking, players appreciate the jump scares and overall ambiance, making it a worthwhile experience for horror fans.
“Fun little horror game with a nice atmosphere and PS2-esque graphics.”
“I admit that the storyline is slightly lacking, but if you go in with the mindset that the game is meant to be a jump scare-based horror game, then the fun of these scares and the atmosphere made by the soundtrack (not the one in the trailer) makes up for the lacking story.”
“The atmosphere and story (so far) have been pretty interesting.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits stability issues, with users reporting buggy mechanics and unbalanced gameplay, though none encountered game-breaking glitches. While the experience is enjoyable, it is marred by graphical problems and inconsistent walking detection.
“Buggy, unbalanced, poor graphics.”
“To start, the game has some buggy walking detection.”
“Good...but buggy.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The reviews on replayability are highly polarized, with some users citing extremely low replay value due to the short 15-minute segments, while others find it exceptionally high and engaging enough to recommend to friends. Overall, the game's replayability appears to vary significantly among players.
“Replay value: low”
“Each segment takes around 15 minutes each, and after that, there's no replay value whatsoever.”
“Replay value: low”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, allowing it to run smoothly on low settings even on older hardware, such as a 2011 MacBook Air.
“Excellent optimization; I played on low settings on a MacBook Air 2011.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional impact of the game to be significant despite its short length, evoking strong feelings reminiscent of their experiences with Postal 2.
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game appears to exploit its own poor quality for comedic value, potentially attracting attention from influencers like Jimquisition, which may lead to free advertising and increased revenue.
“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.”
