HAYAI

About

"HAYAI" is a single-player action game with stunning gameplay featuring five Ronin fighting for survival in an endless arena. Utilize a unique mouse-based combat system to kill enemies in one hit, but be cautious as you can also be defeated instantly. Challenge yourself with frenetic combo systems, leaderboards, and achievements, and enhance your experience with drawing tablet support.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 140 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and satisfying gameplay mechanic where players can draw paths to slash through enemies, making it both engaging and addictive.
Each of the five characters has distinct abilities, providing variety and encouraging players to experiment with different playstyles.
It's a great value for the price, delivering a fun arcade experience that is easy to pick up and play in short sessions.

The game is quite short, with many players completing all achievements in under an hour, leading to concerns about replayability.
Some players have reported issues with hit detection and responsiveness, particularly with certain characters, which can detract from the overall experience.
There is a lack of depth in terms of content and mechanics, with some reviewers feeling it could benefit from additional features or a more gradual difficulty curve.

gameplay
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
64%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet addictive mechanics, centered around a unique time-slowing slash mechanic that allows for varied playstyles through five distinct characters. While the game offers a fast-paced arcade experience with a focus on high scores, some players feel it may lack depth for those not chasing achievements, resulting in a relatively short playtime. Overall, the combination of satisfying mechanics, appealing visuals, and character diversity creates an engaging experience that many find enjoyable and worth the price.
- “The mechanics and character differences add so much nuance that the single screen and four enemy types don't feel limiting but instead a strong backbone for each run.”
- “What looks like a straightforward high score chaser on the outside hides an extremely satisfying and addicting hack and slash gameplay with great visuals to match.”
- “Short but sweet, the simple mechanics work well in this style, playing as a ronin doing the famed anime sword strike in a single instant, playing off of that very concept in different ways with the 5 unique characters was very refreshing to see in a game!”
- “Unfortunately, unless you're a score freak like me, you'll get maybe 20 minutes of gameplay for this glorified demo with only five characters and five very easy achievements for each of them.”
- “The gameplay loop may only appeal to people who are high score chasers.”
- “It's core simple gameplay helps with its replayability, and it feels like maybe after 30 minutes to an hour you might put it down.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stylish and minimalist design, featuring a striking monochrome and red palette that enhances the overall aesthetic. Players appreciate the combination of visuals and sound effects, which contribute to an engaging and satisfying gameplay experience. The art style not only captivates but also complements the fast-paced action, making it visually appealing and immersive.
- “The art style really draws you into the action.”
- “With the monochrome and red palette, the art style of Hayai is very stylistic in the way it is presented visually, together with its audio.”
- “The simplistic black and white art style is fantastic, and the splashes of red appearing as trails and explosions add a nice visual contrast, as well as a clear indication that you have in fact killed someone.”
- “The graphics are quite disappointing, lacking detail and depth, which makes the game feel outdated.”
- “While the art style has potential, the execution falls flat, resulting in visuals that feel bland and uninspired.”
- “The character models are poorly designed, and the environments lack any real creativity, making the overall experience visually unappealing.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The music in the game is described as simple yet catchy, with some users noting it can be slightly repetitive, particularly during combat. Overall, it is considered invigorating and complements the game's tactile feel, contributing positively to the overall experience alongside solid visuals and gameplay.
- “Art direction is superb, music is invigorating.”
- “Solid visuals, solid gameplay, solid music and art design; if you're thinking about picking up this game at all, just go for it!”
- “The music is slightly repetitive.”
- “The music is simple but earwormy, and the sound effects really amplify the intensely tactile feel.”
- “The music is solid, but it lacks variety.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers high replayability, particularly for players who enjoy skill challenges and striving for leaderboard rankings, despite being able to complete achievements in a short time. Its engaging gameplay encourages repeated sessions, making it a compelling experience for those seeking to improve their skills.
- “You can get all the achievements in a short timeframe, but leaderboards keep it replayable.”
- “A perfect 30 minutes of obsessive, violent glee, and absolutely replayable, especially if you're prone to 'git gud' skill challenges.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating, particularly due to unresponsiveness during fast-paced action, which detracts from the overall experience. While it may appeal to those seeking easy achievements, it can be annoying for others.
- “It might be nice for people who are grinding for easy achievements, but in a game where fast action is required, it's quite annoying when the game is unresponsive.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “I find the grinding mechanics to be overly repetitive, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is praised for its humorous presentation of difficulty, providing a fun experience despite limited content. Players appreciate the minimalist graphics and the adrenaline rush from dodging and strategizing, even though the characters share similar attack styles.
- “A fun little game that presents its challenges in a humorous way. The characters may have similar attack styles, but they play differently, adding to the comedic experience.”
- “The game is graphically pleasing with its minimalism, and it can provide a humorous adrenaline boost when you find yourself in a tricky situation, forcing you to think quickly and act.”
- “It's a lighthearted game that combines humor with gameplay, making even the most challenging moments enjoyable.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The Mac version of the game is reported to have stability issues, with users experiencing bugs that prevent access to the options menu.
- “I think the Mac version is still buggy; I cannot access the options menu.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “There are constant glitches that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players have noted that while the game is enjoyable, there are significant frame drops during and after certain attacks, indicating a need for optimization updates to improve performance.
- “I would like to see some optimization updates for him, as the frame drops after and during his attacks are kind of rough, but it's still fun and playable.”
- “The game runs smoothly most of the time, but occasional optimization issues can disrupt the experience.”
- “Overall, the optimization is decent, but there are moments where performance could be improved for a more seamless gameplay experience.”
- “I would like to see some optimization updates for him, as the frame drops after and during his attacks are quite rough, but it's still fun and playable.”
- “The game suffers from significant performance issues, especially during intense battles where the frame rate drops drastically.”
- “Optimization is sorely needed; the lag during gameplay makes it difficult to enjoy the experience fully.”