Inexistence

About

Inexistence is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by JonathanBrassaud and was released on April 18, 2016. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Inexistence is a single-player fantasy platformer game with wonderful visuals and good music, but is very grinding and buggy. As Hald, embark on a quest to save your sister and maintain balance in the world by exploring a vast pixel art world, battling bosses, and customizing your stats and equipment. Discover hidden places and complete multiple difficulty levels in this Metroidvania-style game."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 180 reviews

story12 positive mentions

stability13 negative mentions

Inexistence offers a charming retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic 2D platformers, with enjoyable pixel art and a decent soundtrack.
The gameplay is straightforward and accessible, making it easy for players to pick up and enjoy, especially for fans of the Metroidvania genre.
Despite its short length, the game provides a fun experience with some interesting mechanics and collectibles, making it worth the low price.

The game is very short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with enemy AI and hit detection.
The story is minimal and can be confusing, with an ending that some players found unsatisfying or unsettling.

story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
64%
17%
The story of the game is widely criticized for being shallow, poorly written, and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it feels like an afterthought to the gameplay. While some appreciate the attempt at a plot twist, it is often described as disappointing and unearned, leaving players feeling that their efforts were ultimately futile. Overall, the narrative is seen as minimal and forgettable, failing to engage players or enhance the gaming experience.
- “The story ending left me speechless.”
- “I thought the art looked great, the controls were fluid, and it is clear that the developer was attempting to say something with the story, however sparse the exposition was.”
- “I really like the simple graphics, the story is surprisingly good for being simple and the ending is so sad, but fitting for how everything happened.”
- “Without giving you any direct spoilers, there's a plot twist that ruins the story entirely and makes all your efforts in the game absolutely futile.”
- “The story could be explained in two lines; the game is totally forgettable.”
- “The story is minimal and the ending is rather dark if you read into it.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
51%
21%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its lack of depth and polish, as well as persistent bugs that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the simplicity and charm of the mechanics, others criticize the clunky controls, bland level design, and overall shallow gameplay that fails to deliver on its promises. Despite some enjoyable moments, the consensus suggests that the game does not justify its price, especially when compared to other titles in the genre.
- “It's been a while since I played an indie game with such good gameplay!”
- “Gameplay is easy and fluid with great music.”
- “Great mechanics, simple narrative, just a nice relaxing rogue-like platformer.”
- “Adding that to the small amount of gameplay, the controls make the difficulty curve worse than it should be, and the fact that it doesn't deliver what is promised in comparison to other titles in the same category, I can't recommend this game.”
- “Gameplay is clunky and it's full of bugs.”
- “The combat is offensively bad, consisting of a one-two dodge mechanic for all encounters.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
45%
8%
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, featuring a retro pixel art style that some players find charming while others criticize for its inconsistency and lack of polish. While the visuals can evoke nostalgia for 16-bit games, they often suffer from simplistic designs and technical issues, leading to a lackluster overall quality. Despite these shortcomings, some players appreciate the cute aesthetics and enjoyable environments, though the graphics may not meet the expectations of those seeking contemporary visuals.
- “The graphics are cute.”
- “The visuals are impressive and the controls are tight and responsive.”
- “Inexistence is a short but charming game with great visuals if you're into 16-bit graphics and an enjoyable soundtrack.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Some graphics use dithering, some do not, some use black outlines, some use darkened outlines, some look flat and boring, while others look detailed and top-notch.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
33%
14%
The music in the game is generally described as decent and enjoyable, with some standout tracks that enhance the overall experience, though it often lacks memorability and can feel repetitive. While many reviewers appreciate the soundtrack's charm and retro vibe, they note that it doesn't reach the heights of classic titles like Castlevania. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, but it may not leave a lasting impression.
- “Inexistence is a short but charming game with great visuals if you're into 16-bit graphics and an enjoyable soundtrack.”
- “The very best thing about this 'metroidvania' (though it really isn't, it's more like a platformer with very light RPG elements) is the music.”
- “The pixel-art graphics are good (especially when you play in windowed mode), depicting the classical environments you can expect from a Castlevania-like, but the soundtrack really is the biggest surprise of the game, with some true audio gems inside (the mountain's theme).”
- “The music sounds okay, but it gets boring because there's mostly one track per level.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and boring.”
- “The music is decent, but nothing mind-blowing.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and unclear hitboxes that detract from the overall experience. Players have encountered issues ranging from minor graphical glitches to significant gameplay-affecting bugs, particularly during boss fights. While some users report not experiencing major problems, the consensus is that the game is plagued by instability, making it frustrating to play.
- “I found some small glitches and a few weird hitboxes; also, there's no map, so it gets a bit messy at the end.”
- “Yeah, it is cheap, but seriously, this game is buggy as hell and far from being fun.”
- “I gave this game a chance; I played it through once. I wanted very much to like it, and it is pretty, but way too uninspired and still annoyingly buggy (button-operated gate not opening, 7th puzzle piece missing, enemies floating inside walls...).”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is generally considered low, with many players noting its short duration of around 5 hours and a lack of substantial new content or modes like New Game+. However, some users mention that replaying levels on different difficulty settings or engaging in time attack challenges can provide a modest incentive for replay.
- “This game is short but good and is worth the buy, and it has replay value if you play the game on normal first then try time attack.”
- “The replayability of levels adds a great dimension to the game.”
- “For what's there, the replay value is worth the price tag.”
- “It's a very short game (no more than 5 hours) with no replayability, but it was expected from such a low price.”
- “I don't see any replayability or new game+.”
- “There's zero replay value unless you want to grind really hard.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is often viewed as tedious and excessive, with players noting it significantly extends playtime, especially on higher difficulty settings. While some find the gameplay enjoyable, the overall experience is marred by the lack of a map and the game's short length, leading to a perception that it does not justify its price.
- “Just a boring, tedious metroidvania...”
- “The game is insultingly short; you can beat it in 2 hours if you feel like grinding, or less if you don't.”
- “Grinding took up the majority of playtime, although that was on the highest difficulty, so perhaps the level gap between minor enemies and bosses is lessened on other settings.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by unexpected moments, such as a crash after completion and amusing enemy designs reminiscent of Disney characters. Players also appreciate the inclusion of funny typos, grammar mistakes, and playful nods to Nintendo, contributing to an overall lighthearted experience.
- “The game also seems to crash and reboot after you beat it, which is just funny in its own right.”
- “This enemy looks like a Disney character; isn't it funny?”
- “In all honesty, it really just made me laugh because it was unexpected. It wasn't that big of a deal to re-beat the boss as I was already well prepared for the fight.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development is noted as a strong point in the game, with players appreciating the progression of the story and the depth of the characters, despite some criticism of the character designs and the repetitiveness of enemy encounters.
- “It may feel like you'll be fighting repetitive monsters, but it can be forgiven for the interesting bosses, character development, and overall story building.”
- “The character designs are disappointing and lack creativity.”
- “I found the character development to be shallow and unengaging.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game evokes strong emotions, particularly confusion and discomfort, breaking the monotony of gameplay and providing a memorable emotional experience.
- “The game made me feel a whirlwind of emotions, from joy to sadness, and everything in between.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the characters' stories; their struggles felt real and relatable.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on my own experiences.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is primarily optimized for controller use, but players report that keyboard controls are also smooth and responsive, providing a satisfying experience regardless of input method.
- “Even though the game outright says it's optimized for a controller, keyboard controls work smoothly and feel responsive.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized as being akin to a paid tech demo, with some players feeling that it serves more as an advertisement for the Clickteam Fusion engine than as a fully realized game experience.
- “After playing through the game, I've settled on the opinion that this game is simply a glorified paid tech demo and advertisement for the Clickteam Fusion engine - in the sense of 'Okay, but I could make a better game than this.'”