JoY

About

JoY is a single player simulation game with a horror theme. It was developed by edco and was released on September 16, 2024. It received neutral reviews from players.

Joy is a unique 2D horror game that blends unsettling mini-games with chilling cutscenes. What begins as an innocent experience quickly turns sinister, drawing you into a dark, unpredictable journey filled with unexpected scares. Immerse yourself in an atmosphere of tension and suspense that keeps you on edge from start to finish. Are you ready to face the fear and discover the hidden terrors with…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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58%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

humor2 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and visually appealing art style that enhances the overall atmosphere.
The concept of combining mini-games with horror elements is intriguing and can provide a fun challenge for players who enjoy difficult gameplay.
Despite its frustrations, some players found the game entertaining and enjoyed the thrill of trying to overcome its challenges.

The mini-games are often considered overly difficult and can lead to frustration, making it hard for casual players to enjoy.
There is a lack of content and variety in the mini-games, with many being reskinned versions of others, which diminishes replayability.
The game suffers from poor design choices, including vague instructions and mechanics that can lead to confusion and a lack of engagement.

graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The graphics of the game receive praise for their excellent aesthetics and charming art style, with many users appreciating the simplistic and cute visuals. However, while the artwork is a highlight, it is noted that the overall gameplay experience suffers, leading to mixed feelings about the game's execution.
- “I love the art style of the game, and I believe it would enable interesting opportunities to explore as a game.”
- “This game, as a positive, nails every single thing right with its aesthetics!”
- “Really loved the simplistic graphics; they are super cute.”
- “5/10 - mid; excellent visuals but actual gameplay suffers greatly”
- “Try some alternative art styles.”
- “There's two solid points to the game in my opinion: the artwork is quite neat and is what got me to try the game in the first place, but I think the idea is fine, just terrible execution on the mini games.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of clarity and engaging mechanics, with players noting that it feels unpolished and repetitive. The mechanics, which include maze navigation, time limits, and one-hit kills, are seen as derivative and frustrating, particularly due to poorly implemented jumpscares that disrupt the flow. Overall, while the visuals are praised, the gameplay experience is considered lacking and fails to provide meaningful engagement.
- “Consider that even the mindwave demo offers similar gameplay with more replay opportunity as a game that isn't even finished - just because of a high score system alone, and can be downloaded for free.”
- “5/10 - mid; excellent visuals but actual gameplay suffers greatly.”
- “Nothing about any of the mechanics are even shown to the player on what exactly the storyline is and what we're even supposed to do.”
- “Imagine one of those mazes in which you have to follow the path without touching the borders, now add what I guess is a time limit which you can refill by grabbing balls Pac-Man style, now add 'everything is 1 hit KO' mechanics, now add low-effort jumpscares in the mix and you've got it. (By the way, these jumpscares stop the gameplay to break whatever flow you may have achieved, but really stalling for you to get out of the refund window is what that is.)”
- “There is another mechanic by which you use the mouse to keep enemies at bay or stop some traps by hovering your mouse over them. Your sprite moves, the screen moves, so you need to move the mouse to keep it on that which you want to stop or keep at bay.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily through its multiple endings and mini-games, though it is generally a short experience. Players appreciate the option to adjust difficulty for varied gameplay, enhancing the potential for repeated playthroughs.
- “Leave the difficulty low to allow for replayability in faster, infinitely playable sessions with varying difficulty levels, creating a single cohesive experience rather than multiple separate ones.”
- “It's a short experience that offers replayability value if you're looking to achieve both endings and complete all mini-games.”
- “Leave the difficulty low to allow for replayability in faster, infinitely playable variations that ramp up in difficulty, treating it as one game rather than multiple.”
- “It's a short experience that has some replayability value if you're looking to achieve both endings and complete all mini-games.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game's storyline is poorly communicated, leaving players confused about the narrative and their objectives. There is a lack of clarity regarding the plot and its mechanics, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “Nothing about any of the mechanics is even shown to the player regarding the storyline and what we're supposed to do.”
- “Story?”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game enhances its atmosphere significantly, contributing positively to the overall experience. However, players note a lack of comprehensive settings to customize the audio beyond basic volume adjustments, which detracts from the overall functionality.
- “Visually, this game looks great, and the sound/music really adds to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “There are also no thorough settings within the game to actually change anything other than the music volume, fullscreen, and v-sync... it's kind of a mess.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to repetitive mini-games and an overwhelming number of challenges, despite some enjoyable moments like the ending's unique mechanics. Overall, while not deemed unfair, the grinding can detract from the overall experience.
- “The ending itself was fun (Russian roulette), but it did start to get tedious as the gun seemed to have a magical barrel with a seemingly endless supply of bullets.”
- “Largely, I wouldn't call it unfair, although there are some seriously tedious mini-games.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, often eliciting genuine laughter even in frustrating moments, as players find themselves amused by the chaotic situations rather than feeling anger over repeated failures.
- “At one point, I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face, and it wasn’t for good reasons.”
- “(Hehe, see what I did there?) Instead of getting enraged as I would normally feel from dying again and again, I found myself laughing at the absolute insanity that it throws you into.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game features a distinct identity through its unique character design, contributing positively to the overall character development experience.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “Each character has a unique backstory that unfolds beautifully throughout the game, making every interaction meaningful.”
- “The growth and evolution of the characters are portrayed in a way that feels authentic and engaging.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its impressive visuals and a compelling soundscape, including music that effectively complements the overall experience.
- “Visually, this game looks great, and the sound and music really enhance the atmosphere.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely negative, with players expressing frustration over the disruptive mechanics, such as one-hit kills and poorly executed jumpscares that interrupt gameplay flow. This leads to a sense of annoyance rather than engagement, detracting from any potential emotional connection to the game.