Malum

About

Malum is a single player and multiplayer action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by MalumGames and was released on September 2, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Malum is a horror action game that offers both single-player and multi-player/co-op modes for 1-4 players. Explore various dark and ominous locations filled with devious demons and collect clues to assemble powerful weapons. Each demon has unique abilities and behaviors, providing a high replayability factor and challenging difficulty levels. With hordes of hell to conquer, learn their strengths and weaknesses to survive."

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 462 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Malum is a fun co-op horror game that provides a unique experience with friends, featuring various maps and different demon behaviors.
The game offers a good value for its price, with many players reporting hours of enjoyment and laughter while playing together.
The developers have included tutorials to help new players understand the mechanics, and the game has potential for future updates and content.

The game suffers from optimization issues, with some players experiencing high GPU temperatures and performance problems.
Many reviews mention a lack of replayability, as the gameplay can become repetitive after completing the maps a few times.
Solo play is not recommended, as the game is designed to be more enjoyable with a group, leading to a frustrating experience when played alone.

gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
60%
6%
The gameplay of "Malum" offers a mix of unique mechanics and spooky elements, enhanced by tutorial levels that help new players grasp the core concepts. While the game is enjoyable in a party setting and features interesting enemy designs, many players feel it lacks depth and content, leading to a repetitive experience after a short playtime. Overall, it is seen as a budget title with potential, but improvements in AI and gameplay loops are needed for a more engaging experience.
- “I enjoyed my time playing Malum with a few friends and appreciated the developers including two tutorial levels to help new players understand the gameplay mechanics.”
- “Each level has a different mechanic for the enemies and I find them to be very interesting and fun :)”
- “4 maps and co-op as well as some solid mechanics make for some great gameplay.”
- “This game is utter trash, not only is the gameplay akin to that of a mobile Unity game from 2009, to its childish use of sexual character models that makes Luigi's Mansion p0rn look like Shakespeare, nothing can save the gameplay loop which just reminds you how soulless the developers are.”
- “What I saw was a lot of complaints about things like stamina, the game not being clear on what the goal was, or that the gameplay was boring.”
- “The gameplay is average but for me what really lets this game down is the AI.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely dependent on the player's experience, particularly when playing with friends, as many reviews highlight the game's ability to elicit laughter and create a fun atmosphere during multiplayer sessions. While some moments can be funny, the overall enjoyment seems to hinge on the company, with over-the-top humor and amusing character designs contributing to its appeal as a party game. However, playing solo may not deliver the same comedic experience, making it less engaging for individual players.
- “If you like games like Devour and Pacify, you will enjoy this one. I had a great time; my stomach hurt from laughing with my friends.”
- “There is a lot of over-the-top humor, so it is definitely a fun party game.”
- “You can play it solo or with friends with its simple design. It's overall a joy with some humor sprinkled in.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
22%
22%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while many players praise the detailed and polished visuals, particularly in comparison to other horror games, some express concerns about performance issues and optimization, especially on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080. Overall, the game is noted for its immersive atmosphere and smooth performance, but there are calls for better optimization to match the graphical demands.
- “The graphics are really nice, the game runs very smooth and there's lots and lots of customization regarding the setting.”
- “The visuals of the levels and the monsters are amazing.”
- “The graphics are just outstanding compared to most horror games. A lot of effort was put into the graphics, making it very detailed and polished.”
- “I think it's a fun game, with a fair price, I recommend it, but I am having a hard time figuring out why it had my RTX 3080 at 80°C cooking my room. The graphics are not that amazing to where it should even push the 3080; I think the game desperately needs to be optimized.”
- “Not a bad game, graphics are not great but the game plays pretty decent.”
- “Not a bad game, graphics are not great but the game plays pretty decent.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
27%
17%
The music in the game is a mixed bag, with players enjoying the humorous tracks during rituals and the nostalgic 90s-style action music that accompanies gameplay. However, some find the action music overly intense and suggest it could be toned down, while others appreciate the creepy ambiance that enhances the game's suspenseful moments. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding specific tracks.
- “I like the funny music when the ritual was complete.”
- “The jump scares in this game are no joke and I love the creepy music.”
- “The gameplay after that is exactly the same: find the symbols, find and place the objects, get a gun, cool 90s style action game music kicks in, kill the thing whatever it is trying to kill you.”
- “Music was annoying whenever I got the flintlock pistol.”
- “What is up with the action music when we summon the weapon?”
- “The jump scares in this game are no joke, and I love the creepy music.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its uniqueness and spookiness, with each map offering distinct designs and varied demon behaviors that enhance the experience. While the level design effectively allows players to navigate challenges, some reviewers noted that the atmosphere can feel muted at times. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a strong point, even amidst criticisms of other game aspects.
- “Each map is unique with a good atmosphere and different demon behaviors adding some variety.”
- “Runs smoothly and the maps have a spooky atmosphere to them.”
- “The atmosphere is great and the level design is done well to allow the players to juke enemies to avoid untimely deaths.”
- “The only other thing that we picked up on was that the atmosphere was a little mute at times.”
- “The game is mostly bad, with the only thing I can give credit for being that the atmosphere is very well done, but that is it.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting excessive heat generation from high-end graphics cards like the RTX 3080, despite the graphics not being particularly demanding. While the game runs smoothly and features an engaging atmosphere, many users feel it urgently requires optimization improvements to enhance performance.
- “Runs smoothly and the maps have a spooky atmosphere to them.”
- “I think it's a fun game, with a fair price, I recommend it, but I am having a hard time figuring out why it had my RTX 3080 at 80°C cooking my room; the graphics are not that amazing to where it should even push the 3080. I think the game desperately needs to be optimized.”
- “I think it's a fun game, with a fair price, I recommend it, but I am having a hard time figuring out why it had my RTX 3080 at 80°C cooking my room. The graphics are not that amazing to where it should even push the 3080; I think the game desperately needs to be optimized.”
- “Just needs a handful of optimization choices and it should be even better.”
- “Optimization is a joke.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players enjoy the potential for memorable moments with friends, many express disappointment due to the repetitive nature of the maps and objectives. With only a limited number of maps and similar gameplay experiences, the replay value is seen as lacking, though it can still provide enjoyment in short sessions. Future updates may improve this aspect, but currently, it falls short for those seeking varied gameplay.
- “Tons of replayability and makes for some golden moments with friends.”
- “Replay value is high, but in short (1 - 2 hour) bursts with friends.”
- “The biggest complaint my group had was that once you beat a map, you basically have almost no replayability because each map plays out pretty much the same no matter how many times you play it.”
- “It does have replayability, but it's very lacking in it. You have about 5 maps and the same objective. Maybe in the future they will add other ways to get your weapons or find clues, but if you're looking for your last artifact, it may take 5 minutes or it may take a while.”
- “No replay value.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
38%
The game lacks a cohesive story, with players noting that missions primarily rely on informational notes about the creatures rather than a narrative. This absence of storytelling contributes to a sense of disconnection, making gameplay feel more like a series of tasks than a cohesive experience.
- “Almost every mission has a piece of paper that tells you how the creature works.”
- “Running away from the chaser AI (even though it's dumb) is pretty much mission impossible.”
- “There is no story.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that grinding in the game is so demanding that it feels like requiring a second life to manage the time and effort needed to progress.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is noted for its humorous and engaging designs, which contribute to a fun and frightening experience when played with friends. However, there is little emphasis on deeper character growth or narrative progression.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express strong dissatisfaction with the game's monetization strategy, labeling it as a potential "shameless cash grab" if improvements are not made.
- “If no improvements come, then this is going to be considered by me as a 'shameless cash grab.'”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is currently problematic, particularly in multiplayer mode, which is reported to be buggy and non-functional at this time.
- “Multiplayer is buggy and doesn't work at the moment.”
- “Multiplayer is buggy and doesn't work at the moment.”