Malware

About

"Malware" is a single-player strategy game set in 1999, offering around 2 hours of playtime. As a time-traveler, you must eliminate rogue software and malicious installations that have infiltrated the pastoral internet era. By exposing unscrupulous software vendors and making clean installation methods public, you gain fame and money, cracking malware installations for orders pouring in.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

humor4 positive mentions

stability1 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and creative take on navigating installation wizards, providing a nostalgic experience reminiscent of early internet days.
Puzzles are entertaining and challenging, with some requiring significant thought and attention to detail, making for an engaging gameplay experience.
Despite its simplicity, the game proves that fun can be achieved without fancy graphics, and it has a humorous premise that many players find enjoyable.

The game can become repetitive and tedious, often reducing gameplay to a checkbox scavenger hunt that lacks depth after the initial levels.
The English translation is often shaky, leading to confusion in puzzle solutions and making the game frustrating for players who are not tech-savvy.
Some puzzles are overly difficult or require external guides to complete, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and accessibility of the game.

story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The story has been widely criticized for its lack of coherence and depth, often described as juvenile and poorly translated. Players find it to be a mix of nonsensical elements and low-effort mini-games, leading to a generally boring experience that fails to evoke the nostalgia it aims for. Overall, the narrative feels more like a half-hearted project than a compelling storyline.
- “The story feels like it was written by a middle schooler, but it's dumb fun, and there are some mini-games scattered within it that are low effort but cute.”
- “Full disclosure, I only beat the first few rounds of installations before it got generally repetitive, but as soon as you start the game up, the story is thrust upon you.”
- “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes and scrutinize each installer screen.”
- “The English translation is a little broken, the story feels like it was written by a middle schooler but dumb fun, and there's some mini-games (low effort but cute) scattered within it.”
- “I expected some fun nostalgia, but the game itself is actually very boring, and the story doesn't really make any sense.”
- “The story sounds like something a high school teenager would have come up with as a computer science project.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurd premise of intentionally using malware, along with a charmingly janky user interface and broken English that adds to its comedic appeal. Players find the experience to be lighthearted and amusing, suggesting that a sense of humor is essential to fully enjoy the game.
- “Also, it's inherently funny to be buying and running an application called malware on purpose.”
- “Just a chill and funny game.”
- “I briefly considered refunding this before my 2-hour window was up but changed my mind after deciding the broken English and general jankiness of the UI was hilarious.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game are noted for their simplicity, demonstrating that engaging gameplay can outweigh the need for high-end visuals. Players appreciate the game's ability to deliver enjoyment without relying on elaborate graphics.
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging mechanics and fluid controls, offering a satisfying experience that keeps players invested. However, some users note occasional pacing issues and a lack of variety in certain segments, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay strikes a balance between challenge and accessibility, appealing to a wide range of players.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the final level, "lunatic," significantly increases the maze size, leading to noticeable freezing issues during maze generation, which impacts overall stability.
- “The final level, Lunatic, builds upon the hard one, but it insanely increases the maze size to the extent that the game freezes for a while just to generate the maze.”