Nearly Dead

About

Nearly Dead is a single player survival city builder game with horror and violence themes. It was developed by Mono Software and was released on March 27, 2021. It received neutral reviews from players.

Nearly Dead is a 2D open world survival game. It's a game about survivors who try to remain alive in a situation where demons from a different dimension have turned most humans into zombies.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

48%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game has great potential and shows promise with its crafting and learning mechanics.
The art style is charming and the gameplay can be fun, especially for fans of zombie survival games.
There is a lot of depth and content to explore, making it engaging for players who enjoy figuring things out.

The game is plagued by bugs, poor optimization, and a lack of essential features like a tutorial and proper saving mechanics.
Development has seemingly ceased, with many players feeling scammed due to the abandonment of the project.
The gameplay can become stale quickly due to issues with map generation and a lack of engaging enemy encounters.

gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
Gameplay is described as initially fun but can become repetitive due to poor map generation and a lack of engaging enemies, as players often face zombies instead of humans. The crafting and building mechanics are well-designed, yet the absence of clear instructions and a tutorial makes the learning curve steep and frustrating. While some mechanics, like dismemberment in combat, are praised, overall usability issues and bugs detract from the experience, leaving players wishing for more interactive elements and better melee combat.
- “The crafting and learning mechanics are well thought out, as well as the building mechanics.”
- “Most of the complaints I've read about the game are easily resolved with a little patience to learn the UI and the way the game works (it's not a fast-paced shooter as one might expect), or simply understanding how the mechanics work.”
- “Really cool mechanics, even a dismemberment mechanic when attacking with a blade weapon.”
- “Because of this, the in-depth crafting and learning mechanics don't seem worth pursuing as the craftable items you learn have no use against a non-threatening enemy base.”
- “Finally, there are no clear instructions on how a lot of the crafting, smelting, and building mechanics work, apart from an overly compact info dump pop-up window at the opening of the game.”
- “Cons: no story, no tutorial - so it's relentlessly hard to learn. You will make use of other game's abilities you have or could learn to put in here. The race menu doesn't do anything for the time being as it's being developed. Most of the basic mechanics are there, but certainly most of what you'd expect is still in development. Melee combat is unadvised, jobs which you can select at the beginning are not much different from each other, and you're not sure how each stat affects your character.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The graphics of the game are described as charming and visually pleasing, particularly appealing to fans of pixel art. While the visuals are not the primary focus, they enhance the overall experience, making it a worthwhile choice for those who appreciate unique art styles in zombie survival games.
- “The artwork is very pleasing to the eyes and charming.”
- “I really enjoyed this game and its art style!”
- “This game isn't all about graphics, so if you came looking for a Call of Duty zombies, go away. But for those of you who are looking for a super potential zombie in the works, stick around because there seems to be a lot going on in the background of this game.”
- “Also, the graphics are really charming.”
- “I recommend this game if you have the extra money, you like to figure things out for yourself, and you like pixel graphics as seen in the screenshots, and you like zombie survival games.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews on monetization suggest mixed feelings; while some users perceive the game as a potential cash grab, others argue that the unique assets indicate a more thoughtful development process. However, many agree that the game currently lacks polish and may not justify its price until further improvements are made.
- “Cash grab.”
- “This game doesn't give off vibes of a cash grab with random Unity assets mashed together, but it certainly lacks polish at this state.”
- “The fact the assets are not from a Unity library nor so generic and simple to be made in under an hour makes me believe it is not a cash grab, but it's better to wait for the game to be more fleshed out to be worth the purchase.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with some users noting it feels abandoned and fails to evoke emotional engagement. Additionally, the absence of a tutorial and clear objectives contributes to a steep learning curve, leaving players frustrated and disconnected from the narrative. Overall, the need for further development in storytelling and gameplay mechanics is emphasized.
- “Then it got abandoned for a barely tear-jerking story.”
- “Cons: no story, no tutorial - so it's relentlessly hard to learn. You will make use of other game's abilities you have or could learn to put in here. The race menu doesn't do anything for the time being as it's being developed. Most of the basic mechanics are there, but certainly most of what you'd expect is still in development. Melee combat is unadvised, and the jobs you can select at the beginning are not much different from each other, leaving you unsure how each stat affects your character.”
- “I like old games, but this one needs more development on it, especially if they add multiplayer and story/objectives.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is severely criticized, with users reporting it as a "buggy mess" that remains unaddressed due to the developers' bankruptcy. Many strongly advise against purchasing it in its current state, labeling it as incomplete and unreliable.
- “So apparently the developers went bankrupt and stopped working on this buggy mess of a game.”
- “To say the game is not recommended would be like saying the Black Plague and all of its symptoms are a cold so minor that you only need a tissue to get over it. To put it bluntly: do not purchase it in its current, and presumed forever state, nor any other pieces of content from Mono Software, as they will likely only release buggy, half-completed messes of god-awful menu screens claiming to be multiplayer games.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find humor in the game's mechanics, particularly the amusing sight of zombies forming a conga line when they become overcrowded, leading to a comical yet frustrating gameplay experience. This quirky interaction adds a lighthearted touch to the otherwise challenging environment.
- “If too many zombies follow you, they will end up in a conga line and will just come one by one because they bodyblock each other. It's kind of funny but sad for the difficulty for now.”
- “The humor in the game is top-notch, especially when you see zombies tripping over each other in their attempts to chase you.”
- “I love how the game balances tension with humor, like when a horde of zombies gets stuck trying to squeeze through a narrow doorway.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is heavily influenced by the developer's personal struggles, including bankruptcy and an emotional breakdown, which ultimately led to the game's cessation. This situation evokes a sense of loss and disappointment among users, who feel that the project could have continued in some capacity despite the challenges.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game primarily revolves around exploring, combat with zombies, and resource collection and disassembly, with some expressing uncertainty about farming mechanics. Overall, the grinding experience seems to focus on repetitive tasks without a clear progression in farming.
- “I haven't figured out farming yet or much else besides exploring, killing zombies, and collecting and disassembling things.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for its poor optimization, leading to significant performance issues that detract from the overall experience, with many users deeming it not worth the investment.
- “This game is poorly optimized, broken, and just not worth your cash.”