NEO Scavenger

About

NEO Scavenger is a permadeath, turn-based survival game set in a post-apocalyptic Michigan with a unique focus on local folklore and cryptids. You must manage your character's essential needs, like hunger, thirst, and temperature, while scavenging for supplies and making tough decisions. With a single difficulty level and no grinding, each decision carries weight, as death means starting over.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,237 reviews

story205 positive mentions

grinding40 negative mentions

Engaging and challenging gameplay that rewards learning from mistakes.
Unique crafting and inventory management systems that enhance immersion.
Rich atmosphere and intriguing story elements that unfold through exploration.

Brutal difficulty with frequent and often random deaths that can feel unfair.
Clunky UI and controls that can be frustrating to navigate, especially for new players.
Limited content and locations that can lead to repetitive gameplay after multiple runs.

story
759 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The story in "Neo Scavenger" is described as intriguing yet fragmented, often requiring players to piece together its narrative through exploration and random encounters. While the writing is praised for its depth and atmosphere, many players find the permadeath mechanic and random instant deaths frustrating, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of survival mechanics and storytelling, but the execution can feel disjointed and challenging, leaving some players wanting more coherence and depth in the narrative.
- “The story is fantastic to follow, if you live long enough to see glimpses of it.”
- “With a creative and brutal environment, realistically harsh combat, and an intriguing story it will take you several lives to unravel, Neo Scavenger will keep you engaged for hours on end.”
- “The story contained in Neo Scavenger will most assuredly be a driving force behind your desire to continue multiple play sessions to discover more about what happened to this once populated land.”
- “The story is a confusing mess that can be untangled.”
- “Even with everything in your corner, trying all out to get a cohesive story out of things is nearly impossible.”
- “The story very much seems more like a string of random encounters connected very loosely together leading nowhere.”
gameplay
608 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay of "Neo Scavenger" is characterized by its deep and complex survival mechanics, emphasizing scavenging, crafting, and resource management in a punishing post-apocalyptic setting. While the turn-based system and intricate mechanics offer a rewarding experience for players who enjoy strategic gameplay, many find the learning curve steep and the lack of in-game guidance frustrating. The game excels in creating a tense atmosphere, but its reliance on RNG and permadeath can lead to significant player frustration, making it a title best suited for those who appreciate challenging, hardcore survival experiences.
- “The gameplay is phenomenal and the storyline engaging.”
- “The survival mechanics are some of the deepest and most involved of any in the genre; in fact, it's pretty much your sole objective, and with every turn, the game throws more and more unexpected challenges at you.”
- “Neo Scavenger artfully combines an interesting story that makes you want to read every line of text with fun, challenging, and purely amazing gameplay.”
- “It has an interesting story and world wanting to be told, but clunky systems and mechanics get in the way of it all; the most obnoxious of them is the constant RNG getting in the way.”
- “The gameplay is probably the main reason you will buy this game; it is brutal and absolutely unforgiving.”
- “The game is difficult and fun, but the learning curve is off-putting at first, and the mechanics, while repetitive, don't feel annoyingly repetitive.”
graphics
314 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
67%
14%
The graphics of "Neo Scavenger" are characterized by a simplistic, pixel-art style that some players find charming and fitting for the game's post-apocalyptic theme, while others consider them dated and unappealing. Despite the low-resolution visuals, many reviewers emphasize that the game's depth, atmosphere, and engaging gameplay more than compensate for its graphical shortcomings, making it a worthwhile experience for those who prioritize story and mechanics over aesthetics. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in creating an immersive environment, even if they do not meet modern standards.
- “Neo Scavenger is a timeless classic in indie gaming, boasting immersive post-apocalyptic survival gameplay and a fantastic art style.”
- “The graphics are mainly pixel style, but with some hand-drawn stills during occasional scripted and choose-your-own-adventure style events.”
- “Despite its aged graphics and less than perfect UI, this is a real gem of a post-apocalyptic survival game.”
- “The graphics are pretty terrible and the sound barely exists.”
- “The graphics, story, and gameplay are all sloppy.”
- “The graphics are abysmal, the menus somewhat clunky and I come from an era that had to live through low res graphics and don't find them charming and retro.”
replayability
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
54%
3%
Overall, "Neo Scavenger" is praised for its high replayability, attributed to its random map generation, diverse character builds, and various gameplay approaches. Players appreciate the game's challenging survival mechanics and the unique experiences each playthrough offers, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy exploration and experimentation. While some note that certain elements can become repetitive, the majority agree that the game's depth and unpredictability contribute to its immense replay value.
- “An incredible game, lots of replayability and different ways to address problems.”
- “The story is mysterious and excellent, and the world is largely open, with many different paths to take, which gives the game a lot of replayability.”
- “The replay value found in Neo Scavenger is second to none and I am by no means stretching my imagination out of bounds to come to that conclusion.”
- “My only con is the lack of replayability as a lot of the events and the start can get a bit repetitive.”
- “It has a lot of replayability to a certain point, but after you reach that point and explore it all, there is nothing more to do.”
- “Third: despite being a roguelike, this game lacks something most roguelikes have, which is extensive replayability.”
atmosphere
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
31%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively conveying a post-apocalyptic world filled with tension and survival challenges. Players appreciate the minimalist visuals, evocative soundtrack, and rich writing that enhance the overall experience, making it feel both eerie and believable. Despite its low-fi graphics, the game successfully creates a unique and compelling atmosphere that resonates with fans of survival and roguelike genres.
- “By far one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played, as it conveys its atmosphere the best out of any game I've played, both through its admittedly sparse graphics and especially through its writing, which is both succinct and very descriptive. It holds some of my favorite newspaper clippings in any game ever.”
- “The atmosphere and music are amazing, mainly because they are believable!”
- “The soundtrack adds a brooding atmosphere to the game, one fitting a world where everything is in tatters and nothing is new.”
- “Overall, the atmosphere is appropriately desolate, making it weirdly fun to scavenge garbage while hiding from rabid dogs and inevitable death.”
- “Few games manage to create an atmosphere that's as creepy and demoralizingly nerve-racking as Neo Scavenger.”
- “Despite its low-fi visuals and text-based combat/feedback (leaving much of the action unfortunately to your imagination), Neo Scavenger still gave me plenty of chills with its eerie atmosphere, attention to detail, music, and RNG events.”
music
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the haunting soundtrack by Josh Culler as a key element that enhances the overall experience. While some players note that the music can be minimal or occasionally repetitive, it effectively complements the game's eerie and dystopian setting, contributing to a sense of loneliness and tension. Overall, the soundtrack is considered an essential part of the game's appeal, enriching the narrative and gameplay.
- “The gameplay mechanics are outstanding, the music is dark and unique.”
- “The atmosphere and music are amazing, mainly because they are believable!”
- “The soundtrack adds a brooding atmosphere to the game, one fitting a world where everything is in tatters and nothing is new.”
- “The sound effects and music are minimal, and you should consider muting the game and putting on a playlist that you enjoy.”
- “Music is so nonexistent that sometimes I forget it's there.”
- “Minimum in-game sounds, almost no music.”
grinding
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with grinding in the game, with many players finding the repetitive tasks of farming, crafting, and scavenging to be frustrating and unenjoyable. While some appreciate the survival aspect and the challenge it presents, the lack of depth and the poorly implemented mechanics contribute to a feeling of monotony, making the grinding experience feel more like a chore than a rewarding gameplay element. Overall, the grinding is often criticized for being excessively tedious and frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “After some time surviving, you get a goal to go towards on the map, and I thought I would start to play the real game after that, but it was still the same tedious game.”
- “There's no depth or fun to it; it's just tedious for the sake of being tedious.”
- “The crafting system is tedious to sort through and use repeatedly, and the game doesn't always give you a fair shake.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and issues with the crafting system, combat, and save files. Many players describe the experience as frustratingly unfinished, despite acknowledging the game's potential and enjoyable elements. While some users note that certain games in the genre are relatively bug-free, the overall consensus leans towards a lack of polish and stability, detracting from the overall experience.
- “This roguelike game is bug-free and has almost no mechanical problems that I was able to see, so there's that.”
- “The only cons I could point out would be the fact that it is currently out of any major development, though it is majorly bug-free and full of content, as well as major modability in its current form.”
- “No glitches or bugs.”
- “This is hands down one of the best survival games I have ever played, it's just great, but I can't recommend it to others...after almost 7 years on Steam it's still a buggy unfinished product and instead of being worked on and expanded it was ported to mobile and then abandoned to develop a prequel which will probably receive the same treatment.”
- “Especially as apparently saves with this game are buggy and randomly disappear.”
- “Coming back to this game after my previous negative review, I would say my rating stands specifically because of how buggy and underdeveloped this game is.”
humor
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
9%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark and absurd comedy, often arising from the unpredictable and grim situations players encounter in a post-apocalyptic setting. Players find themselves laughing at the bizarre deaths and quirky scenarios, such as dying from diarrhea or being defeated by comically mutated creatures, which adds a unique charm to the survival experience. Overall, the game's writing and storytelling effectively deliver amusing anecdotes that enhance the gameplay, making it a standout for those who appreciate humor in challenging environments.
- “Crafting your way through a desolate world is challenging and strangely comical, as encounters with mutated wildlife and scavengers add a dose of unpredictable humor.”
- “I laughed harder at my homeless king, his tiny victories and intestinal problems, harder than I have at games that were intentionally meant to be funny.”
- “The dark humor is funny; it is worth reading the short stories with attention, some of them could kill you.”
- “Certain deaths were unforeseen; you simply couldn't see them coming. If this happens after 5 hours with one character and then you need to go through the boring buildup again, it's not funny.”
- “The attempts at humor often fall flat, making the game feel more tedious than entertaining.”
- “I expected some laughs, but the jokes were either too forced or just plain awkward, leaving me cringing instead of chuckling.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
33%
44%
Overall, the game's optimization is criticized for frequent bugs, particularly with keyboard input and performance issues across various Linux distributions, leading to stuttering and lag regardless of hardware. While some users appreciate the technical performance and aesthetics, many express frustration with poor menu optimization and repetitive gameplay that lacks meaningful variation.
- “Very good technical performance - simple yet functional aesthetics.”
- “That content has an optimized solution, which means the first 5-10 minutes of every play-through are doing the exact same thing, every time, with no reason or reward from deviating from it.”
- “Semi-frequent bugs regarding keyboard input and performance on many Linux distributions.”
- “You will start to notice stuttering and lag no matter what kind of computer you are running it on, because the issue is with the game itself and Flash Player.”
- “Very poor optimization of menu systems.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings of heartbreak and frustration, as players experience the consequences of their decisions in a harsh survival environment. Many reviewers noted moments of intense emotional engagement, from the pain of losing a well-developed character to the moral dilemmas faced during gameplay, making it a memorable and impactful experience. Overall, the game successfully combines clever mechanics with emotional depth, leaving players both challenged and moved.
- “Made me cry 10/10”
- “This game makes me want to cry”
- “It's heartbreaking spending all that time building up a character and then the slightest mistake or wrong decision and that's it.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development in the game is minimal, as there is no traditional leveling system; characters do not gain strength or abilities over time, with progression instead reliant on exploration and encounters with tougher enemies. While some players appreciate the slow-paced roguelike elements, the lack of meaningful character development options has been noted as a drawback.
- “Neo Scavenger is a slow-paced roguelike and it pretty much has it all: a learning curve, survival, and character development.”
- “Unlike in most RPGs, there is no leveling or character development - your character doesn't get any stronger or weaker throughout the game (aside from illnesses/injuries and other temporary buffs/debuffs), so the progression in the game stems solely from you exploring newer areas and finding stronger enemies.”
- “There is a lack of real character development options.”
- “Neo Scavenger is a slow-paced roguelike and it pretty much has it all, except for character development.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being heavily reliant on ads, which disrupt the experience and feel intrusive. Players express frustration over the repetitive nature of the game, suggesting that the limited new content and constant advertisements detract from overall enjoyment.
- “Getting fried alive by ads (area denial system).”
- “Fixes with very few new things and some advertisements like 'best RPG' or 'Neo Scavenger discount'. I got this as a gift and I'm thankful, but the game is pretty repetitive. The whole 'story' is always the same; even the locations and dialogues are the same, so what is the point?”