NEO Scavenger

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,483 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
NEO Scavenger Game Cover
An excellent post-apoc strategy RPG, for gamers who love a challenge.
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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.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,483 reviews
story164 positive mentions
grinding33 negative mentions
  • Unique and engaging survival mechanics that require careful planning and resource management.
  • Rich atmosphere and intriguing lore that unfolds through exploration and encounters.
  • High replayability due to different character builds and random events.
  • Brutally punishing permadeath system that can lead to frustration after multiple runs.
  • Clunky user interface that can make inventory management and crafting tedious.
  • Random encounters can lead to instant death without warning, making progress feel arbitrary.
  • story615 mentions

    The story in "Neo Scavenger" is often described as intriguing yet vague, with many players finding it difficult to engage due to unclear plot events and the punishing nature of the gameplay. While some appreciate the depth and potential of the narrative, many feel that the story is underdeveloped, lacking coherence and leaving loose ends. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of survival mechanics and storytelling, but the execution can lead to frustration, particularly with the permadeath feature and the reliance on trial-and-error to progress through the narrative.

    • “The story is compelling but vague, which is perfect.”
    • “The story unfolds almost totally via text, and the game lets you imagine much of how you interact with its world.”
    • “The story is unique and interesting from what I've uncovered (and read about), though some things can take a long time to complete, and usually I'll die before I come close to completing my objective.”
    • “The story very much seems more like a string of random encounters connected very loosely together leading nowhere.”
    • “It's especially frustrating when you get locked out of whole segments of the story because of chance.”
    • “The story is rather short and not incredibly detailed, and the lore of the world is about the same.”
  • gameplay487 mentions

    The gameplay of "Neo Scavenger" is characterized by its deep survival mechanics, turn-based strategy, and a challenging learning curve that rewards players for mastering its complex systems. While the crafting and scavenging elements are engaging, many players find the lack of in-game guidance and the punishing permadeath mechanic frustrating. Overall, the game offers a unique and immersive experience, but its steep difficulty and occasional bugs can detract from the enjoyment.

    • “In many ways, it is the ultimate survival game, but mostly it's just a really cool set of mechanics in an interesting and surprisingly robust world.”
    • “If you love hyper-realistic survival games, with a lot of freedom, no handholding, and a lot of mechanics to possibly exploit, this is the game for you.”
    • “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.”
    • “The game's fatal flaw is the save-wipe death mechanic.”
    • “I don't like fake hard games where the difficulty comes down to a flawed mechanic that doesn't work for the genre.”
    • “Several hours of gameplay just gone, with no opportunity to figure out how/why so I could prepare against it in the next playthrough.”
  • graphics240 mentions

    The graphics of "Neo Scavenger" are characterized by a simplistic pixel-art style that some players find charming, while others consider them dated and unappealing. Despite the minimalistic visuals, many reviewers appreciate how the graphics complement the game's immersive atmosphere and deep gameplay mechanics, emphasizing that the experience relies more on storytelling and player imagination than on high-end graphics. Overall, while the graphics may deter some players, they do not significantly detract from the game's engaging survival experience.

    • “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 crap and the UI is difficult to navigate.”
    • “The graphics are pretty terrible and the sound barely exists.”
    • “Horrible graphics, even some 90's games did better than this.”
  • replayability80 mentions

    Overall, "Neo Scavenger" is praised for its high replayability, attributed to its survival mechanics, random map generation, and diverse character builds. Players appreciate the game's challenging nature and the variety of choices available, which contribute to a unique experience with each playthrough. While some note that certain elements can become repetitive, the majority agree that the game's depth and unpredictability keep it engaging for multiple sessions.

    • “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.”
    • “It's rich and packed full of replayability (much due to its unforgiveness) since you can pick, choose and mix between a limited variety of perks, skills, and flaws.”
    • “The random generated world is just great, and the random encounters add to the replay value.”
    • “My only con is the lack of replayability as a lot of the events and the start can get a bit repetitive.”
    • “Even though lots of the locations are randomized, the same ones appear on every map, so replay value comes more in experimenting with the menu interface than trekking unknown lands.”
    • “Third: despite being a roguelike, this game lacks something most roguelikes have, which is extensive replayability.”
  • atmosphere66 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively capturing the essence of a post-apocalyptic world through minimalist visuals, a compelling soundtrack, and evocative writing. Players feel a strong sense of tension and survival as they navigate a desolate environment filled with danger and intrigue, making it a standout experience in the survival genre. Despite its simple graphics, the atmosphere is described as rich and engaging, drawing players into a unique and eerie journey.

    • “A dedicated modding community keeps it fresh, while minimalist visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and tactical turn-based gameplay create an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “By far one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played, as it conveys its atmosphere the best through its sparse graphics and especially through its writing, which is both succinct and very descriptive.”
    • “The atmosphere and music are amazing, primarily because they are believable!”
    • “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.”
    • “The soundtrack adds a brooding atmosphere to the game, one fitting a world where everything is in tatters and nothing is new.”
  • music50 mentions

    The music in the game, primarily composed by Josh Culler, is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with its haunting and gritty tones. While some players note the music can be minimal or occasionally forgettable, many agree that it effectively complements the game's post-apocalyptic setting and emotional depth. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant aspect of the game, contributing to its unique atmosphere and engaging gameplay.

    • “A dedicated modding community keeps it fresh, while minimalist visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and tactical turn-based gameplay create an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are outstanding, the music is dark and unique.”
    • “The game has a wonderful sense of rhythm and pace once you get the mechanics and flow mastered, and coupled with the excellent ambient soundtrack, I have found myself getting incredibly lost within the game world.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding34 mentions

    Reviews of the grinding aspect in the game reveal a mixed sentiment; while some players find the grinding tedious and frustrating due to poorly implemented mechanics and a lack of depth, others appreciate the challenge and have invested significant time into it. Many critiques focus on the repetitive nature of resource gathering and crafting, which can detract from the overall enjoyment, especially when compounded by a confusing user interface and punishing gameplay elements. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a double-edged sword, with potential for enjoyment overshadowed by its tedious execution.

    • “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.”
    • “Practically the only way to play this game for more than a few minutes is by save scumming through it, but even with that, it's so tedious and repetitive that the novelty behind this game wears off fast.”
  • humor25 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and absurd twists, set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop that humorously reflects the quirks of Michigan, particularly Detroit. Players find themselves in hilariously dire situations, often leading to unexpected and comical deaths, with well-written flavor text that enhances the experience. While the game balances survival challenges with humor, some players feel it could benefit from a smoother gameplay experience to elevate it from a "funny story simulator" to a more engaging game.

    • “It's a game set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but in a hilarious twist, the wasteland is the area around Detroit.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 felt forced and didn't land, leaving me more frustrated than amused.”
  • stability25 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and issues with save files that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment in the gameplay and aesthetics, many express frustration over the game's unfinished state and lack of ongoing development, leading to a consensus that it remains a "buggy mess." A few reviews note that certain games in the genre are more stable, highlighting a stark contrast in quality.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Do I think it's still a buggy mess of hot garbage barely held together by the modding community?”
  • emotional7 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as both intense and heart-wrenching, with players experiencing a rollercoaster of feelings ranging from frustration to deep sadness. The mechanics can lead to morally challenging decisions, such as cannibalism, which evoke strong emotional responses, including tears. Overall, the game successfully combines fun with emotional weight, making players feel deeply invested in their characters and choices.

    • “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.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for frequent bugs, particularly with keyboard input and performance issues across various Linux distributions, as well as general stuttering and lag on all systems. Players have noted that the prequel also suffered from poor performance, and the menu systems are inadequately optimized, leading to a repetitive and unrewarding gameplay experience. Overall, the game's technical shortcomings detract from its potential for skill-based play.

    • “Roguelike games need to be based on skill and meritocratic performance rather than simple trial and error or luck. Neo-Scavenger's events often have choices that, although foreshadowed on occasion, can lead to instant death.”
    • “That content has an optimized solution, which means the first 5-10 minutes of every playthrough are doing the exact same thing every time, with no reason or reward for 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.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The game features minimal character development, as players do not experience traditional leveling or growth; instead, progression is tied to exploration and encounters with stronger enemies, with only temporary changes due to illnesses or injuries. This lack of real character development options has been noted as a drawback by users.

    • “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.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being heavily reliant on intrusive advertisements, which detract from the overall experience. Players feel that the repetitive nature of the game, combined with minimal new content, diminishes its value, leading to frustration with the monetization strategy.

    • “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?”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

Buy NEO Scavenger

Play time

23hMedian play time
42hAverage play time
13hMain story
76hCompletionist
7-65hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 25 analyzed playthroughs

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