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Never Split the Party

Never Split the Party Game Cover
73%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
stability, monetization
73% User Score Based on 1,867 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCMac OSSteam DeckWindows
Never Split the Party Game Cover

About

Never Split the Party is a multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Legend Studio and was released on May 3, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Never Split the Party is an ultra social rogue-like! You're one of four adventurers joining together to explore a procedurally generated dungeon, amass powerful upgrades, and cooperate with your fellow adventures to conquer and crush the evil dungeon champions!

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73%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,867 reviews
gameplay30 positive mentions
stability46 negative mentions

  • The game is a lot of fun to play with friends, providing a chaotic and engaging multiplayer experience.
  • The unique role system encourages teamwork, as players must stay together to access important information.
  • The game has a charming retro aesthetic and a fun soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from significant bugs and connection issues, making it frustrating to play, especially in multiplayer.
  • A large portion of the game's content is locked behind a paywall, which many players find off-putting.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with limited enemy and item variety, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
  • gameplay
    116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Never Split the Party" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, often drawing unfavorable comparisons to "The Binding of Isaac." While some appreciate the unique co-op mechanics and role assignments that encourage teamwork, others criticize the clunky controls, poor hitboxes, and reliance on a limited number of classes unless additional content is purchased. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with friends but suffers from bugs and a lack of variety that can lead to a stale gameplay experience.

    • “The game is a fun crossover between Binding of Isaac style gameplay and hectic co-op chaos.”
    • “Drawing comparisons to other co-op roguelikes, Never Split the Party excels in its unique mechanic of shared information.”
    • “The gameplay is engaging; you work with your party to get to the next floor.”
    • “The hitboxes are awful, the gameplay feels bad, and honestly, just isn't very fun.”
    • “The gameplay is very slow and gets repetitive very fast, heavily relying on its big gimmick, with not a lot of ways to shake it up.”
    • “The gameplay gets stale quickly and has some frustrating and unfun boss mechanics that you can just flat out cheese if you get lucky and find some of the broken items, which seems like a poor way to balance the game.”
  • stability
    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and connectivity issues that significantly impact gameplay. While some players find the glitches amusing or charming, many others describe the experience as frustrating and unplayable at times. Overall, the game is considered too unstable for a full recommendation, especially given its early access status and the prevalence of technical problems.

    • “The game runs great!”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which is impressive.”
    • “The performance is smooth, and I can play for hours without any issues.”
    • “Really buggy, the upgrades don't feel like they have an actual impact in the game, hitboxes are complete garbage and the transition between screens make the game actually unplayable.”
    • “The game is eaten up by bugs and glitches, the servers are from some PS2 level stuff; when the host just feels like quitting because they suck and die, you will be kicked out.”
    • “Extremely buggy, not able to stay connected to a game.”
  • music
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its intensity and enjoyment during boss fights, often describing it as fantastic or "bumpin'." However, some users criticize the sound design and the repetitive nature of the tracks, feeling that the music doesn't always fit the game's atmosphere or enhance the experience. Overall, while the soundtrack has standout moments, it is marred by inconsistencies and a lack of variety.

    • “Awesome little dungeon crawl, fantastic music 10/10”
    • “The only thing this game has going for it is the music -- which is fantastic!”
    • “Definitely has a Binding of Isaac feel and the music during boss fights was really intense and fantastic.”
    • “The bosses feel empty with just music and no sound effects; only 2 classes sucks.”
    • “Sound design isn't great; music doesn't ever seem to fit, and the 2 songs you hear on repeat the whole time will drive you insane.”
    • “I keep hearing the same song for dungeon crawling over and over, and it really gets on my nerves.”
  • humor
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding the chaotic co-op experience and various glitches to be entertaining rather than frustrating. Many reviews highlight the amusing interactions between players, such as throwing items at friends and the humorous in-game dialogue, which contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere. Overall, the game's blend of retro pixel art and comedic elements makes it a fun choice for playing with friends.

    • “A chaotic, funny co-op game; even failure is entertaining.”
    • “The starting screen is pretty funny, with the end boss insulting you.”
    • “All the bugs and glitches I've encountered make for a more enjoyable or funny experience rather than a negative one.”
  • graphics
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the intricate pixel art and retro aesthetic that evokes nostalgia, while others criticize the overall art style as uninspired and lacking originality compared to genre benchmarks like "Binding of Isaac." Despite some players finding the graphics enjoyable, there are complaints about sloppy sprite animations and a lack of visual clarity during chaotic gameplay. Overall, the graphics are seen as a blend of charm and shortcomings, appealing to some while disappointing others.

    • “One compliment I have to give about this game is the art style; it makes me remember the good old games.”
    • “The graphics in this game are surprisingly intricate despite it being a robust, retro-themed game.”
    • “The retro feel of the graphics and controls takes me back to my days of playing at the pizza parlor arcade with a few buddies after school.”
    • “However, it falls short in graphics and story depth compared to genre giants.”
    • “Plays like Binding of Isaac but has boring and uninspired aesthetics.”
    • “The game in general has a good concept to it and a nice pixelated art style, but that doesn't make up for the bad movement, lack of other weapons, and the fact that the sprites in general are sloppy along with the weapon animations and sounds for some of the enemies.”
  • monetization
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized for being misleading, as it presents itself as a free demo while requiring significant additional payments to unlock full content, akin to an advertisement rather than a complete game. Many users feel that this approach, which includes confusing microtransactions and a reliance on DLC, detracts from the overall experience and feels exploitative, leading to a general recommendation against engaging with the monetization model. While some appreciate the free version, the overall sentiment is that the monetization tactics employed are more focused on profit than providing value to players.

    • “Simple independent microtransactions; this is how you make money as an indie free company.”
    • “100% recommend the free version, and we'll probably invest in the full version DLC at a later date - this is a good monetization scheme.”
    • “Think of this like The Binding of Isaac mixed with Bethesda's microtransactions.”
    • “It's an advertisement/demo, and you have to pay more money through DLC to actually unlock the game.”
    • “So yeah, the purpose of this advertisement is to get you to shell out a whopping $30 USD to unlock content needed for the full game, and I don't recommend you do that either.”
    • “While it might seem like an innocuous mistake, publishing demos and advertisements as if they are full games is misleading and in some ways harmful.”
  • replayability
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety offered by DLCs, procedural generation, and multiplayer elements, others feel that limited class options and a lack of variance diminish long-term engagement. The chaotic combat and inherent difficulty contribute positively to replay value, but many users express that the game ultimately lacks sufficient depth to sustain repeated playthroughs.

    • “With it being procedurally generated, it adds lots of replayability to the game.”
    • “The game really shines on its replayability, as the challenge and fun stem from its inherent difficulty as well as the chaotic nature of its combat.”
    • “The DLC unlocks all the classes currently available, which increases replayability and variability of gameplay as well.”
    • “The monsters are fun and engaging, but I think a little higher variance would increase the replayability of the game.”
    • “Fun but lacks replayability.”
  • story
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting the absence of a compelling narrative or context for their actions. While the gameplay offers enjoyable mechanics and replayability, the overall experience is diminished by the minimal plot, leaving players wanting more in terms of story and character motivation.

    • “Its great but it needs more dungeons or more story; it's a great game I recommend 100%.”
    • “Some sort of storyline, or just a reason we're in the dungeon would be interesting, would give us players an idea of who we are and what the hell we're doing in this big dungeon full of monsters.”
    • “And aside from the gameplay, there is 0 story or feel to the action; overall not compelling, and I haven't found much interest to go back.”
    • “However, it falls short in graphics and story depth compared to genre giants.”
    • “Everything you see in this game is underground rectangular stone rooms full of random enemies and traps, and there's no plot to speak of.”
    • “Aside from the gameplay, there is zero story or feel to the action; overall, it's not compelling, and I haven't found much interest in going back.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often boring, with many noting that boss fights drag on for too long and can feel unbalanced due to over-leveled characters. The repetitive nature of generated rooms and the awkward design of certain areas contribute to a frustrating experience, making solo play particularly challenging. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the enjoyment of the game, leading to a sense of monotony.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The gameplay is at best boring and tedious.”
    • “Boss fights take literally forever and are just tedious.”
    • “Solo play is really tedious; bosses take a huge amount of time to defeat.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a profound emotional impact from the game, describing experiences that leave them feeling "emotionally, physically, and mentally broken." Despite the challenges, including technical issues and gameplay frustrations, many find the experience compelling enough to recommend it, suggesting that the emotional toll is part of its unique appeal.

    • “This game is great! Through half of my 10.7 hours of playing with only one other player, I have felt emotionally, physically, and mentally broken. I rate this 15/5. If you are willing to experience an emotional, physical, and mental breakdown, play this game with just one friend. I haven't played it with three other friends, so I wouldn't know, but with just one other person, and if you're as silly as we are, you'll find yourselves wanting to end your lives after more than 10 hours. I recommend it :D and would definitely suffer through it again, but maybe in the future with more bosses and more levels.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users noting issues such as frame stuttering during room transitions and poor performance on Linux systems. Additionally, players have expressed concerns about high ping affecting gameplay, suggesting that optimization needs significant improvement.

    • “Optimization: the game handles latency better than any other title in the AAA series.”
    • “The optimization in this game is top-notch, providing a smooth experience even on lower-end hardware.”
    • “I was impressed by how well the game runs; the optimization really enhances the overall gameplay experience.”
    • “Fix the frame stuttering for both host and client when switching rooms.”
    • “Bad performance on Linux.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, particularly for its immersive dungeon theme, which effectively enhances the overall experience. Reviewers describe it as truly amazing, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The dungeon theme is atmospheric, just as it should be.”
    • “It's truly an amazing atmosphere.”
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6h Median play time
6h Average play time
4-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Never Split the Party is a role playing game.

Never Split the Party is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Never Split the Party.

Never Split the Party was released on May 3, 2019.

Never Split the Party was developed by Legend Studio.

Never Split the Party has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Never Split the Party is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Hero Siege, KurtzPel, Blazing Beaks, Dungeon Defenders II, Blightbound and others.