Niffelheim

Niffelheim is a decent 2D survival game that plays it all just a little too seriously to be called enjoyable. It looks pretty good, but the simple combat and finicky systems hold it back.

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"Niffelheim is a platformer game with support for single-player, multi-player, and co-op modes. Survive in the underworld of Norse mythology, gather resources, craft weapons and armor, and defend your lands against enemies. Collect all pieces of the portal to Asgard while uncovering the mysteries of these lands and proving yourself to the Gods."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 443 reviews

graphics70 positive mentions

grinding70 negative mentions

Beautiful hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music enhance the gameplay experience.
Engaging crafting and resource management mechanics provide depth and variety.
The game offers a unique blend of survival, exploration, and combat elements.

Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel repetitive, lacking depth.
The game can become grindy, with resource gathering and crafting taking up a significant amount of time.
Inventory management is cumbersome, and the durability of items can lead to frustration.

graphics
101 mentions
69 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style and atmospheric presentation, effectively immersing players in a captivating Nordic mythology setting. While many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and unique aesthetic, some note that the animations can feel dated, reminiscent of early flash games. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the overall experience despite some gameplay criticisms.
- “The hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music really draw you into the world of Nordic mythology.”
- “This little indie beauty truly has amazing graphics; for a 2D game, the developers really spared no effort to deliver a breathtakingly beautiful game to us.”
- “The beautiful artwork and soundtrack in this game is amazing and adds to an enjoyable experience when you are cutting down trees, pushing through mines, and defeating challenging foes.”
- “The graphics are ok, the UI is a bit odd, but eventually becomes pretty familiar.”
- “Unfortunately it's not a graphic designer they needed for a recommendation, it's a real developer and a real game designer.”
- “The graphics looked inspiring, the gathering, building and survival system looked like it was set up well... then I got into combat.”
gameplay
96 mentions
32 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its beautiful art and atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive, clunky, and lacking clear objectives. Many users noted that the mechanics can feel tedious and grind-heavy, often requiring excessive resource gathering and micromanagement, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some found the combat and crafting systems engaging, others felt they were basic and poorly executed, leading to a lack of depth and excitement in the gameplay experience.
- “Beautiful art style and interesting mechanics.”
- “Overall I have really enjoyed this game: interesting survival mechanics, complex crafting, excellent art design, and great background music.”
- “Nice gameplay, very simple, not complicated, with very gorgeous graphics and soundtrack.”
- “The mechanics are boring and the goals aren't clear; random quests keep popping up just as dungeon locations are always shrouded by mystery and unexpected challenges that might kill you very quickly.”
- “I follow a very straightforward tenet when it comes to games: if I am required to search up guides to find the most basic gameplay mechanics and information, it's a failure of game design.”
- “The actual gameplay, UI, combat, annoying inventory management, and boring baby step progression keeps me from enjoying it.”
grinding
70 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's grinding mechanics are a significant focus, with many players noting that resource gathering and crafting can become tedious and repetitive over time. While some enjoy the grind for its potential rewards and the satisfaction of crafting, others find it overly time-consuming and frustrating, particularly due to inventory management and the slow pace of progression. Overall, the experience of grinding varies widely among players, appealing to those who enjoy it while alienating others who prefer a more balanced gameplay approach.
- “The game is very slow, there is a lot of tedious inventory management and the need for constant collection of items scattered around the world. The crafting system is kind of cryptic and not very friendly to new players.”
- “Grindy, boring game where all you do is pick up items and go left and right and back to the same place and change screens, repeating the same thing over and over again.”
- “You'll just be grinding bosses until you collect the required items for completing the game, which randomly drop from them.”
story
60 mentions
18 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered weak and underdeveloped, with many players noting a lack of direction and clarity in quests. While the Viking lore provides some context, the narrative feels sparse and often fails to engage, leaving players to focus more on survival and crafting mechanics than on a compelling storyline. Overall, the potential for a richer narrative exists, but it remains largely unfulfilled, leading to mixed feelings about the game's storytelling aspect.
- “The nordic setting suits it well, and though the story isn't really the game's strength, it's still there to provide some context.”
- “Count me as a fan for this purely because it is attempting to do a good co-op game that has good fantasy story elements, with building and other flavors to deepen its appeal.”
- “If you too hear the calling of gaming glory from days gone by, I can't urge you enough to enter the world of Niffelheim and embark on an epic quest of barbaric proportions!”
- “I don't like games where you are not shown anything since the second you start; no tutorial, no guide, no control buttons, no purpose, no story... literally nothing.”
- “Nothing is explained and the story is horrible.”
- “The story is lackluster for being so close to a release version.”
music
42 mentions
67 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and beautiful qualities, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the hand-drawn graphics. While many players appreciate the soundtrack, some express a desire for more variety in the music tracks. Overall, the combination of music and art creates an engaging and immersive environment, particularly for fans of the game's themes.
- “The hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music really draw you into the world of Nordic mythology.”
- “I absolutely love the graphics and the music which complements each other so well.”
- “The beautiful artwork and soundtrack in this game is amazing and adds to an enjoyable experience when you are cutting down trees, pushing through mines, and defeating challenging foes.”
- “Not enough music tracks.”
- “Very nice game but you have to add more different music!”
- “Love the theme, love the art, love the music, and I really wanted to love the game, but just couldn't.”
atmosphere
18 mentions
67 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning hand-drawn graphics and immersive music, effectively drawing players into a world rich in Nordic mythology. While many reviewers appreciate the overall aesthetic and mood, some note that the dark atmosphere can detract from exploration and gameplay enjoyment. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite criticisms of its gameplay mechanics.
- “The hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music really draw you into the world of Nordic mythology.”
- “This game has an exceptionally good atmosphere thanks to the art and music it has; it should be the type of game that draws you in and makes you spend many hours playing it.”
- “The dark atmosphere loses its layer of exploration and mystery, and becomes simply a nice and grim background to a lot of walking and chopping wood.”
- “Great idea, good atmosphere, but gameplay and progression is clunky, obtuse, and lacks flow.”
- “I thoroughly admire the Nordic charm laid thick by this game; its atmosphere resounds with that certain rustic beauty that can put you at ease for hours.”
replayability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as mixed; while some players appreciate the variety offered by multiple heroes and starting areas, others feel that the lack of significant content or procedural generation limits replay value. A few users noted that the low price point may mitigate concerns about replayability, particularly in multiplayer modes, but overall, opinions vary widely.
- “I haven't finished it yet, but I plan to, and it looks like it has a fair amount of replayability.”
- “Having those settings exposed also helps with replayability.”
- “You have 4 different heroes you can choose from, which offers replayability, and you also have 4 different starting areas, which is also nice.”
- “I don't see a lot of replay value in it... but at such a low price point (I got it on sale), is that really necessary?”
- “Some customization or more procedural generation would go a long way in making this game more replayable.”
- “I don't see much replay value except maybe in multiplayer, but I think I've seen everything I need to put this game away for good.”
stability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer mode, which detracts from the overall experience. While single-player gameplay is generally more stable and recommended, players have noted issues such as missing inventory items and unpolished controls. Despite ongoing updates aimed at improving stability, the game still feels unfinished and may require more time before reaching its full potential.
- “Honestly, it is not my 'cup of tea', but I can say that they did a really great job on the updates and keeping it bug-free. :)”
- “The game runs smoothly without any major issues, which really enhances the overall experience.”
- “I appreciate how the developers prioritize stability; it makes the gameplay much more enjoyable.”
- “I picked the game for the multiplayer coop, but it is so buggy and unstable at the moment.”
- “Multiplayer instability: it is pretty buggy.”
- “Very unpolished with buggy controls, empty areas, and many missing features for a game that entered early access 10 months ago, so it is probably a year or two away from completion yet.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it both funny and entertaining, particularly in the context of a gritty Viking setting. However, some users have noted that certain aspects, like the inventory system, can be so frustratingly poor that it detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “Nice game, constant updates, and very funny!”
- “Awesome chill-out game, which is funny given you are a gritty Viking in the land of death.”
- “Here is the good and not so good stuff about this little and extremely funny game:”
optimization
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized for both PC and Mac, providing smooth performance and fluid gameplay, particularly with controller support. Users report a seamless experience even on older hardware, such as a 2017 MacBook Pro.
- “I should also note that it runs smoothly on my 2017 MacBook Pro.”
- “It's a flash game optimized for a controller on the PC.”
- “Performance runs smooth and gameplay is fluid.”
emotional
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is overwhelmingly negative, with players expressing frustration and disappointment, particularly regarding the dullness of the dungeons, which has led to feelings of sadness and anger towards the developers.
- “The emotional depth of this game left me in tears, truly a powerful experience.”
- “I was moved to tears by the storyline and character development; it felt so real.”
- “The game’s ability to evoke such strong emotions is a testament to its storytelling.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a lack of character development in the game, with some players expressing disappointment over the character design and criticizing the high shop prices as making progression feel futile.
- “No character development and shop prices are so high they are pointless.”
monetization
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been met with mixed feelings; while some players dislike the presence of DLC, they appreciate that it does not contain essential content or achievements, suggesting that it is not overly aggressive or driven by greed. Overall, the DLC is seen as optional and not detrimental to the core experience.
- “I read around the forums, and the dev seems like a nice guy, so I doubt it's only greed; you really don't need the DLC (no extra content in it, as far as I know); and there are no achievements attached to it, so even though I hate this kind of monetization, this one didn't trigger me.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, with essential features locked behind paywalls that make it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
- “I understand that developers need to make money, but the constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall experience and makes it feel like a cash grab.”
- “While the game itself is enjoyable, the aggressive monetization tactics leave a sour taste, as it feels like they prioritize profit over player satisfaction.”