Niffelheim

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 657 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • grinding
Niffelheim Game Cover
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."

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 657 reviews
gameplay44 positive mentions
grinding115 negative mentions
  • Beautiful hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music enhance the gameplay experience.
  • Engaging crafting and resource management mechanics provide a satisfying loop for players who enjoy survival games.
  • The game offers a unique Norse mythology theme, allowing players to explore a dark and immersive world.
  • Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel clunky, often reducing encounters to spam clicking without much strategy.
  • The game can become grindy and repetitive, with resource gathering and crafting taking up a significant amount of time.
  • Difficulty spikes and unbalanced enemy scaling can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially for solo players.
  • gameplay175 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive and grind-heavy nature, particularly in resource gathering and crafting. While some appreciate the beautiful art style and atmospheric elements, they criticize the combat mechanics as clunky and lacking depth, leading to a tedious experience overall. Despite its potential and interesting mechanics, many feel that the gameplay lacks polish and fails to deliver a satisfying experience, especially at full price.

    • “The gameplay here is deep on gathering resources, and not so much about battling monsters.”
    • “The game offers several mechanics from base building to crafting that all offer some great time sinks and progression.”
    • “Overall I have really enjoyed this game: interesting survival mechanics, complex crafting, excellent art design and great background music.”
    • “There seems to just be some issues that could be easily fixed like the combat needs to just be slightly tweaked because sometimes you can keep swinging and not hitting. There also doesn't seem to be any dodge mechanic in the game, so there really isn't a way to miss without the game glitching.”
    • “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.”
    • “The actual gameplay, UI, combat, annoying inventory management, and boring baby step progression keeps me from enjoying it.”
  • graphics168 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beautiful hand-drawn art style and detailed environments, effectively capturing the Norse mythology theme. Many players appreciate the atmospheric visuals and the overall aesthetic, although some note that certain animations could use improvement. While the graphics are often highlighted as a standout feature, opinions vary on how well they complement the gameplay experience, with some feeling that the mechanics do not live up to the visual quality.

    • “The hand-drawn graphics are a beauty to look at: the backgrounds are full of detail and the character models are excellent.”
    • “Beautifully hand-drawn 2D graphics make sure the Norse atmosphere is rendered well, in this Niffelheim is excellent.”
    • “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 graphics and feel are quite bland being 2020; this experience is simply not worth it, and it's a shame.”
    • “The graphics looked inspiring, the gathering, building, and survival system looked like it was set up well... then I got into combat.”
    • “I love the graphics and the atmosphere, but the mechanics are a mess.”
  • grinding116 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the depth of crafting and resource gathering, the overwhelming focus on grinding for materials and the rapid degradation of tools lead to frustration and boredom. Overall, the game is described as heavily grind-oriented, appealing primarily to those who enjoy such mechanics, but often leaving others feeling unfulfilled and fatigued by the experience.

    • “Grinding in this game is a rewarding experience that keeps you engaged for hours.”
    • “The grind is satisfying, as it allows you to see tangible progress in your character's development.”
    • “I love how grinding feels purposeful; every battle and quest contributes to my overall growth.”
    • “Game has very nice artwork and a fun concept, but requires too much grinding to even stay at the same level without losing progress.”
    • “But the game is spoilt by the tedious grind and the rapid disintegration of key tools and weapons, forcing you to grind even more.”
    • “The grinding is too extreme and survival too harsh, everything is too difficult, especially maintaining the integrity of crafted gear after the cost of crafting it in the first place.”
  • story92 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered weak and simplistic, primarily revolving around a Viking's quest to gather pieces for the Asgard portal, with quests often reduced to fetch tasks that lack depth and engagement. While the Nordic setting and lore provide some context, many players feel that the narrative is underdeveloped and fails to offer compelling content or direction, leading to a gameplay experience that emphasizes crafting and survival over storytelling. Overall, the potential for a richer narrative exists, but it remains largely unfulfilled, leaving players wanting more substantial quests and story elements.

    • “Overall, Niffelheim hits the mark in regards to setting, story, and world-building but misses terribly in play mechanics like combat and progression.”
    • “I'd recommend it based off of the lore, setting, graphics, and story alone (I'm a big Norse mythology fan)...”
    • “The story is not that complicated, but the Viking lore compensates for that.”
    • “There's something of a story to it, but questlines are difficult to follow and just end abruptly with no indication of whether or not they'll pick up again.”
    • “While dialogues with NPCs and quest descriptions will give some insight about the world and how the lore is, generally don't expect much content story-wise.”
  • music53 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting the excellent soundtrack and its fitting integration with the game's art style. However, some players expressed a desire for more variety in the music tracks, noting that while the existing music is beautiful, it can become repetitive. Overall, the combination of enchanting music and stunning visuals contributes significantly to the game's immersive feel.

    • “The hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music really draw you into the world of Nordic mythology.”
    • “I absolutely love this game, including enchanting music and beautiful artwork.”
    • “They fit together perfectly, the entire soundtrack complements every aspect of this game, enhancing it and making your experience all the more fun.”
    • “Not enough music tracks.”
    • “Very nice game but you have to add more different music!”
    • “- lazy music loop.”
  • atmosphere29 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautifully hand-drawn graphics and immersive sound design, effectively capturing the essence of Nordic mythology. Many players appreciate the detailed art style and atmospheric music, which enhance the overall experience, although 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 charm and appeal.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability14 mentions

    Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed. Some players appreciate the variety offered by multiple heroes and starting areas, suggesting a decent level of replayability, while others feel the game lacks significant replay value, particularly in single-player mode. Customization options and procedural generation are noted as potential enhancements to increase replayability.

    • “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?”
    • “It's not an easy game, but it's not a hard game; however, it holds little in the role of replay value.”
    • “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.”
  • humor13 mentions

    The humor in the game is a notable highlight, with players finding amusement in its absurdities, such as ridiculous item descriptions and poor design choices that are ironically entertaining. Despite its flaws, the game successfully blends a dark Viking afterlife setting with moments of levity, making it a fun experience overall. Players appreciate the developers' self-awareness and ongoing updates, which add to the game's comedic charm.

    • “Niffelheim is a game that takes players on a journey through the Viking afterlife, with plenty of action, exploration, and even some humor along the way.”
    • “From the ridiculous item descriptions to the absurd dialogue, the game's writers clearly had a lot of fun with the game's humor.”
    • “In conclusion, Niffelheim is a game that manages to combine a dark and foreboding world with plenty of humor and satisfying gameplay.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer mode, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players find single-player mode more enjoyable and less buggy, the game is generally considered unpolished and lacking in content, indicating that it may still be far from completion. Despite ongoing updates aimed at improving stability, many players feel that significant issues remain.

    • “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 stable the game is; I haven't encountered any crashes or significant bugs during my playtime.”
    • “I picked the game for the multiplayer coop, but it is so buggy and unstable at the moment.”
    • “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.”
    • “Buggy, too, as I've logged in sometimes to find things mysteriously missing from my stash/inventory since the previous session.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some users report smooth performance and fluid gameplay, others feel it is poorly optimized despite newer technology, likening it to a flash game. Notably, it runs well on various systems, including older hardware like a 2017 MacBook Pro.

    • “Gather everything you see, and if resources are located correctly, things run smoothly.”
    • “It's a flash game optimized for a controller on the PC.”
    • “Performance runs smooth and gameplay is fluid.”
    • “This game reminds me a lot of SteamWorld Dig, but somehow it's more poorly optimized, even though it has five more years of technology to run its flash game-looking graphics.”
    • “It's a flash game optimized for a controller on PC.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally criticized for being minimal and unclear, with many players finding the base character designs lackluster. While the art is noted as a strong point, it does not compensate for the shortcomings in character growth and design. Overall, the lack of meaningful character development detracts from the overall experience.

    • “No character development and shop prices are so high they are pointless.”
    • “Base character designs are lackluster.”
    • “Simple yet unclear character development.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism for falsely advertising a completed product, with some users feeling that the downloadable content (DLC) is unnecessary and lacks additional achievements. However, despite the negative sentiment towards this approach, some players acknowledge the developer's good intentions and do not find the monetization overly triggering.

    • “Honestly, they probably should get their game taken down for it, as they are falsely advertising a completed game, which this is clearly not.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional2 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 the story left me in tears, truly a remarkable experience.”
    • “I was moved to tears by the character development and the heartfelt moments throughout the game.”
    • “The game's ability to evoke such strong emotions is a testament to its storytelling and artistry.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

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Play time

23hMedian play time
18hAverage play time
13hMain story
31hCompletionist
8-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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