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Nightmare Boy

If you're looking for an adventure with a unique look and its own sense of style Nightmare Boy can have its charm.
Nightmare Boy Game Cover
44%Game Brain Score
graphics, atmosphere
story, gameplay
54% User Score Based on 24 reviews
Critic Score 50%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox OneWindowsPlayStation
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Nightmare Boy Game Cover

About

Nightmare Boy is a single player arcade action adventure game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by The Vanir Project and was released on October 25, 2017. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

In Nightmare Boy , players explore a chaotic world called Noctum, where the king has vanished and a tyrant named Balder rules. As the protagonist, Baltazara, players must navigate a metroidvania-style 2D landscape, defeat enemies, and solve puzzles to save kidnapped children and restore balance to Noctum. Interactions with quirky NPCs can have significant consequences, making each playthrough unique.

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Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
Nightmare Boy screenshot
+8
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54%
Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews
graphics6 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • Haunting atmosphere and unique visual style that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • Challenging platforming and varied enemy designs keep the gameplay engaging.
  • Engaging storyline with hidden depth that encourages exploration and interaction.
  • Inconsistent controls and difficulty spikes can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Limited character customization and unskippable cutscenes detract from player enjoyment.
  • Backtracking and a lack of fast travel options can make progression tedious.
  • graphics
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the cool and charming art style, while others find it confusing and unattractive, struggling to distinguish enemies from the background. Overall, the aesthetics are noted as a strong point, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, despite some criticisms.

    • “Cool graphics.”
    • “The art style is cool and the gameplay can either be really easy or really hard depending on which difficulty setting you decide to play it on.”
    • “The graphics are charming, the combat is rewarding and challenging right from the get-go (depending on set difficulty).”
    • “Graphically, you hardly know what is an enemy and what is part of the background.”
    • “Meh art style (I guess some people may like it... it's special, and I find it rather ugly).”
  • story
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is described as engaging and intriguing, featuring a protagonist named Billy who is an ordinary boy with dreams. Reviewers appreciate the hidden depth within the narrative, although some suggest improvements in gameplay mechanics related to item acquisition. Overall, the aesthetics complement the storyline well.

    • “Engaging storyline”
    • “Aesthetics are amazing, and the story has a lot of hidden depth.”
    • “The story features a relatable character, Billy, who is an ordinary boy with dreams.”
    • “The story feels incredibly shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “The plot twists are predictable and fail to engage the player, leaving a sense of disappointment.”
    • “The narrative is disjointed and confusing, making it difficult to follow the main storyline.”
  • gameplay
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized as a typical Metroidvania experience, where players control Billy, who transforms into a zombie and navigates a nightmarish world to find his way home. While the movement and attack mechanics are smooth, the enjoyment is hindered by constant screen rumble during combat and uninspired level design.

    • “Billy transforms into a kind of zombie, who is now trying to find his way home from this nightmare world... The gameplay is typical of Metroidvania.”
    • “Gameplay itself is actually quite smooth, with Billy moving and attacking seamlessly.”
    • “The gameplay is typical of a Metroidvania.”
    • “Billy transforms into a kind of zombie, who is now trying to find his way home from this nightmare world... the gameplay is typical of a Metroidvania.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Nightmare Boy is praised for its haunting atmosphere that enhances the intense and thrilling gameplay experience. The combination of eerie settings and challenging platforming contributes to an engaging narrative, making the overall atmosphere a standout feature of the game.

    • “Haunting atmosphere”
    • “Nightmare Boy impresses with its haunting atmosphere, challenging platforming, and engaging narrative.”
    • “Nightmare Boy delivers an intense, thrilling experience with challenging platforming and an eerie atmosphere.”
  • music
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is praised as being really good, although it is noted that it cannot compensate for the overall negative experience of the game.

    • “I do want to make a point to say the music is really good.”
    • “The music is decent, but it doesn't make up for the overall poor experience of the game.”
    • “While the graphics and music are good, they can't redeem this awful game.”
    • “The soundtrack is forgettable and fails to enhance the gameplay.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating, as the increasing cost of saves in gems outpaces gem acquisition, leading to a tedious cycle of farming. This mechanic is perceived as a cheap tactic to extend playtime rather than a rewarding challenge, making the experience feel less enjoyable.

    • “Saves costing gems is fine at first, but when the save cost tends to ramp up faster than gem intake, it seems to encourage farming/grinding for gems, which feels less rewarding and more like a cheap tactic to increase playtime.”
    • “As it is now, if I run into a few tough areas and save a few too many times, I'll just be farming between every save.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be inconsistent, as certain interactions with the boss can evoke feelings of frustration due to unclear mechanics that lead to unexpected damage. This lack of clarity can detract from the overall emotional engagement with the game.

  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players note that the game has improved replayability at 1080p due to enhanced resolution settings, although some still find the interlacing issue somewhat distracting. Overall, the adjustments have made the game more enjoyable for repeated playthroughs.

  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, alongside problems with narrative, controls, and pacing, which detract from the overall experience.

    • “It's a metroidvania with a distinctive style all of its own, but there are some glaring issues with its narrative, controls, pacing, and performance.”
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50%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Nightmare Boy is a arcade action adventure game with fantasy theme.

Nightmare Boy is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

Nightmare Boy was released on October 25, 2017.

Nightmare Boy was developed by The Vanir Project.

Nightmare Boy has received neutral reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

Nightmare Boy is a single player game.

Similar games include Demon Turf, Alwa's Legacy, Battle Worlds: Kronos, Souldiers, Astalon: Tears of the Earth and others.