Nightmare: The Lunatic

About

"Nightmare: The Lunatic" traps you in an endless dream world filled with powerful monsters. With the help of a dream merchant, find a way out by exploring and collecting useful items. Use various weapons and master their attacks to defeat enemies and progress through the ever-changing dreamscape. Dying is just a minor setback, as you'll reawaken to try again.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 118 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features a unique weapon swapping mechanic that encourages diverse playstyles and strategies, enhancing replayability.
Combat is fluid and satisfying, with a well-implemented parry system that rewards skillful play.
The pixel art graphics are beautiful, and the game offers a variety of weapons and upgrades, providing a rich experience for roguelite fans.

The weapon swapping mechanic can feel cumbersome and may not always incentivize players to switch effectively during combat.
Some players find the difficulty spike in boss fights to be frustrating, with bosses having high HP and punishing attack patterns.
The game lacks certain quality-of-life features, such as saving progress mid-run and clearer communication of item effects.

gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
7%
The gameplay is a blend of engaging mechanics reminiscent of titles like Dead Cells and DMC, featuring a fun yet challenging weapon swap system that encourages diverse tactics without forcing a specific playstyle. While some players find the weapon switching less incentivized due to risks associated with melee options, the overall combat and movement mechanics are smooth and satisfying, complemented by varied enemy designs and a fair challenge. Despite minor complaints, the game is praised for its clarity in mechanics and enjoyable roguelike elements, making it a recommended experience for fans of the genre.
- “It's a very fun roguelike that I got since pre-1.0.0 and got very far into the game that I was one of the first to beat the current hardest difficulty of Nightmare IX and got noticed by the devs in their Discord server. 10/10 would recommend; the gameplay fits well together and it's easy to learn.”
- “Despite being early access, what's here is exceptionally well-done: movement and combat mechanics are smooth and satisfying, enemy design is varied and balances challenge levels appropriately, and the overall presentation and surrounding mechanics are all competent.”
- “The weapon-swapping mechanic is really fun and encourages different tactics and builds while never forcing the player into a certain playstyle.”
- “For a game whose mechanic is around swapping weapons, they make it very hard to incentivize me to actually swap weapons when any other weapon puts me in danger by being melee, takes longer to get out of attack animations, grants no extra mobility or guarding, and staggers less frequently.”
- “Gameplay: well....... think Dead Cells meets DMC.. the weapon system is fun (& hard to master).. a good combination if you asked me.. my only issue is the enemies overlapping & you get hit off that often.”
- “I mostly ignored the switching mechanic and got through the game just fine.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The music in the game is generally considered inconsistent and lacks the ability to energize players, though it does align with specific biomes, such as the desert level's stereotypical 'eastern' theme. While some tracks, like those for the intro and boss battles, are praised, overall, the soundtrack is seen as needing improvement and polish. Sound effects, however, receive positive feedback for their satisfying quality.
- “The music for the intro and boss was good, but could still use a little more polish.”
- “The music also isn't great, but it tends to fit the biome (e.g. the desert level has the stereotypical 'eastern' music you'd expect).”
- “The music is just okay.”
- “I found the music in the first forest world to not quite fit the feel of the game.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics are praised for their beautiful pixel art and varied aesthetics across different zones and bosses, creating a strong contrast between biomes. Overall, players find the visuals appealing and well-integrated with the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Graphically, it sports beautiful pixel art.”
- “The aesthetics of each zone and boss vary greatly so far, adding good contrast between biomes.”
- “Love the gameplay and graphics.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is generally considered decent, with some users noting that it continues beyond the main ending, adding depth to the narrative. The initial impression is likened to MapleStory, suggesting a whimsical or engaging storytelling style.
- “If that wasn't enough, there is story past the ending.”
- “Maplestory on first sight.”
- “The story is decent too.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game is noted for its high replayability, offering significant replay value through a variety of weapons and upgrades available in each run. Players appreciate the diverse options that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “Highly replayable.”
- “There is a lot of replay value since there are many weapons and upgrades to find on a run.”
- “Highly replayable.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive, particularly in the late game where bosses have high health and limited attack openings, making encounters feel tedious. This grindy nature is a common characteristic of rogue-lite games, but it can detract from the overall experience.
- “The only negative that I had for this game is that I found the late game bosses to be a bit too tedious with extraordinarily high HP and too few gaps in their attack patterns to actually do damage.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of Nightmare is praised for its unique style, effectively blending elements from games like Skul and Dead Cells while maintaining its own distinct ambiance. Players appreciate the game's ability to create an engaging and immersive environment.
- “Nightmare is a great game, incorporating some of the best elements of Skul and Dead Cells while still retaining its own unique style and atmosphere.”