On Dark Terms

About

On Dark Terms is a single player and multiplayer action game. It was developed by Dimensionless Games and was released on February 6, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "On Dark Terms," a 1-4 player co-op horror game, you make a pact with Bwonsombdi, Loa of the Dead, for protection in a post-apocalyptic world. Roam the open-world to gather materials, craft items, and delve into dungeons to destroy Dark Matter. Unique paranormal investigations and consumable crafting set this game apart.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 134 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept that combines ghost hunting with open-world exploration and the ability to play as a cat, which adds a fun twist.
Many players appreciate the game's potential and the active involvement of the developer in addressing issues and implementing updates.
The atmosphere and environmental design are praised, with various dungeons offering distinct and engaging experiences.

The tutorial is overly complicated and confusing, leading to frustration for new players who struggle to understand the mechanics.
The game is considered excessively difficult, even on easy mode, making it challenging for players to progress and enjoy the experience.
There are numerous bugs and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer mode, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.

gameplay
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
71%
4%
Gameplay in this game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the initial tutorial mode tedious and unengaging, which can lead to disappointment. However, once players grasp the mechanics, particularly the unique corruption and hunting systems, the gameplay becomes more enjoyable and offers a distinct experience compared to other ghost hunting games. While the game shows potential with its interesting mechanics and dual character play, some players feel overwhelmed by the complexity and lack of clarity in the mechanics, suggesting a need for smoother onboarding and additional development features.
- “The corruption, flash hunts, and embodiments add a lot to the gameplay and make it feel much more like a genuine game than the tutorial makes it out to seem.”
- “In relation to other ghost hunting style games such as Metaphysical and Phasmophobia, I would say this game possesses fun mechanics that are different enough that it feels very different from playing Phasmo or Metaphysical.”
- “The mechanics make the game really interesting and unique; the open world scenery is just beautiful and it's great to see some really cool looking ghost models!”
- “Gameplay-wise, I didn't get past the tutorial because it was long and confusing, and my friend got fed up and requested a refund.”
- “The corruption mechanic makes no sense at all; it's just to annoy you while you are running towards the boss for the 100th time because you are unlucky. The boss has 4 skills and spams all of them, usually faster than you. If not, it at least teleports. The demon is beatable, the witch is annoying, but the ghost... you actually need to be lucky with the ghost, so it's not fun at all at this stage.”
- “There are 4/5 stages inside each 'dungeon' (essentially a ghost hunt, like going inside a house in Phasmophobia), but each stage has totally different gameplay mechanics, so it feels really overwhelming.”
story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The game's story is engaging and features a main narrative that unfolds through interactions with a base terminal and various objectives, alongside side quests that enhance gameplay and lore. While the storytelling relies heavily on reading letters and item descriptions, the environments and research missions effectively convey a grim backstory about survivors. Players appreciate the individual quest structure during tutorials and the balance of deadly encounters with a forgiving death mechanic, contributing to an overall intriguing narrative experience.
- “There is an actual storyline, which is more than I can say for most games in this genre.”
- “The environments and themes tell quite a story as well.”
- “I hope the story continues to progress and we find out what really occurred.”
- “The story is unfortunately told in one of my least favorite methods, primarily by reading letters or short descriptions of items.”
- “When one of us completed an objective, it was not completed for the others, so everyone had to do the mission individually.”
- “These also tell you the very grim story of what happened to all the other survivors.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its stunning visual design and effective environmental storytelling, particularly in the dungeons and overworld, which create a sense of tension and excitement. However, some areas, like the train station map, are criticized for being small and lacking atmosphere, contrasting with the otherwise immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's engaging gameplay.
- “The atmosphere is perfect; the environmental design in the dungeons and overworld is exceptional, and the clue gathering and everything else is on point.”
- “The world is atmospheric and stunning visually; the dungeons are fun and exciting, even on repeat playthroughs after some unfortunate deaths.”
- “Some of the locations have a great atmosphere, creating a strong sense of tension while trying to find your objectives as the corruption level creeps ever upwards.”
- “The train station map near the starting apartment is very small and lacks any sort of atmosphere.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting the intrusive combination of a Christmas update soundtrack and the regular game music, which some find annoying. Additionally, the presence of ice cream vans that play music adds an element of surprise, contributing to the game's jump scare mechanics. Overall, the music seems to enhance the game's atmosphere but can be overwhelming at times.
- “The game launches with a Christmas update, but the annoying Christmas music plays simultaneously with the normal music, which is quite distracting.”
- “The ice cream vans play music that jump scares you, and the scarecrows drag you off and kill you, which can be quite frustrating.”
- “The combination of the Christmas music and the normal soundtrack creates a chaotic audio experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their visual appeal and impressive level design, with many players enjoying the aesthetic quality. However, there are concerns regarding optimization, as some users experience high GPU usage and technical issues typical of early access titles, indicating that further improvements are needed.
- “The levels look awesome and the graphics are pretty.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game's optimization is still a work in progress, typical for an early access title, with reports of performance issues such as unintended climbing or falling mechanics and high GPU usage for some players. While some users experience stable performance, others face significant overheating concerns, indicating that further optimization is necessary.
- “Some individuals experience high GPU usage, indicating that optimization could be improved.”
- “Performance issues are present, which is common for early access games.”
- “Unfortunately, it has some performance issues.”
- “Optimization is still something that needs work, but not surprising given the early access.”
- “High GPU usage for some individuals; a friend has a 3070 Ti that pushes 88 degrees.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally good, especially considering it was developed by a single individual; however, users have reported occasional bugs, with texture glitches being the most notable issue.
- “There are still some bugs that pop up from time to time; for me, the biggest one would be texture glitches randomly when the game is loaded. But for a single developer, I am surprised there aren't more bugs.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game primarily through the amusing animations and the playful antics of the cats, which create a lighthearted and entertaining experience. The repetitive enjoyment of creating and controlling the cats adds to the overall comedic appeal.
- “It was funny making the cats and doing silly things, running around as cats and seeing the animations.”