Overland

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 255 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Overland Game Cover
Overland is a strategy horror roguelike that's as difficult as it is rewarding. Its storytelling and presentation rivals the AAA sphere and raises the bar for what indie horror games can be.
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Overland is a single-player Science Fiction Turn Based Strategy game with an intriguing post-apocalyptic story. Exceptional visuals and music create a dense atmosphere as you manage a group of travelers, fight creatures, rescue survivors, and make supply-scavenging decisions. Version 1.2 offers new pug dog companions, rest stop levels, difficulty settings, game modifiers, and updated dialogue and stats displays.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 255 reviews
gameplay21 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique and beautiful art style that enhances the overall atmosphere.
  • It offers a challenging and strategic gameplay experience that requires careful planning and resource management.
  • The emergent storytelling and character interactions create memorable moments throughout the journey.
  • The inventory management system is overly restrictive, making it difficult to carry essential items.
  • The game can feel punishingly difficult, with many encounters leading to frustrating and unavoidable deaths.
  • There is a lack of clear tutorials or guidance, leaving players to figure out mechanics through trial and error.
  • gameplay84 mentions

    Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of simplicity and challenge, with many players appreciating the straightforward mechanics that can lead to engaging tactical decisions. However, criticisms arise regarding repetitiveness, a lack of depth, and a steep learning curve that can frustrate newcomers. While some find the gameplay satisfying and atmospheric, others feel it lacks sufficient content and variety, leading to a less enjoyable experience overall.

    • “Simple but challenging gameplay.”
    • “The mechanics are simple, but fun.”
    • “The gameplay is very comparable to stuff like Invisible Inc. and XCOM 2, so if you like the idea of an apocalyptic turn-based strategy game, I can't recommend Overland enough.”
    • “Gameplay is just a 'collect gas simulator', gets repetitive very fast.”
    • “The game is disgustingly repetitive and stripped down of any possible mechanics.”
    • “The difficulty level is extremely unforgiving, which combined with a forced 'ironman' save model together with a UI in which the only way to learn the mechanics of the game is by trial and error means that most players probably won't get much more than 10 hours out of it before giving up.”
  • story46 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many characters having underdeveloped backstories that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the emergent storytelling and unique character interactions that arise during gameplay, others find the narrative to be bare bones and unengaging. Despite these criticisms, a few players highlight moments of surprise and enjoyment within the story, suggesting that while it may not be the game's strongest aspect, it still offers some interesting elements.

    • “The storytelling aspect is something I love especially.”
    • “I absolutely love this game for its unsettling and subtle environmental storytelling, thoughtful and engaging gameplay, and its cute and personality-filled dialogue. I'm also a sucker for randomly generated characters and emergent storytelling for which this game is a perfect example.”
    • “The story hit me so hard I've now told it to at least a dozen people who all want to play this game.”
    • “The simplicity of 'just get the gas and don't worry about anything', and the fact that the characters do not have a decent story behind them takes away much of what I would like to see here, and what probably the creators would wish me to see.”
    • “The story is bare bones and not even worth discussing; I would say that's to its detriment, but there are a few interesting story events that happen that surprised me and I enjoyed when that happened.”
    • “The game isn't that difficult, at least not for me; it was pretty basic, but the gameplay is nice. However, the story is bad—there are just these things roaming about you know nothing about, and you never get to know anything about them or what you're really doing.”
  • graphics42 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, often described as low-poly or reminiscent of polygonal cutouts, which contributes to a strong and consistent aesthetic. While some players appreciate the beautiful visuals and atmospheric design, others feel that the simplistic graphics may not fully compensate for gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the graphics are considered a highlight, enhancing the game's atmosphere and appeal.

    • “Great art style.”
    • “The art style is beautiful.”
    • “The beautiful visuals and animations, combined with great sound design result in an atmosphere that is somehow both serene and unsettling.”
    • “Graphics here are very simplistic as apparent from screenshots and trailers; music, on the other hand, adds to the atmosphere, with some tracks once again reminding of annihilation.”
    • “I played this game one afternoon, and it was soon clear to me that this is a very neat idea with some great indie graphics, but really with poor and uninspired game mechanics.”
    • “There's very little tension built up, since the enemies are not very threatening, likely due to the art style.”
  • atmosphere22 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its compelling and immersive qualities, characterized by striking visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and a foreboding narrative that enhances the overall experience. While the simplistic graphics may detract for some, the combination of art style and sound design creates a unique ambiance that is both beautiful and unsettling. However, opinions vary on the game's substance and gameplay mechanics, with some finding it frustrating despite the strong atmospheric elements.

    • “I love the atmosphere; I love how it jumps in with no guidance or pushing me to choose one way or another and allows me to learn as I go.”
    • “A very atmospheric roguelite road-trip over the monster-infested U.S. that reminded me of the film 'Monsters.'”
    • “The beautiful visuals and animations, combined with great sound design, result in an atmosphere that is somehow both serene and unsettling.”
    • “Graphics here are very simplistic as apparent from screenshots and trailers, but the music adds to the atmosphere, with some tracks reminding me of annihilation.”
    • “The atmosphere and even the limited dialogue is engaging.”
    • “The art style, atmosphere, and premise are right up my alley.”
  • music13 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the atmosphere, with many reviewers describing it as beautiful and atmospheric, perfectly complementing the visuals. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive, leading to a desire to mute it after extended play. Overall, the combination of music and art style is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's unique and immersive experience.

    • “Not only are the low poly assets nice to the eyes, the music is orgasmic to my ears; the setting and tone are fine-tuned to my tastes.”
    • “Overland is a wonderful game in the bleak setting of the post-apocalypse; it has beautiful graphics, wonderful music, and I will play it again.”
    • “Almost no music and the interaction feels too weird; any action takes eons and the most important isn't food, but fuel.”
    • “The art style and the music make the game.”
    • “Graphics here are very simplistic as apparent from screenshots and trailers; music, on the other hand, adds to the atmosphere, with some tracks once again reminding of annihilation.”
  • replayability13 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, primarily due to its lack of depth, underwhelming ending, and repetitive gameplay loop. While some players appreciate the roguelike elements and procedurally generated levels, many feel that the absence of strong lore and variation diminishes the incentive to replay. There is hope for future updates to enhance replay value, but currently, it does not offer significant challenges or engaging content after the initial playthrough.

    • “I somehow hope that updates continue to be released for the game, because it has so much potential and replayability options.”
    • “Personally, I really like the roguelike aspect of the game because it makes sacrifices like leaving a survivor behind that much more necessary and impactful, and the randomly generated levels give the game a ton of replayability.”
    • “On the other hand, the graphics are excellent and the replayability is good.”
    • “On the other hand, the downside is the ending is underwhelming, to say the least, and the game gets so easy after a while that it doesn't have a lot of replayability despite the procedurally generated levels and characters.”
    • “It does look nice and there is a bit of a story, but replay value is very limited - mostly because the basic gameplay loop is nothing special.”
    • “Lack of lore while maintaining the mystery doesn't allow for much replayability once you've beaten it.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever animations, quirky character designs, and the amusing challenges players face while learning through trial and error. Players appreciate the emergent stories that arise from their mistakes, which often lead to hilarious outcomes, enhancing the overall enjoyment and replayability of the game. The presence of endearing characters, like the non-aggressive "good bois," adds a tasteful comedic touch to the experience.

    • “The animation and sense of humor add to the game's enjoyment; and the variety of characters, items, and scenes add to its replayability.”
    • “There are even good boys who refuse to attack mobs, which I found tasteful and funny.”
    • “Awesome game design, well-crafted characters with funny details.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as it primarily involves repetitive tasks like collecting fuel and driving, with minimal variation in enemy behavior and a lack of engaging character interactions. This leads to a monotonous experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.

    • “The game has a bunch of tedious systems, and it never feels like you're doing much except picking up fuel and driving.”
    • “It becomes quite tedious, with these creatures behaving the same over and over again with very little variation, along with lobotomized main characters acting like, 'I don’t believe you actually killed someone!'”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Reviews on the emotional aspect of the game are mixed; while some players found it boring and uninspiring, others experienced a strong sense of satisfaction and joy during gameplay.

    • “The fact that I could do all of that made me feel really good when playing.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and bugs, which detract from the overall experience. Many users express frustration with these problems, making it difficult to recommend the game, especially at its current price.

    • “Its biggest issue, on top of its mildly lacking quality, is that it's buggy and crashes from time to time.”
    • “Unless someone is okay with the frustrations of a buggy game that requires very long play sessions to beat, or unless something is done to patch these issues, I cannot and will not willingly recommend this game to anyone for the price it is right now.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers express a desire for more substantial character development, indicating that even basic growth or progression would enhance the overall experience.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable.”
    • “The depth of character development adds layers to the narrative, making each decision feel impactful.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

Buy Overland

Play time

26hMedian play time
33hAverage play time
15-86hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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