Perfect Vermin

About

"Perfect Vermin" is a free Windows game where you exterminate vermin in an office setting using a sledgehammer. The game features destructible environments and a tense atmosphere, with a focus on fast-paced gameplay. However, it is not compatible with older Intel laptops and may encounter issues. The soundtrack is available on YouTube, BandCamp, and SoundCloud.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,608 reviews

story157 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and thought-provoking narrative that unfolds as you progress, leaving a lasting impression.
Gameplay is satisfying, allowing players to smash furniture and discover hidden vermin, creating an engaging experience.
The art style and sound design effectively contribute to the game's unsettling atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.

The game frequently crashes, often within minutes of starting, making it unplayable for many users.
Some players find the mechanics repetitive and the lack of a save feature frustrating, especially when attempting to complete achievements.
The game can be confusing at first, with unclear objectives and a lack of guidance, leading to a disorienting experience.

story
352 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
54%
2%
The game's story is a brief yet impactful exploration of themes such as mortality and the consequences of smoking, cleverly intertwined with gameplay that involves destroying disguised vermin in an office setting. Players appreciate the unexpected depth and moral implications of the narrative, which unfolds through engaging mechanics and culminates in a poignant twist. Despite its short length, the storytelling is described as thought-provoking and haunting, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “This game has enjoyable destruction physics, an interesting story, and has a great plot twist.”
- “The story is creepy and thought-provoking, while the destruction mechanics make it really fun to play and replay.”
- “The game takes a maximum of twenty minutes to play from beginning to end, and it’s free, so I’ll leave my recommendation here— I had a good time, and the good time that I was having didn’t get in the way of the story.”
- “The story is... eh whatever, but this is a very surreal experience.”
- “The story took me a couple of runs to click, and its depth really surprised me.”
- “The disgustingly presented story of a man writhing against mortality told by smashing things with a hammer during a psychotic breakdown, free, and finished in fifteen minutes.”
gameplay
185 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The gameplay of "Perfect Vermin" is characterized by its simple yet satisfying mechanics, primarily revolving around the destruction of objects that don't belong in the environment. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay loop, which combines mindless destruction with a compelling narrative, although some express disappointment over its brevity and occasional technical issues. Overall, the game effectively uses its straightforward mechanics to enhance the thematic depth of its story, making it a unique experience despite its short runtime.
- “The gameplay is simple but satisfying, and as you continue to play, it adds a couple of additional layers of complexity that complement it well.”
- “The gameplay is entertaining, the art and music are amazing, and all the pixelated gore and entrails are viscerally charming.”
- “Awesome game, the gameplay is simple and fun while the mystery behind the story is rather interesting and keeps the player enticed.”
- “Just so sad that the game is literally unplayable due to it crashing after a few seconds of gameplay.”
- “Crashes after a minute of gameplay, unplayable.”
- “It's a 15-minute game that regurgitates two levels and adds whack gimmicks not conducive to gameplay, such as controlling the player in both levels simultaneously.”
graphics
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
54%
3%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style and minimalist aesthetic that effectively complements the gameplay and narrative. While some players experienced performance issues and crashes, others highlighted the game's impressive visuals and satisfying physics, noting that the graphics, though not technically advanced, contribute significantly to the overall atmosphere and storytelling. Overall, the visuals are described as striking and fitting for the game's themes, making it a visually engaging experience despite some technical shortcomings.
- “What I found was a short little horror game with an amazing story and pretty great graphics to back it up as well.”
- “Graphically, the game sports a minimalist yet striking aesthetic that suits its surreal theme.”
- “The visuals of this game, and the way it is presented, are fantastic.”
- “Has simple graphic fidelity, not much to run on, with the exception of fragmentation.”
- “The game keeps crashing within the first 60 seconds, even after trying to set all graphical settings to minimum. This, sadly, forces me to give a proper score to this game; although it is free, it does not excuse creating such garbage.”
- “Like holy shit it ran worse than Mafia 3 did, there's no excuse for the game to run that bad and to have no graphical options to improve performance.”
music
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The music in "Perfect Vermin" has received widespread acclaim for its ability to create an unsettling yet engaging atmosphere, enhancing the game's eerie and immersive experience. Reviewers praised the soundtrack for its haunting quality, which effectively complements the gameplay and story, with many noting that it transitions from calm to chaotic, adding depth to the overall ambiance. While some felt the music was not the primary focus, its strategic use throughout the game significantly contributes to the emotional impact and narrative cohesion.
- “The combination of a stunning/disturbing art style coupled with a soundtrack that would give the Grim Reaper chills really allows Perfect Vermin to shine as the hidden gem it is.”
- “Visuals and music are fantastic, setting the mood and emphasizing story elements.”
- “The music serves as a good background and manages to appear and disappear well as the game progresses.”
- “The lack of music and repetitive nature makes it boring and confusing until the ending, at which point it suddenly all makes sense.”
- “There's generally not much music, but once it kicks in it definitely ramps up the creepiness of the situation.”
- “Sometimes the music could be kind of unnerving and even creepy.”
atmosphere
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
36%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, creepy, and unsettling tone, effectively enhanced by stellar sound design and music. Players appreciate the unique blend of body horror, stylized gore, and an intriguing narrative that keeps them engaged and questioning throughout the experience. Despite its short length, the atmosphere is described as immersive and impactful, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “If you're into body horror, stylized gore, creepy atmosphere, and endings open to interpretation, in the form of a short game that won't burden your wallet, I'd definitely recommend this game.”
- “The game's atmosphere is excellent, with a dark and unsettling tone that keeps you on edge throughout.”
- “The storytelling, the atmosphere, the aesthetic, they're all so unique and fun, while being completely heartbreaking at the same time.”
- “The game has a creepy atmosphere filled with gore and will have you questioning what is actually going on.”
- “The story with a little twist and unsettling atmosphere really do their work.”
- “That thing about 'a great uncover for the story' is a blatant lie; the story is so plain and the devs try so hard to be 'weird' and 'symbolic' that it completely ruins the atmosphere they try to create.”
emotional
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke genuine feelings, ranging from heartfelt sadness to discomfort and fear, all within a brief playtime. Players describe it as a touching and surreal experience that combines unique storytelling and aesthetics, leaving a lasting impact that can be both heartbreaking and thought-provoking. Despite its short duration, the game effectively explores deep themes, making players feel a spectrum of emotions, often culminating in a profound sense of loss or realization.
- “Never once have I ever felt so emotional and cried so hard at a game ending.”
- “This game packs an incredible amount of emotional depth into a short, intense package, and it has a lot to say, despite saying it in only a few minutes.”
- “The storytelling, the atmosphere, the aesthetic, they're all so unique and fun, while being completely heartbreaking at the same time.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
13%
The game offers decent replayability primarily through achievement hunting and speedrunning, despite its short playtime of around 15-30 minutes. Players find enjoyment in revisiting the game to improve their runs and experience unique reactions from friends, making it a fun choice for quick sessions. Overall, while the core gameplay is brief, the potential for varied experiences and challenges encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “Although the game is short (about 15 minutes), it definitely has replayability as you try to unlock the rest of the achievements, and it is speedrun-friendly for beginners.”
- “Has a good replay value, especially if you want to show it to your friends. It's always fun to watch someone play the game because it's such a terrific experience for the first time, and everyone's reactions are unique. A must-play, and it's free!”
- “This game, despite being rather simple and short, has some replayability and a ton of symbolism that may be overlooked initially.”
- “There's not much replay value unless you want to get the achievements.”
- “Even though it's a short game, it definitely has a lot of replay value.”
- “Really fun indie piece that you can run through quickly, but the achievements give it a lot of replayability.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
55%
36%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can be tedious and frustrating, particularly during speedruns where repeated failures require starting over, many also enjoy the challenge and the satisfaction of perfecting their runs. Overall, the grind is described as occasionally excessive but ultimately rewarding for those who persevere.
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Speedrunning can be very tedious this way, especially since you have to restart every single time you mess up, so I will say the game does lack in that aspect.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Striving to perfect a run was a genuinely teeth-grinding experience that pushed me to try again and again and again.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
27%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of absurdity and dark comedy, featuring a mix of funny violence and tragedy that provokes thought while remaining entertaining. Players find it both amusing and bizarre, with many noting its free and short nature, making it worth at least one playthrough despite some repetitive elements. Overall, the game successfully combines grotesque humor with engaging aesthetics, appealing to those who appreciate unconventional comedic styles.
- “Well, I think I need to see a doctor, but it's really a funny and weird game.”
- “A bittersweet mix of funny violence and tragedy with a few challenging achievements to boot.”
- “Hides an uncomfortable truth with fantastic aesthetics and a grotesque sense of humor.”
- “The humor fell flat and felt forced throughout the game.”
- “I expected clever jokes, but most of the attempts at humor were cringeworthy.”
- “The comedic elements were more annoying than amusing, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
44%
33%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many users reporting poor performance and frequent lag, particularly on lower-end systems. While some players with better hardware found it more playable, the lack of graphical options to enhance performance has left many feeling frustrated. Overall, the game appears to struggle with optimization, leading to a subpar experience for a portion of its player base.
- “Game runs smoothly with a relatively low bit rate, but it does have a decent amount of fragmentation.”
- “However, I'm not sure if it's because my computer isn't up to the task or if it's not totally optimized, but I found myself lagging quite often, which usually doesn't really happen with other games (except really heavy ones).”
- “There are a lot of optimization problems.”
- “Not at all optimized for weaker machines, but if you have a better machine than mine, you should be able to play this, and I do recommend you do.”
- “Like holy shit it ran worse than Mafia 3 did; there's no excuse for the game to run that bad and to have no graphical options to improve performance.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent crashes and bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. While some users found the game enjoyable despite its issues, others experienced severe stability problems that detracted from their overall experience. Conversely, a few players noted that they encountered no major bugs, suggesting that stability may vary among different users.
- “Shitty game, it keeps crashing without giving any reason, literally 1 minute into the game it freezes and closes, without giving any explanation messages or anything else.”
- “Interesting game but since the whole troubleshooting process took longer to complete than the game it kind of soured the whole experience.”
- “Pretty buggy, could never play for more than a minute or so :(”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for resembling a poorly executed anti-smoking advertisement rather than a traditional gaming experience, leading to a perception that it prioritizes messaging over entertainment. Users express frustration with the approach, suggesting it feels more like a cringe-worthy campaign than an engaging game.
- “It's a short 'game', or more like an advertisement of how bad cancer is.”
- “These anti-smoking ads are getting out of hand.”
- “I wish they would show us this in school rather than those anti-smoking ads.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
Character development is seen as somewhat cathartic, with achievements motivating multiple playthroughs; however, reviewers suggest that deeper character development and more dynamic interactions with the 'vermin' would enhance the experience.
- “The character development is incredibly engaging, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding.”
- “The story and character development are well-crafted, adding depth to the overall experience.”
- “It's somewhat cathartic, and the achievements encourage multiple playthroughs, enhancing the character development.”
- “It's somewhat cathartic and the achievements encourage multiple playthroughs, but having more character development and the 'vermin' appear in different locations or move around would have been better.”