Return Of The Zombie King

About

"Return of the Zombie King" is a 2D, 1-button auto-runner where you play as a reanimated king, collecting gold to buy back your body parts and advanced upgrades. Starting with no body parts and limited life force, you'll explore a vast world with over 100 levels across four distinct environments. The game emphasizes the importance of collecting gold to progress and features no microtransactions or IAP.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

music4 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The game features a clever upgrade system where players can buy body parts that enhance gameplay, adding a unique twist to the experience.
The pixel art and backgrounds are beautifully designed, creating an engaging visual atmosphere that many players appreciate.
The game offers high replay value with procedurally generated levels and a sense of progression as players unlock new abilities.

The game can feel grindy and repetitive, requiring players to replay levels multiple times to earn enough coins for upgrades.
Many levels are locked behind signing up for the developer's mailing list, which some players find unethical and frustrating.
The difficulty can vary wildly between levels, leading to frustrating experiences where players may struggle to progress due to inconsistent challenges.

music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The game's music is initially absent, creating a dull atmosphere that players find counterintuitive, especially with an achievement for completing the game without music or color. However, as players progress and purchase "ears" to unlock the music, they come to appreciate its nostalgic quality, reminiscent of classic NES and SNES games. Overall, while the music is praised for its charm, some players feel it is too low-key and the initial lack of sound detracts from the experience.
- “The music is fantastic; the art and style brings back fuzzy memories of Saturday mornings playing NES and SNES games.”
- “Little by little you run, getting coins, purchasing ears (now there's music), eyes (now there's color) and more abilities.”
- “But because I gained the color and music, I appreciated them more.”
- “The game also has no music and few sound effects and is sepia toned.”
- “There's no color, no music.”
- “This seems like a very strange and counterintuitive decision, since you won't hear any of the game's music if you're going for these, and the game looks very dull with no colors.”
grinding
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for its excessive and often unnecessary grinding, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking in story. While some enjoy the farming elements and the ability to revisit levels for upgrades, others feel that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it less enjoyable compared to other titles. Additionally, the ethical concerns regarding locked content behind a subscription add to the frustration for some players.
- “The game itself is pretty grindy at times for no real reason, has almost no story (there seems to be some story missing) and the levels are reused frequently.”
- “First two worlds were fun to play; after that, it became too repetitive and too grindy.”
- “Let me tell you, Borderlands and Diablo require less grinding than this.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The gameplay in "Return of the Zombie King" and "Rotzk" is characterized by simple controls and engaging mechanics that promote a sense of progress and exploration. Players appreciate the clever integration of power-ups and roguelike elements, which add depth and encourage revisiting earlier levels. While the games are easy to pick up, they offer challenges that require mastery, though some users wish for improvements in navigation and upgrade processes.
- “Return of the Zombie King is a satisfying 2D runner with simple controls and gameplay mechanics that make you feel like you're making progress on every run.”
- “The way the game treats power-ups as 'body parts' is extremely clever and changes more than just the gameplay.”
- “It's simple to pick up the game but will take time to master it... the clever mechanic that makes you unlock abilities to go back to previous levels to find what you missed along your way encourages you to keep exploring.”
- “I do wish the 'upgrade' levels could be skipped after the first use, as they don't provide any new information or gameplay, and I'd like to get back to the map and menu system without having to start a level, which may be a bug, or may be based on differences between a true mobile platform and PC.”
- “The early game is about you familiarizing yourself with the mechanics and learning the common obstacles.”
- “On the surface there's good fun, but there's difficulty and immersion projected through the conscious use of mechanics.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and poorly integrated, with players noting a lack of progression and character development despite initial motivation. Many feel that the narrative is almost non-existent, with repetitive levels and a grindy gameplay experience that detracts from any potential storytelling. Overall, the story aspect is seen as underwhelming and not effectively utilized within the game.
- “The game itself is pretty grindy at times for no real reason, has almost no story (there seems to be some story missing) and the levels are reused frequently.”
- “The story so far is almost nonexistent; you are given a beginning and a motivation, and an hour of gameplay later you haven't heard anything about it.”
- “You start as a very impotent thing and through discovering and buying things, your perception of the game changes. This aspect is completely wasted by not integrating it into any kind of story progression or character development.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game boasts high replayability, with dynamic levels that change with each playthrough, appealing to both speedrunners and players seeking new challenges. However, this variability can lead to inconsistent difficulty, making it feel janky for casual players and complicating the experience as they navigate energy management to collect coins. Overall, the replay value is strong, but it may not cater to all playstyles equally.
- “It's truly impressive how, between Return of the Zombie King and One Screen Platformer, Chris manages to make his games so fun and replayable.”
- “The levels being different on every playthrough is a cool idea for replayability (and speedrunners), but it makes the difficulty go all over the place for casual players and makes the levels feel janky at times.”
- “Levels are replayable because you can't jump and get all the coins from the beginning, since each jump wastes energy, and if you waste a lot you die.”
- “You get a feel for the replayability of the game as you play it by seeing areas currently out of reach.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game have been positively received, with players praising the charming visuals and well-designed backgrounds. The aesthetic appeal enhances the sense of progression as players unlock new abilities and character visuals, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience.
- “I saw a glimpse of it in the livestream broadcast and was charmed by its visuals and its premise.”
- “Nice graphics and backgrounds.”
- “I admire the sense of progression the game provides: visuals of your character, new abilities, and then bonuses to your cash flow for mastering the use of your new abilities.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is criticized for being underutilized, as players begin as weak characters and experience a shift in perception through discovery and purchases. However, this growth is not effectively tied to any narrative or story progression, leaving the potential for deeper character development largely unfulfilled.
- “You start as a very impotent character, and through discovering and buying things, your perception of the game changes. However, this aspect is completely wasted by not integrating it into any kind of story progression or character development.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players consistently highlight the emotional depth of the game, noting the heartfelt effort and love poured into its creation, which they find both heartwarming and inspiring.
- “The amount of effort and love that goes into these games is heartwarming and inspiring.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonates with players, making every moment feel significant.”
- “The story evokes a range of feelings, from joy to sadness, leaving a lasting impact long after the game is over.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by the gradual acquisition of game-altering powers, such as vision and hearing, which contribute to a more immersive and engaging experience.
- “Gradually acquiring game-altering powers, such as enhanced vision or hearing, significantly contributes to the immersive atmosphere.”