Scary World
- January 22, 2025
- Keith Burgun Games
![Scary World Game Cover](https://img.gamebrain.co/games/815/scary_world_keithburgun_2025_13_xl.png)
![](https://img.gamebrain.co/games/808/scary_world_keithburgun_2025_10_xl.jpg)
![](https://img.gamebrain.co/games/810/scary_world_keithburgun_2025_12_xl.jpg)
![](https://img.gamebrain.co/games/764/scary_world_keithburgun_2025_5_xl.jpg)
You are about to see a scary world. Your goal is to survive just ten minutes in this bouncy, bumpy, dynamic and surprising bullet heaven. Inspired by Vampire Survivors.
Reviews
- The game features short, engaging runs that last about 10 minutes, making it easy to play multiple times in a row.
- Scary World offers a diverse roster of characters with unique abilities, encouraging varied playstyles and strategic depth.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and actively works on updates, improving gameplay mechanics and overall experience.
- Movement controls can feel slow and sticky, making dodging and maneuvering difficult during intense gameplay.
- Some characters are unbalanced, with certain heroes feeling overpowered while others are underwhelming, affecting overall gameplay experience.
- The game lacks a substantial narrative, which may disappoint players looking for a deeper story beyond the initial introduction.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its strategic depth, particularly through the innovative "diamond abilities" system that allows players to mix and match ability gems. Players appreciate the diverse characters, varied combat scenarios, and mechanics like extra lives that enhance strategic choices, especially in harder difficulty modes. Overall, the gameplay is described as fun, addictive, and surprisingly deep for its genre, with fluid movement and engaging mechanics that keep players invested.
“The 'diamond abilities' you can get by mixing and matching the different colored ability gems is a really cool mechanic, and adds a lot of strategy to which abilities you go for.”
“The gameplay is where the scary world shines, with varied combat scenarios and a unique roster of characters.”
“The fluid movement, while a divergence from typical vs-like controls, is incorporated throughout the gameplay, with movement and momentum influencing some of the weapons, boost pads, and additional tension with collecting XP as it circles around you gradually.”
“It’d make a big difference in the gameplay, and letting players choose if they want it would be a nice touch.”
“The fluid movement, while a divergence from typical versus-like controls, is incorporated throughout the gameplay, with movement and momentum influencing some of the weapons, boost pads, and adding additional tension with collecting XP as it circles around you gradually.”
“For a game of this kind, there is a surprising amount of depth in the mechanics.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability, with a variety of character abilities and enemy spawns that enhance the experience despite some unbalanced heroes. Players can expect a fun, strategic gameplay loop that encourages multiple playthroughs, with a replayability rating around 7/10. Overall, it stands out as a highly replayable title in the bullet heaven genre, designed for quick yet engaging sessions.
“Overall a fun, highly replayable, and unique entry in the bullet heaven / vs-like genre.”
“Designed to be about 10 minutes of fun, but very high replay value.”
“While some heroes feel unbalanced, the overall experience offers strategic depth and replayability.”
“While the layouts don’t feel procedurally generated, the variety in character abilities and enemy spawns offers enough replayability for fans of the genre.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their classic rogue-like pixel art style, which effectively complements the game's tone and enhances immersion. Reviewers note that the simple yet readable art style, along with lighthearted and wacky aesthetics, contributes positively to the overall experience, earning a solid 8/10 rating.
“The classic rogue-like/pixel art style complements the tone of the game.”
“The consistent aesthetic enhances immersion.”
“The art style, while simple, is quite readable, which is the most important thing for this type of game.”
- music8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised as excellent, enhancing the dark and atmospheric environments and complementing the unique character designs. Reviewers appreciate its quality and how it contributes to the overall experience, noting that it stands out despite the simplicity of the art style.
“The music is excellent, and the art style, while simple, is quite readable, which is the most important thing for this type of game.”
“The music is really good.”
“Environments are dark and atmospheric, and the character designs stand out with unique visual identities and music.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally praised, with a performance rating of 9/10, providing a smooth experience even during intense moments with numerous enemies. However, some users report occasional stuttering and slowdowns after extended playtime of 7-10 minutes.
“The game's optimization ensures a smooth experience, even while seemingly hundreds of enemies swarmed around me.”
“I started getting occasional stuttering and slowdowns after 7-10 minutes of gameplay.”
“The game's optimization is lacking, leading to frequent performance issues.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate during intense moments.”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being minimal, with only a brief introductory segment that sets the eerie atmosphere but fails to develop further. Reviewers note that the lack of depth and engagement in the narrative, combined with other gameplay issues, detracts from the overall experience.
“The game offers no story beyond its initial intro, which briefly introduces players to its eerie universe.”
“However, the lack of procedurally generated layouts, an underwhelming story, and character balance issues hold it back from reaching its full potential.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its strong sense of humor, with players finding it consistently funny. The unpredictable physics add to the comedic experience, as objects and characters often behave erratically, creating chaotic and amusing moments.
“The game is really funny.”
“Great sense of humor.”
“The physics mostly behaves but occasionally goes nuts, which is funny; things fly around the screen (including yourself) like pinballs.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by dark and immersive environments, complemented by distinctive character designs and a fitting soundscape. While the audio elements are not revolutionary, they effectively enhance the overall ambiance.
“Environments are dark and atmospheric, and the character designs stand out with unique visual identities and music.”
“While not groundbreaking, the soundscape adds to the game’s overall atmosphere.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted by unique visual identities and atmospheric environments that enhance the overall experience. The distinct designs and accompanying music contribute to a memorable portrayal of each character, making them stand out in the game's dark setting.