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SIDE EFFECTS

SIDE EFFECTS Game Cover
83%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:story, stability
83% User Score Based on 533 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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SIDE EFFECTS Game Cover

About SIDE EFFECTS

SIDE EFFECTS is a single player and multiplayer tactical strategy game with horror and thriller themes. It was developed by Jaybooty and was released on November 21, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Up to four test subjects. One twisted medical trial. Only one leaves. Welcome to Side Effects: a tense, turn-based medical roulette game. Each round you'll be presented with a selection of pills. Some are helpful, some are harmful, and some mean instant death. You never know what you're about to consume or what it might do to your mind or body. Winning means outlasting – AKA, outliving – your opp…

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SIDE EFFECTS screenshot
SIDE EFFECTS screenshot
SIDE EFFECTS screenshot
SIDE EFFECTS screenshot
SIDE EFFECTS screenshot
SIDE EFFECTS screenshot
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Reviews

83%Audience ScoreBased on 533 reviews
gameplay12 positive mentions
story5 negative mentions
  • Unique and interesting twist on the Russian roulette-style gameplay with pills and strategic items, creating tense and fun multiplayer matches.
  • Engaging social dynamics and bluffing, especially fun with friends, creating memorable moments of paranoia, laughter, and chaos.
  • Creepy and stylized visual design with body horror transformations that reinforce the game's unsettling atmosphere.
  • Multiplayer suffers from significant bugs, connectivity issues, lack of matchmaking, and frequent crashes or freezes, limiting its playability.
  • Single-player mode is limited, repetitive, and lacks depth or longevity after unlocking content, reducing replay value.
  • Lack of updates, new content, achievements, and quality-of-life improvements, along with developer abandonment, leaves the game feeling unfinished.

  • gameplay

    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    32% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 8% negative mentions

    Gameplay is centered around a simple yet strategic pill-based mechanic that encourages bluffing and experimentation, offering a fresh twist on similar titles like Buckshot Roulette. While it is enjoyable, immersive, and well-executed with a dark, quirky tone, some players find it repetitive and occasionally buggy over extended play. Overall, it appeals to fans of indie, deduction, and party games seeking unique, human-behavior-focused experiences.

    • “Currently I have only played the single-player game mode. I like the new props and mechanics while still keeping the game easy to understand and keep track of.”
    • “The game has no story mode or tutorial, but it is very easy to understand with compulsory beginner levels to unlock the full props and mechanics.”
    • “The developers saw humor in mortality and built a competitive game around it, and that creative boldness gives the experience personality far beyond its mechanical simplicity.”
    • “The concept itself isn't bad but the gameplay is just slow and not really funny; better play Buckshot Roulette.”
    • “Unfortunately, despite the fun multiplayer, I can't recommend it because the gameplay becomes repetitive after a couple of rounds, and considering this version is no longer early access, it still has several bugs that force me to give it a negative rating.”
    • “The gameplay does seem like it'll get repetitive after a while though.”

  • graphics

    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    52% positive mentions, 38% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions

    The game features a distinctive, creepy art style with a lo-fi, PS1-era aesthetic that effectively complements its psychological horror theme. Visually, it combines exaggerated, cartoon-like character models and detailed touches that enhance the dark, absurd tone while maintaining a playful atmosphere. Although minor graphical glitches and bugs are occasionally noted, the overall graphics are praised for their creativity and fitting design.

    • “✔️ Creepy aesthetic with good little details - the longer you play, the more you notice small touches that fit the tone.”
    • “The art style leans into a lo-fi, PS1-era aesthetic, which perfectly complements the dark theme.”
    • “The visuals avoid realism in favor of exaggerated, cartoon-adjacent character models that make the violence feel absurd rather than grotesque, keeping the game tonally playful instead of bleak.”
    • “Some minor graphic glitches, but nothing game breaking so far, and updates are rolled out regularly to address issues.”
    • “I dig the theme and art style, but there's just too many bugs and last I tried playing multiplayer, lobbies would fill up and just never load into a match.”
    • “This graphically impaired hunk of trash claims to be a gambling game, but it's not.”

  • humor

    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in this game is widely praised for its chaotic, dark, and unpredictable nature, making it especially entertaining in multiplayer settings. Players enjoy the funny visuals, character interactions, and the absurd situations that arise from betrayal, randomness, and strategic bluffing. Overall, the game offers a memorable, laugh-filled experience that thrives on social dynamics and dark comedy.

    • “It's chaotic, dark, and somehow hilarious at the same time.”
    • “If you and your friends enjoy dark humor, betrayal, and watching everything spiral into complete insanity, this game is absolutely worth it.”
    • “Get ready for some incredibly hilarious moments!”

  • story

    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    14% positive mentions, 62% neutral mentions, 24% negative mentions

    The game lacks a traditional story mode and has minimal narrative elements, focusing instead on gameplay challenges and mechanics. Some players suggest the addition of environmental storytelling or a single-player story mode to enrich the experience. Overall, the story aspect is very limited or nonexistent.

    • “Reveal some of the backstory of the facility.”
    • “Add some environmental storytelling; such as graffiti, reports written by other patients or even a patient backstory, since they do seem somewhat distinct from each other in terms of player models.”
    • “Maybe singleplayer could add some story mode elements.”
    • “The game does not have any replay ability after you beat all of the main story challenges.”
    • “The game has no story mode or tutorial, but the game is very easy to understand and there are compulsory beginner levels you have to complete in order to unlock the full props and mechanics.”
    • “There isn't much of a story.”

  • stability

    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from frequent and severe stability issues, including freezing, crashing, and glitches—particularly in multiplayer modes—often preventing matches from completing. While some updates address minor bugs, the overall experience remains hindered by persistent crashes and performance problems.

    • “Secondly: even when it does start it either crashes immediately or freezes for like 2 minutes and then crashes.”
    • “Lastly: me and my friend were only ever able to get it working when I host a match, make it public, give him the code, wait a minute before starting the game, and then hit play, but even then we never finished a match because it freezes halfway through!”
    • “Bought this about a week or so ago, have not been able to load into a single multiplayer lobby, just freezes on a blue-ish screen.”

  • replayability

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    Replayability in this game is mixed, with some players appreciating the variety of modifiers, RNG elements, and multiplayer features that add fun and unpredictability, rating it around 7.4/10. However, others find it lacks long-term engagement, especially after unlocking most items, and criticize the absence of achievements and shallow gameplay, leading to low replay value and quick boredom. Overall, the game offers casual replayability but may not sustain interest for all players.

    • “Like buckshot roulette, much of the replayability comes from achieving things and being rewarded for it.”
    • “The modifiers and RNG of the game give this game a lot of replayability for a fun party game that doesn't take up much space at all on the computer.”
    • “Pretty straightforwardly just better buckshot roulette; much more replayable, rounds last longer and feel more chaotic due to there being a massive variety of pills instead of just 'blank' and 'live' rounds.”
    • “There's no trophies to hunt (achievements), so there isn't a lot of replayability.”
    • “The game has low replay value, and it's hard to stay engaged with.”
    • “Even with the advantages of low price and multiplayer, this game sadly doesn't provide much replay value.”

  • atmosphere

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for being immersive, heavy, and distinctively styled with a creepy, unsettling vibe that enhances the overall experience. While the sound design and psychological intensity add depth, some users feel the spooky atmosphere can become repetitive or wear off quickly, and the game could benefit from additional content and polish.

    • “Controls are simple, atmosphere is heavy, and every sound feels personal.”
    • “The atmosphere, design, and overall gameplay are immersive and enjoyable, making their projects appealing to both casual and dedicated players.”
    • “If you enjoy high-stakes gambling, clever item synergy, and psychological duels in a dark, unsettling atmosphere, this prescription is definitely worth filling.”
    • “The unlock cycle is kinda annoying and the spooky atmosphere wears off really quick to the point where it's annoying as well.”
    • “Similar to Buckshot Roulette in nature with a ruthless testament of luck, but with less dark, rusty, oppressive atmosphere and more cold, indifferent, 'medicinal' experimentation.”
    • “The atmosphere and overall style are really interesting and make the game enjoyable but it still needs more content and polish.”

  • music

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, -20% neutral mentions, 60% negative mentions

    The music in the game is generally minimal and often silent, with some players finding it repetitive or lacking in engagement. While it fits the game's sterile and unnerving atmosphere, it may not appeal to those seeking a more dynamic or memorable soundtrack.

    • “Music is appropriate for the genre.”
    • “The game sets the stage with sterile white environments, unnervingly calm music, and a premise that feels more like a social experiment than entertainment: participants take pills, wait for consequences, and hope they don’t die.”
    • “Also, will there be a soundtrack for side effects?”
    • “The OST gets old quick and does not add much to the experience.”
    • “Music: 1/10 (completely silent most of the time).”
    • “The game sets the stage with unnervingly calm music that feels more like a social experiment than entertainment.”

  • grinding

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions

    Users consistently describe grinding as excessively time-consuming and tedious, suggesting it requires an unrealistic amount of effort or "a second life" to complete.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”

  • emotional

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game evokes strong emotional responses by quickly escalating tension and heartbreak, especially with impactful moments like taking the "death pill" early. Its fast-paced, unpredictable nature makes emotional swings feel fresh and engaging, particularly in short play sessions.

    • “What makes Side Effects so entertaining is how quickly it escalates emotionally.”
    • “It excels in short sessions, where unpredictability and emotional swings feel fresh and funny.”
    • “Somehow managed to take the death pill first pick every time, heart breaking ”

  • optimization

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's optimization is mixed, with smooth performance reported but some bugs present. While one user states the game is well optimized now, another criticizes it as not well optimized overall. Replayability issues also impact the overall experience.

    • “The game runs smoothly minus the bugs.”
    • “Side Effects is well optimized now.”

  • monetization

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Users criticize the game's monetization, perceiving it as overly aggressive and driven by profit motives, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “It also doesn't help that this game feels like a quick cash grab.”
    • “Push your advertising!”

  • character development

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The character development is praised for its amazing design and engaging, fun concepts that enhance the overall experience.

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Play Times

15h Median play time
15h Average play time
15-15h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

SIDE EFFECTS is a tactical strategy game with horror and thriller themes. Common tags for SIDE EFFECTS include turn-based, first-person, 3D, indie, surreal and others.

SIDE EFFECTS is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 15 hours playing SIDE EFFECTS.

SIDE EFFECTS was released on November 21, 2025.

SIDE EFFECTS was developed by Jaybooty.

SIDE EFFECTS has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked SIDE EFFECTS for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

SIDE EFFECTS is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Buckshot Roulette, Liar's Bar, Machine Party, Demonologist, The Escapists 2 and others.