SPOOKWARE
- August 26, 2021
- ViktorRKraus
Get on Steam"SPOOKWARE" is a single-player horror arcade game, featuring a masterful story about three skeleton brothers on a road trip in the cute world of the dead. Play through four episodes, each containing three chapters with unique mechanics, areas, and microgames centered around horror tropes. With over a hundred microgames and quirky humor, SPOOKWARE promises to both frighten and entertain, making it a memorable horror experience. Try it for free at .
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Charming art style and engaging characters that add depth to the gameplay.
- Fun and varied microgames that provide a unique twist on the WarioWare formula.
- Humorous writing and dialogue that enhance the overall experience.
- The game is unfinished, with only two out of the promised four episodes released, leaving players with a cliffhanger.
- Many players experienced bugs and issues that detracted from the gameplay experience.
- The exploration segments can feel tedious and detract from the focus on microgames.
- story125 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "Spookware" is a quirky blend of humor and horror, featuring lovable characters and engaging dialogue that enhances the gameplay experience. Players embark on a lighthearted adventure with three skeleton brothers, navigating various mini-games while uncovering a charming narrative that ties the micro-game segments together. While the story is currently unfinished and some players find the pacing uneven, the overall reception highlights its creativity and potential for future episodes.
“This might be my favorite game on Steam as it has an amazing story and the minigames are difficult but fun. I love the characters and art style; this game is a masterpiece and I can't wait for more parts to release.”
“The story has a bit of a slow start but it gains more depth the further you go and keeps you attached for the whole journey.”
“The combination of the microgames and the storytelling makes the game very engaging, with a charming narrative that ties everything together.”
“The story sections seem very drawn-out, and stuff like the lock-picking microgame gets used far too often.”
“By the end, I realized I had sat through a couple of hours of dialogue and walking, having played 20-ish minutes of actual microgames, and not even unlocking them all (to do so, I would have to play through the story mode again).”
“I found it disappointing at the time: the microgames were great, but the actual game mostly consisted of tedious point-a-to-point-b missions with one or two microgames sprinkled in between, and the story's humor did not land with me personally.”
- humor70 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, featuring witty dialogue, lovable characters, and a mix of bone-related puns that resonate well with players. Many reviews highlight the game's lighthearted and silly tone, comparing it to titles like WarioWare and Paper Mario, while also noting that the humor is integrated seamlessly into both the story and the microgames. However, some players found the humor inconsistent, with a few feeling that certain dialogues and segments fell flat, detracting from the overall experience.
“Funny little game about some skelebros doing skelebros stuff like playing the bongos and committing tax fraud :)”
“The story is very funny and silly, and I love that about games like this.”
“The humor is great, there's plenty of bone puns and bone-related characters.”
“The first hour of the game lures you in with some decent microgames, then devolves into wandering around a boring, non-spooky environment reading pages of unfunny dialogue.”
“I just wanted spooky WarioWare, not the annoying, unfunny time sink it is.”
- graphics60 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of Spookware are widely praised for their charming and unique art style, which combines elements reminiscent of Paper Mario with a quirky horror aesthetic. Reviewers highlight the game's fun visuals, engaging environments, and creative micro-games, all of which contribute to an enjoyable and immersive experience. While some mention minor issues with polish and art style variety, the overall aesthetic is considered a significant strength of the game.
“The art style is wonderful and the characters are super lovable.”
“The style and aesthetic were incredibly well thought out and made the game all the more fun and pleasant to play.”
“Every aspect of this game, from the gameplay to the visuals, was made with love and respect for everything they pay homage to.”
“Instructions and visuals can feel vague, such as the one where I am told to pick a lock, which took some trial and error to complete.”
“The environments are easy to get lost in due to the photo-realistic art style, but also the maps feel closed off and small.”
“Various creative and humorous micro-games with graphics that are reminiscent of Photoshop imagery.”
- music55 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy and diverse soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The soundtrack features a mix of upbeat chiptune and ambient tracks that fit well with the game's aesthetic and gameplay, making it enjoyable and memorable. Some players even expressed a desire for the soundtrack to be available for purchase or streaming, highlighting its standout quality.
“The soundtrack is a bouncy chiptune inspired set filled with tunes that serve as archetypal ambience for each of the familiar locations you'll visit.”
“This game is adorable, and the soundtrack is amazing.”
“The soundtrack slaps and the microgames are deviously frantic.”
“I appreciate the visual style, the music, and the writing, but much of it prevents me from playing the aspect of the game I came for, the fast-paced microgames.”
“This game would be perfect if there was an option to download all the music.”
“I really like the art, music, and writing, but I'm a bit conflicted recommending it when it's only half finished.”
- gameplay49 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this game is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of enjoyable microgames and RPG mechanics, though some players find the difficulty and complexity frustrating. While the exploration and story elements add depth, they can also feel repetitive and tedious at times. Overall, the game offers a charming experience with a variety of mechanics across its chapters, but may not appeal to everyone due to its uneven execution.
“The aesthetics, dialogue, and gameplay of this game are amazing.”
“An absolutely delightful RPG overflowing with charm, personality, style, and best of all, a surprising amount of gameplay variety!”
“Gameplay feels fresh with each new minigame and chapter bringing something new to the table.”
“Spookware has two focuses: its microgames and its RPG mechanics, both of which it fails on.”
“Gone are the fun themed microgames that make up the game's core gameplay, replaced by stupidly difficult timed FPS/platforming.”
“Overall, a mix of mediocre RPG gameplay and frustrating/confusing WarioWare-like games that I cannot recommend to anyone, since I don't know what target group of players would enjoy that.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for being buggy and unfinished, with persistent visual glitches, clipping issues, and a lack of developer response to these problems despite the game being available for some time. Players recommend avoiding controller use past the first chapter due to these issues, leading to disappointment in what is perceived as an incomplete product.
“Though this game is pretty buggy, which is fine, it's not a fully complete product, but it has been out for quite some time now and I don't believe these bugs have been tweaked.”
“Unfinished, buggy, and honestly not as fun as the series it's trying to copy.”
“A buggy, unfinished game with a beautiful art style is the 'final product' that DreadXP has given us, which, in my opinion, deeply disappoints me.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotionally resonant main characters and memorable moments, creating a wholesome and comfy atmosphere. Players appreciate the blend of fun mini-games and touching experiences, although some feel the quirky charm may become repetitive over time. Overall, it is regarded as a delightful and heartwarming experience.
“Main characters had depth, and there are some emotional moments that were really nice and adorable.”
“Incredibly fun, cute, and touching.”
“A touching WarioWare experience.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to progress through poorly designed platforming sections and repetitive missions. This grind detracts from the enjoyment of the otherwise engaging microgames and overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“And to make it worse, it is not only tedious to go through the awfully designed platforming section, but also killing any joy this game had brought to me since the beginning.”
“I found it disappointing at the time: the microgames were great, but the actual game mostly consisted of tedious point-a-to-point-b missions with one or two microgames sprinkled in between, and the story's humor did not land with me personally.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with well-crafted music and engaging microgames contributing to its strength. However, some players feel that additional visual elements, like glowing eyes or subtle movements in the background, could enhance the overall experience. The sound design is also noted as a significant factor in creating an immersive atmosphere.
“The atmosphere of the game is one of its strong points.”
“Music, atmosphere, and microgames are so well made!”
“Higher = great audio also to make it clear it's just the sound design overall but not including any music or atmospheric tracks.”
“But seeing something in the background, like small red eyes glowing or a bush moving, would have really sealed the deal on the atmosphere of this two-second game.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, with a completion time of around 2 hours, making it less enticing for multiple playthroughs. However, it features high replayability in its mini-games, allowing players to quickly re-engage with the content if they struggle with new challenges.
“While it does suffer from the same criticisms I have with similar games (notably WarioWare), it has high replayability, and you can quickly get back into the swing of things if you ever mess up by not knowing how to play one of the new minigames.”
“You can beat this game in around 2 hours, and there's not much replayability to be had.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model is considered reasonable, with a price point of $15 that some users find justifiable, especially for fans of the original game or those curious about new content.
“The monetization model feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating that the game constantly pushes in-game purchases, making it feel more like a cash grab than a fun experience.”
