The Unliving

About

In "The Unliving," play as a powerful Necromancer bringing a storm of death to a corrupted realm. Raise undead armies, utilize strategic spells, and explore a dark pixel-art world while turning enemies into your own tools of destruction. Meet unique characters and unlock the secrets of necromancy on your quest to change the world order.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 704 reviews

gameplay68 positive mentions

stability34 negative mentions

The game has a fantastic concept of commanding an undead horde, which is both unique and engaging.
The art style and graphics are beautiful, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The gameplay offers a good mix of strategy and action, allowing for various builds and playstyles.

The AI for the minions is poor, often causing them to get stuck or not respond to commands effectively.
The progression system feels unbalanced, with upgrades not providing a significant sense of improvement between runs.
There are numerous bugs and performance issues that detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
228 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
61%
10%
The gameplay of this necromancer-themed game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its core mechanics and engaging concept of building an undead army. However, significant issues such as clunky controls, poor AI behavior, and a lack of clarity in mechanics have led to frustration, making the experience feel unpolished and sometimes tedious. While the game shows potential and offers a unique take on necromancy, it requires further refinement and balancing to fully realize its promise.
- “There's a lot of great lore, there's a ton of upgrades and the gameplay is how you'd want a necromancer game to go.”
- “Interesting story, beautiful art and music, super fun gameplay, and despite what the other reviews will say the AI is excellent.”
- “The main game mode, which consists of traversing your way through different procedural maps as you gather your own army from the bodies of those who die by your hand, is cool and engaging, and the mechanics and visuals of the game do honor the ‘epic’ intent.”
- “The main mechanic - building an army of undead and using them to cut down waves of the living - is broken in that your army just stands around idling in the middle of combat regardless of how many attack commands you've issued.”
- “A lot of the time I wasn't even really dying to any mistakes I was making and was just dying to the horrible AI, allies getting stuck on each other, having to try and hit allies to get them to the front, etc. There's no commands but 'go here, attack this', so there's no ways to create proper formations, even flanking is hard, etc. The game is incredibly unfinished from a gameplay perspective, all the visuals are there but none of the actual game.”
- “The concept and art style is great on paper, but the execution and general gameplay of the game just doesn't keep up.”
story
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
3%
The game's story is generally considered engaging and well-crafted, with a compelling blend of lore and character development that enhances the rogue-lite gameplay. However, some players find it straightforward and occasionally confusing, with issues like repetitive dialogue and minimal voice acting detracting from the experience. Overall, while the narrative has potential and is enjoyable, it may require further refinement and polish to fully realize its promise.
- “Great lore and story rich!”
- “The storyline captured my imagination, as it felt like I was transported back to the cherished tales of my childhood.”
- “The game story is fairly straightforward but it serves the game well: it isn’t more complicated than it needs to be, it is just fun and interesting enough to drive the game forward and keep you engaged.”
- “The story starts with audio just a few sentences and that's it, and it gets confusing and boring.”
- “All the care and detail of the game make it seem indeed that this would be a promising story from talented developers, but it's not quite like that.”
- “You don't feel compelled to the story and the lore at all.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
39%
5%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beautiful pixel art style and overall aesthetic, with many reviewers highlighting the charm and quality of the visuals. However, while the art and design are considered top-notch, some players feel that the gameplay mechanics do not live up to the visual standards, leading to frustration despite the appealing graphics. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as a strong point, but they are overshadowed by gameplay issues that need addressing.
- “The pixel art style of this game has completely won me over with its charm and beauty.”
- “Graphics are a masterpiece within pixel art.”
- “I waited for the game, was so hyped... well the graphics are beautiful, the pixel stuff is right on point.”
- “A lot of the time I wasn't even really dying to any mistakes I was making and was just dying to the horrible AI, allies getting stuck on each other, having to try and hit allies to get them to the front, etc. There's no commands but 'go here, attack this', so there's no ways to create proper formations, even flanking is hard, etc. The game is incredibly unfinished from a gameplay perspective; all the visuals are there but none of the actual game.”
- “Please improve. Despite everything I said, I had so much fun trying it out until now. The concept, story, bosses, enemies, and allies, the art style, I love this kind of stuff. This is one of the most promising games, just not really refined enough at all. I saw the release date was supposed to be Halloween but got delayed. Now it's out but only in early access, and I keep having bad experiences with those. I really wanted this to be good, and the demo was so promising, but speaking from said experience, I can only say don't buy it, at least not yet.”
- “Long loading times for a game that didn't take a lot of graphic card power.”
stability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
3%
94%
The game is reported to be quite buggy, with issues such as glitchy AI, laggy UI, and NPCs getting stuck or behaving erratically, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players find the core gameplay enjoyable and appreciate ongoing updates, many recommend waiting for further improvements before purchasing, as the current state feels unfinished and frustrating. Overall, stability remains a significant concern, with frequent glitches impacting gameplay.
- “Optimization - runs solid on my old GTX 1080, no freezes or crashes so far.”
- “Dying due to buggy AI is incredibly awful in a roguelite style game. The game feels bad and is hard to control whether on controller or mouse. Don't get this until it's either out of early access or it's had numerous AI updates.”
- “A really fun game, and I can't wait to see the outcome, but sadly as of right now I can't recommend it due to buggy AI of the skeletons who either get stuck or just stand there, underpowered weapons, an extremely poor and annoying RNG system, and not having enough permanent upgrades available.”
- “It's very buggy and feels aggressively unfun to play.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
45%
40%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant stuttering and performance issues, particularly after reaching later areas, while others report smooth performance on older hardware like the GTX 1080. Notably, the game struggles with lag when managing a large number of characters, and issues seem more pronounced on lower-end devices like the Steam Deck. Overall, while some players find it runs well, many highlight the need for improvements in optimization to enhance the gaming experience.
- “Optimization - runs solid on my old GTX 1080, no freezes or crashes so far.”
- “Everything else runs smoothly as far as I can tell.”
- “If the performance issues were fixed and the game had decent AI, I can see it being a decent game.”
- “My biggest issue has been often running into terrible stuttering after reaching the third area.”
- “Finishing or getting killed doesn't reset this stuttering, and instead is only fixed after exiting the game and restarting (thankfully I was able to continue from the beginning of area 3 or 4 after restarting).”
- “Unoptimized, starts to lag around 100 undead under your control.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is often described as repetitive and tedious, with players expressing frustration over the lack of checkpoints and the necessity to replay levels multiple times. While some acknowledge that grinding is a common element in rogue-likes, many feel that the current implementation detracts from the overall enjoyment, making progression feel more like a chore than a rewarding experience. Overall, the grinding mechanics need refinement to enhance player satisfaction and engagement.
- “The progression is so tedious; even though there is some variability, it's not worth mentioning. The levels feel the same all the time. You have two paths: one is progression and the other is goodies. Progress too far, and you miss the goodies. After running through the graveyard, which is the first level, like 50 times, it feels more like a task. 'Ugh, I died at the third boss; guess I'll have to die 2 times at the first one and 4 times at the second one, which I just figured out now to even get to the third again.' You get the gist; it's just really, really tedious.”
- “Beating a group of enemies never felt satisfying; it just felt grindy.”
- “I'd love to see this game grow and become something amazing, but it's nowhere near ready for a widespread full release, or even a soft release, with all the grinding bugs in it.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The game offers a mixed experience in terms of replayability; while some players find it lacking due to limited weapon and spell value, others praise its extensive replay features, including extra dialogue, achievements, and new gameplay mechanics that enhance progression and difficulty. Overall, many agree that it provides significant replay value, especially for an early access title, making it a worthwhile investment.
- “Additionally, there is great replayability.”
- “I have all of the achievements and have beaten all bosses at least twice, there's extra dialogue if you beat an area more than once, and there's a lot of replayability for an early access game too, definitely worth full price.”
- “That coupled with the new perma-progression and higher difficulties give the game near endless replayability.”
- “Not dreadful but not much replay value; weapons and spells add little value.”
- “Game-play wise, they had added several new features which increase its replayability, adding several upgrade features to not only yourself but the horde you can spawn, your weapons, the currency for upgrades, and forward progression as a whole.”
- “That coupled with the new perma-progression and higher difficulties gives the game near endless replayability.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
21%
21%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the gameplay effectively. Reviewers highlight its ability to intensify during key moments, contributing to the game's charm alongside its art and sound effects. However, there is some disappointment regarding the soundtrack being offered as separate DLC rather than included in the main game.
- “The music also serves its purpose well, it is mostly very atmospheric (which in this case is very much a good thing) and just raises in intensity in some key specific moments.”
- “- very charming art style, sound effects and music feel great and very in touch with the game”
- “I wish the soundtrack and digital art book were part of the game and not separate DLC; I really feel bad when developers do that.”
- “The music is mostly very atmospheric, which in this case is a good thing, but it raises in intensity in some key specific moments.”
- “Otherwise, the music, the sound effects, the pixel art, and gameplay are all really nice!”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by quirky characters and clever narration that adds both charm and depth to the experience. Players appreciate the well-developed personalities and the self-referential jokes, particularly the necromancy theme, which aligns well with the game's atmosphere. Overall, the humor is described as spot-on, enhancing the adventure while providing a lighthearted touch.
- “For me, these quirky little characters bring both humor and heart to the adventure, making it an unforgettable experience.”
- “There aren’t many characters in the game but the ones in it are nicely designed, with well-developed personalities and traits, and the narration has a cool sense of humor that I enjoyed throughout.”
- “And I like how the game makes fun of itself (the hand is quite strange) and the overall humor is good.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating artwork and immersive backgrounds, creating a visually appealing experience. The dialogue maintains a light and relaxing tone, complementing the atmospheric levels and engaging gameplay, while the music enhances the overall ambiance, intensifying during key moments. Overall, the combination of these elements contributes to a delightful and fitting atmosphere, especially for a Halloween-themed experience.
- “I love the artwork, especially the backgrounds and atmosphere.”
- “The dialogue in the hub is not too pretentious and maintains a light and relaxing atmosphere.”
- “The music also serves its purpose well; it is mostly very atmospheric (which in this case is very much a good thing) and just raises in intensity in some key specific moments.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and visually appealing character designs, particularly the pixel art versions. Players appreciate the distinct features of enemies and bosses, which contribute to an epic atmosphere enhanced by stunning animations.
- “The character designs are very cool (especially the pixel art versions); the game bosses and events look truly epic, and the animations are stunning.”
- “The character designs are also very interesting; the enemies are different, with unique features.”