Tunnels of Despair

About

"Tunnels of Despair" is a first-person shooter game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by mutated creatures. Players must navigate through a series of procedurally generated tunnels, battling enemies and collecting resources to survive. With permadeath and a focus on strategy, each playthrough is a challenging new experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

atmosphere10 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game has a great atmosphere that effectively creates tension and a sense of dread.
There are interesting puzzles and exploration elements that can engage players for several hours.
Fans of survival horror may appreciate the unique setting and the challenge of navigating the zombie-infested metro.

The game suffers from frustrating mechanics, including a random item spawn system and a punishing hunger meter that detracts from the experience.
The combat system is poorly designed, with limited health resources and ineffective weapons, making encounters with enemies feel unfair.
The save system is restrictive, forcing players to restart from the beginning upon death, which can lead to significant frustration.

atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
8%
8%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its dark and ominous qualities, effectively creating a sense of creepiness and apprehension. However, some players feel that the large, dark map and item-gathering mechanics can detract from the immersive experience, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging atmosphere. Overall, it is recognized as a strong atmospheric indie horror game, with potential for improvement.
- “Initially the atmosphere of this game was good - dark, creepy with the feeling of apprehension.”
- “The atmosphere perfectly reflects dreams of digging Moscow subway.”
- “Very nice atmospheric indie horror game.”
- “The map is large (and dark) enough that gathering items and returning to the proper spot to use them (while avoiding the aforementioned monsters) becomes a time-consuming chore, effectively negating any atmosphere that existed.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The gameplay offers around 4-5 hours of exploration and puzzle-solving as players navigate dark subway tunnels to escape while avoiding lurking monsters. While the graphics and atmosphere are praised, some reviewers suggest that the gameplay could benefit from additional variety and tweaks to enhance the experience. Overall, the gameplay is straightforward but could be improved with more diverse mechanics.
- “There's a good 4-5 hours of gameplay here as you piece together what you need to do to escape.”
- “But it's fairly cheap, has quite nice graphics, and a good ominous atmosphere... maybe it only needs some tweaks here and there to support other kinds of gameplay styles and it would be much better.”
- “Normal mode gameplay is pretty straightforward - explore and find items to escape the subway while avoiding the monsters lurking.”
- “Feels like metro... I'm meaning the dark creepy tunnels, not the metro style gameplay.”
- “But it's fairly cheap, has quite nice graphics, and a good ominous atmosphere... maybe it only needs some tweaks here and there to support other kinds of gameplay styles and it would be much better...”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The story is generally praised, with many reviewers highlighting it as great and engaging, often complementing it with strong gameplay. However, some feedback indicates that while the story is compelling, the gameplay can be average at times. Overall, the narrative is described as simple yet effective, allowing players to gradually uncover the truth.
- “5 of 5: Great story, great gameplay.”
- “4 of 5: Great story, average gameplay.”
- “Story is simple and clean, as you keep discovering the truth.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics are generally praised for their quality and ability to create an ominous atmosphere, though some users feel that they lack detail and could benefit from further enhancements. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, especially given the game's low price.
- “But it's fairly cheap, has quite nice graphics, and a good ominous atmosphere.”
- “The graphics could be more detailed.”
- “The graphics could be more detailed.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The music in the game is consistently praised as being excellent, with multiple users highlighting its quality.
- “The music is really good.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic and enhances the overall experience.”
- “I love how the music sets the mood and immerses you in the game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players highlight that the inclusion of play-through scenarios significantly enhances the game's replayability, offering varied experiences with each playthrough.
- “The use of play-through scenarios adds a lot of replay value to the game.”