Umfend

About

Umfend is a single player action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Aihasto and was released on October 20, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

The glass sphere burst in the night of 1996. The world of distortion opened its gates and took away from you someone very important. However, in 2005, the past emerges again to hunt you once more. An atmospheric horror about love and time.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 168 reviews

story32 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Umfend offers a unique blend of horror and emotional storytelling, creating a captivating atmosphere that resonates with players.
The game's minimalist art style and sound design effectively enhance the eerie experience, making it visually and audibly engaging.
Despite its short length, the game provides a satisfying narrative that encourages exploration and interpretation, rewarding players who pay attention to details.

The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs that can lead to soft-locks and frustrating gameplay experiences.
Many players found the pacing slow and the character movement cumbersome, which detracted from the overall immersion and enjoyment.
The story can be confusing and lacks clear direction, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied with the narrative resolution.

story
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The story of "Umfend" is a nonlinear narrative that immerses players in an unsettling world, blending elements of horror and romance while exploring themes of love, memory, and emotional turmoil. While many players find the atmospheric storytelling and cryptic symbolism captivating, the abstract and fragmented nature of the narrative can be challenging to follow, requiring patience and interpretive engagement. Overall, the game offers a unique experience that resonates with those who appreciate atmospheric and psychological storytelling, despite its brevity and occasional confusion.
- “It invites players into an unsettling world that blurs the line between reality and distorted perception, creating a unique narrative that is as much about emotional resonance as it is about traditional storytelling.”
- “The story of Umfend is presented in a nonlinear fashion, with the player stepping into the shoes of an unnamed protagonist caught in an eerie loop between the years 1996 and 2005.”
- “For players interested in atmospheric storytelling and psychological horror that challenges the mind and heart alike, Umfend is a compelling journey worth taking.”
- “The deliberately ambiguous story can be challenging for those who prefer clear, straightforward narratives, as it requires patience and an openness to interpretive storytelling.”
- “Various story points make absolutely no sense even when you fully understand what the story is trying to convey to you.”
- “The story is where I fall apart; something about 4D timelines/possibilities, some guardians called Lily and Andrew, a shadow boy? I don't understand it, but honestly, I'm pretty dumb, so I'll give the story a pass and blame it on my own shortcomings.”
atmosphere
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
84%
6%
10%
Umfend is praised for its haunting and immersive atmosphere, effectively blending psychological horror with themes of love and loss. The minimalist art style and sound design contribute to a captivating experience that evokes emotional depth and tension, although some players may find its brevity and abstract narrative less appealing. Overall, the game excels in creating a unique and unsettling environment that draws players into its story, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of atmospheric horror.
- “Umfend, developed by aihasto and published by Volens Nolens Games, offers a haunting and deeply atmospheric first-person experience that blends elements of psychological horror with a poignant exploration of love and loss.”
- “The story is fantastic, it completely drew me in, and the atmosphere is captivating too.”
- “This game is a real treat, with great atmosphere, intriguing story, and decent visuals with a great overall art style.”
- “While the story wasn't engaging, I do think that the game sets up an eerie atmosphere that keeps you quite unsettled for the majority of the game, even if some 'scary' sections feel quite silly.”
- “Visually, the game employs a minimalist yet striking art style that reinforces its unsettling atmosphere.”
- “Instead of combat or traditional horror game mechanics, the tension arises from the atmosphere and the emotional weight of uncovering painful memories.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
39%
11%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist yet striking art style that enhances its unsettling atmosphere, with effective use of lighting to create tension. While some players appreciate the unique aesthetic, others note that the visuals are not groundbreaking and may feel outdated, particularly when compared to previous iterations. Overall, the graphics are described as attractive and fitting for the game's tone, despite some technical limitations.
- “Visually, umfend employs a minimalist yet striking art style that reinforces its unsettling atmosphere.”
- “Lighting is a key component of the game’s aesthetic, with strong contrasts between shadows and light casting eerie silhouettes that heighten tension.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the story, while confusing at first, is a tragic tale of an experiment gone wrong affecting the life of two people's love.”
- “Even so, I opted to play in the default mode, which, while far from aesthetically pleasing, suffices for what the game sets out to do.”
- “However, in the past, they decided to go for more of a PS1 game aesthetic for their graphics.”
- “Though the graphics are technologically outdated, the visual style is very good.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The gameplay in Umfend is primarily focused on exploration and puzzle-solving, with an emphasis on atmosphere and emotional storytelling rather than traditional mechanics like combat. While some players appreciate the haunting audio and visuals that enhance the experience, many criticize the repetitive nature of the puzzles, slow character movement, and occasional confusion regarding event triggers. Overall, the gameplay is seen as simplistic and lacking depth, relying heavily on its narrative and ambiance to engage players.
- “The soundtrack, composed of haunting, melancholic melodies, weaves seamlessly into the gameplay, reinforcing themes of loss and fragmented memory.”
- “Short version: Umfend is an emotionally satisfying, atmospheric, and at times mildly frightening game that in its 2-ish hours of gameplay manages to convey a great deal without over-explaining.”
- “Good pace for the gameplay, great visuals, great scares, and the 'minigame' segments were fun too (like the one in the normally closed room in the house).”
- “In this case, yes, because gameplay is bare bones outside finding collectibles and making the same yes or no choice several times.”
- “One big issue I have with the gameplay is that it's entirely unclear how you trigger certain events at times.”
- “Another big issue I have with the gameplay is that the character you play moves way too slow.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Umfend masterfully blends horror with wholesome nostalgia, creating an emotionally resonant experience that invites players to explore a tragic backstory through abstract storytelling and atmospheric design. The game’s unique approach emphasizes emotional weight over traditional horror mechanics, resulting in a memorable journey that evokes both unease and warmth. While its brevity and abstract narrative may not appeal to everyone, Umfend succeeds in delivering a touching and thought-provoking experience within its short playtime.
- “Umfend somehow melds horror and wholesome nostalgia very well, to the point where I was like, 'okay this is a creepy game, I feel like there's going to be some tragic background here' and by the end I was like 'omg aw this is so cute,' especially if you collect the hearts and read the extra context.”
- “It invites players into an unsettling world that blurs the line between reality and distorted perception, creating a unique narrative that is as much about emotional resonance as it is about traditional storytelling.”
- “Umfend is about creating an emotional response in its player and it succeeds admirably in doing so.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music in the game is characterized by haunting, melancholic melodies that effectively enhance the themes of loss and memory, creating a nostalgic atmosphere. While the soundtrack is praised for its emotional depth and integration with gameplay, some reviewers note a lack of variety and a minimalistic approach that prioritizes mood over entertainment. Overall, the sound design is well-executed, contributing to a creepy and immersive experience.
- “The soundtrack, composed of haunting, melancholic melodies, weaves seamlessly into the gameplay, reinforcing themes of loss and fragmented memory.”
- “Visually, it has a comforting, nostalgic feel, and the music is perfectly on point—calm and melancholic.”
- “Creepy soundtrack, and great use of sound in the environment.”
- “It's really frustrating to write this review because I love the concept here, I love the character design (though it clashes so hard with the environment it deflates tension), I love the sound design and music, but it's just not coming together.”
- “There isn't much variety in the sounds or music, but the game definitely utilizes its minimal options to the best of its ability.”
- “There isn't much music, but what is there comprises mostly single notes or short, atmospheric pieces that seem designed more to evoke the mood than function as entertainment in and of themselves.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game features superb and cute character design that enhances its captivating atmosphere and story. However, some players feel that the character design clashes with the environment, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these critiques, the character development is appreciated for its creativity and charm.
- “A very short but lovely game that looks amazing, has cool character design, great atmosphere, and a weird but captivating story.”
- “Character design is superb!”
- “Character design is cute :)”
- “It's really frustrating to write this review because I love the concept here, I love the character design (though it clashes so hard with the environment that it deflates tension), I love the sound design and music, but it's just not coming together.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, with some expressing frustration over slow mechanics and mouse smoothing that complicates interactions. Additionally, concerns about the game's background, including issues with trading card farming, contribute to a negative perception of the grinding experience. Overall, many feel that the effort required for grinding detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Eh, slow walking, would have liked to play more but the mouse smoothing makes literally everything you interact with and look at tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's just tedious.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users note that while the model gallery offers some replayability, it is minimal and not substantial enough to justify the game's full price.
- “The model gallery is neat, and there's a tiny bit of replayability, but hardly enough to warrant full price.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to replay the game.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel tedious and uninteresting.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for resembling a cash grab, with many reviewers labeling it as low-quality "shovelware" that relies on asset flipping and pre-made templates. This raises concerns about the integrity of the product and its value to consumers, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over quality.
- “These guys do nothing but copy premade game templates and game tutorials, fill out a few things/stamp out basic levels using the construction kit templates, slap on an asset flipped set of sprites/assets, and dump them on Steam and into cheap nasty shovelware game bundles as cash grabs.”
- “Trying to get paid for someone else's game templates and assets... at best, this is shovelware; at worst, it's a scam/cash grab.”
- “There's no evidence, so we need to give the benefit of the doubt... regardless, asset flip or not, the quality here is indistinguishable from many asset flip/cash grab scams, and that's a problem in itself.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is praised for its crisp and smooth pixellated graphics, with users reporting no performance issues.
- “The pixellated graphics are crisp and smooth, with zero performance issues.”
- “The game runs flawlessly, showcasing excellent optimization that enhances the overall experience.”
- “I was impressed by how well-optimized the game is, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end systems.”