Umfend

About Umfend

Umfend is a single player action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Aihasto and was released on October 30, 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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Reviews

87%Audience ScoreBased on 189 reviews

story33 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Impressive atmospheric horror experience with a unique blend of psychological tension and love story elements.
Engaging and thought-provoking narrative delivered through environmental storytelling and cryptic visual/audio cues.
Low system requirements and short playtime make it an accessible, worthwhile purchase especially at a discounted price.

Several game-breaking bugs and softlocks, such as falling through doors and getting stuck, requiring restart without save points.
Slow character movement combined with unclear objectives and repetitive navigation can frustrate and detract from pacing.
Abstract and fragmented story presentation can be confusing and difficult to follow for players seeking clearer narrative guidance.

story
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33% positive mentions, 59% neutral mentions, 8% negative mentions
The story of the game is a short, atmospheric, and nonlinear horror narrative centered on themes of love, time, and emotional turmoil, conveyed mostly through environmental storytelling and cryptic cues. While many players appreciate its unique, interpretive approach and emotional depth, others find the plot confusing, abstract, and challenging to fully grasp without multiple playthroughs. Overall, it is praised as a compelling but brief experience that rewards patience and a willingness to piece together fragments rather than expecting a straightforward, explicit storyline.
- “The story 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.”
- “Instead of explicit dialogue or conventional cutscenes, the narrative is conveyed largely through environmental storytelling, cryptic visual symbolism, and subtle audio cues.”
- “The story and lore can be quite confusing (it doesn't explain much in the beginning), but eventually, you may be able to piece together what happened and try to make sense of why this is happening (or at least try to, in my case).”
- “Various story points make absolutely no sense even when you fully understand what the story is trying to convey to you.”
- “The dialogue is minimal, and the interactions don't really explain much of the story to you.”
atmosphere
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
84% positive mentions, 13% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions
Umfend is widely praised for its haunting, emotionally charged atmosphere that blends psychological horror with a poignant love story, conveyed through minimalist yet striking visuals and sound design. The game creates a deeply unsettling and captivating mood without relying on traditional horror mechanics or heavy music, making its short, abstract narrative resonate strongly with players. While some find the lack of challenge or repetitive sections a drawback, the overall atmospheric experience is considered a standout and integral strength of the game.
- “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.”
- “Instead of combat or traditional horror game mechanics, the tension arises from the atmosphere and the emotional weight of uncovering painful memories.”
- “Played on Linux using Proton Experimental, after playing another game from this dev, Wire Lips, I just had to see what else he had made, and this was one of them. Just like the other game, the atmosphere is just amazing. Never did I think I would play a love story horror game but I just did. It's short and took me an hour to complete, but worth it.”
- “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.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54% positive mentions, 35% neutral mentions, 11% negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a distinctive, minimalist, and low-poly art style that effectively enhances its eerie and unsettling atmosphere. While not technologically advanced, the visuals are praised for their unique aesthetic and strong use of lighting, creating a compelling and memorable experience. Some users appreciate the option to toggle between the current and a previous PS1-inspired look, with the overall style described as simple yet beautiful and well-suited to the game's tone.
- “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 visuals... I love them, all the human characters have this low-poly look, while the monster versions of Anita are more properly rendered and Lily and Andrew have this gross, wet look about them.”
- “However, in the past, they decided to go for more of a PS1 game aesthetic for their graphics.”
- “Now, they've decided to change their graphics to more of your standard indie horror 3D look.”
- “Though the graphics are technologically outdated, the visual style is very good.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17% positive mentions, 70% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions
Gameplay in Umfend primarily focuses on atmospheric exploration and simple puzzle-solving, often involving collecting items and triggering events that can sometimes be unclear or repetitive. While some players find the gameplay bare-bones and slow-paced, others appreciate its intuitive design and how it supports the game's emotional and narrative depth. Overall, the gameplay serves more as a vehicle for the story and mood rather than offering complex or engaging mechanics.
- “Gameplay in Umfend revolves primarily around exploration and puzzle-solving.”
- “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).”
- “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.”
- “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% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
Umfend effectively blends horror with wholesome nostalgia, creating a unique and emotionally resonant experience through atmospheric storytelling and abstract narrative. Its tension stems from uncovering the protagonist's tragic past rather than traditional gameplay mechanics, resulting in a touching yet mildly unsettling journey. Though brief and somewhat abstract, the game succeeds in evoking strong emotional responses and stands out in the indie horror genre.
- “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.”
- “This design choice encourages players to piece together the story on their own, interpreting the abstract fragments of memory and reality to understand the protagonist’s tragic past and emotional turmoil.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43% positive mentions, 14% neutral mentions, 43% negative mentions
The music is praised for its haunting, melancholic, and atmospheric qualities that effectively enhance the game's themes and mood. While the soundtrack is minimal and lacks variety, it is thoughtfully integrated to evoke a strong emotional response and complement the eerie environment. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's immersive and unsettling atmosphere.
- “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.”
- “Its 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% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 25% negative mentions
Character development is praised for its superb and appealing character design that contributes to a captivating atmosphere, though some users feel the design's contrast with the environment can detract from the overall tension. The characters are generally seen as charming and well-conceptualized, enhancing the game's unique story.
- “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 it deflates tension), I love the sound design and music but it's just not coming together.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions
Grinding in this game is widely considered tedious and slow, with some players highlighting frustrating mechanics like mouse smoothing that hinder interaction. Additionally, the game's association with controversial trading card farming practices casts a negative light on its overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's just tedious.”
- “The mouse smoothing makes literally everything you interact with and look at tedious.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The monetization aspect is heavily criticized for relying on low-effort asset flips and recycled game templates, resulting in shovelware aimed primarily at quick cash grabs rather than delivering original or quality content. This approach undermines player trust and reflects poorly on the value proposition of the game.
- “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.”
- “These guys do nothing but copy premade game templates and tutorials, fill out basic levels using construction kit templates, slap on asset flipped sprites/assets, and dump them on Steam and cheap shovelware bundles as cash grabs.”
- “Trying to get paid for someone else's game templates, assets... At best, this is shovelware, at worst, it's a scam/cash grab.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, with some appeal in the model gallery, but overall it may not justify a full-price purchase.
- “The model gallery is neat and there's a tiny bit of replayability but hardly enough to warrant full price”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game features crisp, smooth pixellated graphics and runs without any performance issues, indicating excellent optimization.
- “Pixellated graphics that are crisp and smooth, with zero performance issues.”