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Unalive

66%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
replayability, stability
66% User Score Based on 170 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom €0.49
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About

"Unalive" is a roguelike action-adventure game where you must navigate through randomly generated laboratory rooms after being subjected to a deadly experiment. Collect unique items to enhance your abilities, avoid deadly traps, and defeat random boss encounters in a single, challenging playthrough. Every decision matters in this permadeath game, as death is permanent and there are no second chances.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Unalive screenshot
Unalive screenshot
Unalive screenshot
Unalive screenshot
Unalive screenshot

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 170 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
replayability2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a simple and addictive roguelike experience, making it a fun time killer.
  • Despite its low price, the game has enjoyable gameplay mechanics and a decent atmosphere.
  • The procedural generation adds variety to each run, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • The game suffers from a lack of depth and content, making it feel repetitive and shallow.
  • Many players experienced issues with the AI and controls, leading to frustrating gameplay moments.
  • The graphics and overall presentation are considered outdated, detracting from the gaming experience.
  • gameplay
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "unalive" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of exploration, puzzles, and combat that some players find engaging, while others criticize it for being repetitive and limited. The game offers a solid roguelite experience with well-balanced exploration mechanics, but its short duration and lack of depth can lead to a dull experience after initial enjoyment. Overall, it is seen as a budget title with potential, though it may not satisfy all players due to its simplistic rules and gameplay limitations.

    • “The exploration mechanics are well-balanced, encouraging players to investigate every corner of the environments and interact with objects that may provide hints and clues.”
    • “"unalive" gameplay is an engaging combination of exploration, puzzles, and combat.”
    • “Looks like a meh game you grab for less than 99 cents, but this was a huge surprise. I really enjoy the game artwork, I like the enemy designs, and it has a decent and solid roguelite gameplay; definitely a hidden gem for me.”
    • “- very short gameplay (I finished it in about 76 mins, including the learning curve).”
    • “- gameplay is very dull and repeatable.”
    • “Here we have quite simple rules and gameplay.”
  • graphics
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "unalive" are characterized by a dark and minimalist aesthetic that aligns well with its theme, receiving praise for its impressive visuals and enemy designs. However, some players criticize the use of outdated retro pixel art, which results in lackluster 2D visuals that do not improve significantly with resolution adjustments. Overall, while the graphics may not appeal to everyone, they are considered fitting for the game's concept and contribute to its unique atmosphere.

    • “unalive's graphics are impressive, using a dark and minimalist aesthetic that perfectly complements the game's theme.”
    • “With its stunning visuals, challenging puzzles, and engaging narrative, the game stands out as a worthy addition to the genre.”
    • “I really enjoy the game artwork; I like the enemy designs and it has decent and solid roguelite gameplay. Definitely a hidden gem for me.”
    • “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
    • “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
    • “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
  • story
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "unalive" is described as engaging, revealing the protagonist's past and the world's mysteries, effectively blending art and gameplay within a psychological horror framework. However, some reviews criticize the game for lacking a coherent plot and proper level design, suggesting that the potential for an interesting narrative is undermined by repetitive procedural generation and poor execution. Overall, while the narrative has promise, it ultimately falls short in delivery.

    • “The plot unfolds in an engaging manner, revealing secrets about the protagonist's past and the nature of the world in which he finds himself.”
    • “"unalive" is a psychological horror experience that masterfully combines art, storytelling, and gameplay.”
    • “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
    • “The game features no proper level design or game/story flow/plot, as they opted to try to use samey repetitive procgen algorithms as a substitute for adding such content to the game, to avoid doing the important job of level/map design.”
    • “The game is so poorly made that you can kill big enemies who'll try to get to you through the walls by shooting those parts that'll appear in your room... poor AI, poor design, poor everything... ah, and don't expect any story.”
    • “No story.”
  • music
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is described as atmospheric and ambient, effectively enhancing the tension and overall aesthetic. While some players appreciate the eerie and minimalistic soundtrack, others feel that the sound effects are lacking, detracting from the experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, though its effectiveness varies among players.

    • “The music and sound effects are minimal but eerie and complement the game's lo-fi aesthetic.”
    • “The setting is complemented by an atmospheric soundtrack that creates a constant sense of tension.”
    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "unalive" is characterized by a tense and immersive experience, enhanced by an atmospheric soundtrack that maintains a constant sense of tension. Reviewers highlight the game's intriguing plots and fresh approach to horror, contributing to its impactful ambiance. Overall, the combination of setting and music effectively creates a captivating environment.

    • “With a tense atmosphere and intriguing plots, 'unalive' stands out as a fresh and impactful proposal in the horror game scene.”
    • “The setting is complemented by an atmospheric soundtrack that creates a constant sense of tension.”
    • “Nice atmosphere; the music is basically just ambience.”
  • replayability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers strong replayability through multiple endings that hinge on player choices, encouraging exploration of various narrative paths. This investment in character and decision-making enhances the overall replay value, making each playthrough feel unique.

    • “You need replay value; it invests the player into the character they are playing.”
    • “In addition, the game has multiple endings, depending on the player's choices, encouraging replayability and exploration of different narrative paths.”
    • “You need replay value; invest the player into the character they are playing.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs and broken AI, which detract from the overall experience. Players have noted that these problems, along with quirky controls, make the game difficult to enjoy despite its fun concept and decent graphics. Additionally, it lacks support for 1080p resolution, further impacting its performance.

    • “It has a fun concept and the graphics are decent, but if it weren't for the broken AI and buggy controls, I would have given this a positive review. However, the very unintelligent AI and quirky controls made this game very difficult to play.”
    • “Yes, it's very buggy and quite easy to beat.”
    • “Feels buggy and doesn't support 1080p.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the character development to be well-structured, fostering strong emotional connections to the stories. However, the simplistic AI of the monsters detracts from the overall emotional engagement, as they primarily focus on attacking the player without adding depth to the experience.

    • “The character development is well-structured, allowing players to connect emotionally with their stories.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for its well-structured approach, enabling players to form emotional connections with the characters' stories.

    • “The character development is well-structured, allowing players to connect emotionally with their stories.”

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