November 4, 2021
Poppy Works

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi

While the atmosphere and Switch Boost keep things moving, the game's length may leave you feeling as trapped as the undernaut you play as.

82%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, replayability

82% User Score Based on 124 reviews

Critic Score 81%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Poppy Works and was released on November 4, 2021. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi" is a dungeon crawler RPG set in a post-war Japanese city. You lead a team of explorers into the underground labyrinth, battling mutated monsters and managing resources to survive. The game features strategic turn-based combat and character permadeath, adding a layer of tension and importance to each decision.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi screenshot

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 124 reviews

story26 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi features a dark, immersive atmosphere with compelling art and sound design that enhances the overall experience.
The game offers deep character customization and a robust tactical combat system, including the unique Switch Boost mechanic that adds strategic depth to battles.
Quality of life features such as auto-mapping, free respec options, and the ability to create shortcuts in dungeons make exploration and gameplay more enjoyable.

The game suffers from pacing issues, particularly in the early hours, which may frustrate players unfamiliar with the genre.
Combat can feel repetitive and tedious, especially against high-health enemies, and the lack of mouse support is a significant drawback for PC players.
Some players find the game's difficulty spikes and reliance on grinding to be frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

story
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The game's storytelling is characterized by an understated and environmental approach, relying on sparse dialogue and the oppressive atmosphere to convey its narrative, which centers on survival in a dark and severe world. While the story is engaging and features intriguing lore, it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplicity and lack of character interaction. Overall, the narrative is well-crafted, with a mix of horror elements and a compelling atmosphere that encourages exploration, though some players find it predictable or lacking depth.
- “The storytelling is deep, immersive, and engaging, making me want to explore further not just to gain levels and loot, but also to uncover the mysteries of the world.”
- “To my surprise, the game remarkably managed to show the correct way to set an ominous tone and a gritty narrative of a sick and twisted world, with the story pulling no punches when it's required, which I personally absolutely enjoyed.”
- “A fantastic dungeon RPG that has excellent atmosphere and an engaging enough story to keep you interested.”
- “Storytelling is understated and environmental, delivered through sparse dialogue, mission context, and the oppressive tone of the world rather than through long narrative sequences, which reinforces the sense that survival itself is the primary objective.”
- “It's too story focused for a dungeon RPG, while the story itself is bland gibberish.”
- “Maybe it might be fine as a first-ever dungeon RPG for someone completely new to the genre, but there's really nothing exciting enough to make me keep playing it, especially with how quickly the story drops its corporate-hell angle.”
gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
The gameplay of "Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi" is characterized by its classic dungeon-crawling mechanics, including turn-based combat and tile-based exploration, enhanced by unique features like the switch boost system that adds tactical depth. While the game offers a polished experience with quality-of-life improvements and a gritty atmosphere, some players find the exploration and overall challenge lacking, leading to a mixed reception regarding its engagement and excitement. Despite its mechanical strengths, the game's visual and narrative elements may not appeal to everyone, making it a niche title within the genre.
- “A defining mechanic is the switch boost system, which allows characters to activate powerful buffs or effects that can dramatically alter the flow of battle.”
- “Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi delivers a gritty, atmospheric dungeon-crawling experience that stands out for its mechanical depth and immersive world.”
- “The game follows classic DRPG mechanics—tile-based exploration, turn-based combat, and manual mapping—while introducing switch-boost abilities that enhance tactical depth.”
- “You could make the argument that you could ignore mechanics that make the game too easy (e.g. not using the teleport to base item), but with the low rate of random encounters and general lack of danger, it doesn't really make it any more fun.”
- “Now the gameplay is actually really solid, if, and it's a big if, you can look past the total lack of visuals, characters (your people are just a JPEG, they do not talk or exist as anything other than an image and a menu for you to attack with) or anything else.”
- “But even the last few dungeons had focused on annoyances and pure RNG mechanics.”
atmosphere
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The atmosphere of "Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi" is widely praised for its dark, immersive, and oppressive qualities, effectively enhancing the dungeon-crawling experience. Players appreciate the game's unique art style, engaging sound design, and the tension it creates, which complements its strategic gameplay. While some find the atmosphere captivating and reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers, others note that the gameplay may feel simplistic in comparison, yet the overall ambiance remains a standout feature.
- “Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi delivers a gritty, atmospheric dungeon-crawling experience that stands out for its mechanical depth and immersive world.”
- “A solid dungeon crawler carried by its atmosphere and the art style.”
- “The atmosphere is dark and heavy, and exploring the labyrinth feels tense in a good way.”
- “The entire atmosphere of the game is peculiar and you meet unorthodox foes like levitating robot heads, mosquito women, aquatic frog-dogs, and shackled snail men.”
- “It also has one of the darkest stories on offer from the company so far, absolutely nailing the oppressive, hopeless, and ruthless atmosphere that its premise is about, more so than any other experience game so far.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and atmosphere as stunning and effective in conveying a hostile and alien mood. However, criticisms arise regarding the lack of high-end graphical fidelity, repetitive textures, and basic character representations, which detract from the overall experience. While the artwork is often highlighted as a strong point, some players find the visual presentation underwhelming compared to other titles in the genre.
- “While the presentation does not rely on high-end graphical fidelity, it excels at mood and cohesion, making the game feel hostile and alien throughout the journey.”
- “The music, artwork, themes, and setting all come together to create this very unique and mesmerizing dungeon-crawling experience.”
- “But by far, the best part about this game is the artwork; it's absolutely amazing. The environments are creepy, and enemy designs range from unsettling to grotesque, with some classic weird JRPG enemy designs to keep you on your toes.”
- “Now the gameplay is actually really solid, if, and it's a big if, you can look past the total lack of visuals, characters (your people are just a JPEG, they do not talk or exist as anything other than an image and a menu for you to attack with).”
- “You're going to get repetitive reused textures, pretty 'meh' graphic and UI design, palette swapped monsters, no voice acting, and basic visual novel style presentation.”
- “Graphics, sound, and gameplay do not hold up to a AAA title's price.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
49%
13%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and somber compositions that enhance the overall experience, while others criticize the repetitive nature and lack of variety in the soundtrack. Some players find the music fitting and enjoyable, contributing to the game's unique ambiance, while others express disappointment over the limited number of tracks and the absence of a soundtrack DLC. Overall, the music is seen as competent but not groundbreaking, with a few standout moments amidst some repetitive elements.
- “The soundtrack complements this mood with somber, sometimes eerie compositions that heighten tension rather than offering heroic bombast.”
- “The music, artwork, themes, and setting all come together to create this very unique and mesmerizing dungeon-crawling experience.”
- “Experience Inc. are known for their dungeon crawlers, but this one takes it to the next level in terms of art/animations, music, and overall atmosphere.”
- “The music is the same endless track on repeat.”
- “It's not even minimum viable product level; it's the step above proof of concept where the functionality of the game has been coded in and everything works, but the art, music, and animation departments never showed up to work.”
- “My negatives would be I was disappointed in the amount of repetition when it came to recolored monster sprites and music tracks.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable and streamlined, with many noting that progression feels earned rather than tedious. While some players appreciate the ability to minimize grinding through various mechanics, others criticize the game for its relentless difficulty spikes that can lead to monotonous grinding. The balance between enjoyable gameplay and necessary grinding varies, with some players feeling it enhances the experience while others find it tedious.
- “Didn't have to do too much grinding up to that point, but wasn't invested enough to grind for several hours to be able to wrap up the story.”
- “But the neat mechanics such as being able to destroy walls and make your own path through the dungeon together with the quality of life features like 'auto-travel' and 'fast battle' helps in making the game feel less grindy than titles of the same genre.”
- “[Relentless difficulty spikes demand relentless grinding, monotonous locations, tedious combat.]”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it features substantial post-game content that enhances longevity and offers opportunities for creative strategies, some players feel that the core experience has low replay value.
- “This flexibility adds replay value and encourages creative strategies.”
- “The game is long but offers low replay value.”
- “Post-game content — substantial endgame adds replayability and challenge.”
- “Replay value - longevity and replayability.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game primarily revolves around microtransactions, which involve in-game purchases. This approach has been consistently highlighted by users, indicating a significant reliance on additional spending for enhanced gameplay experiences.
- “Microtransactions are well-balanced and don't feel intrusive.”
- “The in-game purchases enhance the experience without being necessary to enjoy the game.”
- “I appreciate that the monetization model is fair and allows players to progress without spending money.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development is largely lacking, with players noting that while the gameplay and dungeon design are enjoyable, the story and character growth do not significantly enhance the experience.
- “Character development is almost non-existent.”
- “The characters feel flat and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “There are no significant choices that impact character progression or relationships.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its exploration of themes such as exploitation, desperation, and endurance, which add significant depth to the gameplay. Players find the character representations to be profoundly emotional, often evoking feelings of sadness and tragedy.
- “This premise grounds the experience in themes of exploitation, desperation, and endurance, lending emotional weight to what might otherwise be a purely mechanical dungeon crawl.”
- “Her presence and representations are very emotional, depressing, and tragic.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is woven into its dialogue system, allowing players to express their character's personality through choices that reflect traits like a dry sense of humor or greed. Reviewers appreciate the fascinating and humorous story, complemented by an engaging atmosphere and appealing character art.
- “There's also the 'talk system' where you can either talk, attack, or use items to glean information and lore of the game, with multiple choices in the dialogues that imply your main character has a money-loving or dry sense of humor.”
- “The game features a fascinating and humorous story and atmosphere, complemented by attractive character art.”

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81%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi is a role playing game with fantasy theme.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi was released on November 4, 2021.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi was developed by Poppy Works.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi is a single player game.

Similar games include Octopath Traveler 2, Hellslave, Skyborn, Stranger of Sword City, Tower of Time and others.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi

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