UNDERWARD

About

UNDERWARD is a single player and multiplayer action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by INTENSE and was released on February 4, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

UNDERWARD is a horror action game featuring 1-4 player co-op and ultra-challenging single-player modes with extreme stealth gameplay. Players explore a deadly underground hospital ward, transporting dangerous test-subject monsters while uncovering dark secrets. With tense trial-and-error challenges and moments that will make you laugh, it offers a unique blend of horror and fun.

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 90 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and chaotic experience, especially when played with friends, with a surprising amount of monsters and levels to explore.
The procedurally generated environments and unique gameplay mechanics, such as the 'Connected Carry' system, enhance replayability and teamwork.
The atmosphere is immersive, with great visual and audio design that contributes to a constant sense of dread, making it a compelling horror experience.

The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with limited variety in monsters and levels, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
There are significant optimization issues, including lag and crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.
The game features a gacha system for items, which some players find frustrating and out of place in a horror game.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay is centered on cooperative extraction, where players transport bio-capsules while avoiding hostile entities, enhanced by a permadeath mechanic that heightens tension. While critics commend its innovative mechanics and atmospheric design, some players find the experience can become repetitive and lacking in depth after a short period. Overall, the game shows potential for growth with further development and additional content.
- “The core gameplay revolves around transporting these bio-capsules to elevators while avoiding detection by hostile entities.”
- “The game's permadeath mechanic adds to the tension, as a single mistake can result in the loss of progress, making every decision critical.”
- “Definitely not a 'perfect' game that's optimized, but it looks fantastic, has an entertaining gameplay loop, plenty of laughs with friends, and has massive potential with some tweaks and a pass on the audio design.”
- “The actual gameplay is like a very watered down version of Lethal Company, but without map variety and with minimal options in terms of tools and equipment you can bring in.”
- “There's not much depth (or rather, variations) to the mechanics.”
- “The core gameplay revolves around cooperative extraction, where players must safely transport monstrous test subjects while evading lurking dangers.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by quirky items like the horse-hat and gorilla mask, as well as amusing scenarios involving 'test subjects' and strange collectibles like parasitic donuts. Players find that the game can lead to hilarious moments, especially when played with friends, although some feel that the humor may not sustain long-term engagement. Overall, the game is considered entertaining with a mix of funny and bizarre elements.
- “Voice-changing items like the horse-hat and gorilla mask with practical use got me laughing on the floor.”
- “Pissed ourselves laughing, loved it.”
- “Also, some 'specimens', the objects you need to collect, are pretty funny, such as parasitic donuts or a parasitic toilet.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
The game's story features a deep backstory that engages players and includes intriguing twists, enhancing the overall experience, especially for horror enthusiasts. However, some players express a desire for more context regarding the setting and character motivations, while also critiquing the unnecessary oversexualization of certain enemies, which detracts from the immersion. Overall, the narrative has potential but could benefit from additional depth and clarity.
- “There’s a deep backstory to uncover here that really pulls you into the world.”
- “The story is pretty engaging too, with enough twists to keep you hooked.”
- “If you’re into horror games that actually manage to make you feel uneasy while offering an interesting story to dig into, Under Ward is definitely worth a shot.”
- “Really good game, played it last night for the first time. The only thing I wished for was some backstory as to how and why we got there and what we do with the containers after loading them on the elevator. I think we should get more weapons or at least be able to use the hatchet on the bikini nurses. Also, why are they in bikinis? It's cool though, really good game!”
- “Totally unnecessary oversexualization in design choices of literally one monster enemy (which is one of the most common enemy types) is incredibly obvious, adds nothing to the lore or immersion of the horror/story, and is completely pathetic how misplaced this is, honestly.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive visual and audio design, creating a tense and compelling environment that enhances the cooperative gameplay experience. While the overall ambiance is effective, some players feel that additional dynamic elements, such as moving test subjects or flickering lights, could further enrich the sense of liveliness and tension.
- “The game's atmosphere is further enriched by its visual and audio design.”
- “Its emphasis on stealth, strategy, and teamwork, combined with a richly atmospheric environment, provides a compelling experience for players seeking a challenging and immersive horror adventure.”
- “The atmosphere is tense right from the start, and it doesn’t let up.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Players generally find the game to have strong replayability due to its engaging mechanics, including mini-games, time-limited challenges, and enemy interactions. The procedurally generated environments further enhance this aspect, ensuring that each playthrough offers a unique experience. However, initial engagement is crucial, as a lack of early excitement may lead some players to consider refunds.
- “I love this game personally; it has the right amount of mini-games, time-limit pressure, enemy interaction, and randomness to be very replayable.”
- “The procedurally generated environments ensure that no two playthroughs feel the same, adding to the game's replayability.”
- “It has replayability.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes and the need for high-end hardware, such as a 4070 GPU, for smooth gameplay. While the game boasts impressive visuals and engaging gameplay, it is not considered well-optimized, indicating a need for significant improvements in stability and performance.
- “Definitely not a 'perfect' game that's optimized, but it looks fantastic, has an entertaining gameplay loop, plenty of laughs with friends, and has massive potential with some tweaks and a pass on the audio design.”
- “No performance issues in the entrance exam via: i7 10700, 32GB RAM, 4070 Ti, 2K monitor.”
- “It would be greatly improved if the game had a save function, and to be honest, it really struggles with optimization. I have to say that maybe you need a 4070-level GPU in your PC to play it fluently.”
- “There are optimization problems; the game loves to crash for me and my friends (UE error, maybe it's a memory leak, I don't know).”
- “No performance issues in the entrance exam with an i7 10700, 32GB RAM, 4070 Ti, and a 2K monitor.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their realism and immersive atmosphere, particularly in the bodycam perspective, which enhances the overall experience. However, some users have expressed a desire for an option to reduce the fisheye effect.
- “Been looking around for scary games to play with friends, this is definitely one you should try. It reminds me of Lethal Company but with better graphics, and overall the environment is way more immersive.”
- “Amazing graphics that have one of the best realistic and stylistic bodycam point of view I've seen.”
- “Visuals and graphics are excellent; I would like a way to reduce the fisheye effect.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and fail to create a truly immersive experience.”
- “The visuals look outdated and lack the detail expected from modern games.”
- “While the atmosphere is decent, the graphics leave much to be desired.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The music in the game is characterized by a haunting soundtrack and unsettling sound effects that enhance the atmosphere, creating a persistent sense of dread throughout the experience.
- “The dimly lit corridors, unsettling sound effects, and haunting soundtrack contribute to a constant sense of dread.”
- “The music perfectly complements the atmosphere, enhancing the emotional impact of every scene.”
- “Each track is meticulously crafted, creating an immersive experience that draws you deeper into the game world.”
- “Dimly lit corridors, unsettling sound effects, and a haunting soundtrack contribute to a constant sense of dread.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the monetization system, noting that fulfilling quotas relies solely on specific in-game actions, which can feel limiting. They suggest that incorporating smaller, quicker ways to earn currency would enhance the experience.
- “It's also frustrating that the only way to fulfill the quota is via the tubes - when you need like 10 points, it would be nice to have some small quick cash grabs.”