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 1-4 player co-op horror exploration game. Investigators must carry «TEST-SUBJECT» monsters from a deadly underground abandoned hospital ward.

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75%

Audience ScoreBased on 93 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and chaotic experience, especially when played with friends, with many humorous moments and unique items.
The procedurally generated environments and variety of monsters keep gameplay fresh and engaging, providing a good mix of horror and strategy.
The atmosphere is immersive, with great visuals and sound design that enhance the horror experience, making players feel tense and on edge.

The game can become repetitive quickly, with limited variety in levels and enemies, 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's mechanics, such as the gacha system for items and the permadeath feature, can feel frustrating and may not appeal to all players.

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 time. 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.”
- “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 horse-hats and gorilla masks, as well as amusing scenarios involving strange "test subjects" and comical collectibles such as 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, while the game has its funny moments, its comedic potential is best realized in multiplayer settings.
- “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 is seen as a compelling aspect, though it 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/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 critics commend the rich atmosphere, some players suggest that adding more dynamic elements, like moving test subjects or flickering lights, could further enhance the sense of life within the game. Overall, it delivers a challenging and engaging horror adventure that keeps players on edge.
- “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
75%
75%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including crashes and potential memory leaks, suggesting a high-end GPU like the 4070 is necessary for smooth gameplay. While it is not considered perfectly optimized, many appreciate its visual appeal and entertaining gameplay, indicating that improvements could enhance the overall experience.
- “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 did poorly in optimization; I have to say that maybe you need a 4070-level GPU in PC to play it fluently.”
- “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%
25%
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.”
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 constant sense of dread throughout dimly lit corridors.
- “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 moment.”
- “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
3 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.”
- “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “I feel like I'm constantly being pushed to spend more, which takes away from the overall experience.”