UNDYING - "KINGDOM" | Game Brain — video game discovery

About

UNDYING - "KINGDOM" is a single player action game. It was developed by Vanimals and was released on December 7, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

In "Undying - Kingdom," Anling fights to lead her son Cody through a zombie apocalypse and her own infection, with their survival dependent on the player's choices and interactions with various characters. Every decision impacts the story's outcome, making for a unique and potentially tragic journey. Trust is fragile, and the line between friend and foe blurs in this brutal world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 592 reviews

story132 positive mentions

grinding36 negative mentions

The game features an amazing and emotional story that keeps players engaged.
Unique gameplay mechanics, such as teaching the son survival skills, add depth to the experience.
The art style and graphics are charming, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.

Resource management can feel tedious and unbalanced, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Combat mechanics are clunky and can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
The game lacks clear guidance and tutorials, making it difficult for players to understand core mechanics.

story
364 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The story of "Undying" is generally praised for its emotional depth, focusing on the poignant relationship between a mother and her son in a zombie apocalypse, which resonates with players. However, many reviews highlight that the gameplay's resource management mechanics can detract from the narrative experience, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. While some players find the plot compelling and immersive, others feel it becomes repetitive and lacks the depth or originality seen in other titles within the genre.
- “A very touching story and fun gameplay.”
- “The story hooks me up with how the mother tried to teach everything to her son while trying to survive her nightmare of being bitten by a zombie and slowly turning into one.”
- “The story of the two characters is truly touching and tragic.”
- “Boring - 80% of gameplay is resource gathering/allocating; to proceed with the story you need to find resources, craft, and all that crap.”
- “Since such a large part of the gameplay is gathering resources, the story is not interesting at all. It's just a mom and son survival story, and you comfort him because he is scared, pressing space while doing stuff so you can delegate later on.”
- “The story is understandably unfinished, but sometimes feels disconnected as you stumble on other humans or interact with Cody at home.”
gameplay
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The gameplay of "Undying" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the resource gathering and management aspects tedious and poorly explained, leading to a sense of frustration. While some appreciate the emotional depth and innovative mechanics, particularly the interactions with the child character Cody, others criticize the lack of intuitive design and the overwhelming complexity of the mechanics. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant improvements in clarity, balance, and polish to enhance the player experience.
- “Amazing, emotional, and tactical gameplay with a great story. If I could turn back time, I would buy it again.”
- “Tons of stuff to do right out of the gate, decisions that actually impact the gameplay and the story, and the zombie infection mechanics are really interesting and affect your gameplay depending on what symptoms you choose to contract.”
- “This immersive experience not only offers thrilling gameplay but also boasts a captivating narrative that keeps players hooked from start to finish.”
- “Boring - 80% of gameplay is resource gathering/allocating; to proceed with the story, you need to find resources, craft, and all that.”
- “Every gameplay aspect feels rushed and unfinished.”
- “This is a terrible mechanic since the time the game gives you to play each day is so limited. You're encouraged to use it as much as you can, meaning that if you make the mistake of using a few extra real-life seconds doing something at night, it could completely ruin your save.”
emotional
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Undying" is highlighted by its touching narrative centered on the relationship between a mother and her son in a zombie-infested world, evoking strong feelings of investment and empathy from players. While the story is praised for its depth and heartwarming moments, some reviewers note a tonal mismatch with the survival mechanics and issues with translation and voice acting that can detract from the emotional experience. Overall, the game is recognized for its ability to create a compelling emotional journey, making it a standout in the survival genre for those who appreciate heartfelt storytelling.
- “The narrative is carefully crafted, keeping players on the edge of their seats while also allowing for a deep emotional connection with the characters.”
- “Overall, 'Undying' is a memorable and emotionally charged indie survival game that stands out for its storytelling and the unique relationship between its main characters.”
- “Undying is more than a game; it's a captivating, emotional journey.”
graphics
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning and charming art style, which effectively brings the fantastical world to life. Many players appreciate the minimalistic, low-poly design and soft pastel tones, noting that the visuals complement the emotional storytelling and gameplay. While some reviewers express mixed feelings about the art style, the overall consensus highlights its beauty and ability to enhance the gaming experience.
- “The game features stunning graphics that bring its fantastical world to life.”
- “The low-poly art style is a visual treat, and the music sets the perfect tone.”
- “The atmosphere, graphics, and music are brilliant.”
- “I don't love this art style, but it is what it is.”
- “It's this war of mine on a more personal and much upgraded level and graphics.”
- “I really like the art style (blank faces but with noses).”
music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful soundtrack and its ability to set the mood, particularly in emotional moments. However, several players expressed frustration over the frequent pauses in music during loading screens and menu transitions, which detracts from the overall atmosphere. While some found the background music a bit dull, others felt it complemented the game's visual style effectively.
- “I think the game's main musical motif is lovely.”
- “The OST of this game is beautiful.”
- “Accented by the sad and melancholy soundtrack, Undying is a game that definitely gets you in the feels—especially, if like me, you are yourself a parent.”
- “Loading screen transitions, opening menus, or the inventory completely pauses the game's music (and this happens way more than it should).”
- “It's an awesome experience except for one thing... the music pauses anytime you do anything and it's really annoying and ruins the atmosphere.”
- “Visual style is lovely, although I find the background music a bit boring, but the gameplay makes up for it.”
grinding
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, with repetitive tasks such as resource management, crafting, and questing leading to frustration. While some appreciate the emotional depth that keeps them engaged, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, making certain areas and quests feel like a waste of time. Despite these criticisms, some players still recommend the game for its enjoyable elements, suggesting that improvements in balancing could enhance the experience significantly.
- “It is a lot of grinding.”
- “Some areas, such as the police station, feel horribly tedious and are just genuinely a waste of time.”
- “It was disheartening to say the least to have all that grinding for nothing, and it would be one thing if the RV park had some fresh water or at least a regular meager meal to hand out every once in a while.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including bugs, missing textures, and unbalanced gameplay, which suggest it was released before being fully polished. While some players report that the gameplay remains functional despite these glitches, others experience persistent problems, particularly with choice selections as the game progresses. Overall, the stability is a notable concern, impacting the overall experience.
- “Unfortunately, it is horribly unbalanced and buggy.”
- “It's buggy, missing textures, and general guidance; honestly, it feels like the game was not remotely ready.”
- “Still a little buggy when you get about 20 days in; with the choice selections, it seems to struggle a bit and not allow the selections to be chosen.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive graphics and music, effectively capturing the essence of a zombie apocalypse. However, some players find the frequent pauses in music during gameplay to be disruptive, detracting from the overall experience. Despite this, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, contributing to a compelling and engaging environment.
- “Can really feel the zombie apocalypse's atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere, graphics, and music are brilliant.”
- “The game is very catchy with its atmosphere.”
- “The music pauses anytime you do anything, and it's really annoying and ruins the atmosphere.”
- “I was constantly short of supplies and had almost no time to explore the world, which detracted from the atmosphere.”
- “I can really feel the zombie apocalypse's atmosphere.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability, with many players eager to revisit it to explore different narrative paths and retain skills and items for subsequent playthroughs. However, some users express disappointment, citing a lack of engaging content that diminishes their desire to replay after a certain point.
- “Good replay value, especially as you can keep some skills and items from one game to another, which makes it easier the next time you play.”
- “I saw so little replay value from the game at this point that I just had to quit at day 25. If I were to bother to play the game over again when it's done, I would not be entertained after spending so much time on it.”
- “The replay value is high, as players find themselves drawn back to uncover additional layers of the narrative and explore alternate paths within the game.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by dark and absurd moments, such as a character's attempted suicide met with a nonchalant response, which some players find amusing. This blend of unexpected reactions and comedic timing contributes to a unique and often jarring comedic experience.
- “There are a lot of funny responses, like a mother trying to commit suicide and Cody just answering a few sentences down the line, 'hahahahahha'.”
- “The other funny thing is that I may have missed a progression gate somewhere.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is criticized for its poor optimization, with players expressing frustration over performance issues and inefficient quest design that leads to unnecessary backtracking. Overall, the optimization is seen as lacking, detracting from the overall experience.
- “I ran Cyberpunk at launch but can't run this poorly optimized piece of garbage.”
- “There's a cooking quest which frankly could be better optimized, as running back and forth is just wasting time.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features intricate character development intertwined with plot twists and unexpected turns, enhancing the overall narrative and elevating it beyond standard gaming experiences.
- “The game weaves a rich tapestry of plot twists, character development, and unexpected turns that elevate it beyond the typical gaming experience.”