Until We Die

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"Until We Die" is a base defense strategy game where you play as Ivan, defending a subway station from relentless mutant attacks for 30 days. You'll need to manually assign tasks to your AI-limited human allies for building defenses, researching technology, and launching counter-attacks against mutant lairs to ensure survival. The game ends if Ivan dies or the power generator is destroyed.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 935 reviews

gameplay51 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Fun and challenging gameplay with great design and artwork.
Engaging story that keeps players hooked for hours.
Unique blend of mechanics reminiscent of Kingdom and Metro.

Game has been abandoned with no updates since 2021.
Only one level available, leading to a lack of replayability.
No save feature, making progress difficult to maintain.

gameplay
152 mentions
34 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Until We Die" is characterized by its wave-based mechanics, strategic resource management, and a blend of side-scrolling and base defense elements reminiscent of the "Kingdom" series. While many players appreciate the engaging art style and the challenge it presents, criticisms arise regarding its punishing difficulty, micromanagement demands, and lack of content, leading to a mixed reception overall. The game offers a fun yet flawed experience, with potential for improvement through future updates.
- “The engaging storyline, coupled with strategic gameplay and captivating visuals, creates an immersive experience.”
- “The mechanics of the game start simply, then build into more complex systems and tactics that I enjoy; abilities/resources/functions are added in as you expand, and they do so at a fairly constant rate, which keeps you excited for the next upgrade or expansion.”
- “Addictive, adrenaline-fueling, nail-biting gameplay.”
- “This game is like a 2004 flash player game with the current state of the mechanics.”
- “The game is lacking in content yet is being packaged and sold as a finished product (only 1 'scenario,' only 2 playable characters, difficulty/mechanical balance issues, etc.).”
- “Yes, my opinion is how I fooled myself with the visuals and gameplay this 'game' showed to have, but seeing most of all this game has shown to be unpleasant for being unpolished, undoable, the difficulty level is absurdly horrendous, your followers don't do any great damage each wave that passes, the defenses are flawed, the mechanic gameplay needs to become automatic because having to order every time your followers need to do and force players to run with a minimal of stamina that regenerates extremely slow is a joke.”
graphics
95 mentions
49 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful art style, reminiscent of classic titles like Metal Slug, and for their immersive atmosphere that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the detailed pixel art and the overall aesthetic, which combines elements of dark fantasy and strategic gameplay, creating a captivating visual experience. While some users noted minor performance issues, the general consensus is that the graphics significantly contribute to the game's appeal and enjoyment.
- “The game has very gorgeous graphics, a very cool enjoyable base defense gameplay; and a cool world.”
- “The graphics and art style are also excellent.”
- “Incredible fun and very tactical base defender, really love the atmosphere and the art style!”
- “I have no problem with sound, graphics or any of the designs, difficult or not the simple fact of pure lack of content makes me regret my purchase choice.”
- “Until we die is a base defense game that is heavily inspired by Metro 2033, and whose graphics remind me of old Armor Games, particularly Infectonator and the like.”
- “Despite the pixel graphics, an immense amount of detail and care went into the environmental design.”
story
48 mentions
27 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as engaging yet minimal, primarily revolving around a single mission that can be replayed with increasing difficulty. While players appreciate the immersive atmosphere and art style, many express a desire for a more developed narrative and additional missions to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay but lacks depth and variety, leaving players hopeful for future expansions.
- “The engaging storyline, coupled with strategic gameplay and captivating visuals, creates an immersive experience.”
- “The game has you plot a mental course in a mostly abandoned subway tunnel that serves as the beachhead to drive back an extraterrestrial invasion that has wreaked havoc on the surface, leaning heavily on pre-existing shelters and structures found within the now overrun areas of an as of yet unknown location.”
- “Overall, I would say this is a nice indie game with great art, sound design, decent gameplay, a bit of a story behind the apocalypse, and it is challenging.”
- “So there's no AI behind it at all, it's just a scripted 'story'.”
- “Once you beat the first 'mission' (if you can even get that far without running into the various game-breaking bugs that either soft-lock your progress or get you stuck completely), there is absolutely nothing else to do in the game but repeat that same mission, over and over.”
- “The fact that there were storylines unfilled.”
atmosphere
27 mentions
67 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted environment, drawing comparisons to beloved franchises like Metro and Stalker. Reviewers highlight the combination of pixel art, sound design, and a dark, grim aesthetic that enhances the overall experience, making it both engaging and challenging. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay elements, the atmospheric qualities remain a standout feature that captivates players.
- “It has interesting mechanics, it is innovative, wonderful atmosphere and really drags you into that dark grim world.”
- “A beautifully atmospheric and challenging game, Until We Die is a fantastic competitor to the Kingdom series that is held back by its tiny amount of content.”
- “Incredible fun and very tactical base defender, really love the atmosphere and the art style!”
- “Music is mostly there in the background to build atmosphere, and the sound effects were okay, nothing really standing out.”
- “It's sad, as the atmosphere, the music, the art style, and basically everything else is great, but these two elements will completely ruin the game for you.”
- “The pixelated art direction, atmosphere, and simple controls made me lean toward giving this game a few more runs.”
replayability
26 mentions
27 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag. While some players appreciate the potential for replay value through different characters and difficulty levels, many express disappointment with the limited content and lack of significant changes after initial playthroughs, leading to a feeling of staleness. Players are hopeful for future updates that could enhance replayability by introducing new maps, characters, and scenarios.
- “In time, this small team will add more maps, more playable characters, and more decisions to make and manage.”
- “Good replayability and challenging difficulties.”
- “It is charming, the world feels alive, and there is the chance for heavy replay value.”
- “I enjoyed the game until I put in a few playthroughs, then the lack of replay value set in and the game started feeling unfinished.”
- “Sadly this also means there is little to no replayability in the game's current state and after you beat the first level it becomes stale rather quickly.”
- “Unless you like the exact scenario again and again, replay value isn't there.”
music
25 mentions
32 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and tension, while others noted a lack of variety and presence during gameplay. Some players appreciated specific tracks, particularly the credits song, while others found the soundtrack to be simple yet effective. Overall, the sound design complements the game's visuals and setting, contributing positively to the overall experience.
- “The art style is beautiful, the music is great, and the level of tension between waves is unmatched.”
- “Massive fan of the Metro franchise and the Stalker series as well and felt really at home with the atmosphere/music.”
- “Overall, I love this game and its atmosphere accompanied with the great pixel art and the soundtrack; I definitely recommend it to anyone with a hardcore strategy mindset.”
- “The soundtrack isn't that present when playing, which helped me to concentrate more.”
- “Although the soundtrack is not bad, it lacks variety and substance.”
- “Music is mostly there in the background to build atmosphere, and the sound effects were okay, nothing really standing out.”
grinding
14 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the challenge and learning curve can be engaging, the lack of randomness and tedious micromanagement often make gameplay feel laborious and repetitive. Many reviewers express frustration with the necessity of constant player interaction for base management and troop coordination, leading to a sense of monotony. Suggestions for improvement include automating certain tasks and allowing players to gather resources independently to alleviate some of the grind.
- “Tldr: it's good and fun, but the lack of randomness on the map makes the game feel grindy and like work.”
- “Because of a lack of freedom when it comes to base building, tedious micromanagement of your troops, set enemy wave patterns, and very basic player combat mechanics, I can't recommend this game.”
- “Right now with how powerful the mutants are, how weak everything you have is, and just how slow and tedious everything is to do, the end result is a needlessly difficult game.”
optimization
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the game's focus on optimization engaging initially, but it can lead to boredom once mastered. While the graphics are praised and bugs are minimal, some users report performance slowdowns, particularly on less powerful hardware.
- “It's a speed-run style side scroller with optimization in mind.”
- “The graphics are good and I never saw a bug; just some minor optimization and a richer story would enhance the experience.”
- “It was fun, but the whole purpose of the game is optimization; after that, the game becomes very boring.”
- “I have been experiencing slowdowns as the game progresses, but this old rig of mine is running a Xeon server chip and Quadro K4200 graphics card meant for AutoCAD - not exactly an optimized gaming PC.”
stability
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some praise the game's mechanical performance as great and bug-free, others highlight significant issues, including bugs in basic functionalities and a lack of diverse scenarios.
- “Mechanically, it runs great.”
- “It is bug-free.”
- “The game offers a stable experience without any crashes.”
- “Moreover, their previous work has proven to be buggy.”
- “Not only is there only one scenario, but even basic functionality (like 'save and exit') is either not implemented or buggy.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over the developers abandoning it, despite its potential for fun and replayability. Many reviewers advise against purchasing it, citing concerns over a lack of future updates and content.
- “Too late for a refund for me, but hopefully you won't buy this cash grab.”
- “The game was abandoned by the devs as a quick cash grab. I would love to see the game updated with more content, as it is very fun with good replayability. However, this does not change the fact that it has been abandoned by the devs, and with that being said, I cannot recommend it.”
- “It could be an amazing experience, or it could be a bare-bones cash grab.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely absent, with comparisons made to Metro 2033 but lacking its comedic elements. Players found the release of the game without a functional save system to be ironically amusing, especially given the standard 10% discount offered as an apology, which felt insincere.
- “They released the game without a working save system, and slapped it with a 10% discount as an 'apology.' It's funny considering every other game discounts their game by 10% anyway.”