Info about Fear & Hunger:

Official game description:
  
Fear & Hunger is a horror dungeon crawler set in the dark and hopeless dungeons of fear and hunger. Four misfortuned adventurers dwell deeper and deeper to the darkness and uncover the secrets this ancient fortress holds inside. The fortress works as an ancient nexus for different planes of existence. The depths are in an eternal turmoil as both old and new gods struggle for power, it’s up to the players to choose their position and stance in all of this.  
The game is a hybrid of survival horror and dungeon crawler genres with its influences ranging from Silent Hill to Nethack. There are roguelike elements to the game as well as a heavy foundation of a j-RPG. Fear & Hunger is heavy on atmosphere and ruthless in its difficulty.  
*   Oppressive and relentless atmosphere  
*   4 different character classes and many additional characters to recruit  
*   Unforgiving and unique gameplay  
*   Randomized elements to keep the game fresh with subsequent playthroughs  
*   Turn-based Strategic Dismember Combat System  
*   Graphical art style mixing pixel art with digital painting  
*   Original ambient soundtrack creating the dreary mood
The world of Fear & Hunger is VERY dark. THE GAME IS MEANT ONLY FOR MATURE AUDIENCES! Extreme violence and gore are everyday sights in the dungeons and death is one of the easier ways to go in the game. The game has drug and substance abuse, heavy themes ranging from self-mutilation to sexual violence. None of the themes are taken lightly however. They are all part of the world building and there to create the unique atmosphere where the game measures just how far the player is willing to go in order to survive.  
Parts of the dungeon layout, events, loot and enemy placements are randomized with few different variations to keep things fresh with subsequent playthroughs. The game is designed with the classic trial and error formula, so you can expect to start the game over and over again. But as long as you learn from your mistakes, you can quickly find yourself at the deeper levels of the dungeon.  
The combat in Fear & Hunger is turn-based akin to classic role-playing games, but with a twist of it’s own. You can target individual limbs of your enemies to dismember them strategically and thus maximize your chances for survival. However, just the same, enemies can also cut off the arms and the legs of your playable characters if you are not careful. You need to prepare well for every encounter if you wish to stay alive. But don’t forget that running away from threats is often the best solution as well. There are many ways for survival in Fear & Hunger - You can find better equipment, learn different blood and love magic, fuse characters into each other, pray different gods, talk your way out of battles, meet new party members, snipe enemies from distance, use traps to disable them… and so on. The Idea is to use what you got at your disposal and be creative with it.

Release date: Jan 21, 2019

Categories: Dungeon Crawler, Turn-based Combat, Survival Horror, Dark Fantasy, Roguelike, Character Progression, Multiple Endings, Body Horror

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: Reviews explicitly mention no microtransactions.
- Mods: score 40; verdict: Buggy but Playable; summary: The game has recurring bugs that require community fixes, but it remains playable. Users frequently recommend mods to enhance gameplay and fix bugs, but there is no widespread consensus on game-breaking issues that render the game unplayable without mods.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: High Dependency on External Resources; summary: The game presents significant challenges in terms of complex mechanics and design choices that heavily rely on external resources like wikis and guides. While some users appreciate the depth of lore and storytelling, the necessity of using external resources to understand and progress in the game is a common point of frustration. This dependency on external information disrupts the gameplay experience and immersion, indicating potential areas for improvement in in-game tutorials and explanations.
- Steam Deck: score 90; verdict: Broken; summary: The Steam Deck experience for this game is plagued by stability issues, requiring extensive manual configuration, and suffering from significant performance problems. Users report frequent freezing, black screens, and low FPS, making the game difficult to play without substantial tinkering.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently mention that the game is worth its price, with some even suggesting it feels like a gift at its current price point. Several users highlight that the game offers significant value, especially considering its unique experience and replayability. The general sentiment is that the game is reasonably priced and often worth purchasing, particularly when on sale.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: 6.0h
  - Session length: 3.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes several quotes from user reviews that mention specific playtime metrics. For example, one user mentions spending '6 hours plus in just the first part of the game,' which suggests a significant time investment for partial completion. Another user states, 'I have like 20 hours currently,' indicating a substantial amount of time spent on the game. Additionally, a user mentions having '20 hours in this one and 10+ in the second,' which further supports the idea of extensive playtime. These quotes collectively suggest that players are investing considerable time into the game, with some focusing on specific parts or multiple playthroughs.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a steep learning curve and relies heavily on RNG, making the early game frustrating. However, once players overcome these initial challenges, the game becomes more enjoyable and addictive.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Learning game mechanics and strategies
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: Steep learning curve; RNG reliance; Lack of tutorials; Poor UI and controls; Technical issues and bugs
  - Unlock drivers: Understanding game mechanics; Learning enemy patterns; Progressing through trial and error
  - Conditions: Patience and persistence; Willingness to learn from mistakes; Enjoyment of challenging games; Interest in dark and horror themes
- Player Archetypes:
  - Challenge-Seeking Masochist (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of overcoming extreme challenges and experiencing dark, immersive atmospheres.
    - Playstyle: Persistent and adaptive, willing to endure repeated failures and learn from mistakes.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: masochist; hardcore player
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Elden Ring
  - Hardcore Endurer (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of extreme difficulty and the sense of accomplishment from enduring harsh conditions.
    - Playstyle: Highly persistent, willing to endure significant frustration and discomfort.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: hardcore gamer; endurer
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Sekiro
  - Guided Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of dark, challenging games with the aid of guides to navigate complexities.
    - Playstyle: Exploratory and strategic, using guides to understand game mechanics and lore.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: explorer; strategist
    - Reference games: Outer Wilds; Dark Souls
  - Dark RPG Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of dark, challenging RPGs with deep lore and complex mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Exploratory and strategic, focused on mastering game mechanics and uncovering lore.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: RPG fan; dark theme enthusiast
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Bloodborne


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Dark and immersive atmosphere (weight 0.35): The game features a dark fantasy setting with a unique and immersive atmosphere. The dark and twisted themes, along with the atmospheric music and design, create a deeply engaging experience.
- Unique and engaging gameplay mechanics (weight 0.29): The game offers a variety of unique mechanics, including a distinctive coin flip system and strategic combat. Players appreciate the challenging and immersive gameplay experiences that stand out in the genre.
- Challenging and rewarding gameplay (weight 0.28): The game is known for its high difficulty and complex gameplay, which players find both challenging and rewarding. The adjustable difficulty and deep gameplay mechanics add to the engaging experience.
- Excellent artistic design and story (weight 0.28): The game's art, atmosphere, and story are outstanding. Players appreciate the gorgeous art, engaging storyline, and well-crafted narrative elements.
- Rich lore and deep world-building (weight 0.21): Players are drawn to the game's deep and believable lore, rich mythology, and interesting world-building. The narrative design and storytelling elements are highly praised.
- Unique character encounters (weight 0.1): Players appreciate the unique and memorable character encounters. The characters are well-developed, relatable, and add depth to the game's narrative.
- Rewarding progression system (weight 0.05): The game's progression system is unique and rewarding. Players feel a sense of accomplishment as they progress through the game.
- Engaging community and fandom (weight 0.05): The game has an engaging community and fandom. Players appreciate the community engagement and the shared experience.
- Suitable for all ages (weight 0.05): The game is suitable for both experienced and novice players, and even educational for children. This makes it accessible to a wide audience.
- Thrilling and exciting adventure (weight 0.04): Players describe the game as a thrilling and incredible adventure. The exciting and intriguing elements keep players engaged.

Common complaints:
- Unfair and cruel gameplay (weight 0.25): Players find the game to be unfair and cruel, with brutal and unforgiving mechanics that can feel punishing without reason.
- Game plagued by bugs (weight 0.16): The game is frequently criticized for having numerous bugs and errors, which significantly impact the player experience.
- Luck-based mechanics (weight 0.15): The game heavily relies on luck-based mechanics, which can be frustrating and lead to unfair situations.
- Frustrating and repetitive gameplay (weight 0.15): The gameplay is often described as frustrating and repetitive, with mechanics that can be annoying and poorly executed.
- Excessive difficulty (weight 0.13): The game is noted for being unnecessarily difficult and challenging, which can be off-putting for many players.
- Excessive violence and gore (weight 0.09): The game contains excessive violence and gore, which can be disturbing for some players.
- Poorly explained mechanics (weight 0.05): The game does a poor job of explaining its mechanics, making it difficult for new players to understand.
- Problematic saving system (weight 0.05): The saving system in the game is frustrating and problematic, adding to the overall difficulty.
- Difficult for new players (weight 0.04): The game is particularly difficult at the beginning, making it hard for new players to get into.
- Outdated and incorrect information (weight 0.04): Much of the information available on the wiki and within the game itself is outdated or incorrect.

Gameplay feedback:
- Unforgiving and punishing gameplay (weight 0.21): The game is noted for its harsh and challenging mechanics, which many players find difficult and sometimes unfair. This includes brutal difficulty and psychological stress.
- Dark and twisted themes (weight 0.17): The game explores dark fantasy and horror themes, dealing with taboo and disturbing content that creates a creepy and unsettling atmosphere.
- Unique and challenging mechanics (weight 0.16): The game offers unique gameplay mechanics, such as limb-targeting combat and aging, providing a challenging and interesting experience.
- Survival and death mechanics (weight 0.13): Survival mechanics are crucial, with players managing body and sanity bars. Death mechanics and frequent deaths add to the challenge.
- Boss fights and enemy encounters (weight 0.12): Unique boss encounters and interactions with brutal enemies are key features, adding to the game's challenge.
- Rich lore and story elements (weight 0.12): The game features a deep and engaging story with rich lore, including RPG and survival horror elements that drive the narrative.
- Turn-based combat system (weight 0.11): The game uses a turn-based combat system that involves tactical decisions and deep combat mechanics, typical of turn-based RPGs.
- Luck-based gameplay (weight 0.11): Luck plays a significant role in the game, with randomized events and outcomes affecting gameplay.
- Extensive exploration mechanics (weight 0.1): Players can explore new areas, dungeons, and the world, with a strong emphasis on discovery and exploration mechanics.
- High difficulty level (weight 0.09): The game is known for its high difficulty, with adjustable settings that cater to players seeking a challenging experience.
- Trial and error learning (weight 0.08): Players learn through trial and error, often needing repeated attempts to understand enemy functions and game mechanics.
- Multiple endings (weight 0.07): The game features multiple endings, providing different outcomes based on player choices and actions.
- Character progression and development (weight 0.06): The game includes a progression system that allows for character development and story evolution.
- Limited save points (weight 0.06): The game features limited save points, sometimes with hours between saves, adding to the difficulty and tension.
- Randomized loot and structures (weight 0.06): The game includes randomized loot and structures, typical of rogue-like elements, adding to the unpredictability.
- Puzzle-solving elements (weight 0.06): Puzzle-like gameplay and puzzle-solving elements are integrated into the game, providing a different kind of challenge.

Performance notes:
- Frequent bugs and crashes (weight 0.17): The game is reported to have numerous bugs and crashes, affecting the overall gameplay experience significantly.
- Compatibility issues on Linux (weight 0.02): The game requires additional files and configurations to run properly on Linux, indicating compatibility issues.
- Positive performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.02): Despite some issues, the game runs well on Steam Deck, providing a good experience for users on this platform.
- Crashing issues on Steam Deck (weight 0.02): There are reports of the game crashing on Steam Deck, which affects the gameplay experience on this platform.

Recommendations:
- Unique and immersive experience (weight 0.15): The game offers a unique and immersive experience that stands out from traditional gaming. It provides varied and entertaining gameplay scenarios that are highly recommended for those seeking something different.
- Niche appeal for horror RPG fans (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for fans of niche horror RPGs, grim and dark classic RPG style games, and roguelites. It caters to a specific audience that enjoys bleak storytelling and atmospheric dread.
- Mental health considerations (weight 0.07): Players are advised to take breaks for mental health due to the game's challenging and stressful nature. It is also recommended for people with high stress levels, suggesting a need for caution.
- General recommendations (weight 0.06): The game is broadly recommended for various reasons, including its detailed mechanics, rich lore, and engaging gameplay loop. It is also suggested to go in blind for a better experience.
- Use of guides for better experience (weight 0.05): Several recommendations suggest using guides to enhance the gaming experience. Guides are thought to make the game more fun and help players who are struggling with its difficulty.
- Worth the price and value (weight 0.05): The game is considered to offer good value for its price. It is recommended to pick up during a Steam sale for better value and is generally seen as worth experiencing.
- Mod recommendations (weight 0.03): Players recommend downloading specific mods to improve the gaming experience, such as bug-fix mods and mods for infinite books of enlightenment.
- Engaging narrative and setting (weight 0.03): The game is praised for its engaging narrative and unique setting, which contribute to its immersive experience.
- Play with friends or watch playthroughs (weight 0.03): Suggestions include playing with a friend for a better experience or watching playthroughs to enjoy the story and world-building without directly playing.

Other player notes:
- Dogs too loud (weight 0.02): Players are suggesting the use of a mod to lower the volume of dogs, indicating that the current volume levels are too high.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.33): Players are primarily frustrated by the game's high difficulty, which is exacerbated by harsh and unforgiving mechanics, frequent deaths, and a steep learning curve. The reliance on luck-based elements, such as coin flip mechanics, and the potential loss of progress due to bugs or failed coin flips further contribute to this frustration. Additionally, the lack of clear explanations for mechanics and the need for external guides add to the overall challenging and often punishing experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.17): Players are excited by the game's unique and challenging gameplay, which offers a deep and engaging experience. The game's well-crafted story, interesting graphics, and immersive atmosphere contribute to this excitement. Additionally, the unpredictability and rewarding nature of the gameplay, along with the variety of items and memorable encounters, keep players on the edge of their seats.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the game's immersive atmosphere, emotional depth, and unique gameplay mechanics. The challenging yet rewarding gameplay loop, along with the rich lore and engaging combat system, provides a fun and addictive experience. The overall aesthetic, theme, and the feeling of learning and improving through each run contribute to the enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): Players find satisfaction in overcoming the game's difficult challenges and figuring out enemies, which leads to a sense of accomplishment. The game's rewarding mechanics, progression system, and the ability to modify game files enhance this feeling. The detailed and strategic gameplay, along with the engaging and brutal combat, provide a satisfying experience despite the high difficulty.
- Amusement (weight 0.05): Players are amused by the game's unique and often humorous scenarios, including unexpected and quick game over situations. The unusual encounters, humorous anecdotes, and the game's dark and morbid events provide a source of entertainment. The exaggerated descriptions of misadventures and the comparison of game difficulty to personal relationships add to the amusement.
- Fear (weight 0.05): Players experience fear due to the game's hostile and unforgiving atmosphere, which includes terrifying and stressful gameplay elements. The eerie and unsettling themes, jumpscares, and dark, mysterious settings contribute to a genuinely frightening experience. The consequences of losing coin tosses and the terrifying atmosphere and sounds enhance the sense of fear.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Players admire the game's deep lore, unique atmosphere, and challenging gameplay. The game's world-building, narrative design, and attention to detail create a rich and immersive experience. The distinctive art style, themes, and the game's ability to push boundaries within the horror game genre contribute to this admiration.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's unique aspects, including its atmosphere, story, and strong lore. The beautiful art, mature depiction of dark fantasy, and the game's puzzle-like nature are highly valued. The game's unique mechanics, influences, and the overall engaging experience contribute to this appreciation.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players love the game's unique blend of genres and mechanics, along with its dark fantasy aesthetic and engaging lore. The high level of detail, immersion, and the challenging yet rewarding gameplay loop create a deeply enjoyable experience. The art style, monster designs, and the overall atmosphere contribute to this love for the game.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy from the game's engaging and addictive gameplay, which is both relaxing and enjoyable. The positive descriptions of the game's art style, story, and combat system enhance this joy. Successfully overcoming challenges, such as getting the first ending or making the game run on Linux, adds to the overall happiness.
- Disappointment (weight 0.03): Players feel disappointed due to bugs and poorly implemented mechanics that hinder gameplay. The inability to interact with certain characters as expected and the loss of progress due to bugs contribute to this disappointment. Additionally, the game's balance issues and the lack of scares for a horror game lead to a sense of letdown.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players are surprised by the game's unexpected gameplay elements and unique events. The impact of specific elements, such as the word 'Stinger,' and the disturbing and unpredictable events create a sense of surprise. The impressive ending and boss encounters, along with the late discovery of certain content, add to this feeling.
- Intrigue (weight 0.02): Players are intrigued by the game's unique and varied death mechanics, as well as its crude and compelling lore. The dark world and limb-based gameplay, along with the game's unique themes and moral dilemmas, pique players' curiosity. The comparison to other popular games with a unique tone adds to the intrigue.
- Positive (weight 0.02): Players have a positive experience with the game due to its impressive horror elements and enjoyable difficulty and mechanics. The game's unique combination of elements and its relaxing atmosphere with pleasant music contribute to this positivity. The overall engaging experience and the game's ability to be enjoyed despite initial difficulties enhance this positive sentiment.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Players feel happiness from the enjoyable and happy experience in the first hours of gameplay. The suitability for family time and educational value, along with the enjoyable gameplay and specific mechanics, contribute to this happiness. Character interactions and the overall pleasant experience add to this feeling.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the game's cool story hidden behind the gameplay and its unique game design and themes. The desire to learn more about the game and its intricate details keeps players engaged and interested.
- Despair (weight 0.01): Players feel despair due to the game's dark and unsettling themes and atmosphere. The game's ability to induce feelings of wanting to kill oneself and the overall horrifying setting contribute to this sense of despair.
- Fascination (weight 0.01): Players are fascinated by the game's unique approach to horror and RPG elements, along with its rich atmosphere and lore. The game's deep and complex lore, along with its attention to detail, create a captivating experience that players find fascinating.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players are engaged by the game's addicting gameplay and interesting ideas. The eerie soundtrack and immersive story, along with the game's appeal despite its challenges, keep players engaged and coming back for more.}