Info about BOXHEAD:Immortal:

Official game description:
A certain zombie virus arrived on BOXHEAD World with a meteorite that fell by chance, causing the cells of many people with Type B blood to merge with the virus, quickly turning them into zombies. To survive in this purgatorial world, you must unleash every bullet into the hordes of the zombies and use any explosive objects at your disposal to drench every inch of the land in blood.  
Boxhead: Immortal is a third person cartoon shooting game. It is created under the authorization of Fire Source Studio with the continuous series of Boxhead. This game is made possible with the previous work of Sean Cooper and the sponsorship of Crazy Monkey Games and the previous Boxhead is a series of highly acclaimed classic Flash games. This game continues and extends the classic art style and background settings from previous work. Moreover, our team has polished details of the maps and unique game features for your best gaming experience. In game, players can use firearms, oil buckets, and grenades to intensify the battle between humans and zombies. The game includes single player, multiplayer, as well as P2P multiplayer LAN connection. The game includes three game modes: **Classic Mode**, **Endless Mode**, and **Campaign Mode**. However, Classic Mode and Campaign Mode are still under development.  
**Classic Mode**  
1:1 replica of the details in the previous Boxhead games. This brings the original nostalgic experience!  
In Classic Mode, there are 4 skins for you to choose that comes along with the classical maps with various layouts. Changing a map gives you the feeling of a brand new game. You can also get other useful weapons and props by picking up red boxes.  
**Endless Mode**  
With one or more players, the goal of this game mode is to face endless waves of zombie and try to survive as long as possible.  
While retaining the classic core gameplay, the mode has undergone bold innovations. Rogue elements have been appropriately added to enrich the playability and replayability of the game. Before starting a game, players can not only choose from their own skins for their characters but also select from four different roles, each with multiple unique skills and attributes for players to mix and match. Additionally, there are several newly designed maps available for play.  
**Campaign Mode**  
Everything seems to start from the meteorite, or the government. Who knows? However all this does not matter with the problems you are facing - surviving is much more important.  
Following the storyline, players will break through the zombie hordes step by step, then advance into cities overrun by the undead, and ultimately unravel the mystery to resolve the world crisis. This mode features multiple meticulously designed large maps, where players can explore, upgrade and customize their equipment, and eliminate wandering zombies. There are also highly challenging and powerful mutated zombie bosses. Centered around the storyline, a variety of intense and thrilling gameplay has been designed to provide players with diverse experiences. Additionally, specific scene props and vehicles are provided to assist players in combating the zombies.

Release date: Mar 27, 2024

Categories: Third-Person Shooter, Horde Shooter, Zombie Horde Combat, Cooperative Multiplayer, Roguelite, Endless Mode, Wave-based Survival, Character Classes

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 70; verdict: Unstable - tinkering and black screen; summary: The game runs on Steam Deck but requires manual controller mapping. Multiplayer co-op suffers from disconnects and Linux invite problems. A reported black screen bug can prevent launch entirely, indicating instability. Tinkering is needed and the experience is not seamless.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Session length is estimated at approximately 1 hour based on two user reports: one explicitly states 'like 1 hour' during a bugged session, and another reports playing 'over an hour' in endless mode. A third review notes monotony after 'a few dozen minutes,' suggesting shorter sessions, but the more concrete mentions support a typical session of about one hour. No evidence exists for game completion, story completion (campaign not yet released), or endgame content.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game offers immediate fun in co-op and LAN parties, but enjoyment drops sharply around level 50 in multiplayer due to severe lag, while many players find it boring from the start due to repetitive content and technical issues.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: repetitive gameplay and lack of content; severe lag in later multiplayer stages; co-op bugs and disconnects; missing features like bazooka and cluster grenades; no tutorial to explain UI elements; poor performance and framerate lock
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: level 50 in multiplayer triggers severe lag and unplayability; co-op mode has bugs and disconnects; lan parties provide a positive co-op experience; challenge mode is described as a snoozefest; lack of content and repetitive gameplay leads to boredom; technical issues like 60 fps lock and bad framerate exist
- Player Archetypes:
  - Nostalgic Browser Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: reliving childhood nostalgia from the browser versions
    - Playstyle: compares everything to the original browser games, expects classic features like walls and specific maps, plays to relive childhood memories
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Boxhead
  - Co-op Social Player (sale)
    - Motivation: shared social experience with friends or family, especially via co-op or lan parties
    - Playstyle: plays primarily in co-op or local multiplayer, tolerates bugs but demands better multiplayer support (invites, controller, servers), enjoys social chaos
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Boxhead
  - Bug-Weary Skeptic (no buy)
    - Motivation: hoping for a complete, polished product; feels cheated by the current unfinished state
    - Playstyle: attempts to enjoy the game but is repeatedly thwarted by technical issues (bugs, lag, black screen) and lack of content; likely tried various modes and found them lacking
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Boxhead


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:
- Strong nostalgia factor (weight 0.83): A large portion of players emphasize strong nostalgic feelings from childhood, recalling classic flash game eras or specific titles like Boxhead, which drives much of the positive reception.
- Multiplayer modes appreciated (weight 0.37): Multiplayer support—including local co-op with shared keyboard, online play, and LAN party options—is highlighted as a major positive feature that enhances social enjoyment.
- Roguelite conversion praised (weight 0.27): The roguelite conversion is well-received, adding progression systems like perks, weapon upgrades, and permanent unlocks that enhance replayability.
- Gameplay is enjoyable (weight 0.25): The core gameplay is widely praised as fun, playable, and well-executed, forming a strong foundation for the game.
- Weapon upgrade system (weight 0.23): Players appreciate the expanded weapon upgrade system and variety, including balanced categories and extreme options that add depth to combat.
- Character class variety (weight 0.21): Character classes add strategic variety with distinct roles like artillerist, support, sapper, and medic, each offering unique passive and active abilities.
- Faithful to original (weight 0.21): The game is considered a faithful remake or sequel that stays true to the original Boxhead games while building a solid foundation for future content.
- Addictive and playable (weight 0.16): The game is simple, addictive, and suitable for long solo play sessions, maintaining engagement over time.
- Endless and classic modes (weight 0.16): Endless wave mode with rogue elements and classic mode with permanent unlocks provide varied, replayable experiences that retain the classic feel.
- Steam Deck compatible (weight 0.13): The game runs well on Steam Deck, ensuring a smooth portable experience for players using that platform.
- Satisfying combat (weight 0.13): The combat is described as satisfying, especially the horde-killing action, which delivers intense and rewarding gameplay.
- Entertaining enemy design (weight 0.11): Devil enemies are noted as challenging yet entertaining, with humorous animations like a funny dance when shot, adding personality.
- 360-degree rotation control (weight 0.08): Full 360-degree rotation allows players to shoot and move in different directions, improving control and tactical options.
- Persistent progress saved (weight 0.07): Progress can be continued after restarting, a feature that supports long-term progression without losing achievements.
- Attention to visual detail (weight 0.07): Visual details like new shell casing ejection animations are appreciated, adding polish to the combat feedback.
- Extreme fun overall (weight 0.07): The game is described as extremely fun overall, with no major detractors mentioned.
- Polished art style (weight 0.06): Good graphic details contribute to a polished art style that enhances the visual experience.
- Challenge mechanic interesting (weight 0.06): The challenge mechanic adds an interesting layer of difficulty that keeps players engaged.
- Improved enemy AI (weight 0.06): More sophisticated AI than the original games provides better enemy behavior and tactical depth.
- Good map design (weight 0.06): The maps are well-designed and contribute positively to the overall gameplay experience.

Common complaints:
- Numerous bugs and crashes (weight 0.55): The game is plagued by many bugs including crashes in endless mode, black screens on startup, freezing, and various gameplay-breaking issues. These problems severely impact playability.
- Very limited content (weight 0.53): Multiple players report that the game has very little content, including only two maps, one game mode (Endless), and a lack of features. It feels like a rushed or incomplete product with minimal effort put in.
- Missing key features (weight 0.51): Many classic features are missing, such as base-building, combo weapon systems, rocket launchers, and save functionality. This removes depth and variety that players enjoyed.
- Too few maps (weight 0.5): The game only has two small maps, which is significantly less than previous titles. Combined with few enemy types, the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive.
- Repetitive and dull gameplay (weight 0.49): Gameplay becomes monotonous quickly due to repetitive waves, lack of variety, and absence of modes or achievements to add replay value. It feels dull and not engaging.
- Imbalanced difficulty (weight 0.47): The game is poorly balanced: enemies scale too fast while player upgrades are slow, some classes are ineffective, and the game is either too easy (due to overpowered abilities) or too difficult (single player).
- Possible abandoned project (weight 0.46): There are widespread concerns that the developer has abandoned the game due to long periods without updates, a dead Discord, and broken promises. This suggests the game may never be finished.
- Inferior to original (weight 0.45): Players feel the game is inferior to the original free flash versions, lacking key features like base-building, combo systems, and the classic gameplay that made the series popular. It is described as a poor imitation.
- Fails to match nostalgia (weight 0.42): The game fails to capture the nostalgia and fun of the original Boxhead or Zombie Crisis games. It feels like a different, worse product that does not live up to player expectations.
- Unpolished controls (weight 0.39): Controls are uncomfortable, with eight-directional movement and shooting, no controller support, unresizable window, and screen tearing due to no vsync. These issues impact the overall feel.
- Restrictive weapon system (weight 0.37): The weapon and class system is restrictive and unintuitive. Weapons are tied to classes, upgrades are limited, and switching weapons requires guessing, reducing player freedom and satisfaction.
- Poor multiplayer performance (weight 0.32): Multiplayer suffers from lag, disconnects, and server instability, especially at higher levels. This makes cooperative play frustrating or unplayable.
- Some aspects too easy (weight 0.25): Despite balance issues, some aspects make the game too easy: ammo is too abundant, abilities are overpowered, and bosses like the red devil are too easy, reducing challenge.
- Overpriced for quality (weight 0.25): The game feels overpriced given its current state, resembling a college project rather than a finished product. Many believe it should be a free demo, not a paid game.
- Poor audio design (weight 0.24): Audio is lacking: gun sounds are inconsistent or unsatisfying, there is no background music, and characters lack footstep sounds. This makes the game feel empty and monotonous.
- Low enemy variety (weight 0.24): Enemy variety is very low, with only two monster types and enemies that look the same. Equipment progression is limited, making the game feel shallow.
- Poor resource balancing (weight 0.2): Supply drops and resources are poorly balanced: ammo is abundant, but health and bombs are scarce, forcing reliance on claymore mines and making other weapons feel weak.
- Unclear upgrade details (weight 0.19): Some mechanics are unclear, such as passive abilities from blue boxes, and players cannot see upgrade details or weapon attributes during swaps. This creates confusion and reduces tactical choices.

Gameplay feedback:
- Roguelike progression and upgrades (weight 0.4): The game incorporates roguelike progression elements, including a card-based weapon upgrade system and per-class upgrades. This system replaces traditional mechanics with randomized, replayable progression paths.
- Diverse character classes with skills (weight 0.36): Multiple reviews highlight that the game features distinct playable characters, each with unique active skills, passive abilities, and attribute enhancements. This system adds strategic depth to gameplay.
- Multiple co-op multiplayer modes (weight 0.32): Players appreciate the co-op modes, including split-screen, local shared keyboard, LAN parties, and online multiplayer. These options cater to both local and remote collaborative play.
- Wave survival and endless modes (weight 0.32): The game offers wave-based survival and endless modes, where players fight escalating hordes. This classic arcade-style structure is a core appeal for many reviewers.
- Weapon switching and slot system (weight 0.25): Weapons are assigned to specific number keys, with a switching mechanic that replaces the first weapon. Players have three weapon slots: a pistol and two limited-ammo weapons.
- Weapon upgrade progression system (weight 0.23): Weapon upgrades are a key feature, with a card system or tiered progression that enhances damage and other stats. This provides a sense of growth during runs.
- Intense enemy variety and AI (weight 0.22): Enemies include hordes of undead and red devils that shoot fireballs. The AI intensifies after each wave, with red zombies leveling up quickly, increasing difficulty.
- Limited maps and small size (weight 0.21): The game currently has two endless maps, which some players find too small. The map variety is limited, but the red enemy type adds challenge.
- Passive abilities and perk unlocks (weight 0.18): Players can unlock passive abilities from blue boxes and choose perks every three levels, with stat buffs every 20,000 points. This adds a layer of customization.
- Weapon categories and variants (weight 0.18): Weapons are categorized into four types (e.g., pistols, shotguns, rifles) with stats for damage, accuracy, mobility, and ammo. Each type has 2-3 variants, offering decent variety.
- Classic Boxhead gameplay retained (weight 0.18): Reviews state that the core gameplay remains faithful to the original Boxhead style, with unchanged classic mechanics. This preserves the feel that fans expect.
- Flexible control and movement (weight 0.17): Controls support mouse or keyboard, with 360-degree rotation and independent aim/movement, plus eight-directional movement. This provides flexible and precise control options.
- Supply boxes and bomb limits (weight 0.13): Supply boxes drop ammo, health, or bombs, but bomb capacity is limited to 3. This resource management affects strategic decisions during gameplay.
- Nostalgic sound and weapon variety (weight 0.12): Gun sounds are reminiscent of old Boxhead, and the weapon variety is extreme, paying homage to flash games. This audio-visual feedback is appreciated by retro fans.
- Challenge and planned campaign mode (weight 0.12): A challenge mode and a planned campaign mode are mentioned, indicating future content. This expands the game beyond endless survival.
- Class-restricted weapon loadouts (weight 0.11): Class restrictions tie weapons to specific characters, limiting loadout flexibility. This may frustrate players who prefer free weapon choice.
- Spiritual successor to Zombie Crisis (weight 0.08): The game is considered a spiritual successor to the flash game Zombie Crisis (4399), appealing to nostalgia. This connection attracts fans of the original.
- Slow progression pacing (weight 0.07): One reviewer notes that progression feels slow, likely due to the grind for upgrades or points. This could be a pain point for some players.
- Absent building mechanic (weight 0.07): One reviewer notes that the building mechanic from previous games is absent. This omission may disappoint some long-time fans seeking base-building elements.
- Nightmare difficulty mode (weight 0.07): Nightmare gameplay is mentioned, likely referring to a high-difficulty mode. This appeals to players seeking a challenge beyond normal waves.

Performance notes:
- Endless mode crashes (weight 0.19): Players report the game crashing in endless mode, occurring at specific score thresholds like 200k and 850k, or around wave 30. This indicates a recurring stability issue tied to progression in this mode.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.12): Multiple users confirm the game runs well and is playable on the Steam Deck, suggesting solid performance on this platform without major issues.
- Frequent freezing issues (weight 0.07): A player reports frequent freezing and unresponsiveness during gameplay, which disrupts the experience and suggests underlying stability problems.
- Black screen on startup (weight 0.07): One user experiences a black screen upon launching the game, preventing the game from loading at all. This points to a critical startup failure.
- Bad framerate performance (weight 0.06): A player notes poor framerate during gameplay, indicating performance optimization issues that affect smoothness.
- 60 FPS lock frustrates (weight 0.06): The game is capped at 60 FPS, which some players dislike, as it limits performance on higher refresh rate displays.
- Multiplayer lag over time (weight 0.06): Lag develops after some time in multiplayer sessions, suggesting memory or network-related degradation during extended play.
- Unexplainable lag spikes (weight 0.05): A player encounters lag without a clear cause, hinting at sporadic performance drops that are hard to reproduce or diagnose.
- Screen tearing problem (weight 0.05): Screen tearing is reported, likely due to the lack of vsync or frame pacing issues, impacting visual smoothness.

Recommendations:
- Strongly not recommended (weight 0.37): Multiple reviews strongly advise against purchasing the game, calling it a scam, a money grab, poorly made, and not worth any price.
- Recommended for fans (weight 0.27): High recommendations come from fans of the original flash games and casual players, with some giving a perfect 10/10 score.
- Wait for improvements (weight 0.24): Several reviews suggest waiting for improvements or a full release before buying, as the current state is unfinished or lacks content.
- Technical issues persist (weight 0.23): Several technical issues are reported, including freezing, black screen bugs, lack of polish, and missing window resize option, leading to refunds.
- Worth low price (weight 0.22): Despite flaws, the game is considered worth the price for its low cost and nostalgic value, earning positive recommendations for support.
- Play alternative versions (weight 0.17): Reviews suggest playing other Boxhead versions or the original free game instead of this one.
- Good for co-op with issues (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for LAN parties and co-op, but issues exist with co-op and a Linux invite problem are noted.

Other player notes:
- Nostalgia-driven purchases (weight 0.35): Many players bought the game for childhood nostalgia, as it is a modern take on classic Boxhead or similar flash games. Reviewers express fond memories of playing the originals.
- Development appears stalled (weight 0.32): Reviewers report that development seems stalled, with the last update in June 2024 and no updates for months. Internal issues have delayed development and the developer treats it as a side project.
- Original game has more content (weight 0.24): Several reviewers note that the original free browser versions have more functionality and content than this paid Steam version. The original is considered superior by multiple users.
- Developer has authorization (weight 0.22): The developer has the original author's authorization to produce a sequel, and the game is a licensed product made by Chinese developers who obtained the copyright. Original creator Sean Copper distanced himself from the project.
- Looking forward to updates (weight 0.21): Some reviewers are looking forward to future updates and are willing to wait for the game to improve. They express hope that the developer will continue to work on it.
- Not faithful to original Boxhead (weight 0.18): Some reviewers feel the game is not a faithful copy of the original Boxhead flash games, comparing it unfavorably to previous entries. One reviewer describes it as a scam.
- Refunds due to bugs (weight 0.18): Some players have refunded the game due to bugs or because they were dissatisfied with the lack of content. A reviewer specifically mentioned refunding due to a bug.
- Campaign mode not available (weight 0.17): The game currently lacks a campaign or story mode, though it is planned for future updates. This is a missing feature that some reviewers note.
- Only two maps currently available (weight 0.14): The game currently only has two maps visible and available for play, which is seen as very limited content.
- Multiplayer co-op supported (weight 0.12): The game supports multiplayer co-op, allowing players to play with friends. This is a positive aspect highlighted by some reviewers.
- Low price point noted (weight 0.12): Reviewers note that the game is priced low, which is seen as appropriate given the limited content and slow development. This is mentioned as a mitigating factor.
- Small development team (weight 0.12): The development team is very small, with only three people, which explains the slow pace of development. The game is being made from scratch.
- Steam version is safe (weight 0.12): The Steam version is virus-free compared to web downloads and is considered more polished. This is a positive aspect for players concerned about safety.
- Original creator not involved (weight 0.07): The original creator of the Boxhead series, Sean Copper, has distanced himself from this project. This is a point of concern for some fans.
- Controller support lacking (weight 0.07): Official controller support for multiplayer is lacking, though button mapping is easy to set up manually. This is a noted issue for some players.
- Bought to support developers (weight 0.07): Some players bought the game specifically to support the developers, recognizing their past work that provided many hours of enjoyment.
- Invite feature broken on Linux (weight 0.06): The invite feature does not work on Linux, which is a specific technical issue reported by a reviewer.
- Similar to Boxhead the Rooms (weight 0.06): One reviewer notes that the game feels more like Boxhead the Rooms rather than Boxhead Nightmare, indicating a different style within the series.
- Reviewer requests community tolerance (weight 0.06): A reviewer asks for tolerance from the community, suggesting the game is in early development and needs support rather than harsh criticism.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.21): Players primarily expressed frustration due to numerous technical issues, including weapon switching bugs, co-op problems like invisible characters and grenade malfunctions, and frequent crashes during endless mode. Imbalanced difficulty, poor controls, and a lack of updates or content compared to the original flash game further amplified this feeling.
- Disappointment (weight 0.19): Many players were disappointed by the game's lack of content, such as only two small maps, missing classic features like survival mode and walls, and an overall incomplete feel compared to the nostalgic flash versions. The perceived abandonment by the developer and the addition of unnecessary roguelite elements contributed to the sense of letdown.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.17): The game evoked strong nostalgia, as players recalled playing the original Boxhead flash game during childhood, often with siblings or in school IT lessons. This emotional connection was a primary motivator for purchase, though some noted the initial nostalgia quickly faded due to the game's issues.
- Hope (weight 0.09): Players expressed hope that future updates and continued development would improve the game, adding more content, a larger map, and optimizing performance. This optimism was fueled by the belief that the game has potential and that the developers are still actively working on it.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): A few players found enjoyment in the game, particularly when playing with friends at LAN parties or in co-op sessions, and appreciated it as a remake of the old flash game. The combat was described as fun, especially when invoking childhood memories.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement stemmed from the return of the Boxhead series on Steam with new features like roguelite elements and online co-op, which brought back childhood memories. Players were enthusiastic about the classic feel combined with modern twists, such as class-specific weapons and split-screen play.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): A few players reported satisfaction with the game, citing that it worked well, was faithful to the original, and performed smoothly on devices like the Steam Deck. The core gameplay was considered good and met their basic expectations.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger was driven by the perception that the game is a scam, with many bugs and suspected developer abandonment. Players felt frustrated that they paid for a product that was not properly maintained or functional.
- Betrayal (weight 0.02): Players felt betrayed because the developer charged money for a game that does not work properly and appears abandoned, leading to a sense of being cheated. It was seen as a money grab that failed to deliver on its promises.
- Desire (weight 0.02): Players expressed a desire for more content, such as additional maps, community map features, tutorials for abilities, and better level progression to support longer play sessions. This reflects a wish for the game to have more depth and replayability.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation was based on hopes for future innovation, including a campaign mode, larger scale like Nightmare 6, and 3-4 player team modes. Players looked forward to these additions making the game more compelling.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Happiness came from the game staying true to the original Boxhead experience, providing a good gameplay feel, and allowing players to support the developer. Seeing the game on Steam also brought joy to long-time fans.
- Gratitude (weight 0.02): Players expressed gratitude for the game's release and the opportunity to support the developer, even if the game had flaws. This positive sentiment was directed at the effort to bring the classic back.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness was caused by the original developer distancing themselves from the project and the necessity to refund a childhood favorite game. This emotional loss was tied to the game's failure to live up to memories.
- Worry (weight 0.01): Worry arose from the lack of updates over 9 months, suggesting the game may be abandoned. This concern was about the long-term future and support of the product.
- Supportiveness (weight 0.01): Some players remained supportive of the developer, wanting to back the project even with its slow progress. This reflects a willingness to give the team time to improve the game.
- Optimism (weight 0.01): Optimism was based on the game's potential for future updates, with players believing it could become better over time. This positive outlook focused on what the game could be.
- Irritation (weight 0.01): Irritation was specifically about the lack of a window size dropdown or manual resize option, a small but annoying UX oversight. This detail detracted from the overall experience for some.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom was a result of the current dull gameplay, likely due to repetitive content and weak weapon upgrades. This made the game feel monotonous over time.
- Mild disappointment (weight 0.01): A minor disappointment came from the pistol having a new sound effect while other guns retained old ones, creating an inconsistency. This small detail bothered some players.}