
Play as the villain in Nefarious! An action platformer where you globe hop between several kingdoms kidnapping princesses who alter gameplay in unique ways. Then thwart various heroes in reverse boss fights, recreated iconic battles where you control the boss.
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About
Unleash a little anarchy! Tired of playing the hero? Experience the adventure from the other side of the coin with Nefarious! Play as the villain for a change and wreak chaos as you kidnap princesses from five different kingdoms who alter game play in unique ways. Stomp on heroes through several iconic battles recreated with you as the boss!
Nefarious is a 2d-animated action platformer, where your objective on each stage is to kidnap a princess and then escape with them! Heroes will attempt to thwart you, and many things may not go quite as expected.
Lovingly crafted 2d animation and illustrated backdrops.
Reverse boss fights let you fight the hero.
Globe hop between five different kingdoms and even more distinct locations.
Unlock several ammo types for your grenade launcher
Mix and match customization options for 10+ variations on your explosive punches.
Mystery and Intrigue, that if uncovered, unlocks a secret ending!
Engage in a comedic story exploring and deconstructing the video game trope of princess kidnapping.
Stats
Sums Steam only; PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo publish no volume signal, so the true total is higher by an unknown amount.
| Store | Price | Audience | Score | Chart | Est. revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SteamYou are here | $14.99 | 324reviews | 84% | — | $102.6K |
| $14.99 | 180ratings | 86% | — | not modelled | |
Engagement
Reviews
Themes across 42 recent reviews and how positive each mention is. A keyword signal, not full sentiment analysis.
Reviews
It is a fun game to play. The story is simple but good. I liked the characters. There is alot jank, but it's funny... Sometimes...
A fun 5-6 hours plot with witty writing and boss fights that flip the boss fight formular on the head. Easy recommendation, also read the webcomic.
Nefarious is a 2D action platformer that immediately distinguishes itself by turning a familiar formula inside out. Instead of stepping into the role of a hero rescuing royalty, you play as Crow, an ambitious and theatrical villain whose goal is to kidnap princesses from various kingdoms to fuel his ultimate weapon. This reversal is more than just a gimmick—it defines the tone, structure, and humor of the entire experience, giving the game a personality that sets it apart from many of its genre peers. The narrative leans heavily into satire and self-awareness, poking fun at classic video game tropes while still embracing them. Crow is not portrayed as a purely menacing antagonist, but rather as a charismatic and somewhat flawed character navigating a world that operates on exaggerated logic. Dialogue is filled with witty exchanges, meta commentary, and playful interactions between Crow, his assistant Becky, and the various princesses he encounters. This focus on humor and character gives the story a strong presence, often carrying the experience even when the gameplay itself becomes more routine. From a gameplay perspective, Nefarious follows a traditional side-scrolling structure. Players move through levels filled with enemies, hazards, and platforming challenges, using a combination of melee attacks, grenades, and movement abilities to progress. The mechanics are straightforward and easy to understand, drawing clear inspiration from classic platformers. However, while the foundation is solid, the execution can feel slightly uneven. Movement lacks the precision found in more refined titles, and combat, while functional, doesn’t always feel as responsive or impactful as it could be. One of the game’s most creative features is its approach to boss encounters. Instead of fighting bosses in the traditional sense, players take control of the boss machines themselves, facing off against heroic characters in “reverse boss battles.” These segments introduce new mechanics and often parody well-known boss fight conventions, adding variety and humor to the experience. Some sections even experiment with entirely different gameplay styles, briefly shifting genres to keep things fresh. While not every experiment is equally polished, these moments stand out as highlights and showcase the game’s willingness to take risks. The level design offers a range of visually distinct environments, each representing a different kingdom with its own theme and aesthetic. These settings help maintain a sense of progression and variety, even if the core platforming challenges remain relatively consistent. While the environments are imaginative, the gameplay within them can sometimes feel repetitive, relying on familiar patterns rather than introducing significantly new mechanics as the game progresses. An additional layer of gameplay comes from the princesses themselves. After kidnapping them, Crow gains temporary abilities that can influence how certain sections are approached. This mechanic adds some variation, but its impact is somewhat limited. While it introduces new possibilities, it doesn’t fundamentally change the overall gameplay loop, leaving it feeling more like an extra feature than a central system. Visually, the game adopts a vibrant, cartoon-inspired style that complements its comedic tone. Character designs are expressive, animations are lively, and the overall presentation reinforces the game’s playful identity. The soundtrack further enhances this atmosphere, featuring energetic and often unconventional tracks that match the game’s quirky personality. Together, these elements create a cohesive aesthetic that supports both the humor and the action. Despite its strengths, Nefarious does have its shortcomings. The controls can occasionally feel inconsistent, which can be frustrating during more precise platforming sections. The difficulty curve is also uneven, with certain segments feeling significantly more challenging than others without a clear progression. Additionally, some design choices—such as hidden requirements for unlocking the true ending—can feel unintuitive and may require external guidance to fully experience. In the end, Nefarious is a game that succeeds more through its creativity and charm than through flawless execution. Its unique premise, strong writing, and willingness to experiment make it memorable, even if the gameplay doesn’t always reach the same level of polish. It’s a title that stands out in a crowded genre by offering a fresh perspective, delivering an experience that is as entertaining as it is unconventional. Rating: 7/10
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All-time low is the lowest price we've recorded for this game since we started tracking it.
Languages: English**languages with full audio support
| $14.99 |
| 90ratings |
| 84% |
| — |
| not modelled |
| $14.99 | — | — | — | not modelled |
Matched by title — a reused name can pair the wrong games. * is a critic aggregate. Prices and positions are each store's United States storefront; Epic charts worldwide. Audience and Score too, except Steam's, which is worldwide.
Hours played at review time, across 42 reviews with recorded playtime.
positive critical· bar length = how often the theme comes up
This game deserves an open world sequal in 3d. If you're reading this Mr. Hano, please make a sequal to Nefarious.
it's a solid game, the ending's a bit of a mess but I'd still recommend it, soundtrack's great, the references and the game itself is funny. Plus being able to play as the villain is the selling point. 8/10 for me.
honestly i hate how i die so much because of all the insta kills like can you just make it so i lose a heart and jump up high when i touch electric floors or lava cause it sucks to die that much and feels unfair wouldve been an a tier game but relegated to b tier instead due to all insta kills and all the occasinal blind jumps
Геймплей западает в душу потому что это пытка Сюжет хороший, как здесь, как и в комиксе из-за чего хочется потратить деньги и на патреон автора Кроу прикольный чувак, редко когда нравятся главные герои, мне очень жалко, что в комиксе постепенно его прекрасные бедра все уже и уже Да и остальные персонажи довольно интересные и оригинальные, на кого бы не посмотрела у меня в голове не возникает мысли о том, что "я где-то это видела" Дизайны мне тоже нравятся. Обычно мне нужно много времени на то, чтобы научиться нормально рисовать персонажей, чтобы было и в моем стиле и напоминало оригинал, но здесь это было удивительно легче чем обычно, я Мака нарисовала раза два и уже поняла, что и как я хочу от него А геймплей сойдёт, хорошая игра, мне всё нравится
Humorystyczna platformówka w stylu 2D, w której wcielamy się w charyzmatycznego złoczyńcę porywającego księżniczki, żeby zasilić działo napędzane księżniczkami (czy coś w te mańkę). Gra stara się ze wszystkich sił, abyśmy poczuli się, jakbyśmy byli po drugiej stronie barykady, czego mają dopełniać walki z bossami, gdzie to my pilotujemy wielkiego robota usiłującego rozgnieść plączącego się pod nogami bohatera, zwykle komicznie przerysowanego świętoszka. Styl wizualny niestety niejednolity, ogólna oprawa graficzna ładna, ale trochę jak z gry flashowej, co gryzie się nieco z wysokiej jakości portretami nasmarowanymi w komiksowym stylu. Fabuła jest zaskakująco przyjemna, postaci też z charakterem. Szkoda, że nie wszystkie planowane elementy zostały wprowadzone do gry (nie zostały w pełni ufundowane), w efekcie mamy to, co mamy, a to, co mamy, to jest zdecydowanie powyżej średniej. Gdyby jeszcze sterownia była ciut solidniejsza, byłoby naprawdę kozacko, ale nie jest źle. Nefarious to jedna z tych nieoszlifowanych perełek, które warte są rzucenia okiem.
Pues es un juego bueno.... PERO pudo ser algo mucho mejor. La idea de controlar un villano que rapta princesas es sin duda algo muy interesante. Las princesas (y el príncipe) tienen su carisma, sobretodo Mayapple, que no llega a ser del todo una deconstrucción de Peach en plan Fiona de Shrek, pero tiene sus pros que la hacen un muy buen personaje. La idea de controlar los bosses en ves de al héroe es un concepto divertido, Crow, el malo, tiene su carisma y habilidades POTENCIALMENTE interesantes... Pero joder con los fallos del juego. Lamentablemente este juego se siente muy amateur, algo que no debería considerarse producto final. Si, está completo, es jugable y no tiene bugs que rompan la partida... Pero tampoco es algo que merezca uno decir "buen trabajo". La mecánica de atacar/disparar en base al puntero del mouse se me hace innecesaria e incómoda, con lo fácil y disfrutable que sería un control estándar de teclas, porque... ¿A QUIEN SE LE OCURRE QUE ES BUENA IDEA UN CONTROL CON PUNTERO EN UN PLATAFORMERO? Por no mencionar lo inútil que es la mayor parte del tiempo, en el final malo tiene su utilidad... Pero joder que es algo super incómodo de controlar. Las físicas del personaje dejan que desear, Crow es un tanto lento en movimientos y el tema de rebotar con granadas es un maldito desastre, a veces no hay colisión y dependiendo de donde rebotes te puede mandar para cualquier lado. El aspecto gráfico está un poco descuidado, algunos sprites in game dejan mucho que desear en contraposición a los diseños que muestran en sus cajas de diálogos. Por supuesto que no se espera la misma calidad... Pero por dios que algunos diseños como el Sonic abeja, Mayapple, Mack y por supuesto el vikingo entre otros se ven horribles. Explayandome en eso, los escenarios se sienten muy vacíos y carentes de contenido, con un diseño muy pero muy básico y otro que depende del rebote de granadas (Y es un completo dolor en los huevos). Algunos niveles son decentes, como el del tren, pero hasta ahí. En general los controles y el diseño se sienten como de juego flash y no de uno memorable. La música es un 50/50, y el aspecto amateur se deja más en claro cuando no saben hacer un bucle decente de música, notándose el corte de la misma en niveles. Hablando de amateur, las transiciones son demasiado malas, las implementaciones de textos se vuelven tediosas cuando regresas a un nivel y volvemos a la historia en lugar de jugar el nivel normalmente ya que eso ya pasó. Al principio hay un uso decente de los recursos del juegos para presentar cutscenes, pero ese aspecto se va perdiendo en gran parte del juego. Puedo entender que este sea un juego pequeño e indie (Y creo que financiado por Kickstarter si mal no se), pero no.... Una buena idea y un potencial juego que podría atraer la gente se ve muy limitado con estas falencias. En si, no recomiendo de todo el juego, tiene cosas positivas pero se ven opacadas por una programación primeriza y básica, un diseño de nivel pobre y un estilo artístico inconsistente. Espero que el creador, de tener una segunda oportunidad, pueda aplicar todo lo bueno y más en un remake, la idea no es mala y este juego tiene sus virtudes, pero requiere un mejor trato en manos profesionales.
Picked it up cheap- it's fun. Good gimmick, decent platforming, and the controls aren't that bad. One big opportunity for me would be more feedback when you receive damage, but other than that, a pretty fun and forgiving action game.
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