Deadeus Review – Is This Really an Impressive Gameboy Horror Game?

Sometimes when you play a title you know of its reputation before starting. Such is the case for this top-down Game Boy horror game, Deadeus. Could it be one of the best games on Indie Heroes Collection 1 for Evercade?

At the very least, that seems to be the common consensus. Many people consider this, and Alien Cat 2, Flea!, and Twin Dragons as the best games on the cart. Before I begin my review, know that I recommend going into this game blind. I think potential players will enjoy it more if they know as little about it as possible. Because of this, my review will be intentionally brief and misleading at times.

Also, be aware that this is a creepy, dark game, and even if I make it seem nice, it is anything but. Practicing personal discretion on whether you want to play it is advised.

Premise and Gameplay

As the game begins, we quickly learn that the kids in a small village are having nightmares. As one of the children in town, you go around town trying to figure out what is happening and solve the mystery.

The game is made-up of about 30 screens and 40 NPC’s. For the hardware, it’s rather expansive with a lot of dialogue and characters to interact with. You can do things like go for a swim in the ocean, pick flowers, talk to the locals, and go to school, among other things.

You can fill up your small inventory with items you find laying around. Some of these can be used in interactions with other characters or solving the game’s mysteries. Your inventory isn’t used like in point and click adventure games, so I think of the items as allowing you to change the story and see new dialog.

One aspect that I was disappointed in was that there’s not a huge amount of objects with which to interact. While you can look at the bookshelves in your bedroom, a lot of them elsewhere don’t do anything when you try to search them. This is the case for other items, too. Likewise, there were times when characters would reference someone else in town and claim they are going to go see them. When I went to check up on them, they often shared the same dialog as before.

I consider the things mentioned in the preceding paragraph to be the worst aspect of the game.

Graphics

Since this is a black and white Gameboy game, the graphics are of the style many would expect. Like several other titles on the hardware, it looks similar to Pokémon. Of course, be assured that this game is absolutely nothing like that.

Even though the appearance is pleasant looking at times, it’s often very dark in tone through its words and and visuals at times. Just from a graphical perspective, I think the game looks good, but people typically don’t play this game because of its graphics.

Music and Sound Effects

As I’ve been going through the games in Indie Heroes Collection 1, a lot of them have not had very memorable music. To Deadeus’ credit, it has some quality Gameboy chip tunes. They are fitting for the mood and well composed. Although, I wouldn’t say that they’re fun to listen to because of what happens in the game. Still, the music is well done.

The game does use sound effects and I think they are fine. They are effective based on what is happening on screen.

The Dialogue and Endings

To me this is where the game really shines. As I’ve already shared, Deadeus features a lot of locations and NPC’s. Even though it takes place over a short period of time, there is a good deal of dialogue for most of the characters. This was rather impressive, especially considering its hardware and in comparison to some other indie games I’ve played.

As is often said about it, Deadeus has at least 11 different endings. One thing I really enjoyed about it was that those who play it may have very different experiences. For example, I learned that you could [REMOVED SPOILER] to end the game, but someone else who played it had no idea that could be done! Additionally, as you play, you learn what actions trigger different story elements in the game. This allows you to manipulate the experience and try to go toward a specific kind of ending. It was satisfying to do certain things and be rewarded with a different outcome.

All of this illustrates that the game is designed for repeated playthroughs. It can be completed in just a few minutes, or it could take over an hour depending on what kind of ending you are aiming for.

Summary

Despite Deadeus not being the type of game that I tend to enjoy, I still recognize it as a well-done title. Not because of the graphics, or exactly the gameplay, but because of tone and wide variety of experiences that are available through it. The music was also quite good, although not exactly enjoyable, if that makes any sense. Some real horror fans may not think that it is that dark, but it is at least pretty creepy at times.

I expect that this will be one of my top games for Indie Heroes Collection 1, even though I am not a horror far. That should tell you something. I recommend it for fans of the genre!

The next games I plan on reviewing from Indie Heroes Collection 1 include Quest Arrest and Chain Break. Both were originally developed for the Gameboy.

Some of my prior reviews from the same cartridge include PLOID and Debtor.

Title: Deadeus (Itch.io Page)
Genre: Top-down Horror Adventure
Year Released: 2019
Developer: -IZMA-
Available On: Gameboy and Evercade through Indie Heroes Collection 1.
Price Paid: $1.14, or $16.00 for Indie Heroes Collection 1

Remember, we can have different opinions about the games we play. If you like something more (or less) than I do, both of our perspectives are valid.