Noxia Somnia

[i]Noxia Somnia[/i] is a pixel-art horror game that tells an emotional story through a peculiar combination of several game mechanics. At its core, it’s a side-scrolling adventure in 2D, in which you sometimes fight enemies and bosses, other times you try your best to run away from invincible ones while being chased, and yet other times you solve puzzles or ponder about the deeper life aspects that the dialog cutscenes bring up. It’s a game about facing your deepest fears and controlling your negativity and sorrow with hope and luminous thoughts of self-forgiveness. While it does touch on sensitive topics such as depression, bullying, and self-harm, the overall direction of the game is a light-hearted one, aimed at giving you constructive advice on how to overcome these emotional struggles. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3158363608 Gameplay-wise, you will control Tristan and guide him through his nightmares to fight off “harvesters” - these are monsters who feed on people's fears, pain and despair, hunting them with the goal of harvesting their souls. A central hub where you can shop for consumables, items, or cosmetics and upgrade your talent tree with the currency you earn from defeating monsters can be visited between the three acts that the game consists of or when the level offers you a portal to the hub. The levels are fairly lengthy, having several doors that lead to other rooms, some of them exiting in the same screen, others leading you to a different segment with a new set of doors. Without a map available, the navigation was pretty difficult for me, especially since the enemies reset every time you come back to the same room. I got lost multiple times, and each time I had to defeat all the monsters again, which on the positive side gave me enough currency to fully upgrade my talent tree. Each level has one invincible enemy that starts chasing you when it detects you and one of the main gameplay mechanics is to manage your detection meter by hiding in other rooms to avoid getting caught. The game can currently be played on two difficulties: a “story mode”, in which the enemies are more forgiving, and a “nightmare mode” of considerably increased difficulty and extra bosses. There’s no median option between “easy” and “hard”. Additionally, one extra difficulty mode (“Ultra nightmare”) is planned to be released soon. The game has Steam-integrated achievements, but to obtain 100% completion you will not only need to gather all collectible items, weapons and cosmetics and defeat all the bosses, but these have to be done in nightmare mode. Additionally, there’s a speedrun achievement and a no-death run that have to also be done in nightmare mode. Even if the game is rather short (the ending can be reached in ~5 hours), achievement hunters will have to spend a considerable amount of extra effort to obtain that sweet 100%. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3158363466 For me, [i]Noxia Somnia[/i] is a mixed bag. I really liked the story and how relatable Tristan (the protagonist) is. Among the many slice-of-life episodes that we get to see from his past, each of us can relate to at least one of them: being called a failure / nobody (or feeling as such), regrets for things that remain unsaid before a loved one passed away, finding out that your friends are not honest towards you, etc. We see Tristan rise above all these situations, finding strength in himself to accept his flaws and work towards bettering his negative thinking, or simply forgiving himself for his failures. The resolution of each of these scenes is uplifting and brings a most-wanted peace of mind. On the other hand, I am not the biggest fan of the struggle that the game gives you. It’s likely symbolic for everyone’s lives, yet for me, the added frustration of the difficulty mode decreased my overall enjoyment, and not even the outstanding retro pixel art was able to make up for it. The enemies hit hard, the navigation is cumbersome (although it does leave space for a lot of exploration), and your consumables (like the medikit) are limited. However, one thing that I liked about the boss fights was that the cooldown of the next boss's ability is indicated on top of its health bar so that the player can plan ahead and prepare to dodge it. Despite that, the boss battles are rather long and difficult (on “nightmare” mode). There is also no manual save feature, and the checkpoints are rather scarce, which means that the built-in autosave often makes the player replay a lengthy segment. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3158363540 A lot of love has been put into creating this little indie game and this is rather obvious while experiencing the game. However, [i]Noxia Somnia[/i] is not a game that could easily satisfy a wide range of players. It’s meant more for those who like challenging story-rich / emotional games and don’t get easily frustrated by repeatedly dying. [quote]💜 If you like this review, please consider following [url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/11354094]Lilly's Corner Curator page[/url] 🌸 [url=https://lillycorner.com/]Website[/url] [/quote]

I have played tested Noxia Somnia in it infancy. The game has grown over the years and will be quite the treat to play. I can't wait to finally play the fully polished version and finished game. One thing to look forward to in a future, is the Ultimate Nightmare difficulty, it changes up all the boss fights from the base game, add new/different items to the shop and new content not seen in lower difficulties. I would recommend giving this game a try. I'll give another review once I finished the game : )

Full Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/OKTnaFf8NnU ★★★★★ Gameplay: Good Graphics: Retro Music: Good Story: Decent PC Requirements: Potato Game Time: 3 - 5 hrs

What a nice game i really like that you can pick on how you want to play the game it also has some rpg that allows you to upgrade and lots of things to collect

YOU CAN PET THE CAT!!! THIS GAME GETS A 10/10! This is an absolute gem of an indie game! The story is really well written and takes you on a VERY deep journey into the emotional struggles that most people often deal with. The amount of times this game tugged at my heart strings because I know exactly what the protagonist was going through! The developers did a phenomenal job with the sound track, the color pallets used were charming, and there is humor to boot!! The controls for me were a bit to be desired. It controls solely with the keyboard, which is common among indie games. It's just a little rough on my wrists to do that. I went into this, not knowing what to expect and left completely infatuated with Noxia Somnia! The pacing of the game is great, not too short and not too long! The collectibles are optional to what is going on in the story, but adds some back lore that gives you a deeper dive into the protagonists past. I'm excited to try out the Nightmare mode once it's released, as it changes up the bosses completely! The difficulties in the game don't add much to it other than a focus on story or combat. Some pointers I have: Talk to everyone, RING THE BELL, and PET THE CAT FOR GODS SAKE! I also must give a shout out the developers! They are all charming human beings and deserve all the support you can give to this game!

I had a really great time with this game and occupied my attention for the better part of my weekend, 7.5/10. Let me try and not spoil anything and forgive this review from being messy as I write this quickly. in many ways the game reminded me of “The Count Lucanor” although a much different game I felt very much in the same head space. The game is themed as a horror and echos the sense of Lovecraftian type horror. The game message with one of the final collectables gives you insight on what the game is reflecting on as a whole how ever the game resonated with me on alot of levels both with the themes and with more settle nuances of the game and I think many will feel the same way. I am going to list many of the pros and cons I faced over my 9.5 hours of game time. And then end it with some final thoughts Pros- Boss battles- I feel the boss battles were great and fun to sight Leveling options- I enjoyed the fact there were some options to improve your self, the game very easily could of not put this in the game and still been an enjoyable experience but I felt it over all enhance the experience for me jumping- not being able to jump surprisingly leaves you with a feeling of being limited on what you can do Optional content- there is some optional content in the game that doesn't feel tacket on but instead part of the over all experience, I rightfully enjoyed collecting everything and exploring all optional content. Third act- the third act to me was the best of them all, I found my self enjoying doing much of that from a difficulty and progression standpoint, I would of enjoyed 1 - 2 more lvls like that. Home base- early on there is a home base you can use for safety, shop, upgrade and in some ways expand upon and this was something I loved. Story- the story for me really picks up mid - late game where I feel invested in learning more about the characters , who they are and were, what they truly wanted and if everyone could find happiness. Cons- Difficulty - I died a total of 4 times in this game, once near the start because I was confused and then 3 more times on an optional boss, at the start of the game it had the right difficulty but quickly fell off and was way to easy, I only truly felt challenged on act 3 and beyond and. Lvling and equipment- mid way through act two I had gotten all possible skills and acquired more then enough money to hold me through to the end of the game. I ended the game with over 2500 more xp and 500 coin to spend and this left me with a desire to want to buy more and lvl more and when I could not it made it feel like collecting this going further was useless so I mostly rolled passed enemies once I collected there max drops . Consumables - until act 3 I never used any but after this point they became mandatory for me to pass, buying them was never a problem though as I had what felt like unlimited coin. Jumping- although I think jumping added to the game in many ways for suspense I couldn't help but feeling restricted in many of the boss battles by not being able to jump, I ad kinda wished it was going to be a lvl up option, Story- the start of the story kinda bored me and I wasn't super interested in engaging with the first part of the game, later on for story reasons and for my over all feel the first part of the game is more interesting on hindsight and I feel adds to the over all game, how ever there was a brief moment I had considered not continuing the game because of this. At the end I missed the special ending I guess, I went back in to explore options and could not find anything, I fear I would need to have another play through just to experience it again and honestly as much as I enjoyed the game not a game that I feel is suited for a replay. Equipment again- although I thoroughly had fun collecting everything much of it felt useless or outclassed by other equipment, some of the partners dont feel balanced well, I ended up with one and stuck with it for the rest of the game because although there were other strong ones they never hit enemies as often. I often felt annoyed with switching from flashlight to melle weapon as before you have the taser you need the melee weapon out to fight and then after that the taser is the strongest and remains that way until act 3 and then you always want to be on your melee weapon, in act 2 there is even an enemy that can only be killed with the taser, this annoyed me as it takes 2 hits and the taser much recharge, it was simply just me hitting it and then waiting befor tasing it again. Glitches- very few, I only noticed 2, 1 when you leave the game and return it takes away your taser from the flashlight until you go back into the menu and select the flashlight, it took me close to 30 minutes to figure this out. Second glitch is one of the consumables in a shop you can purchase has its text information outside of the text box. Final thoughts: Although it might seem I was more negative towards the game then positive its more that I am patinat about the fact I know I could have had even more fun if I could of passed these parts that annoyed me. The game was fun and I hope with updates or DLC it will continue to expand on the parts it liked, I wished there were more souls to save and bring back to the forrest and more ways to learn about the characters involved in the story. I feel like the game was designed to be enjoyed within 1 - 3 hours of play but I spent almost 10 and I think this shows It is a worth while game. Thank you for a great game.

Haven't really formulated an opinion yet but I"m enjoying.

Only in Act 2 right now, but this game is SO GOOD The themes are great, and relatable for many students. Combat is similar to Dead Cells, but with more of a motivation than just, hey, kills this thing, because why not. 10/10

[quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6142328/][b] With 1,400+ reviews, make sure to follow The Cpt Froggy Club Curator Page for plenty more![/b][/url][/quote] Noxia Somnia: ~~~~~~~~~~~ You play Tristan, a young man who’s had a rough patch since his early teenage years. His parents are well-educated and successful in their respective professional fields. They are loving parents who never miss an opportunity to be with their children, but they do have high expectations of them. Tristan used to love those nights when the whole family assembled in front of the television to watch a show together. But things changed, and now he prefers going to bed rather than being with his loved ones. Is it the constant bullying at school from his peers and teachers, or the fear of letting his parents down as he struggles academically? Then again, is it the regret of not being by his grandfather's side at the hospital before his passing? All of these things are affecting Tristan’s mental health, and he keeps having horrible nightmares night after night! It is time for Tristan to face his fear and get his life back on track in Noxia Somnia. Noxia Somnia is a side-scroller pixilated action/horror game developed and self-published by Reframe Games on the Steam platform on the 25th of January, 2024. The game has three chapters and can be played on two difficulty levels. If you prefer more of a storytelling experience with easy combat, the Face Your Fears difficulty is probably for you. On the other hand, select The Nightmare difficulty if you enjoy a bit of a fighting challenge. At the time of writing this review, I am facing the last two bosses of the game on the Nightmare difficulty. I had no problem beating the first one, but the ultimate boss seems to be a bit tricky, which is good. After several attempts, I’m still falling short and had no cigars! What a challenging subject for a game. It is really easy to relate to Tristan's story, as a lot of us have experienced bullying at school or at work, or fallen into this spiral of hopelessness that makes you doubt of your ability, or even opens the door of depression due to mental self-torture and lack of sleep. I was slightly sceptical before playing this game, wondering how the developers would approach the balance between the seriousness of the story and the combat sequences. I found the balance spot on! So, you will be reliving Tristan's life at high school, at the hospital and at his currently place of work at a food store in a mall. You'll also have a few cutscenes within each chapter, including when he is with his psychologist. Another place Tristan will visit during his ordeal is a safe place, a forest within the Nightmare Realm where he will receive guidance from a ghost, upgrading skills and purchasing items such as health packs and other goodies. You can go back and forth to the forest using the pink portal within each level. The levels are small and well-designed, but there is no map for you to go by; honestly, you don't need one as it is fairly easy to remember which door leads where. You'll be mainly playing within three buildings (school, hospital and the mall), but make sure to check their surroundings beforehand for goodies such as a key, for example. You can't miss them as they will sparkle on the ground. Each level is presented as corridors with several doors, and as you move forward, you'll encounter several enemies, most of whom are fairly easy to eliminate. However, you'll have one big enemy, one of the bosses (harvesters in the game) that will keep moving up and down corridors, and if he detects you, you'll be running for your life as you can't fight him or beat him until you've explored the entire level. It’s a bit of a catch-22, and you might die a few times. You have a gauge on the bottom of your screen that will let you know if the harvester is about to detect you. You can open a door, hide in a room, let him pass by, and then exit the corridor. But pay good attention to the footsteps and visuals before leaving the room. Make sure you turn Tristan's flashlight off, as the light might attract the harvester to check the room where Tristan’s hiding. However, each time Tristan turns his flashlight off, the fear and anxiety meter will start to rise, and when it reaches 100, the poor fellow will have a panic attack, which will begin affecting his health. Hopefully, you'll have some herbal tea in his inventory to calm him down; otherwise, you guessed it - death will follow. There are plenty of objects to find in corridors and rooms, some to access new locations and others to help Tristan through his harrowing journey. Soul items are essential and will appear in the inventory, looking like some sort of shield. Each has a detailed description of what they add to Tristan when equipped. There are twelve items to find throughout the game, and you can equip Tristan with four souls at any given time. Good pixel artwork, and the game runs very well. I haven't encountered any issues whatsoever. The developers have done an excellent job balancing a tough subject and gameplay. You can play this game with your keyboard, but I strongly recommend using a gamepad. It would have been nice to have the ability to save the game at your leisure, although the progress is automatically saved when you use a portal, and a mini-map wouldn't hurt either, even if it is not necessary. Positives: ~~~~~~~ + Good pixel artwork + Good, emotional story + Two difficulty levels + Good combat sequences, especially with bosses’ fights + Good controls + Achievements Negatives: ~~~~~~~~ - Can’t save your progress when you want - No mini-map - No trading cards as yet Noxia Somnia: Relive Tristan’s mental struggle from his early teenage years to young adulthood. A well-designed game with good fighting sequences. 7/10 Key provided by the developer/publisher for review purposes. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own! [quote][url= https://www.zeepond.com/zeepond-reviews][b]READ EPIC REVIEWS FROM “THE CPT FROGGY” AND MATES, UP NOW ON ZEEPOND, THE HOME OF THE ALMIGHTY FROG![/b][/url] [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/thecptfroggyclub#curation][b]FOLLOW THE CPT FROGGY CURATOR PAGE HERE[/b][/url] [url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZchpsMdA2hDYJKZgOPdo_w?view_as=subscriber][b]SUBSCRIBE TO THE CPT FROGGY YOUTUBE CHANNEL[/b][/url][/quote]

I've been having a lot of fun with this one. The art style, sound and music, and game play have been making for a very fun experience. While I'm not the biggest fan of some of the story content, the rest of the game more than makes up for it. The pixel art combined with high quality lighting and effects is one of my favorite art styles. The sound design and music in the game are wonderful. The game features an immersive soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates the mood of each scene, adding depth to the experience so far, and I am working my way through the 2nd major area in the game. Gameplay in "Noxia Somnia" is a blend of exploration and fast-paced combat. Players navigate through corrupted memories and confront nightmarish manifestations of fears. The combat is challenging yet satisfying, with a variety of weapons and abilities at the player's disposal, including the unique inclusion of a cat named Greg. The game cleverly uses these elements to balance exposure to monsters with managing stress. One aspect I believe could enhance the game further is the introduction of an auditory cue for low health, which would be beneficial during the intense combat sequences. This could be an optional feature, catering to different player preferences, especially for those with visual impairments.