Dark Elf Historia
Dark Elf Historia
Game
Game2021
Fearmonium
Developer Redblack Spade
Fearmonium is a psychedelic metroidvania where suspense intertwines with humour. Beginning the game as an unpleasant memory, you must progress and become a true phobia by breaking through all boundaries to uncover the most hidden corners of Max's mind. From the Steam store page
195 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 1, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
84
LovedLoved
155 positive · 30 negative
95% range 78–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 155 | 30 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
181 of 214 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
85% recommend · 160 yes, 29 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 189 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (494 of 578 positive).
Players praise the unique story and psychological themes, set inside a troubled teenager's mind. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the gameplay janky, with clunky controls and frustrating difficulty spikes. [4][5][6]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
Despite loving some aspects of the game, I still can't recommend it because it fails at the most important part: gameplay. I'll start with the positive. The idea of a game where we don't play as the protagonist but instead a part of his psyche is really great. We're a clown girl that a boy's fear of clowns created in his subconscious, and we need to destroy every good thought, as well as the other phobias he has in …
- [1]
Whenever I play Fearmonium, it feels like the game is a priest and I’m an altar boy. Waiting for Silksong is an everyday struggle for me, so I'm always looking for my weekly dose of a compelling Metroidvania to fill that void, and Fearmonium has done that quite nicely. Some weirdos (such as myself) might confuse it with a Clown fetish simulator, but once you give it a try you’ll quickly realize this game is really …
- [2]
This is a Metroidvania made by (mostly) a single person which punches well, well above its weight class. It does so much right, and is a blast the whole way through. The difficulty level is just about perfect -- pretty difficult but never so much so that it's frustrating. The exploration is great and the game is full of secrets. The premise is that you are a memory inside a young man's brain -- a fairly minor …
- [8]
A really solid game! When i saw the trailer for it, i got hooked immediately ; For the positives : - The artstyle is great, very cuphead-esque, bosses and NPCS are really good-looking, and there's a huge variety of monsters too! Honestly probably the strongest aspect of the game! - The soundtrack is alright, definitely fits the vibe of the game, special mention to the forest one with the bass drop that made me laugh …
- [3]
Fearmonium is a psycheledic metroidvania game with the style of 30's cartoon. I really want to point that this game is made by TWO peoples, Expecte Amour for the musics and Slava Gris for everything else, and it really, really, impressive! I add too that the game is inspired by old cartoons and not cuphead. (wich has similar inspiration) You play as a unpleasant memory that work to become a phobia and you progress …
Summarised from 34 of the 199 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
85% of the 189 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Fearmonium. The complaint that keeps coming up: janky, floaty combat and controls. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 195 · most liked firsthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3GiDAVVknU A review copy was provided by the developer. Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews, so you can be updated whenever I post a new review. Overall Rating - Average ★★★☆☆ First Impressions I'm always on the lookout for interesting games to review, and that's how Fearmonium (FM) came across my radar. It caught my attention right away because it looks downright weird,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite loving some aspects of the game, I still can't recommend it because it fails at the most important part: gameplay. I'll start with the positive. The idea of a game where we don't play as the protagonist but instead a part of his psyche is really great. We're a clown girl that a boy's fear of clowns created in his subconscious, and we need to destroy every good thought, as well as the other phobias he has in order to become his main fear. And we constantly see the evolution of the boy…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Whenever I play Fearmonium, it feels like the game is a priest and I’m an altar boy. Waiting for Silksong is an everyday struggle for me, so I'm always looking for my weekly dose of a compelling Metroidvania to fill that void, and Fearmonium has done that quite nicely. Some weirdos (such as myself) might confuse it with a Clown fetish simulator, but once you give it a try you’ll quickly realize this game is really fascinating, particularly the exploration of phobias and how they arise. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's this game called Fearmonium in which you play as the embodiment of a teenager's fear of clowns. She's cute and inhales helium at parts, so I made her huge.
positive · AI labelView post →This is a Metroidvania made by (mostly) a single person which punches well, well above its weight class. It does so much right, and is a blast the whole way through. The difficulty level is just about perfect -- pretty difficult but never so much so that it's frustrating. The exploration is great and the game is full of secrets. The premise is that you are a memory inside a young man's brain -- a fairly minor negative memory of a clown that happened on one of the worst day's of this guy's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love metroidvanias, but this just wasn't fun enough to stick around for. The combat is janky, slow, floaty, and you feel powerless against enemies. The UI is annoying. I don't know if it gets better, but I'm not going to spend more time to see.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While I love the artwork, style and theme, I can't recommend this game because: 1. You can't move while attacking like you can in popular games like HK or the developers other title Catmaze 2. There is no parry or stun and dodge uses too much stamina, which makes a very large amount of attacks unavoidable, and this is especially frustrating because enemies are damage sponges, can move through walls and can move much faster than the player. I would highly recommend you play the developer's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Games I am playing right now: Hades Ghost Song The Messenger Fearmonium I might put Fearmonium on pause and start up Dragon Quest I remake instead. Will probably focus on DQ for now. The Messenger will be my dedicated Deck game for now. 😊
neutral · AI labelView post →My-my, what do we have there? THE wonderful entry-level metroidvania, if you ask me. PROS Just enough challenge: no try-hard soulsborne bullshite, no hand-holding guidance. Bad-arse clown chick protagonist, honk-honk 🤡 Lots of enemies with unique movesets and attacks. Simple and rather short story, original concept and plot twist including. Hand-drawn graphics, hell yeah!!! Nice music, okay audio effects. Runs on any potato PC. No crashes and errors 'cept a couple of visual bugs. CONS No…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played some more Returnal (got to final phase of second boss), a bit of Fearmonium (got some new abilites) and tried out the Messenger quickly. Seems like a lovely game. Catchy music. 😌
positive · AI labelView post →The game was somewhat fun and promising for the first fifteen minutes, but after another five minutes came a section where you have navigate a spiky section while floating as a balloon -- died about thirty times in a row and stopped playing after that. Putting such an unfair section right at the beginning of a game is just a really poor design/balance decision.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Psychedelic metroidvania + cool music + Hollow Knight like = Dive into Max's mind on the path to becoming a true phobia. Fight off and dodge all sorts of mobs. Gain unique abilities as you go deeper. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35180752-3-point-play/] Follow our curator for similar games
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a really fun game to play. I don't think it really does anything to "reinvent the genre" but it doesn't need to. Also nice that Fearmonium doesn't beat you over the head with it's difficulty...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok. This is a good game. The controls (i used xbox gamepad) are good and the music sticks to the mood of the game. Enemies' visuals are mediocre to my taste, but they serve their purpose being cannon fodder. The story starts dark and promises to get even darker. I find it refreshing actually seeing slots for future unlockables in the menus. Finally, i can visually tell if i've missed something important. Or get a clue of how deep in the game i am. So yeah, give it a shot. Or a mace to the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After playing and enjoying this game I managed to get FOMO (fear of missing out) social anxiety for great indie games! Well recommended if you like such art style and great sound tracks!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You can tell the author is a big fan of metroidvanias, psychology, and oldschool hand-drawn animation. It's not excellent, but it is good. The story is intriguing, which is surprising. Some of that may be my own baggage, as your character's ally is Depression, and... I know depression LIES. We'll see how it goes. The movement and combat is... functional, but not always tight. I'm not dancing around the screen, I'm waiting for opportunity, baiting attacks, and swinging madly when it's safe. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm a little torn. There are positives to Fearmonium - it's a genuine Metroidvania with plenty to discover and the backtracking is not too egregious. But there are so many problems that make it annoying and not fun to play. The gameplay, frankly, sucks. Nothing feels precise or smooth. You're disconnected, and too many of your actions need to play out before you can perform another one. Controls are janky. The graphics look nice in screenshots, but they're animated poorly and don't work as well…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's okay. Not the best metroidvania I've played, but it's not the worst either. For complaints, the obvious one is - why is there a stamina meter? Why is dashing as much as I want not allowed? It doesn't really make the platforming challenges more difficult, it just makes it so you have to wait for your meter to fully recharge before moving on. You can quick recharge by hitting a clown face, but....doesn't that seem awkward? Stopping the game to whale on a clown face for a few seconds before…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a good game. Combat is slow af and there are too many "wall of doom" segments. Some you'll have to redo for collectibles.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fearmonium is a psycheledic metroidvania game with the style of 30's cartoon. I really want to point that this game is made by TWO peoples, Expecte Amour for the musics and Slava Gris for everything else, and it really, really, impressive! I add too that the game is inspired by old cartoons and not cuphead. (wich has similar inspiration) You play as a unpleasant memory that work to become a phobia and you progress through the mind of Max, a teenager in a unhealthy live. The story is really…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →eh... Catmaze was better. Catmaze looked like crap but played well. Fearmonium looks good but plays like crap.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great metroidvania type game. Love the music, gameplay, and the unique story fighting in one's mental stability. I highly recommend picking up this game if you are a metroidvania type person.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fearmonium is more than just a game. This is art. Truly author's game. Slava Gris is a talanted solo developer. The master of psychology was so imbued with his specialty that he made a story about a boy in whose minds you will play as a phobia and destroy (and possibly save, who knows) his inner world. There is no point to talk. Just try it out, already! He did it for 3 years. All purchased copies of the game will motivate him to continue and new heights. Steam community. I trust that you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fearmonium developer's next game, Fevercide officially announced. It is a 2D action metroidvania platformer. Wishlist Fevercide here: store.steampowered.com/app/3314140 #indiegame #steam #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →A really solid game! When i saw the trailer for it, i got hooked immediately ; For the positives : - The artstyle is great, very cuphead-esque, bosses and NPCS are really good-looking, and there's a huge variety of monsters too! Honestly probably the strongest aspect of the game! - The soundtrack is alright, definitely fits the vibe of the game, special mention to the forest one with the bass drop that made me laugh a couple times ; - Boss fights are well-designed overall, later ones being…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Far be it from me to echo an old cliche, but sometimes it does feel like Steam could use a neutral option. Fearmonium is one of those games where I think it would work better than a binary yes or no option, since while the game isn't bad people might not like it. I actually have a lot more to say about this one than I expected, and there’s not too many in-depth reviews for it, so here we go. Fearmonium is a Metroidvania where you play as a recent, unpleasant memory within the mind of a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fearmonium has some things going for it as a worthwhile indie title, but falls short in simplistic/disconnected/clunky combat system and shortcomings in convenience, guidance, and quality of life. I feel like I don't remember all aspects of the game I would have written down here, so take this as an incomplete list (in addition to no playthrough). + Strong theme and world-building + Free teleport between save points + In-world visual guidance when in proximity to a save point - Goal guidance…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid game 8/10 Finished with 100%, The game did nothing wrong but did not do anything special either. However I still 100% the game in a single session. Very fun, very enjoyable, as someone who has played a bunch of metroidvania style games it gets an easy recommendation if you enjoy the genre and want to play a solid entry in it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Completed in 16 hours (nearly 100%) and not disappointed! Nice art style and story line, decent variety of items, mobs and puzzles, and a relatively big map with well separated themes. The progression was not obvious a couple of times -- a door here, a lever there -- but luckily the game allows players to buy hints (with in-game money). I felt that the game became easier with the various items and buffs found on the way, and the plot has a satisfying twist for completionists. My main negative…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Jank game - enemies dont react to getting hit, movement is stiff, this is basically like an expensive flash game to be honest. Not a good metroidvania.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I usually don't like to write reviews, but I feel obligated to do so with this game. Fearmonium is a very solid Metroidvania-style game with an interesting narrative hook and a visual style that's reminiscent of Cuphead. The whole game is set inside the mind of a troubled teenager. Your job, as a budding phobia, is to explore multiple dreamscapes inspired to the real world and vanquish the nightmares and fond memories that rule over those areas. As you might expect, this open setting can…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if hollow knight was written by a sad 14 year old
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved the 1930's cartoon art style. 'Cuphead' comes to mind but it also gave me SNES 'The Simpson's: Bart's Nightmare' vibes. Music was good. Combat was passable. It has some little flaws. The Menu, Ability/Item, Text and Title screens are functional but they look very plain, which is surprising because the developer filled the rest of the game with great art. When you 'Save Game' you get an annoying white screen flashbang. Overall though, I enjoyed playing it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The artworks are not the best, and in the story sequences it show it even more, however I can recognize, when a story/ideas had been on the mental stove for years and it comes together at the end into beautiful payoff. Impressive for a one man team (&sound support) The game play is paced proper and worth the price!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →GOOD "CUPHEAD" METROIDVANIA
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't waste your time playing this. The character feels awful to control and I couldn't find any enjoyment. It's one of those games where you find yourself just going through the motions of playing it and then hours later you realise you're not having fun. There are much better things to spend your time and money on.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For this edition of their "Indie Game of the Week" feature, mod @gbmento.bsky.social played and reviewed Fearmonium! Is this clown-based Metroidvania any good? Read on @giantbomb.bsky.social to find out. User Blog: www.giantbomb.com/fearmonium/3... #games #gaming #indiegame #indiedev #Fearmonium
neutral · AI labelView post →I generally feel like I have a pulse on what Metroidvania games are worth playing and which ones are skippable; while Feamonium was on my Steam Wishlist, it was absolutely off my radar, as far as games go. I appreciated its Cuphead-era aesthetic, but knew little about it beyond that. I jumped in, not expecting a ton, but found one of my more favorite games of the genre. Fearmonium just clicks together in such a way that really resonated with me in a lot of ways that other Metroidvanias don't.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Slava Gris, The author of the Fearmonium was a psychology major at the university. Or something like this. So, he has knowledge base in this subject. And he uses that knowledge in games he creates. That was in "Reflection of mine" before. And now I can see the same thing. Fearmonium is a metroidvania. Slava loves them, I love them, probably, you love them too. Or why are you here? About the story and atmosphere I have controversial feelings. We play as a creature of nightmares of a teenager.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bounced off this one pretty hard for a whatever reason. I think I stopped during a mundane 'push the block' style puzzle. The hand-drawn character looks kinda jank (in a way that irritates me) if you turn him left and right quickly. There's some cool art direction. Meh. ===================== My Metroidvania Tier List (PC) (excluding Metroid & Castlevania titles) ===================== -Not an objective list, purely how much I enjoyed the games- S+ Aeterna Noctis | S Tier (Truly…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'll say this from the get-go, I have played a couple of Redblack Spades games (e.g. Catmaze), and I am definitely a fan of this mans work! Couple things to point out: - Redblack Spade is basically a 1-man developer. He creates the story, the content, the maps, the challenges, the bosses, EVERYTHING. He's a freaking genius. Fearmonium is another title to his genius work. What turns to be a depressing, horror, poor story of a boy down on his luck, turns into a beautiful story that most people…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best Metroidvania games I've played. And certainly the most original in terms of story and concept. It's absolutely astonishing that only one person did all of this. The only flaw in this game I believe is the music, which is pretty bland and too electronic, which is detrimental for the game's atmosphere. Something more akin to Ender Lilies would have been fantastic.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I always saw a big potential in bringing classic disney-style animation in videogames. But I loved aesthetics of creepy cartoons like "Skeleton's Dance" rather then aesthetics of bright and colorful products of animation from 30-60th. And here goes Fearmonium - classic animation in the creepy style. Perfect! Unique setting immediately drawn my attention - I never saw any projects where we play as phobia. It's nice to be a bad guy sometimes. However pretty fast the game made me to ask myself a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review After 100%ing I left my first review for the game after about 4 hours played, and much of my critique still holds up. The Good + Storytelling is sound, albeit a little stilted at the end + Covers serious topics sensitively + Great variety of weapons and abilities to use + Excellent premise + Massive map + Solid traversal abilities + Good exploration and tools + The Soundtrack is excellent The Not So Good - Collision on certain ledges auto-boosts you into a little jump, which often eats…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am really enjoying this game! I'm currently just under 6 hours in and have explored just under 50% of the map. I have been so impressed by Redblack Spade. There are two things I've seen in both Catmaze and Fearmonium that have really impressed me. The first is the sense of exploration. This developer really understands what makes Metroidvanias so satisfying. The sense of exploration and the satisfaction of unlocking a new shortcut are on point. The second is the story. I really don't play…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Whether you look at the trailer or the screenshots, it's obvious that Fearmonium has Cuphead written all over it. The quality is nowhere near as high, but Fearmonium went a different way anyway : it's a Metroidvania and not a platformer. And as a Metroidvania, I think it does enough things right to keep you hooked ! Because it's definitely not the graphics that will. The main character, npcs and enemies all look like they're coming straight out of a drawing session in Paint with a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's very clear where this game drew inspiration from, but it's unique nonetheless. The visuals are its strongest suit. Maybe not in terms of detail or texture, more so in concept and liveliness. The sound however is lacking, which also has an effect on the game feel. Same for the music. The writing has these big, abstract and emotional themes they bluntly rub under your nose ─ like Kingdom Hearts. At least it tries to say something. It also creates identity. While slightly unpolished and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good Metroidvania, art style and music is very well done. Doesnt do anything amazing in the genre. Exploration is satisfying and movement feels good after unlocking most of the abilities. Fun game to 100% Like a glass of water, but a really good glass of water.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was my most anticipated MV of 2021, but when I first purchased it the game wouldn't launch on my windows 7 PC. I've since upgraded and picked it up recently on sale. So about two hours in and there's obviously a lot of love here. There could definitely be more polish, and some of the jank definitely messes with the game play. On the other hand, the game gives you a lot of tools to compensate, the art is delightful, and the story is awesome so far. I'd say it's 100% worth it at full…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's pretty good but I ran out of steam on it since there's no markers on the map to indicate newly accessible areas and there's no real intuitive way to tell which way to go. Skill issue maybe, but there's only so many times I'm going to run around in circles looking for the way forward.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it sucked and i tried to refund it and steam said no 1/12 controls like dirt, slide doesn't work, first boss is 50 adds in a room.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Metroidvania about fear, depression and phobia. Dark comic-like artstyle. Not perfect, but very good experience. More short reviews for hidden gems at my curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44819215-Lesser-Known-Hidden-Gems/
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{Graphics}--- ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Paint.exe ---{Audio}--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ---{Gameplay}--- ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ Average ☐ Bland Gameplay ☐ Staring at walls is better ---{Story}--- ☐ No Story ☑ Text or Audio floating around ☐ Average ☐ Good ☐ It‘ll replace your life ---{Difficulty}--- ☐ Just press 'A' ☑ Easy ☐ Average ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master ☐ Difficult ---{Grind}--- ☐ Nothing to grind ☐ Only if u care about leader-boards ☐ Isn't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good art, ok gameplay, horrendously bad storytelling
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is very cool. Respect to the developers!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic game I avoided due to bad art. Highly recommended, though be warned, the last boss is an annoying slog of too many hit points.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite having finished this months ago, I'm still left impressed by this game. While some animations may look a little off, the overall game and especially the music easily outweigh whatever minor details there might have been. Another thing I feel should be commended is the dev's happy to help attitude, especially with a bug I had myself, aiding me personally in ways to fix it and putting out a patch later. Overall, this game is worth it for everything it's worth, give it a try!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Did you know that one way to treat neuroses such as phobias is to collide with the object of fear?" Fearmonium has managed to become my favorite Metroidvania, even beating Momodora, my year long favorite, and the art style of Fearmonium doesnt even appeal to me that much. Music is banger, atmosphere is top, abilities are fun and in some ways also pretty unique. Everything it does is great. I can only deeply recommend this, even if you dont really like the art choice here, I almost wanted to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is a little rough, and has some obvious typos and weird wording, but as something that was made by a very small amount of people, it's pretty good! Everything controlled well, but there should be some unlockable for checking where all the upgrades are post game or something. My biggest complaint though is that some bosses, especially the last few, have way, way too much health. Even with the secret fears and attack upgrades, it still felt like they took forever. Also, gaining balloons is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Teenager Max isn't having a very good life right now. He's facing bullies at school, his grandfather recently passed away, and this brings his mother and the abusive step-father back into his life. That's enough to leave anyone unstable already, but Max also happens to visit a fair, and have an unpleasant encounter with a clown. The memory of this encounter lands in his unconscious mind, and sets off to become more than just a memory- to become a phobia. "Fearmonium" is a pretty typical…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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