Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

All Of Our Friends Are Dead delivers a relentless side-scrolling platform-shooter experience that places equal emphasis on precision movement and rapid reaction. You control a lone creature that can walk, jump, and fire in any direction simply by pointing and clicking with the mouse. The unlimited ammo means you’re never rationing shots, but every enemy strike is an instant kill.

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Levels are peppered with classic platform elements—floating ledges, precarious spikes, spring-like jump strips that let you glide upward, and doors that require keys to open in later stages. These environmental hazards demand tight timing, and the ability to quick-save and quick-load a single game state eases the sting of repeated failures. Expect to die often, but learn something new each attempt.

Short non-interactive scenes break up the action, flashing unsettling images or cryptic messages that heighten the horror theme without interrupting the gameplay loop. These moments are purely atmospheric, but they provide a brief respite and keep the pacing from growing monotonous.

For those who enjoy refining speedrun strategies, the one-hit-kill rule combined with the quick-save system creates a compelling push-and-learn cycle. Every jump strip and key pickup becomes a potential time save, making each replay feel like progress rather than punishment.

Graphics

The visual style of All Of Our Friends Are Dead is built around a stark, noir-inspired palette—primarily black, white, and blood-red accents. This choice amplifies the horror atmosphere, with crimson splatters and silhouetted enemies standing out sharply against sterile backgrounds.

Character and enemy designs favor abstract, grotesque shapes over detailed models. While this minimalism might feel rough around the edges, it reinforces the unsettling mood and allows the red highlights to hit harder when a shot connects or a creature is struck down.

Between levels, disturbing static images or brief animated frames flash across the screen. Though these cutscenes are non-interactive, their grainy quality and abrupt delivery contribute to the sense of unease, as if you’re peeking through a corrupted film reel.

If you appreciate games that sacrifice polish for atmosphere, these visuals deliver. The raw aesthetic may not suit players seeking high-definition textures or lavish effects, but it perfectly underlines the title’s horror-push approach.

Story

Don’t expect a deep narrative in All Of Our Friends Are Dead. There is no protagonist backstory, no NPC interactions, and no dialogue trees. The sole objective is clear: move forward and destroy every threat in your path.

Storytelling emerges indirectly through environmental clues and intermittent screens that display unsettling phrases or images. These cryptic messages hint at a larger context—perhaps a world overrun by unknown horrors—but you’re left to piece the fragments together yourself.

This stripped-down approach may frustrate players who crave exposition or character development. Yet it also empowers your imagination to fill in the blanks, turning each level into an ambiguous tableau of dread.

Fans of experimental horror will find the lack of handholding refreshing. If you prefer a narrative delivered with finger-pointing clarity, however, you might find the abstract delivery unsatisfying.

Overall Experience

All Of Our Friends Are Dead is a lean, intense horror-platform-shooter that demands focus and perseverance. Its one-hit death mechanic ensures every encounter feels high-stakes, but the quick-save/quick-load feature softens the blow, turning repeated attempts into methodical learning.

The game’s strong visual identity—dominated by black, white, and splashes of red—coupled with sudden, haunting interludes, creates a cohesive mood that sticks with you well after you put down the controller. The absence of a conventional story may divide players, but it also leaves room for personal interpretation.

Some of these core ideas were later refined in the developer’s follow-up title, Au Sable, but here they feel raw and unfiltered. If you’re drawn to minimalist horror, tight platforming challenges, and a brutally honest difficulty curve, this game will reward perseverance with memorable, spine-tingling moments.

In short, All Of Our Friends Are Dead is not for casual strolls through safe zones—it’s an unforgiving gauntlet wrapped in bold, unsettling art. For those willing to embrace its stark aesthetic and permadeath tension, it offers a concise yet striking horror-shooter experience.

Retro Replay Score

null/10