Fear & Hunger

Fear & Hunger

Released Jan 2019

Fear & Hunger is a horror dungeon crawler set in the dark and hopeless dungeons of fear and hunger. The game is a hybrid of survival horror and dungeon crawler genres with its influences ranging from Silent Hill to Nethack. There are roguelike elements to the game as well as a heavy foundation of a j-RPG.

94% positive · 23K reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence

Where to buy

Steam $7.99
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Evaluation

Fear & Hunger launched on January 21, 2019 and received a steady stream of post-launch content updates through its first two years. The developer shipped four notable feature updates: version 1.2.0 (April 18, 2019) added a new area, new endings, and a new game mode; version 1.2.1 (August 27, 2019) added new enemies and expanded the map; version 1.3.0 (February 21, 2020) introduced a significant combat rebalance, area expansions, and a new late-game boss; and version 1.4.0 (August 31, 2020) added a new difficulty mode, new mechanics, and new enemies. The final recorded update — version 1.4.1, released on January 11, 2021 — was a bug fix and minor content patch. In that post, the developer explicitly stated that attention was shifting to the sequel, Fear & Hunger 2: Termina, saying "Next up should be F&H 2: Termina. I'm doing my best to get it out asap." There have been no further news posts, patches, or announcements for this game since January 11, 2021 — over five years ago. The developer had announced Termina's development as early as August 2019, and the sequel has since been released as its own standalone product. There is no unreleased DLC, no outstanding roadmap commitments, and no signals of returning to this game. The developer's stated focus shifted to the sequel, and no communication about this game has occurred since the final patch. The game was shipped as a complete, standalone experience, and the post-launch update cycle has clearly concluded.
Evidence
Version 1.4.1 patch released — focused on bug fixes and minor content. Developer states 'Next up should be F&H 2: Termina. I'm doing my best to get it out asap.' This is the last recorded communication about this game.
news post · Jan 11, 2021 source development ending
high
Version 1.4.0 added a new difficulty mode (Terror & Starvation), new enemies, torch mechanics, and sanity mechanics — a substantial content update.
news post · Aug 31, 2020 source content shipped
high

Details

Developer
Publisher
Happy Paintings
Achievements
1
Platform
Windows, macOS
Controller
partial support
Steam Deck
Verified
Players
Single-player

About this game



Fear & Hunger is a horror dungeon crawler set in the dark and hopeless dungeons of fear and hunger. Four misfortuned adventurers dwell deeper and deeper to the darkness and uncover the secrets this ancient fortress holds inside. The fortress works as an ancient nexus for different planes of existence. The depths are in an eternal turmoil as both old and new gods struggle for power, it’s up to the players to choose their position and stance in all of this.

The game is a hybrid of survival horror and dungeon crawler genres with its influences ranging from Silent Hill to Nethack. There are roguelike elements to the game as well as a heavy foundation of a j-RPG. Fear & Hunger is heavy on atmosphere and ruthless in its difficulty.



  • Oppressive and relentless atmosphere
  • 4 different character classes and many additional characters to recruit
  • Unforgiving and unique gameplay
  • Randomized elements to keep the game fresh with subsequent playthroughs
  • Turn-based Strategic Dismember Combat System
  • Graphical art style mixing pixel art with digital painting
  • Original ambient soundtrack creating the dreary mood

The world of Fear & Hunger is VERY dark. THE GAME IS MEANT ONLY FOR MATURE AUDIENCES! Extreme violence and gore are everyday sights in the dungeons and death is one of the easier ways to go in the game. The game has drug and substance abuse, heavy themes ranging from self-mutilation to sexual violence. None of the themes are taken lightly however. They are all part of the world building and there to create the unique atmosphere where the game measures just how far the player is willing to go in order to survive.

Parts of the dungeon layout, events, loot and enemy placements are randomized with few different variations to keep things fresh with subsequent playthroughs. The game is designed with the classic trial and error formula, so you can expect to start the game over and over again. But as long as you learn from your mistakes, you can quickly find yourself at the deeper levels of the dungeon.

The combat in Fear & Hunger is turn-based akin to classic role-playing games, but with a twist of it’s own. You can target individual limbs of your enemies to dismember them strategically and thus maximize your chances for survival. However, just the same, enemies can also cut off the arms and the legs of your playable characters if you are not careful. You need to prepare well for every encounter if you wish to stay alive. But don’t forget that running away from threats is often the best solution as well. There are many ways for survival in Fear & Hunger - You can find better equipment, learn different blood and love magic, fuse characters into each other, pray different gods, talk your way out of battles, meet new party members, snipe enemies from distance, use traps to disable them… and so on. The Idea is to use what you got at your disposal and be creative with it.
Last evaluated Jun 26, 2026
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