They Are Not Friendly is a pixel-art horde survival game that puts players in control of a lone survivor facing waves of relentless enemies on PC. The experience blends action and strategy elements in a casual indie package, where the core challenge revolves around lasting as long as possible against overwhelming numbers. Players dodge attacks, fire weapons, and manage resources while enemies keep advancing without pause or explanation.
Gameplay
The gameplay centers on surviving an escalating onslaught of monsters and bandits in a frontier setting. Movement and shooting form the immediate loop, with players needing to navigate tight spaces while enemies close in from multiple directions. Super powers and temporary upgrades appear during runs, allowing builds to grow stronger mid-session through perk stacking.
Permanent progression comes from the General Store, where loot from successful runs funds one of five fixed upgrades. These carry over between attempts and provide incremental improvements without guaranteeing survival. Each run ends in death, followed by a detailed breakdown screen that tallies bullets fired, bandages used, and other metrics from that attempt.
Pixel art keeps the visuals clear even when dozens of enemies fill the screen, and the game runs smoothly at high frame rates during large encounters. Strategy enters through upgrade choices and positioning decisions rather than complex menus or long-term planning outside of runs.
Game Modes
The game operates entirely in single-player mode focused on repeated horde survival runs. There are no separate named modes or multiplayer options listed. Each session follows the same structure of wave defense against increasing enemy counts, with the option to retry immediately after the death summary screen.
Progression ties directly into this loop through the five permanent upgrades purchased at the General Store. Players experiment with different perk combinations during runs while relying on the carried-over improvements for longer survival times across attempts.
Progression and Upgrades
Five permanent upgrades form the backbone of long-term advancement. These are purchased with earnings from each run and remain available for future attempts. Temporary perks collected during play stack on top, creating short-term power spikes that reset on death.
The General Store acts as the central hub for these purchases, offering straightforward options without additional layers of currency or branching paths. Milestones provide small rewards for reaching certain survival thresholds, though these do not alter the core enemy behavior.
Is It Worth Playing?
They Are Not Friendly suits players who enjoy straightforward horde survival with roguelike progression elements in a pixel-art style. The single-player focus and emphasis on repeated short runs make it accessible for quick sessions, while the detailed death reports add a layer of feedback on performance.
With no user reviews available yet and the game listed as coming soon, reception remains unknown. Those drawn to action-strategy indie titles that reward persistence through upgrades and build experimentation may find the loop engaging once it releases. The absence of complex systems keeps the experience light and focused on the immediate survival challenge.
