Awaria: A Free Game by Helltaker’s Creator Featuring Ghostly Romance

You know, some gamers thrive on the challenge of playing difficult games for bragging rights or for the thrill of the loot. For me, though, I’m doing my best just to hang in there with Awaria—because, hey, who can resist the idea of kissing a ghost? Developer Łukasz “Vanripper” Piskorz, renowned for creating Helltaker, is at it again. This time, he teases us with a new lineup of enchanting characters designed to test our skills.

Awaria is freely available on Steam and Itch.io, but winning over its ghostly heroines requires some serious effort. Similar to Helltaker, Awaria’s design is delightfully misleading. You play as a nimble mechanic maneuvering through two-dimensional rooms filled with malfunctioning machines in need of repair. Using the WASD keys, you zip around, grabbing parts to fix these machines. Just when you’re getting the hang of it, ghosts appear, transforming the game into a frantic dodge-fest reminiscent of bullet-hell shooters.

Things would be relatively straightforward if those ethereal gals didn’t insist on making it tough for you. Awaria gives off vibes similar to the chaotic fun of Overcooked. The machines are like demanding customers, each craving that specific part you need to supply. However, as a fragile little character, you’re brought to your knees if a ghostly adversary touches you. So, the machines might have to wait while you artfully dodge attacks and lead the ghost girls on a merry chase. If you thrived amidst Undertale’s intense boss battles, you’ll feel right at home here. Personally, if it weren’t for the oh-so-tempting “READY TO KISS” prompt at the end of each level, I might have thrown in the towel early.

Each victory scene offers a glimpse into the ghost girls’ stories, revealing their unique reactions to a cheeky kiss. Take Zmora, for instance, who’s completely caught off guard at your first encounter. She huffs and puffs, warning you, “Next time the shields fall, you’ll pay for this,” her tsundere persona kicking in. Then there’s Cutwire, who edges in close, cheekily vowing to “stab you in the back.” Meanwhile, Nikita towers above you, labeling you “tiny.” It’s safe to say Awaria caters to diverse tastes.

As the game progresses, the ghostly ladies have a change of heart and team up, reveling in making you squirm. When faced with two ghosts at once, I had to raise the white flag after just a few rounds. You do have options, though—either dial down the difficulty to easy mode where you can take a few more hits or ramp it up to a level where the machines seem to break down faster than you can fix them.

True to form, Helltaker rewarded players who discovered hidden keys with a secret ending, and I have a hunch there’s more to Awaria than it presents at first glance. Although my playthrough didn’t uncover any branching paths or dialogue options, the achievements hint that the most agile players might uncover hidden treats. I’m tempted to pursue that, especially since the gameplay is so brisk and addictive. Restarting a level happens in the blink of an eye, and the pulsating soundtrack by Mittsies pulls you back in immediately.

You’ll likely find that one ghost girl who’ll steal your heart, even if, for me, the character designs don’t hit quite as close to home as the demon girls of Helltaker did. Maybe I just haven’t met Awaria’s equivalent of Cerberus yet. I apologize in advance to my Discord buddies who hope I’ll chat about something else if that happens. Until then, I guess I’ll keep letting these spectral ladies boss me around just a bit longer to uncover what lies beneath.