Parry Nightmare is a premium action experience from KAKUKAKU and Phoenixx. This survival game is easy to pick up but is addictive, emphasizing attack parrying in the middle of a bullet hell game environment. You play as an entity born from your nightmare tasked with timing your moves properly. Once done successfully, your companion Honno-chan will attack on your behalf.

Parry Nightmare plays differently from most Survivors-like games where you automatically attack and just dodge. Here, you position your character smartly and time your counter attempts. It looks and feels similar to Vampire Survivors, aside from the parry-focused gameplay.

A nightmare for parrying

In Parry Nightmare, you see an ordinary teenager go to sleep, with her nightmare taking the form of a single-eyed flame that moves according to player controls. Together with the nightmare is Honno-chan, who looks like the teen character but with horns. As mentioned, the main game mechanic is to parry, or to deflect incoming attacks. This could stun enemies, reflect projectiles, and allow Honno-chan to deal damage.

Visually, it features simplified graphics reminiscent of Patapon or Battle Cats. This is matched by creative character designs and visually striking game elements that make it easy to distinguish one item from another. However, the game remains challenging because of the sheer number of attacks and projectiles hurled towards your nightmare character. To help you, you can pick up any of the random powerups available, giving Honno-chan special attacks.

Given its minimal visual approach, this is surprisingly light on the system requirements for a modern game. It only requires 2GB of RAM for memory, although it is limited to 64-bit systems. Another roadblock for new players is the timing required, it feels like a rhythm game at times although it is dependent on the enemy attacks and how you position your character.

A fun and immensely addictive bullet hell

In conclusion, Parry Nightmare offers a unique gameplay experience where players navigate through a teenager's nightmare, aided by the character Honno-chan. Its simplistic yet visually appealing graphics reminiscent of games like Patapon contribute to its charm. Despite its minimal system requirements, the game presents a challenge with its strategic parrying mechanics and timing-based gameplay. Overall, Parry Nightmare is an engaging and creatively designed game.