Ufophilia sounds like a gift to anyone raised on late-night sci-fi telly and grainy footage of suspicious lights in the sky. An investigation game about hunting aliens rather than ghosts should be an easy win. Sadly, what ought to feel like a tense extraterrestrial stakeout instead resembles a slightly bureaucratic camping trip with gadgets.
Gaming Heaven
The concept genuinely has legs. Tracking unknown lifeforms through abandoned locations, piecing together evidence, and identifying the species before making contact is a clever twist on the usual paranormal formula. The phased structure – scout, gather data, set up equipment, then lure the creature out – gives each mission a sense of procedure, like you’re running a very underfunded space agency.
There’s also a pleasing variety of tools to experiment with, from temperature readers to bait and cameras, and a fair few maps to explore solo. Importantly, failure doesn’t rinse your wallet, which is merciful when you’re getting abducted every five minutes.
Gaming Hell
Unfortunately, actually playing it is a chore. Essential information lives on a laptop back in your caravan, so you’ll spend half your time trudging back and forth like an intergalactic delivery driver. Want to check notes while holding equipment? Absolutely not. Put it down first, like a polite guest.
The tutorial barely explains anything, leaving you to decipher cryptic tool descriptions mid-mission. Evidence often feels contradictory, so you’re never quite sure whether you’re solving a mystery or misreading a thermometer. Then, just as you think you’ve got the hang of it, the difficulty spikes and the alien sprints at you with Olympic enthusiasm. Most runs end with an abduction and a quiet sigh.
The lack of multiplayer is another blow; this sort of chaos cries out for friends to share the blame.
Final Judgement
Ufophilia isn’t dreadful, just stubbornly awkward. The idea is strong, but the execution feels like it’s still awaiting clearance from Area 51. With patches and polish, it could be something special. For now, it’s more mild inconvenience than close encounter.
