Sven Co-op Map Reviews

       The main feature of Coldburn is that it is so cold it burns and players will take environmental damage in certain areas. I didn't think this mechanic would be fun but the author definitely put a lot of thought into it and made it work really well. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2014 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Coldburn (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | August 14, 2023 | 3315 characters      Coldburn is a total conversion style walkthrough map for Sven Co-op. Players are tasked with plunging the depths of a base atop a Neptunian moon, plunging ever deeper into hostile environments as their HEV is the only temporary barrier keeping players from rapidly deteriorating under cold and radiation threat. To make matters worse, bizarre monsters stalk the players through the facility.      First thing you'll notice about the map is that it nails the environment and atmosphere. Lighting is moody, the fog is effective, and the sprites of little cloud

      The main feature of Coldburn is that it is so cold it burns and players will take environmental damage in certain areas. I didn't think this mechanic would be fun but the author definitely put a lot of thought into it and made it work really well. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2014 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Coldburn (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | August 14, 2023 | 3187 characters      The screenshots for this map look very intriguing, and the name is mysterious too. A big part of the map is taking damage from extremely cold temperatures and I thought I would hate that mechanic but I thought it was well implemented. It's kind of like Mario games when he's underwater and eats coins to regain oxygen. Although I can't imagine more than two players having a good time on this map with the limited supply or air coins.      We start off in a room where we have to uncover the start button. There is also a secret here so that is pretty

      This map is a visual as well as an architectural mishmash. Players must navigate the unusual level design and appearance to find giant floating blue orbs. Collecting ten out of twelve will end the map. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2012 Maps in package:1 Map review of Boredgasm (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 16, 2023 | 3390 characters      Boredgasm is a scaven ger hunt map where players search for some (not all) blue orb sprites in a dadaist maze of Keen's nightmares. Memes and internet randomcore plaster the walls in such a way as to evoke seizures if not properly con ditioned on multiple tabs of imageboards while mainlining adderall.      The maze is pretty wacky, with all of the intentionality of the Backrooms. Halls twist and turn, indents and apparent doors lead to nowhere (at least in our playthroughs) and occasionally lead to death traps. To assist in navigation, players are given a near-complete arsenal (no power weap

      This map is a visual as well as an architectural mishmash. Players must navigate the unusual level design and appearance to find giant floating blue orbs. Collecting ten out of twelve will end the map. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2012 Maps in package:1 Map review of Boredgasm (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 16, 2023 | 3211 characters      This map has a lot of author credits and is labelled as unfinished. Plus the main author, Keen, is known for his wacky mish mash of artstyles. The result is a crazy melange of twisty hallways, secret doors leading to secret areas, and some unique and tasteless art.      We start off more or less in the middle of the map, from the map description I know we have to look for blue orbs and press on Picard's face, but none of that is communicated in-map. We spent a good long time exploring all the crazy nooks and crannies and finding orbs before running out of places to find and pressing on Picard'

      There is only a single room in this map and after a while enemies start spawning in it. There are supplies around but not much else. The map ends in less than four minutes. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 1999 Maps in package:1 Map review of Bypass (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 15, 2023 | 1734 characters      Bypass is a very, very short map which involves shoving players in a strangely shaped room wherein soldiers and ammo constantly appear. The room is shaped like a ring-hallway with ramps leading down to a central ring around a base pillar. The base pillar has HEV and health and around it around ammo pickups. Back up at the outer ring are weapons. It's a pain in the ass to grab any of this stuff as you spawn in the action, but after a couple false starts unloading the pistol into the nearest grunt's head you find what you're looking for.      The map looks fine in that really boring Black Mesa style. It's like pl

      There is only a single room in this map and after a while enemies start spawning in it. There are supplies around but not much else. The map ends in less than four minutes. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 1999 Maps in package:1 Map review of Bypass (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 15, 2023 | 995 characters      The map description and pictures really encapsulate this entire map experience. The room is a hexagon, the outside area is raised and has a shotgun and mp5 and the lower area is sunken in and has ammo and health and ammo chargers. Human grunts spawn in at set times. Then the map ends since it only lasts for 3 minutes and 40 seconds.      This map feels like a waiting room. Like an elaborate level transition that just dumps enemies on players in tight confines while we wait for a door to open. There is so little here to experience, so little on offer. Pros: there were supplies the map had a short timer, perfectly ending the map whe

      Use the gauss gun to jump around the level, avoiding obstacles and toxic goo. This map is apparently an unfinished part of another map, but it feels fairly complete and self-contained as it is. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2007 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Shopping Centre (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 3, 2023 | 3656 characters      Gausslab is a beta of a puzzle map seemingly abandoned by Keen. It features some very functional, and at times very lovely brushwork with some sickly green lighting (to be fair, much of the map is lit by green goo).      The conceit is simple: use a gauss gun to launch around solving platforming puzzles. To that end, it works! There's a lot of platforming bits I enjoy with many platforms above green goo which reward just about any way the player approaches as long as they can pull off any light-precision gauss jump. There were some timing bits that were really clever, like one which has playe

      Use the gauss gun to jump around the level, avoiding obstacles and toxic goo. This map is apparently an unfinished part of another map, but it feels fairly complete and self-contained as it is. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2007 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Shopping Centre (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 3, 2023 | 5838 characters      Gauss jumping is the art of charging up the gauss gun and launching yourself great heights and distances. This map is all about doing that. It's got a lot of platforming featuring gauss jumping, lots of vertical shafts we have to fly up and a couple difficult trick jumps. It should also be noted that this map is an unfinished beta, the message of the day even says the first part of the map was 'misplaced' and that we are left with this. It's a fine map as it is, and it doesn't come off as an unfinished beta.      We start out in a vaguely Black Mesa themed underground walkway comp

      I'm so angry! Because of this map! Because it is a RAGE map! We return to the collaborative community series with the 2012 edition, more rage and more map. SCMapDB page Authors: Nih, Puchi, Protector, RNG, JPolito, JaF, Tuesday's Avenger, StreamFox, CubicVirtuoso, Aurora, Prinzmetal, Zombiner, Mutant, Maiten, Hezus, Dynamite, Keen, Walter, g1l, AzShadow, Silencer, Zorbos, El Gringo (Due to the number of authors and the page tag limit of 20, not all authors are tagged) Date of release:2007 Maps in package:1 Map review of Ragemap 2012 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | February 26, 2023 | 5410 characters      Ragemap 2012 is the 2012 Ragemap compilation map for Sven Co-op. Like Ragemap before it, this is a heavy collaboration between many mappers, quilting together several vignettes of varying quality and style. Most of them follow a fairly linear action focus, but there are also lots of visual setpieces and puzzles mixed in.      Given the nature

      I'm so angry! Because of this map! Because it is a RAGE map! We return to the collaborative community series with the 2012 edition, more rage and more map. SCMapDB page Authors: Nih, Puchi, Protector, RNG, JPolito, JaF, Tuesday's Avenger, StreamFox, CubicVirtuoso, Aurora, Prinzmetal, Zombiner, Mutant, Maiten, Hezus, Dynamite, Keen, Walter, g1l, AzShadow, Silencer, Zorbos, El Gringo (Due to the number of authors and the page tag limit of 20, not all authors are tagged) Date of release:2007 Maps in package:1 Map review of Ragemap 2012 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | February 26, 2023 | 4641 characters      More rage in more map. This iteration of the community made ragemaps once again has an incredible diversity of gameplay, architecture, sounds, themes, and everything else. I would even say its got a bit more rage than the original too. So much stuff that it comes in two maps instead of the original's one.      This map is much like the other rage

      This map is a beta and ends abruptly. It also doesn't really have a story. However, it does contain eye gouging amounts of blue and some fun gameplay. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2007 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Bluecell Puzzle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | January 28, 2023 | 2766 characters     Bluecell Puzzle is a Sven Co-op puzzle map seemingly abandoned by Keen. Much of navigation is based around using the barnacle, and the setting is wacky and neodadaist.      Worth mentioning that if you don't get the fixed bsp, this map is outright broken.      Bright, colorful, wacky corridors littered with crystals and corpses holding valuable weapons to pick up- that is what makes up most of Bluecell Puzzle. The environment has a lot of charm to it, even if it looks like MSPaint vomit with clipart crystals additive-moded into the scenery. That's one of the strengths of picking any Keen map- you'll always get interesting, strikin

      This map is a beta and ends abruptly. It also doesn't really have a story. However, it does contain eye gouging amounts of blue and some fun gameplay. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of release: 2007 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Bluecell Puzzle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | January 28, 2023 | 3923 characters      Here is an old abandoned map that plays pretty well for being unfinished. Of course looking at the map description I see that the original map's spawn is broken and when we tried the map we died immediately on spawn and had a message telling us "no spawn points available". So if you want to play this map you HAVE to get the fixed bsp. Maybe this map will get repacked one day and people won't have to deal with the confusion.      Players start off right in front of a barnacle and a deep pit into water. You could just jump down or you can grapple up and get a gauss gun. While the barnacle is not the focus on the map you do need i

      One can be forgiven for reading the title of the map and thinking they are in immediate danger of learning something. I can assure you this map has only the barest connection to things newsworthy in 2017. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2017 Maps in package: 1 Map review of BBC World Service (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | November 19, 2022 | 2998 characters      BBC World Service is a political commentary map by shitpost extraordinaire Keen, with a fitting contribution from regretful, and some of w00tguy123's work utilized in a way that is awfully familiar.      This map came out in 2017, and I can't claim to have a great memory of international politics 5 years ago, and my attention was probably elsewhere anyway. So, I can't make much of an evaluation of the commentary provided. The map features big tanks, three consoles which spew random segments from BBC new coverage, friendly NPCs coded as Yemen refugees, something about swim

      One can be forgiven for reading the title of the map and thinking they are in immediate danger of learning something. I can assure you this map has only the barest connection to things newsworthy in 2017. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2017 Maps in package: 1 Map review of BBC World Service (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | November 19, 2022 | 5629 characters      Going off the map title and description I thought this map was going to be political or at least make a statement. Instead what I get is a weird mish mash of stuff with the thinnest veneer of politics over it. The map was made in 2017 and has references like a group of friendly soldiers named 'Rohingya Refugees' that get slaughtered by enemy soldiers, a pair of big mommas named 'Russian Hacker', an isolated group of firnedly soldiers named 'Starving Yemen Refugees', and at the end players find pieces of a submarine that went missing and was found wrecked that year

       These Barneys do not attack, even if they did they can not hurt players. This is an old map back when Sven Co-op worked differently and Barneys could hurt the player, so the main gimmick of this map can no longer be realized. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barney Attack (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 28, 2022 | 1785 characters by dunkelschwamm | July 28, 2022 | 1542 characters      Barney Attack is a map with a bunch of Barneys in it, and as one can only expect, they sure do attack. The ground is a grate, around you are crates, ammo among the freight, Barneys throwing hate. Retaliate, or don't. Barneys can't damage players anymore because Sven Co-op updates often carelessly break balancing in existing maps apparently. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯      The players have a bunch of weapons. Snarks don't do shit, but grenades'll clear the Barneys out. There's a platform, a drop into a bottomless pit. It&

      These Barneys do not attack, even if they did they can not hurt players. This is an old map back when Sven Co-op worked differently and Barneys could hurt the player, so the main gimmick of this map can no longer be realized. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barney Attack (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 28, 2022 | 1785 characters      This map is a room with some destructible barrels (some float in midair), some basic sandbag barricades and military crates, and Barneys. There are grenades, HEV batteries, snarks, and some ammo on the crates. After a little while the first wave of Barneys spawns in. They are not hostile and they actually can not hurt players. Snarks do not target them and are completely useless in this map. According to the comments it seems like friendly Barneys used to be able to damage players and that was changed in later versions of Sven Co-op.      It should be noted that the floor is

       The map name doesn't seem to really describe what is going on in the map. There is a very small and simple maze, followed by a large area with shipping containers, female assassins are everywhere. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Army (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | July 16, 2022 | 1483 characters      Army is a a clearly very early map from a mapper who would go on to be quite prolific. Follow corridors to a cargo hold, fighting female assassins throughout using an assortment of weapons (just use the exploding crossbow bolts- it's the best). Once they're all dead there's nothing else to do other than climb a ladder to traverse a tiny strip of brush above the cargo hold.      For how unfinished the map is, it plays fine. Taking an arsenal to corridors full of ninjas doesn't get old fast, especially if you've got a good HEV charge on you. The environments, while boilerplate and boring,

      The map name doesn't seem to really describe what is going on in the map. There is a very small and simple maze, followed by a large area with shipping containers, female assassins are everywhere. SCMapDB page Author: Keen Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Army (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | July 16, 2022 | 1423 characters      The army that the title of this map refers to is an army of female assassins. The map itself has two parts, a small complex of hallways filled with female assassins with some supplies, and a large open warehouse area also filled with female assassins but without supplies. The spawn area has shotguns, grenades, and a crossbow. It should be noted the the crossbow does have the explosive bolts and that there is no flashlight. After killing all the female assassins (I must say, gibbing an assassin with a direct hit from the explosive bolt crossbow is wonderful) we climbed up to a windy rail above the cargo conta

       There are nine r's. This is a very short map that feels more like a tech demo than anything else. Players fly through arches, throw grenades in holes, and make a face spin, and that's it. SCMapDB page Author: CryoKeen (aka Keen) Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of rrrrrrrrr (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | June 19, 2022 | 2261 characters      rrrrrrrrr is a map credited on this site to CryoKeen, though Keen's profile does not display this as one of his maps. I'm not entirely sure how to categorize it. It's perhaps a joke map, but the joke is so esoteric I don't know how to interpret it. It's like a Meredith Monk performance- I'll just be reviewing it very technically, as I concede I don't quite understand it.      After three brief puzzles, the map ends. Two of the puzzles involve images of people I don't know in a context I don't understand. I shot the first image, and after my teammate pre

      There are nine r's. This is a very short map that feels more like a tech demo than anything else. Players fly through arches, throw grenades in holes, and make a face spin, and that's it. SCMapDB page Author: CryoKeen (aka Keen) Date of final release: Unknown Maps in package: 1 Map review of rrrrrrrrr (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | June 19, 2022 | 1475 characters      This is a very short map, seemingly unfinished and very light on details. Other than knowing there are nine r's all I can say is that the map starts in a sewer, players activate a sign to get a Stargate SG-1 jumpscare before being launched through a bunch of arches and into a weird alien room with water and grenades. In the wall here are holes, throw the grenades in to reveal a teleport. The teleporter will cause players to telefrag so watch out. After the teleporter press two buttons to make the lady's face spin, it will explode so watch out again. Then at the end the map ends with