- Funny and engaging writing
- Challenging and forgiving gameplay
- Engaging story and world-building
- Language and localization issues
- Writing and dialogue criticized
- Lack of voice acting
Emotions
Players experience joy primarily due to the game's engaging and humorous dialogue, along with its unique characters and storyline. The combination of funny writing, enjoyable gameplay mechanics, and high production values creates a consistently entertaining and light-hearted experience.
Enjoyment stems from the game's fun and challenging gameplay, complemented by its unique characters and solid writing. Players appreciate the well-thought-out combat, enjoyable puzzles, and the overall engaging experience provided by the story, characters, and mechanics.
Players appreciate the game's thoughtful design, engaging narrative, and high level of detail. The creativity and passion put into the game, along with its unique mechanics and high-quality dialogue writing, contribute to a sense of appreciation.
Happiness is derived from the game's fun and challenging gameplay, along with its cute and enjoyable elements. Players express their happiness through positive feedback and enjoyment of the game's various aspects.
Satisfaction comes from the game's well-designed missions, rewarding gameplay, and the sense of achievement from figuring out puzzles and completing objectives. The forgiving combat system and the fun abilities add to the overall satisfying experience.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 98% · Negative 2%. Score: 2 / 100
Verdict
Highly Positive
Summary
The overall sentiment from users is highly positive, with a strong willingness to purchase additional DLC content and support the developers. Users find the gameplay satisfying and the characters engaging, leading to a desire for more content and a readiness to pay for it. Score: 10 / 100
Top points
- Positive Reception to DLC - Positive
- Willingness to Support Developers - Positive
Verdict
Mixed Reviews with Technical Issues
Summary
The game receives positive feedback for its character introductions, strategic gameplay, and soundtrack. However, there are notable issues with game performance, specifically related to crashing when alt-tabbing. Score: 10 / 100
Top points
- Game Performance Issues - High
- Game Design - Positive
- Music and Sound - Positive
Verdict
Tinkering Required
Summary
The Steam Deck experience for this game is generally positive, with many users reporting smooth performance and intuitive controls. However, there are notable issues such as the requirement to use Proton Experimental for optimal performance, significant battery drain, small text and UI elements, and occasional controller support issues. These factors can impact the overall user experience, requiring some tinkering and adjustments for the best gameplay experience. Score: 40 / 100
Top points
- Proton Experimental Requirement - High
- Battery Drain - Medium
- Small Text and UI Issues - Medium
- Controller Support Issues - High
- Performance and Stability - Low
Positives:
- The game's writing is consistently praised for being witty, humorous, and engaging. Players appreciate the sharp, punchy dialogue and the unique, off-the-wall setting that keeps them entertained throughout the game.
- The game offers a mix of challenging puzzles and forgiving mechanics, allowing players to experiment and optimize their strategies without feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.
- The game's story is well-crafted, humorous, and touching, with a unique setting that blends magic and modern technology. Players appreciate the engaging narrative and the detailed, immersive world.
- The game combines tactical combat with puzzle-like scenarios, offering a unique and engaging gameplay experience. Players enjoy the strategic depth and the variety of ways to approach each level.
- The game features a variety of unique and interesting character abilities that players can unlock and level up. These abilities add depth to the gameplay and encourage creative problem-solving.
Negatives:
- The game lacks language support, particularly Chinese, which limits its accessibility. The absence of translations and voice acting is a significant drawback for non-English speakers.
- The writing and dialogue in the game have been widely criticized for being unremarkable, too quirky, and filled with millennial humor that often falls flat. Many players found the excessive banter and one-liners grating and not to their taste.
- Many players wish the game had voice acting, as it would enhance the character interactions and overall immersion.
- The story is interesting but not particularly complex or special. The pacing can feel off, especially towards the end, and some character arcs may not make sense.
- Players have noted issues with map and camera controls, finding them unintuitive and sometimes confusing. The small map sizes and stiff camera controls can detract from the gameplay experience.
Gameplay:
- The game offers a range of difficulty options and well-designed levels that encourage players to solve them in the best way possible. The difficulty steadily increases, and new characters, enemies, and abilities are introduced to keep the gameplay fresh and challenging.
- Levels often include optional challenges and objectives that encourage creative and strategic gameplay. These additional goals can add a layer of complexity and replayability to the missions.
- The game is frequently compared to other tactical and puzzle games like Into the Breach and XCOM. Players note that while it shares similarities with these games, it also offers unique mechanics and abilities that set it apart.
- The game encourages players to experiment with different character interactions and upgrades. The character upgrade systems and interactions are designed to allow players to break the game in creative ways.
- The game features a solid and enjoyable gameplay loop with well-handled progression. The mechanics remain fun throughout, and the balance between challenge and forgiveness is well-maintained.
Performance:
- The game runs smoothly on Linux distributions such as Manjaro and on the Steam Deck, with no reported bugs and performs as expected.
- Some users experience failures during the first launch of the game. Additionally, there are occasional long loading times.
- The game may hang or freeze during the tutorial, causing potential frustration for new players.
- The game utilizes the maximum memory capacity on an RTX 3060ti, which could impact performance on systems with similar specifications.
Recommendations:
- The game is highly recommended for a wide range of players, including puzzle game lovers, strategy game enthusiasts, and fans of tactics games like XCOM and Into the Breach. It is praised for its engaging gameplay, clever puzzles, and fun characters.
- Many reviews mention that the game is worth its price, whether purchased at full price or on sale. Players feel that the gameplay and overall experience justify the cost.
- The game offers high replay value, with players expressing interest in additional content such as DLC, sequels, or fan-made missions. This suggests a complete package that keeps players engaged.
- Players express minimal regrets and generally positive sentiments about the game. Reviews often describe the game as good and enjoyable without going into extensive detail.
- Some players suggest starting the game on high difficulty for a more challenging and rewarding experience. This indicates that the game offers varying levels of difficulty to cater to different player preferences.
Miscellaneous:
- Many players received the game as part of the Jingle Jam 2025 event, indicating it was included in a bundle or promotion.
- There were requests for Chinese language support, indicating a desire for localization to reach a broader audience.
- Players mentioned a commentary DLC, suggesting additional content or insights available for purchase.
- Players recommended watching the designer's GDC talk on building 15 hours of jokes, indicating interest in the game's development process.
- Some players mentioned using the game as a tool for learning English words, suggesting educational value.
