Info about Rift Wizard:

Official game description:
  
Rift Wizard is a tough as nails retro fantasy roguelike emphasizing combat and character building.  
You play as an immortal amnesiac wizard who must rebuild his spellbook and slay his rival.  
The game consists of 25 randomly generated levels, each filled with procedurally generated challenges that will test your creativity and strategic thinking abilities.  
Rift Wizard Features:  
*   Open ended character advancement with deep synergies and spell interactions  
*   Huge library of spells and passive skills to build from  
*   Low randomness, high player agency  
*   Diverse and varied monster design  
*   High difficulty, permadeath, limited resources  
*   Crisp 1990s retro RPG aesthetics
Rift Wizard is inspired by classics such as Nethack, Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, Brogue, and Tales of Maj'Eyal, but pushes the genre in a more strategic, combat focused direction. In some ways it is closer to a board game than an RPG. There isn't much plot or exploration in Rift Wizard- just epic wizard battles and deep buildcraft from start to finish.  
I'm creating Rift Wizard because I want to push the boundaries of the genre. I want to build a deep and challenging roguelike worth exploring for a thousand hours or more. A game with hundreds of potential strategies to try. A game where each run is a novel and exciting intellectual challenge. A game that inspires the player to be crafty, creative, and brilliant.

Release date: Sep 1, 2021

Categories: Roguelike, Deckbuilding, Turn-based Strategy, Procedural Generation, Grid-based Combat, Permadeath, High Difficulty


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Challenging and fun gameplay (weight 0.97): The game is described as challenging yet fun, with a steep but rewarding learning curve. Players enjoy the difficulty and find it well-balanced, offering a variety of builds and strategies.
- Active developer community (weight 0.07): The game is developed by a single developer and has an active community. Players appreciate the developer's engagement and the game's quality.
- Detailed information and resource management (weight 0.06): The game provides detailed information through mouse-over and focuses on resource management and efficiency, enhancing the strategic gameplay.
- Unique vision and player expression (weight 0.03): The game offers a unique vision and allows for player expression, adding a personal touch to the gameplay experience.
- Fair difficulty with random levels (weight 0.02): The game features fair difficulty with procedurally generated levels, providing a balanced and challenging experience.
- Visible entire map at start (weight 0.02): Players can peek into the next level to see monsters and rewards, with the entire map visible at the start of each level, enhancing strategic planning.
- Variety of challenge runs (weight 0.02): The game offers a variety of challenge runs with different items and enemies, adding to the replayability and depth of the gameplay.

Common complaints:
- High difficulty and steep learning curve (weight 0.38): The game is noted for its high difficulty and steep learning curve, which can be frustrating and punishing for players. The challenges are often seen as absurd and the game is unforgiving of mistakes.
- Soundtrack and sound effects (weight 0.28): The soundtrack is described as repetitive and droney, and the sound effects can be annoying. Players wish there was more music and a bigger soundtrack.
- Resolution and visibility issues (weight 0.28): The game has fixed resolution issues, making it hard to read at 1:1 pixel resolution on a laptop. There is no way to change the game's resolution, making it barely visible on high-resolution devices.
- Issues with spell mechanics (weight 0.19): The spell list can be overwhelming and many spells are seen as useless or inefficient. Players also report difficulty in understanding spell effects and frustration with spell usage.
- Sequel improvements and pricing (weight 0.14): The developer released a sequel that is a fork of the original game, with better spell additions and improvements. However, the sequel costs double the price of the original game.
- Lack of native Linux build (weight 0.13): There is no native Linux build available for the game, which can be a drawback for some players.
- Limited viable builds (weight 0.13): There is a limited number of truly viable builds, leading to stagnation and predictable outcomes. Some builds are better than others, and certain boss fights can be frustrating depending on the build.
- Lack of meaningful choices and information (weight 0.11): Players feel there is a lack of meaningful choices and necessary information to succeed. The game also lacks a sense of exploration or discovery, making it feel somewhat hollow.
- Poor UI and controls (weight 0.08): The UI and controls are described as clunky, and the screen can become too chaotic with multiple explosions and effects. The attribute system is overly complex and difficult to remember.
- Frustrating enemy mechanics (weight 0.06): Enemies have a significant advantage, catch up too quickly, and have high health and spawning abilities, which can be frustrating for players.
- Limited movement and combat options (weight 0.04): Movement options are limiting and combat strategy is limited, which can affect the overall gameplay experience.
- Comparison to Rift Wizard 2 (weight 0.03): The game is not seen as different enough compared to Rift Wizard 2, with some players considering Rift Wizard 2 a near carbon copy.
- Expectation to read outside the game (weight 0.03): Players feel there is an expectation to read outside the game or use trial-and-error, which can be frustrating and time-consuming.
- No detailed combat log (weight 0.03): There is no detailed combat log, which can make it difficult for players to track their progress and understand the game mechanics.
- Frustrating spawn mechanics (weight 0.03): Monster spawn boxes can be frustrating and unsafe spawns in new levels can add to the difficulty and frustration of the game.
- Health restoration tied to potions (weight 0.03): Health restoration is tied to randomly spawning potions, and there is a limited number of potions, which can be a drawback for players.

Gameplay feedback:
- High replay value (weight 0.87): The game has a high replay factor due to its variety in builds, strategies, and procedural generation. Players can experiment with different approaches and face challenging gameplay that requires creative thinking.
- Strategic and complex gameplay (weight 0.83): The game offers a high level of strategic depth with a variety of builds, spell combinations, and tactical combat. It is compared to chess due to its turn-based system and the need for careful planning and decision-making.
- Challenging and difficult (weight 0.82): The game is noted for its difficulty and unforgiving nature, especially in later levels. It requires players to read many spell and enemy descriptions for stable play and involves complex interwoven systems that need mastery.
- Grid-based and turn-based mechanics (weight 0.81): The game is grid-based and turn-based, requiring players to make every turn count. It involves strategic spell use and tactical combat, with a focus on minimizing risk through strategic play.
- Procedural generation (weight 0.48): The game features procedural generation of levels and enemies, providing a unique experience with each playthrough. Players can preview the next map and choose based on treasures and enemies.
- Progression and resource management (weight 0.41): The game includes a progression system based on mana orbs and spells, with resource management being a key aspect. Players can upgrade spells and skills using skill points and must manage their resources carefully.
- No traditional RPG elements (weight 0.36): The game lacks traditional RPG elements such as leveling up, equipment, currency, non-hostile NPCs, or an overworld. Instead, it focuses on spell mechanics and build optimization.
- Retro-style artwork and music (weight 0.33): The game features retro-style artwork and a unique art style that complements its challenging and strategic gameplay. The music and art style contribute to the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Variety of spells and enemies (weight 0.25): The game features a wide range of spells and enemies, with different resistances, vulnerabilities, and unique abilities. This variety encourages build experimentation and strategic planning.
- Innovative roguelike mechanics (weight 0.17): The game introduces innovative mechanics such as spell circles and shrines, transformation spells, and summoning spells. These elements provide incentives for specific spells and add depth to the gameplay.
- Unique magic and spell system (weight 0.14): The game offers a unique approach to magic with a complex spell tree and a variety of spell types. Players have full knowledge of every spell from the start and can experiment with different combinations and upgrades.

Performance notes:
- Resolution and scaling issues (weight 0.12): The game has significant problems with resolution and scaling, particularly on high-resolution devices and larger monitors. This makes it difficult to read text and enjoy the graphics at a 1:1 pixel resolution on laptops.
- Low system requirements (weight 0.11): The game requires very low system specifications to run, which is a positive aspect for players with older or less powerful hardware. This makes it accessible to a wider audience.
- Easy to Alt-Tab (weight 0.1): Players appreciate the ease of switching between the game and other applications using Alt-Tab. This feature enhances the gaming experience by allowing quick multitasking.

Recommendations:
- Complex and strategic gameplay (weight 0.37): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy complex and strategic gameplay, including those who like experimenting with different spell combinations and theorycrafting complex strategies. It is not suitable for those who prefer fast-paced or action-oriented gameplay.
- Recommended for specific player groups (weight 0.37): The game is recommended for fans of specific games like Noita, Angband series, Brogue, doomRL, and DCSS. It is also suggested to try the game within the refund period to determine suitability.
- Great graphics (weight 0.3): The game is praised for its great graphics, adding to the overall appeal for players who enjoy visually appealing games.
- Consider playing the sequel (weight 0.29): Players are recommended to consider playing the sequel, Rift Wizard 2, instead of or in addition to this game.

Other player notes:
- Devs broke out of Early Access (weight 0.03): The developers have successfully launched the game out of Early Access, indicating significant progress and stability.
- Mod support available (weight 0.02): The game offers support for mods, allowing players to customize and enhance their gameplay experience.

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.24): Players are thrilled by the game's variety of spells, abilities, and strategic depth. The complex gameplay loop, unique power fantasies, and innovative mechanics contribute to a highly engaging and rewarding experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.2): The game's challenging and strategic gameplay, along with its wide range of spells and build variety, creates a fun and replayable experience. Players enjoy experimenting with different spell combinations and finding synergies, which adds to the game's depth and enjoyment.
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated by the game's steep learning curve, poorly explained mechanics, and repetitive gameplay patterns. Issues such as inconsistent rules, high RNG, and unclear damage sources add to the frustration, along with technical problems like resolution issues and misleading mechanics.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Players feel let down by the developer's actions, including pricing strategies and lack of meaningful updates. The game's deterministic math and lack of significant differences compared to its sequel, along with subpar pixel art and sound effects, contribute to this disappointment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Players are satisfied with the game's depth, challenge, and fairness. The complexity and short gameplay loops, along with the sense of growth and intelligence, contribute to a fulfilling experience.
- Joy (weight 0.04): The game brings joy through its enjoyable gameplay, music, and sprites. Despite the difficulty, players find happiness in exploring the game's decision space and innovations.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Players are enthusiastic about the game's unique features, variety of builds, and challenge modes. The colossal selection of spells and upgrades adds to the excitement and enjoyment.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's adherence to true roguelike design principles, fulfilling the Berlin Interpretation criteria. The game is seen as a gem in the genre.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Players are impressed by the game's tight design and thought-provoking gameplay. The cool ideas and concepts behind the game contribute to this impression.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited by the addictive and streamlined gameplay. Lining up huge combos and figuring out counters to problematic enemies feels incredible.
- Engaged (weight 0.02): Players are engaged by the strategic depth and variety of spells. The complex interwoven systems keep players invested and strategizing.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players express anger due to the game being described as horrible and unplayable. Specific reasons for this anger are not detailed, but the overall sentiment is one of extreme dissatisfaction.
- Determination (weight 0.01): Players feel determined to learn and improve despite the game's difficulties. This determination is driven by the desire to overcome challenges and grow within the game.
- Inspiration (weight 0.01): Players are inspired by the game's design. The innovative and strategic elements of the game serve as a source of inspiration for players.
- Overwhelmed (weight 0.01): Players feel overwhelmed by the complexity and depth of the game's mechanics. The sheer amount of information and strategic possibilities can be daunting.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Players are frustrated by compounding problems and annoying mechanics. These issues detract from the overall enjoyment and smooth gameplay experience.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players are disappointed by the inability to scale the graphics and text. This limitation affects the visual experience and accessibility of the game.
- Pride (weight 0.01): Players feel a sense of pride after beating the game, especially after investing significant time and effort. This accomplishment is a source of personal satisfaction and achievement.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game's art style and sound effects. These elements contribute to the overall charm and appeal of the game.}