Info about GROSS:

Official game description:
Get ready for a thrilling and innovative gaming experience with GROSS, a hybrid of tower defense and first person shooter genres. With its fresh and unique mechanics, you'll be hooked from the start as you strategize and defend your way to victory.  
In GROSS, you are tasked with defending your base against waves of enemy attackers in classic tower defense fashion. You have the freedom to build barricades and turrets to create mazes and launch attacks on the enemy, as well as place traps on the ground for added defense.  
During the construction phase, you can experiment with different combinations of turrets and barriers to come up with the most effective obstacle course for your attackers. And don't worry about time limits or wasted resources - you can sell everything you build for a full refund until the next combat phase begins. So if you love the strategy and satisfaction of building the ultimate tower defense setup, GROSS is the game for you!  
Once you are done building your defenses, get ready for intense, fast-paced combat! With a huge arsenal of guns at your fingertips, each featuring different ammo types, you'll have to make split-second decisions to take down waves of zombies. Full metal jacket rounds can pierce through multiple enemies and even objects, while hollow points send foes flying and give you some breathing room. Incendiary rounds ignite zombies and keep them burning, and grenade and rocket launchers can deal massive damage to groups of enemies - but watch out, they may also destroy valuable cash pickups.  
In addition to all these guns, you'll also have access to a range of active abilities that give you even more ways to defeat or distract enemies, move around more efficiently, or manage your resources. With over a dozen weapons to choose from, gunplay in our game is always exciting and rewarding. Are you ready to take on the undead?  
Money is essential for success. You'll need to gather it from defeated enemies as quickly as possible, but beware - you're not the only one after this valuable resource. You'll need to get it to safety so you can buy defensive structures and active abilities, and it also plays a major role in determining your score.  
GROSS keeps you on your toes at all times. Every action you take - or don't take - has consequences. If you focus on taking out attackers while your defenses are overwhelmed, you might turn the tide of battle, but you'll also risk losing precious money that could be used to improve your defenses in the next construction phase. Stay sharp and stay ahead of the game to come out on top!

Release date: Jan 11, 2023

Categories: Tower Defense, First-Person Shooter, Maze Building, Wave-based Survival, Zombie Survival, Weapon Customization, Endless Mode, Resource Management


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $13.00
  - Reasoning: The clearest positive anchor is that $13 is called entirely fair and $10 on sale is called a steal, suggesting the upper end of a fair base-game price is around $13. However, several reviewers advise waiting for half price, mention buying at €5 on discount, and one would recommend it at $2, which pulls the community's acceptable range well below a premium indie price. Combining these anchors gives an estimated fair base-game range of about $5–$13, with moderate confidence because much of the feedback focuses on sale prices rather than full price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: 8.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: 500.0h
  - Reasoning: The campaign is described as lasting about 6-10 hours until the end, so storyCompletion is set to 8 hours as a practical midpoint. A separate reviewer estimates about 20 hours of entertainment, which is the clearest overall base-game playtime estimate, so gameCompletion is set to 20 hours. The comment about wasting a couple of hours supports a sessionLength of about 2 hours. The final achievement grind is reported as taking close to 500 hours, so endgame is set to 500 hours.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game can be enjoyable at first for its action and dark-humor pacing, but many players report it becoming repetitive and cash-starved. Onboarding, economy, and repetition issues are the main early friction; co-op is frequently requested but absent.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Unskippable and forced tutorial segments; Poor tutorial and unclear mechanics such as alternative ammo and turret range; Early-game money shortage and cash-starved economy; Repetitive maps and campaign pacing; Fiddly controls and frustrating robots; Lack of character upgrade system
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Playing for relaxation or laughs rather than deep narrative or meta progression; Tolerance for repetition; Buying at a discount rather than full price; Availability of co-op or multiplayer, which is requested but absent; Preparation and personal strategy or maze planning; Campaign wave count and balance; Clearer onboarding for controls and mechanics
- Player Archetypes:
  - Tower-Defense Hybrid Strategist (buy)
    - Motivation: Combining gunplay with maze-building, traps, and turret placement to craft a personal defensive strategy each run.
    - Playstyle: Builds barricade mazes, lay traps and turrets, then stays active with shooting to cover gaps and pick off enemies that slip through.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Orks-must-die Veteran
    - Reference games: Orcs Must Die; Orcs Must Die 2; Orcs Must Die 3; Sanctum; Sanctum 2
  - Co-op Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Shararing the tower-defense experience with friends; social, shared play is the core draw they want.
    - Playstyle: Would play in multiplayer co-op sessions sharing map control and defense duties, but currently plays solo and finds the single-player loop solid yet incomplete.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Bargain Casual (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Cheap, low-commitment entertainment to relax, mess around, and pass time without a large investment.
    - Playstyle: Plays casually in short bursts, tries game modes and lower difficulty, treats the game as a time waster rather than a long-term grind.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Achievement Completionist/Grinder (no buy)
    - Motivation: Chasing 100% achievements and leaderboard placement through repeated, optimized runs.
    - Playstyle: Replays the same optimal maps and endless modes over hundreds of runs to farm money and climb rankings.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


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:
- Fun and addictive gameplay (weight 0.38): Players consistently describe the game as very fun, enjoyable, and highly addictive, with frenetic and satisfying action.
- Satisfying shooting and gunplay (weight 0.31): Shooting feels solid and fun, and the gunplay is described as spectacular, smooth, and clean.
- Bug-free experience (weight 0.17): Players report an impressively bug-free experience, with no bugs noticed and smooth runs.
- Satisfying story mode (weight 0.16): The story mode is very satisfying and enjoyable, with a complete and interesting narrative.
- Worth the money (weight 0.16): Players feel the game is worth the money, even in its early state, and especially when discounted.
- Fast responsive combat (weight 0.13): Combat is fast and responsive, with some comparing it to DOOM, and overall feels quite good.
- Simple tower defense and FPS (weight 0.12): The game offers simple tower defense and basic FPS gameplay, which some find enjoyable but smaller-scale.
- High-energy genre mashup (weight 0.1): The game is described as a high-energy mashup of tower defense and first-person shooter, mixing classic path-building with hero shooter elements.
- Smooth performance (weight 0.09): The game runs smoothly overall, with smooth gameplay and graphics.
- Wide weapon selection (weight 0.09): Multiple different weapons, attachments, and gear are available to try out, including pistols, Uzis, M4s, shotguns, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers.
- Good core gameplay (weight 0.09): The core gameplay and overall experience are considered good by multiple players.
- Multiple maps (weight 0.09): There are around 10 or 11 different maps to play on.
- Good story with funny references (weight 0.09): The story so far is top-notch, featuring many funny references and descriptions.
- Fun for short sessions (weight 0.09): The game is fun for occasional short play sessions, making it suitable for quick bursts of entertainment.
- Integrated gun attachments (weight 0.09): Gun attachments are well integrated into the guns, each serving unique purposes.
- Great concept (weight 0.08): The game's concept is considered fine or great by players.

Common complaints:
- Collector drones steal money and annoy (weight 0.34): Collector drones frequently steal the player's dropped money, disrupting the economy and causing frustration. Their high health and quick-refilling shields make them a persistent nuisance.
- Gameplay becomes mindless and repetitive (weight 0.3): Players find the core loop quickly turns monotonous, with many noting it becomes boring after an hour or two. The lack of depth makes extended play feel like a chore.
- No co-op or multiplayer support (weight 0.26): The game is strictly single-player, and many reviewers feel its absence of co-op or multiplayer significantly hurts the experience. Some say it's not much fun without multiplayer.
- Turrets deal insufficient damage (weight 0.2): Machine gun turrets and other towers are widely criticized for their low damage output, often feeling useless compared to handheld weapons. Their negligible range and weak impact make them a poor investment.
- Poor optimization and frame rate drops (weight 0.16): The game suffers from relatively poor optimization, with noticeable FPS drops when many zombies appear on screen. This can hinder gameplay during intense moments.
- Not worth the full asking price (weight 0.15): Several reviewers feel the game lacks enough content and polish to justify its full price tag. They recommend waiting for a discount.
- Endless mode difficulty spikes unfairly (weight 0.14): After around wave 20, endless mode throws waves of powerful enemies like big-belly zombies, shield zombies, and turret-disabling bubble-spitters that overwhelm players. The scaling feels extreme and unbalanced.
- Tower defense elements are disappointing (weight 0.13): Many players expected a satisfying tower defense shooter but found the tower defense mechanics shallow and underdeveloped. The game falls short as a tower defense experience.
- Zombies disable towers easily (weight 0.09): Certain zombies can gunk up towers, requiring players to shoot the towers to clean them, which is tedious. Big zombies can disable towers entirely, making them useless.
- Shield zombies are invincible from front (weight 0.09): Shield zombies block all frontal damage, and their shields can amplify each other when lined up. This makes shielded giant zombies nearly invincible from the front, frustrating players.
- Fiddly controls and mechanics (weight 0.09): Controls and mechanics feel awkward and unresponsive, making the game less enjoyable to play. Players describe them as terrible and cumbersome.
- Defenses are too expensive (weight 0.09): Barricades and defense towers cost too much, making it hard to build an effective defense. This economic pressure compounds other balance issues.
- Tower balance is weak (weight 0.09): Some towers are poorly balanced, often leaning towards the weak side, and overall tower balance has issues. This discourages using certain defensive options.
- Player must be main defense (weight 0.09): The player has to shoulder most of the defensive burden, as towers alone are insufficient. This makes the game feel less like a tower defense and more like a solo shooter.
- Mazes don't develop enough (weight 0.08): The maze-building aspect doesn't get sufficiently developed before the game ends, leaving players wanting more depth in that area.

Gameplay feedback:
- FPS and tower defense hybrid (weight 0.55): A common theme is the mix of first-person shooting with tower defense strategy. Players often compare the combination to games like Orcs Must Die.
- Tower defense gameplay (weight 0.48): Players describe the game primarily as a tower defense experience with waves of zombies. Many reviews highlight defensive tower building and upgrading as core mechanics.
- Endless mode with leaderboards (weight 0.41): The game includes an endless mode that features ranked leaderboards and escalating waves. Some players note that modifiers like extra money or no drones can be applied.
- Maze building mechanics (weight 0.34): Building mazes with barricades and turrets on grid areas is a key strategy to funnel zombies. Players create chokepoints and corridors to defend against waves.
- Cash collection and ATM (weight 0.29): Players collect cash dropped by zombies and can deposit it into an ATM system. There is a money cap and manual pickup option.
- Campaign and story mode (weight 0.28): The game features a story campaign with multiple maps and a single-player mode. Some players mention additional modes beyond campaign and endless.
- Switchable ammo types (weight 0.22): Players appreciate the ability to switch between different ammo types for firearms. This adds a layer of tactical choice to the shooting mechanics.
- Barricade construction (weight 0.22): Barricades are essential for building defenses and directing zombie paths. Players frequently mention building barricades alongside towers.
- Money stealing drones (weight 0.22): Collector or tax drones steal dropped money from the player and can be shot down. This mechanic adds a challenge to resource management.
- Turret upgrades (weight 0.17): Turrets can be built and upgraded using money earned during rounds. Different turret types like sniper, cannon, and machine gun are available.
- Zombie variety (weight 0.16): There are multiple zombie types, including shield zombies that block frontal damage and helmeted enemies. Zombies vary in appearance, such as office workers, punks, and schoolgirls.
- Strategic defense planning (weight 0.09): Players create strategies and find new ways to kill zombies, such as funneling them into barricade corridors. This emphasizes tactical planning.
- Infinite ammo with reload (weight 0.09): Ammo is infinite but requires reloading, allowing continuous shooting with reload management. This is noted as a convenience by some players.
- Using money to build (weight 0.09): Players use money earned during rounds to build towers and defenses. This creates a resource loop between shooting and building.
- Money can be destroyed (weight 0.08): Explosives can destroy money dropped by zombies, adding a risk to using explosives near cash. This mechanic affects resource management.

Performance notes:
- Mixed Optimization Feedback (weight 0.23): Some players report excellent optimization and smooth performance, while others experience poor optimization and frame drops. This inconsistency suggests performance varies by hardware or scene complexity.
- Large Zombie Waves Cause Lag (weight 0.14): Frame rate drops significantly when many zombies or monsters appear on screen, regardless of graphics settings. This is a recurring performance issue during intense combat.
- Late-Game FPS Drops (weight 0.06): On the last map at high waves and difficulty, FPS can drop to around 10 even with low settings and ragdolls off. Performance degrades as enemy count increases.
- Numerous Electric Towers Cause Lag (weight 0.06): Having many electric towers on the map leads to lag spikes. This indicates a specific performance bottleneck related to certain structures.
- PC Overheating Issues (weight 0.05): Some users experience unusual PC heating during gameplay. This could be related to high system load or poor thermal management.
- Choppy Frame Rates Without Limiter (weight 0.05): Frame rates can be choppy at 110 fps when no limiter is used. Capping the frame rate might improve smoothness.
- Runs Well on ROG Ally (weight 0.05): One player reports that the game runs perfectly on the ROG Ally handheld device. This suggests good compatibility with that hardware.

Recommendations:
- Buy on sale recommendation (weight 0.64): Many reviewers advise waiting for a discount because the full price feels too high for the content offered. The game is repeatedly described as a solid pickup only at a reduced price.
- Niche tower defense shooter appeal (weight 0.62): Reviewers recommend the game mainly to fans of first-person shooter and tower defense hybrids. It is often compared to Sanctum, Orcs Must Die, and Dungeon Defenders as the target audience benchmark.
- Positive overall recommendation (weight 0.43): A large group of reviewers give the game a clear thumbs up and describe it as worth playing or worth buying. The tone is enthusiastic even when they add caveats about price or niche appeal.
- Fair price for fun (weight 0.27): Reviewers describe the price as fair and the game as good value, especially on discount. The replayability and short-session fun are cited as reasons the cost feels justified.
- Casual relaxed entertainment (weight 0.24): The game is recommended for casual players who want to relax, laugh, and waste some time. It is seen as suitable for short, low-pressure sessions rather than deep competitive play.
- Try the demo first (weight 0.17): Several reviewers suggest trying the free demo before buying to confirm the game matches expectations. This is framed as a safer way to judge the hybrid gameplay and difficulty.
- Refund if disliked (weight 0.12): A few reviewers mention refunding the game if it does not match expectations or becomes boring. They frame the refund window as a practical safety net for hesitant buyers.
- Needs more content updates (weight 0.12): Reviewers note that the game needs continued content support and optimization to avoid dying out. Updates are seen as promising but not yet sufficient for long-term retention.
- Difficulty guidance for players (weight 0.08): Reviewers offer difficulty advice, suggesting hard mode for experienced players and normal mode for newcomers. The goal is to keep new players engaged and veterans challenged.
- Design choices criticized (weight 0.07): A reviewer does not recommend the game due to many design choices that did not work for them. Another recommends with reservations because of heavy reliance on player aim.
- Grindy achievements warning (weight 0.05): One reviewer warns that completing all achievements requires over 100 hours of grinding the same map. This is a specific caveat for completionists rather than a general gameplay complaint.
- Frame rate limiter needed (weight 0.05): One reviewer says the game would be good enough to play anytime once a frame rate limiter is added. This is a specific technical request rather than a broad performance complaint.
- Lower expectations advised (weight 0.04): One reviewer recommends grabbing the game only if willing to lower initial expectations. This suggests the experience may not match the polish or scope implied by first impressions.
- Aim-heavy gameplay reservation (weight 0.04): One reviewer gives a cautious recommendation because the game relies heavily on player aim. This is a specific concern for players expecting a more balanced shooter experience.
- No purchase recommendation (weight 0.04): One reviewer explicitly gives no purchase recommendation without further detail. This is a low-information negative signal rather than a detailed critique.

Other player notes:
- Compared to Orcs Must Die (weight 0.38): Many reviewers compare this game to Orcs Must Die due to its blend of FPS action and tower defense. While some find it similar, others consider it less balanced and less replayable than Orcs Must Die 1 & 2.
- Compared to Sanctum series (weight 0.29): The game is frequently compared to Sanctum and Sanctum 2, with some praising it as a fantastic alternative for fans. However, a few note that the FPS and tower defense mix feels less balanced.
- Short game length (weight 0.25): The game offers around 20 hours of entertainment, with the story mode taking about 7-8 hours. Some reviewers mention 6-10 hours for the campaign and 5-10 hours total.
- Developed by one person (weight 0.22): Reviewers highlight that the game is a solo project or made by a very small independent developer. It was created by one person over several years.
- Low-budget indie title (weight 0.22): The game is a low-priced, low-budget indie title not at AAA level design. It is offered cheaply on sale as a compact experience.
- Third-party assets used (weight 0.18): The game uses third-party assets, and the developer is transparent about it. However, the developer has received criticism for using an asset pack.
- Room for more content (weight 0.15): Reviewers see room for more content, expansions, and DLC, and hope for future updates and optimization. The developer is actively making updates.
- Story delivered as text (weight 0.14): The story is presented as text before missions or as story text pages, rather than through other forms. Some find it long but unnecessary to read.
- Free demo available (weight 0.13): A free demo is available for players to try before purchasing, with some reviewers playing the demo for hours.
- Steam Workshop desired (weight 0.12): Reviewers want Steam Workshop support for custom weapons, maps, and towers. One reviewer would reinstall the game if Workshop support is added.
- Dog and cat included (weight 0.12): The game features a cute dog in the end credits and also includes a cat, which reviewers find charming.
- Various game modes (weight 0.12): The game includes a variety of game modes, including an endless mode with configurable modifiers that some reviewers have not tried yet.
- Grindy achievements (weight 0.09): The last money achievement requires hundreds of hours across about 200 endless runs, and achievements require long grinding.
- Playful dark humor tone (weight 0.09): The game leans toward playful excess and dark humor rather than grim realism, with funny references in the story.
- Clarity and performance focused (weight 0.09): The visuals prioritize clarity and performance over fine detail, and the game runs perfectly on ROG Ally.
- No Russian localization (weight 0.05): The game lacks Russian language localization, which is a drawback for Russian-speaking players.
- Chinese translation included (weight 0.05): The game includes localization with Chinese translation, which is a positive for Chinese-speaking players.
- Better graphics than RDR2 (weight 0.04): One reviewer compared the game's graphics to Red Dead Redemption 2, stating that this game's graphics are better, which is a highly subjective claim.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Players are frustrated by a punishing economy where towers are expensive and money is scarce, compounded by money-stealing drones that respawn quickly and interfere with resource collection. Difficulty spikes in endless mode, weak tower damage, poor optimization, and intrusive tutorials further aggravate the experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Many find the game lacks focus, leaning too heavily on FPS shooting rather than tower defense, with weak towers and limited build variety. Short campaign length, missing multiplayer, poor gun feel, and insufficient content reduce replayability and overall satisfaction.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the satisfying shooting, dismemberment, and the mix of FPS and tower defense. The cartoon art style, humor, varied zombies, and creative tower combinations make the game fun despite some repetitiveness.
- Annoyance (weight 0.09): Annoyance stems from money-stealing drones that respawn and summon police drones, shielded and helmeted zombies that counter snipers, and punitive economy mechanics. Slow ammo switching, useless grenades, and constant money collection in later levels add to the irritation.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Satisfaction comes from good weapon feel and sound, a fluid tutorial, and strategic depth in map design and tower placement. The game offers real challenges solvable in multiple ways, and developer responsiveness enhances the experience.
- Boredom (weight 0.06): The game becomes boring quickly due to repetitive gameplay, slow pacing, and monotonous tower choices. After a few hours or levels, the lack of variety and excessive grinding achievements lead to disinterest.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Enthusiasm is driven by varied maps that reward strategic defenses, solid barricading and turret building, and addictive hands-on gameplay. Developer engagement and ongoing improvements also foster excitement.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement centers on the blend of FPS and tower defense, with fun and addictive wave defense gameplay. Spectacular gunplay and proper endless mode with save features heighten the thrill.
- Fun (weight 0.03): Fun arises from frenetic zombie shooting, strategic maze design, and the mix of preparation and fast-paced combat. Swapping ammo on the fly and exploring unique maps contribute to the enjoyment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is expressed for the soundtrack, detailed level design, and the developer's dedication and transparency. The low-poly art and user-friendly minimap building preview are also praised.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): Disgust is primarily directed at the money-stealing drone feature, which players find repugnant and poorly designed.
- Pleasant surprise (weight 0.01): The game, especially its story, was surprisingly well-written for a low-budget title, exceeding expectations.
- Mild annoyance (weight 0.01): Mild annoyance comes from pixelated graphics, minor bugs like zombies not spawning, and mismatched music transitions.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is provided by bursts of humor, including dad jokes and dad aesthetics, which lighten the gameplay.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is triggered by losing money to drones, which prevents building towers and leads to inevitable losses. The collector drone design is viewed as idiotic.
- Discomfort (weight 0.01): Discomfort is reported from playing the game causing seasickness and visuals that are strange and dark, leading to eye pain.
- Delight (weight 0.01): Delight comes from creative build strategies, fun maps, and charming touches like the ending picture of the developer's dog.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is maintained by constant tension from resource management and active combat, with risk-versus-reward mechanics keeping players involved.
- Mild satisfaction (weight 0.01): Mild satisfaction is felt because the game is a decent addition to a sub-genre the reviewer enjoys, and gun feel improved after updates.
- Desire (weight 0.01): Players desire additional features such as endless mode, gun customization, co-op, melee weapons, and online multiplayer to make the game perfect.}