Info about Sunken Realms:

Official game description:
_Alric's father descended into the ruins beneath the city years ago. He never came back._
_Sunken Realms is a dungeon crawling adventure about a son who goes looking for answers. Descend into an abandoned underground city, battle monsters, collect materials, craft your gear, and master forgotten spells. Grow stronger. Go deeper. Find out what happened down there — and whether the truth is worth what it costs._
_No open world. No battle pass. Just a sword, a dungeon, and a question that won't let you go_
**Features:**  
**_• Hand-crafted rooms are procedurally re-arranged every time you enter the dungeon so you'll never play the same layout twice_**  
**_• Fluid Melee and Ranged combat_**  
**_• Learn spells to wield powerful, long-forgotten magic_**
**_• Collect gold and crafting materials from vanquished foes and treasure chests_**
**_• Return to camp to craft weapons, cook food, brew potions, trade, and upgrade your character_**
**_• A heartfelt, personal story that unfolds between two friends around the campfire between runs_**
**_• Immersive, original score_**

Release date: Sep 18, 2026

Categories: Dungeon Crawler, Roguelike, Action RPG, Crafting, Procedural Generation, Soulslike Combat


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 3.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The clearest session-length evidence is "nearly three hours of continuous play," which directly supports a sessionLength of about 3 hours. The other quotes mentioning "the 3 hours I played" and "most of my 3 hours" reinforce that 3-hour play periods were common for the target game. The demo/main-game quote is not used for completion because it does not report finishing the game or story. There is no explicit time to complete the game, complete the story, or reach/post-endgame, so gameCompletion, storyCompletion, and endgame remain null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Players generally describe the game as fun and addicting from early play, supported by procedural room variation, crafting progression, and satisfying pacing. A minority report bugs, broken treasure rooms, and tedious dungeons, and one report ties addiction to several hours of play, but the stronger evidence supports immediate enjoyment.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Mobs hit you through walls; Treasure rooms do not work; Boss and treasure rewards feel practically empty; Dungeons feel tedious and boring; Combat and dungeons are repetitive and simplistic
  - Unlock drivers: Procedural room swapping keeps runs fresh and less repetitive; Crafting mechanics provide progression and personal development
  - Conditions: At $15, repetitive and simplistic combat and dungeons can be forgiven; Replaying levels can be enjoyable before beating the first dungeon boss; Tolerance for bugs and weak rewards affects early enjoyment
- Player Archetypes:
  - Old-School Dungeon Crawler Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Loot-driven character progression and discovering a personalized playstyle in an old-school dungeon crawler.
    - Playstyle: Clears atmospheric dungeons, gathers loot, upgrades gear, and experiments with builds.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Diablo 2
  - Solo-Dev Supporter and Indie Advocate (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting a solo developer and encouraging community-driven indie craft.
    - Playstyle: Plays, provides feedback, engages with Discord, and recommends the game to support the developer.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: playtester
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Beginner-Friendly Action RPG Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: Accessible, beginner-friendly action RPG adventure with good presentation.
    - Playstyle: Plays casually, valuing simple mechanics, graphics, and sound over complex optimization.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Progression-Focused Grinder and Systems Critic (sale)
    - Motivation: Satisfying grind and clear progression through dungeon levels and gear upgrades.
    - Playstyle: Tries to farm early levels, advance through boss gates, and expects deeper equipment systems.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - 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 0.97): The game is fun, addictive, and offers a great experience overall, especially for the price. It has a lot of heart and personality.
- Strong atmosphere and visuals (weight 0.91): The game features a captivating atmosphere with distinct areas, high-quality character models, and beautiful level design. The contrast between peaceful camps and dangerous dungeons enhances immersion.
- Great responsive combat mechanics (weight 0.69): Combat feels smooth and responsive, with different weapon types offering unique experiences. Some minor jank is noted, but overall it is a highlight.
- Balanced challenge and accessibility (weight 0.6): The game is challenging but fair, easy to learn yet hard to master. Navigation is straightforward, making it accessible to a wide audience.
- Compelling story and lore (weight 0.6): The narrative is smart, layered, and intriguing, with lore tablets and a personal story that pulls players in. The mystery unfolds around the cave, protagonist, and trader friend.
- Impressive solo development (weight 0.52): The game is an impressive achievement for a solo developer, showing high quality and dedication. This aspect is frequently praised by reviewers.
- Procedural dungeons keep runs fresh (weight 0.52): Procedurally rearranged rooms and dungeons ensure each run feels different, maintaining freshness and reducing repetitiveness. The layout feels familiar yet altered, enhancing replayability.
- Varied combat styles and enemies (weight 0.52): Players can choose from melee, ranged, or magic, and the game offers a good mix of combat styles. Enemies are unique and fun to fight, with some sneaky ones adding jumpiness.
- Engaging risk-reward gameplay loop (weight 0.44): The tension of losing coins and resources upon death keeps players engaged and makes successful escapes rewarding. The core loop of fighting, looting, and upgrading is addictive.
- Simple and satisfying progression (weight 0.43): Progression is straightforward and uncluttered, with a focus on upgrading characters and equipment. The simplicity is appreciated, avoiding overwhelming item systems.
- Enjoyable exploration and discovery (weight 0.41): Exploring old ruins for gold and glory is fun, with collectibles and audio logs adding to the experience. The Zelda pots in treasure rooms are a nice touch.
- Excellent voice acting and cutscenes (weight 0.35): Voice acting is well done, and cutscenes, especially those with the old man, are fun and wholesome. Character animations and lip syncing are also praised.
- Beginner-friendly and easy to learn (weight 0.35): The game is very beginner-friendly, with a play loop that is easy to understand. It is easy to pick up and fun to play.
- Parry and timing-based combat (weight 0.33): The parry mechanic is present and worth figuring out, adding depth to combat. Timing matters, preventing players from spamming attacks to win.
- Camp and dungeon contrast (weight 0.25): The camp loop gives real purpose to pushing deeper into dungeons, with a relaxing camp contrasting the dangerous interior. This design enhances the overall experience.
- Flexible pacing and session length (weight 0.25): The game allows for both quick sessions and long marathons, with levels that are fun to replay. This flexibility makes it easy to fit into different schedules.
- Potential for future development (weight 0.23): The mechanics showed a lot of potential, and the game has promise. It is seen as a solid foundation for further improvements.
- Rewarding boss fights (weight 0.15): The first boss was tough but rewarding with good balance, providing a satisfying challenge that tests the player's skills.

Common complaints:
- Major bugs and crashes (weight 0.6): Reviews frequently mention the game being super buggy, riddled with bugs, and having major glitches. These issues significantly impact the overall experience.
- Treasure room unlock bug (weight 0.44): Multiple reports indicate treasure rooms sometimes remain locked after all enemies are cleared, falsely claiming monsters remain alive. This blocks progression and forces unnecessary searching.
- Combat wonky and buggy (weight 0.41): Fighting is described as wonky, lame, and buggy, with clunky DEX builds and slow weapon transitions. Combat lacks polish and satisfaction.
- Keybind issues for left-handed (weight 0.35): Movement keys cannot be rebound, making the game unplayable for left-handed, disabled, or non-QWERTY keyboard users. This is a significant accessibility oversight.
- Dungeons tedious and boring (weight 0.33): Dungeons are described as tedious, boring, and repetitive, with treasure rooms requiring excessive searching or backtracking. This makes the core gameplay loop unengaging.
- Game feels early access (weight 0.33): The game feels like an extremely early access title with room to grow, not worth the price. This reflects overall underdevelopment.
- Game locks up entering dungeon (weight 0.26): Entering the dungeon can cause severe lockups, sometimes requiring a PC restart when Ctrl+Alt+Del fails. This is a critical stability issue.
- Collision and movement jank (weight 0.25): Players report collision issues and janky movement, especially when jumping. This makes navigation feel unresponsive and unpolished.
- Limited enemy variety and depth (weight 0.23): Only three monster types (excluding the boss) are encountered, and the game is not very deep. This leads to repetitive and shallow combat.
- Boss fight glitch requires quit (weight 0.15): A glitch during a boss fight can cause the player to die but the game does not reload or restart, forcing a manual quit. This disrupts progression and is highly frustrating.
- Key spawn bug (weight 0.15): A key required for progression sometimes fails to spawn, preventing players from advancing. This is a game-breaking bug.
- Enemy attack through walls (weight 0.15): Enemies can hit the player through walls, which is unfair and breaks immersion. This combat bug is frequently cited.
- Progression blocked on level 1 (weight 0.15): Players cannot progress on level 1 without exiting and using the level 1 boss item to skip it. This is a serious design flaw that halts advancement.
- Boss and treasure rewards lacking (weight 0.15): Rewards from bosses or treasure rooms are practically nothing, making effort feel unrewarding. This reduces motivation to explore.
- Map inaccuracy problematic (weight 0.15): The map is not accurate, which is a major problem in a maze-type game heavily reliant on navigation. This leads to confusion and wasted time.
- Enemy death animation leftover (weight 0.14): After an enemy dies, a floating weapon remains, cluttering the screen and looking unpolished. This visual bug is noticeable during combat.
- Bad camera at times (weight 0.14): The camera occasionally behaves poorly, making it difficult to see enemies or navigate. This can lead to unfair damage or missed jumps.
- Health potion keybind not shown (weight 0.13): The keybind for using a health potion is not indicated by the icon and must be looked up in options. This is a minor UI inconvenience.
- Enemies too easy (weight 0.13): Monsters are easy to kill even in groups, reducing challenge and engagement. This makes combat feel trivial.

Gameplay feedback:
- Procedurally generated dungeon layouts (weight 0.78): Clusters 3, 4, 5, 49, 64 state that rooms and maps are randomized each run, with layouts changing on every entry. This makes maps heavily dependent on navigation and varies treasure room locations.
- Dungeon crawling core gameplay (weight 0.77): Clusters 1, 6, 9, 60 describe dungeon exploration and combat as central to the experience. Players clear monsters in dungeons that serve as the main progression path.
- Exploration and lore elements (weight 0.63): Clusters 11, 20, 24, 42, 43, 62, 66 indicate exploration is part of the game, with lore tablets, audio logs, and riddles scattered around. The game has a story with a player and an old man.
- Varied combat options (weight 0.53): Clusters 7, 16, 22, 57 show melee, ranged, and magic combat styles with a parry mechanic, stamina, and mana management. Timing and resource management matter, preventing spam attacks.
- Camp hub between runs (weight 0.44): Clusters 8, 10, 13, 21 describe a camp where players return between runs to craft, trade, and upgrade. Runs are used to strengthen the character before heading back out.
- Challenging combat and bosses (weight 0.44): Clusters 29, 30, 33, 58 highlight that bosses exist, with the first boss introducing a new mechanic and being challenging. Timing matters and attacks cannot be spammed.
- Loot-driven core loop (weight 0.35): Clusters 35, 54, 56 describe the loop of getting in, grabbing loot, and getting out. Fighting enemies yields loot for crafting new weapons, and stronger enemies are fought until ready for the boss.
- Simple yet deep progression (weight 0.35): Clusters 25, 37, 45 indicate progression is straightforward and uncluttered, easy to learn but hard to master. Players upgrade stats and gear without complicated systems.
- Accessible and responsive controls (weight 0.35): Clusters 34, 36, 48 note that gameplay is simple and responsive, with no complicated moves or micro-timing required. Movement, collision, and jumping are systems in the game.
- Enemy AI and challenges (weight 0.33): Clusters 23, 27, 28 mention enemy archers as a challenge, enemies sneaking up behind, and crawling through wall openings to exploit AI. These create varied combat encounters.
- Atmospheric environments and audio (weight 0.33): Clusters 38, 47, 65 highlight beautiful level design, peaceful ambience outside with intense interior atmosphere, and cutscenes with voice acting. These enhance immersion.
- Treasure rooms with Zelda-like pots (weight 0.32): Clusters 2, 32 describe treasure rooms containing pots similar to Zelda, with optional boss fights. These rooms are a notable feature of dungeon exploration.
- Risk of losing resources (weight 0.25): Clusters 26, 46 state that players can lose coins, resources, and all their stuff upon death. This adds risk to combat and exploration.
- Gold collection and leveling (weight 0.25): Clusters 51, 55 describe collecting piles of gold at the end of a dungeon stage and using gold to level up. This is a primary reward and progression currency.
- Crafting for progression (weight 0.25): Clusters 17, 59 mention crafting mechanics for progression, such as crafting arrows which consumes items that could be sold for upgrades. Crafting is a key part of advancing.
- Multiple distinct biomes (weight 0.25): Clusters 12, 61 list six areas to descend through: stonework entryway, orc encampment, sewers, mushroom grotto, spider area, and necropolis. Different environments and biomes provide variety.
- Souls-like extraction indie mix (weight 0.14): Cluster 52 describes the game as an indie mix of a souls game with an extraction game. This genre blend defines its identity.
- Progression gated by boss items (weight 0.13): Cluster 18 states that progress is gated by boss items used to skip levels. This ties advancement to defeating bosses and obtaining key items.
- Game demo available (weight 0.11): Cluster 19 states that the game has a demo version. This allows players to try before buying.

Performance notes:
- Long dungeon load times (weight 0.16): Another player noted that dungeon entry load times can exceed 60 seconds, causing significant delays. This impacts the overall game experience.
- Stuttering and clipping at low settings (weight 0.16): Even with settings turned down to the lowest, one player encountered occasional stuttering and clipping. This suggests optimization issues that persist despite lowering graphical quality.
- Hitching during gameplay (weight 0.15): A user experienced hitching during play, which can cause brief freezes and disrupt smooth gameplay. This performance issue affects the overall experience.
- Good performance for some (weight 0.13): A player reported that the game ran without any issues on their machine, indicating that performance problems may not affect everyone. This contrasts with the issues reported by others.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for Genre Fans (weight 0.43): Reviewers recommend the game specifically to fans of fantasy RPGs, dungeon crawlers, and story-driven experiences. It appeals strongly to players who enjoy these genres.
- Strong Value for Money (weight 0.36): Players frequently mention that the game is worth its price and offers good value for the content. This sentiment is echoed across multiple reviews.
- General Positive Recommendations (weight 0.25): Multiple reviewers simply recommend the game without specific caveats, contributing to an overall positive sentiment.
- Enjoying and Exploring (weight 0.22): A player is enjoying the game and looks forward to exploring more, implying a positive recommendation.
- Accessibility Issues for Left-Handed (weight 0.15): The game is reported to be unplayable for left-handed players, those with disabilities, or without a QWERTY keyboard, highlighting serious accessibility concerns.
- Highest Praise from Some (weight 0.15): A reviewer expresses extreme satisfaction, stating they cannot recommend the game enough.
- Wait for Patches (weight 0.15): A player advises staying away until major patches fix content and bugs, suggesting current issues are significant.
- Urgent Buy Recommendation (weight 0.15): One reviewer emphatically urges others to buy the game now, showing high enthusiasm.
- Support Solo Developer Craftsmanship (weight 0.14): Players recommend the game to support a solo developer who has put care into their first release. This adds a unique appeal for some buyers.
- Would Gift to Others (weight 0.14): A player would consider buying a copy for someone else, showing strong confidence in the game's appeal.
- Top-Tier Solo Dev Game (weight 0.14): One review claims the game is as good as solo developer games get, indicating exceptional quality within that niche.
- Exciting New Adventure (weight 0.14): A reviewer highly recommends the game to anyone seeking an exciting new adventure.
- Positive Recommendation Despite Crashes (weight 0.13): One player still recommends the game despite experiencing crashes, indicating that the core experience outweighs technical issues for some.
- Refunded and Not Recommended (weight 0.13): One player refunded the game and does not recommend it, indicating significant dissatisfaction.
- Try It Out (weight 0.13): A reviewer encourages others to give the game a shot, reflecting a positive but casual recommendation.
- Good for Short Play Sessions (weight 0.12): Some players find the game decent enough to spend a few hours on, suggesting it provides short-term entertainment.
- Later Areas Not Worth It (weight 0.12): A reviewer suggests that continuing to the later areas may not be worth the effort, implying a drop in quality or enjoyment.

Other player notes:
- Solo developer project (weight 0.69): Multiple reviews highlight that the game was created by a single developer, which is a defining characteristic of the project. This is mentioned across several clusters and sets expectations for the game's scope and authenticity.
- Developer actively engaged and responsive (weight 0.26): The developer is noted for being actively engaged with the community and responsive to feedback, and continues to work on the game. This ongoing involvement is seen as a positive sign for the game's future.
- Passion project with potential (weight 0.25): Reviewers describe the game as a passion project with a lot of potential, and some have followed the developer's dedication over a year of development. This sentiment reflects the game's earnest creation and future possibilities.
- Early access with confirmed updates (weight 0.25): The game is in early access, and post-launch updates and more content have already been confirmed. This indicates an evolving game with planned improvements.
- Demo available and basic (weight 0.25): A demo exists, but it is described as very basic and barebone compared to the current version. This suggests the full game has seen significant enhancements since the demo.
- Lore tablets and riddles in Sunken Realms (weight 0.23): The narrative includes lore tablets scattered around, and the game features Sunken Realms with riddles. These elements add depth to the game's world and puzzles.
- Game is early access and low budget (weight 0.22): The game is in early access and has a low budget, which sets expectations for its scope. Despite this, it has received positive attention.
- Game has character and seems nice (weight 0.22): The game has a lot of character and seems nice according to some reviewers. These general positive impressions contribute to its appeal.
- Major enhancements since early stages (weight 0.15): The game has seen major enhancements since its early development stages, indicating continuous improvement. This is a positive note for players looking for a polished experience.
- Fewer bugs than typical solo dev games (weight 0.15): Compared to other games made by solo developers, this game has fewer bugs than most. This is notable given the game's indie origins.
- Skyrim-like exploration vibes (weight 0.14): The game gives off Skyrim vibes, especially the feeling of exploring a fantasy world and wanting to know what happens next. This comparison highlights the game's immersive world design.
- Developer voices all characters (weight 0.14): The developer voices all characters himself, covering male, female, old, and young roles. This showcases the solo nature of the project and adds a unique charm.
- Motion capture for cutscenes (weight 0.14): Motion capture was used for dialogue shots and cutscenes, which is an impressive feat for a solo-developed game. This adds to the game's production quality.
- Diablo 2 entrance chamber comparison (weight 0.13): The entrance chamber reminded at least one reviewer of the opening gateway to the Cathedral in Diablo 2. This suggests a nostalgic or familiar dungeon atmosphere.
- Community Discord for sharing ideas (weight 0.13): A community Discord exists for sharing ideas, fostering engagement between players and the developer. This supports the game's community-driven development.
- Cave setting with protagonist and trader (weight 0.13): The setting involves a cave, a protagonist, and a trader friend, forming the basic premise. This provides context for the game's story and characters.
- Looks cool based on videos (weight 0.13): Based on videos, the game looked cool and exciting to at least one reviewer. This suggests the game's promotional material is effective.
- AI used for voice editing (weight 0.12): AI was used to edit the developer's own voice. This is a technical detail that some might find interesting or noteworthy.
- Not a 90+ hour RPG (weight 0.12): It is not a 90+ hours A-RPG, indicating a shorter or more focused experience. This manages expectations for players seeking lengthy adventures.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.2): Players derive enjoyment from the game's fun and addicting gameplay loop, which involves fighting enemies for loot and progression. The smooth combat, responsive controls, and great atmosphere with music enhance the overall experience. The mechanics and character design further contribute to the enjoyable gameplay.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.15): Satisfaction arises from overcoming tough bosses and earning rewarding upgrades that allow for unique playstyles. The gorgeous music and art style, along with collecting piles of gold, provide a sense of accomplishment. The hand-crafted rooms and unique enemies also contribute to the satisfying experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): Disappointment stems from the game not living up to the potential shown in videos, feeling extremely early access with jank and bugs. The lack of keybinds for directional movement prevents some users from playing at all. Additionally, players wish the game was longer.
- Frustration (weight 0.1): Frustration is caused by numerous bugs and broken mechanics, such as glitches during boss fights, mobs hitting through walls, and non-functional treasure rooms. An inaccurate map in a maze-type game heavily dependent on it adds to the frustration. Frequent dungeon-entry freezes requiring computer restarts and treasure room locking bugs that waste whole playthroughs are major pain points.
- Anticipation (weight 0.07): Players look forward to exploring more of the game and unraveling its mystery while mastering boss battles. They are also eager to attempt no-hit runs and speedruns, indicating a high level of engagement with the game's challenges.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement comes from the procedurally generated dungeons that change each run, offering fresh experiences. Adventures through the world of Aederia and playing the full version after trying the demo also generate excitement.
- Hope (weight 0.05): Players hope that the lockup bug will be fixed soon to improve stability. They also wish for an armor system to be added to complete the overall experience.
- Boredom (weight 0.05): Boredom results from shallow content that gets old fast. Long black-screen load times and tedious treasure room searches further contribute to the feeling of boredom.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): Admiration is felt for the quality of the game achieved by a solo developer. The passion and care of the single developer, who created the entire game from their mind, impress players.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.05): Enthusiasm is driven by enjoying nearly every aspect of the game, including meaningful and deliberate world building and combat. The strong combat feel and high-quality character presentation further fuel this enthusiasm.
- Amusement (weight 0.05): Amusement is derived from the fun and wholesome cutscenes between the player and the old man. The game is entertaining enough to offset its flaws, providing lighthearted enjoyment.
- Conflict (weight 0.02): Conflict arises from being torn between the game's accessible loop and its lack of depth. Players appreciate the easy-to-grasp gameplay but feel it lacks the depth they desire.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Players are impressed by the distinct art and feel across six areas, all created by a one-person team. This achievement showcases the developer's talent and dedication.
- Confidence (weight 0.02): Confidence is inspired by the developer's responsiveness, suggesting that the rough edges and issues will be fixed. This gives players faith in the game's future improvement.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is provoked by a paid game having no way to rebind movement keys, which is seen as a basic feature that should be included. This limitation frustrates players who cannot customize controls.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance stems from a hidden keybind for the health potion, which is inconvenient. Additionally, a clunky DEX build makes gameplay less smooth, adding to the annoyance.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is felt for the solo developer who voiced everyone and finished the game. This dedication and effort are recognized and valued by players.
- Optimism (weight 0.02): Optimism persists as players hope the game improves despite current bugs. They note that the game has come a long way and the developer is responsive, suggesting a positive trajectory.
- Curiosity (weight 0.02): Curiosity is driven by wanting to know where the story goes from here. The narrative pulls players in and makes them eager to discover more.
- Tension (weight 0.02): Tension arises from the risk of dying and losing coins and resources. This high-stakes gameplay creates a tense atmosphere that keeps players on edge.}