Info about Quest Master:

Official game description:
In _Quest Master,_ your wildest dungeon designs come alive and beckon adventurers from around the globe to test their mettle. It's a world where your imagination reigns supreme, and every challenge you craft is a siren call to glory-seekers eager for the thrill of your creation!
MAKE YOUR OWN DUNGEONS
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An endless canvas. Add additional floors to your dungeon and make them as big as you can imagine.
Cycle between unique dungeon themes with the click of a button to give your dungeon a fresh coat of paint. Set your dungeon in a sand temple, a fiery cavern or in a lush forest. All components of the dungeon swap on the fly -- you're never locked into just one.
INTERACTIONS
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Creating interactions is as simple as drag and drop! Place items in chests or make an enemy ride a minecart.
Use the context menu to change properties and add conditions using shape matching or predefined conditions.
IT'S DANGEROUS TO BUILD ALONE
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Have some inventive friends? Round them up and work together to build and explore in local co-op with up to 3 friends.
Don't have friends? Use puppets to swap between other characters so you can play multiplayer dungeons even while alone.
SHARE YOUR CREATIONS
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Built the perfect dungeon? Upload it for other players to test their mettle. Need a new challenge? Dive into another dungeon from the ever-growing list of community-uploaded creations and compete with other players for the world record.
EXPLORE CASTLE TOWN!
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Take a break from dungeon creation and diving with side-activities and mini-games in Castle Town like Lucky's Locks.
Train your combat abilities at the dojo!
JEWELRY
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A variety of rings can be equipped before tackling dungeons that give player various benefits like health regeneration or improved combat abilities!
THE STORY SO FAR...
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In the verdant kingdom of Aetheria, beneath its serene landscapes and bountiful prosperity lies a hidden network of Aetherial Veins, mystic channels of magical energy that weave through the earth like the veins of a gigantic, slumbering dragon. These veins energize the Great Barrier, a mystical shield defending the realm from darkness. However, when a vile poison begins to corrupt the veins, monsters assail the kingdom, and the Great Barrier's weakening sends a shadow of fear across the land.
Step into the boots of Lanze, a fledgling Quest Master tasked with engineering intricate dungeons to protect his kingdom. In your journeys, ally with the Princess Javelyn and Shiv, the Rabbit Thief, to embark on a journey across six unique biomes to battle the corruption that threatens to infect the veins beneath their homeland.
A perilous and wondrous adventure awaits the trio - from the fiery depths of the Emberstone Quarry to the sun-bathed dunes of the Sandswept Ruins - as well as the signs of greater ambitions that taint Aetheria.

Release date: May 29, 2024

Categories: Level Editor, Sandbox Creation, Zelda-like, 2D Dungeon Crawler, Local Co-op, User-Generated Content, Puzzle Levels, Workshop Support


- 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 explicit 17.2-hour and 26-hour figures refer to the prerelease demo, so they do not support full-game completion or story completion. The 4-5 hours plus 30 minutes describes creating one dungeon, not completing the game. The closest report to a play-session duration is the 3-hour random-dungeon comment, so sessionLength is estimated at about 3 hours; no review provides a reliable full-game, story-mode, or endgame duration, so those metrics remain null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Dungeon building and play are reported as fun immediately, with intuitive creation after a short tutorial and only modest editor friction.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Scrolling through triggers and conditions can be tedious.; Changing things inside the editor can feel tedious at times.; Early access lacks a campaign and an editor tutorial.; Multiplayer is same-screen co-op, requiring in-person friends or Steam Remote Play.
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Building access begins after a short tutorial.; Multiplayer enjoyment depends on same-screen friends or Steam Remote Play.; Solo-multiplayer options help when no friend is available.; Dungeon filters help identify multiplayer-friendly designs.
- Player Archetypes:
  - Zelda-Inspired Dungeon Creator (buy)
    - Motivation: Creative expression through designing and polishing Zelda-like dungeons and puzzles.
    - Playstyle: Builds and iterates dungeons, experiments with themes and mechanics, and shares user-made levels.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: The Legend of Zelda; Super Mario Maker
  - Local Co-op Dungeon Party Player (buy)
    - Motivation: Shared social play and flexible co-op dungeon runs with friends or solo character control.
    - Playstyle: Plays same-screen co-op or switches characters solo, and seeks co-op-friendly dungeon designs.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Newcomer UGC Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Accessible discovery and play of creative user-generated Zelda-like dungeons.
    - Playstyle: Browses and filters user-made dungeons for casual solo or multiplayer runs.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: The Legend of Zelda; Super Mario Maker
  - Early Access Roadmap Follower (buy)
    - Motivation: Participating in a growing project and expecting future content such as a single-player campaign.
    - Playstyle: Follows updates and roadmap, plays current early-access content, and waits for or recommends the 1.0 release.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: 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:
- Extensive dungeon creation tools (weight 0.72): The dungeon maker offers deep customization, allowing players to build everything from simple rooms to complex adventures with many options.
- Frequent updates and new content (weight 0.54): The game receives updates very frequently, often weekly or even daily, consistently adding new content and improvements.
- Overall very positive reception (weight 0.46): The game is widely regarded as very good, fun, and well-made, with many expressing love for it.
- Strong Zelda-like dungeon maker (weight 0.43): Players praise the game as a highly polished and feature-rich Zelda-inspired dungeon maker, noting it already surpasses similar games at launch.
- Abundant community-made dungeons (weight 0.43): A large number of user-created dungeons are available to play, with useful tags to find specific types, providing plenty of content even for non-builders.
- Active and responsive developers (weight 0.27): Developers are highly engaged with the community, actively listening to feedback and working to improve the game regularly.
- Classic 2D Zelda charm (weight 0.26): The game evokes nostalgia for old Legend of Zelda titles, appealing strongly to fans of classic 2D Zelda games.
- Easy to use and intuitive (weight 0.2): Players find the game easy to understand and use, making both building and playing accessible.
- Both creating and playing are fun (weight 0.2): Crafting dungeons and exploring them are equally enjoyable, offering a balanced experience.
- Impressive even in Early Access (weight 0.2): The game is already highly enjoyable and polished despite being in Early Access, exceeding expectations.
- Mod support included (weight 0.2): The game features mod support for custom skins, models, music, and more, adding versatility.
- High future potential (weight 0.2): Players see great potential for the game's future development and growth.
- Good music (weight 0.18): The soundtrack is well-received, with many praising the music quality.

Common complaints:
- Insufficient language support (weight 0.27): The game lacks support for several languages including Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. This hinders map creation and story comprehension for non-English speakers.
- Missing singleplayer campaign (weight 0.23): Players report the absence of a promised singleplayer campaign or story mode. This core missing feature is a significant letdown.
- Lack of guidance and tutorials (weight 0.21): The game lacks guidance, and there is no editor tutorial yet. Some things are not explained well, leaving players confused.
- Incomplete features in Early Access (weight 0.2): A handful of features still need to be implemented, and the game is limited in its current early access state. Version 1.0 has not yet been reached.
- Controller support deficiencies (weight 0.2): There is no controller equivalent for right-mouse-button actions, and on controller, changing properties resets selection and variations can only be switched in one direction.
- Low active player count (weight 0.16): The game has a small active player base, as indicated by SteamDB and user observations. This may affect online dungeon browsing and overall community engagement.
- Crashes and control issues (weight 0.16): The game can cause computer crashes, and some controls may not respond. These technical issues severely impact playability.
- Basic player-created levels (weight 0.15): Many player-created levels are very basic, and there are too few people making levels. This limits the quality and variety of user-generated content.
- Loss of appeal over time (weight 0.15): Players lose interest after playing random dungeons for a few hours, as they often feel sameish due to repeated puzzles and traps.
- Tedious editor and copy/paste flaws (weight 0.15): Changing things inside the editor can get tedious, and copy/paste only pastes the object, not its settings. This slows down level creation.
- Master Vu progression bug (weight 0.15): Master Vu does not say how many logs were cut and will not let the player progress through the ranks unless all logs are cut, likely due to a bug.
- Performance issues with large levels (weight 0.15): Performance can take a hit with very large rooms and lots of interactable parts, and lag is possible on low-end PCs when playing or building huge dungeons.
- Dungeon filtering limitations (weight 0.14): Filtering by top rated shows old dungeons with outdated types and enemies, and there is no way to filter best dungeons by release time.
- Water area soft lock (weight 0.09): Players can get stuck after walking left of two guards and jumping into the water area, walking on water with no way back. This is a critical soft lock bug.
- Save file corruption (weight 0.09): Save files can get nuked due to Steam cloud shenanigans, causing loss of progress.
- Stair collision issues (weight 0.09): Players experience poor collision detection on stairs, leading to frustrating movement problems.
- Red/blue switch visual glitch (weight 0.09): Red/blue toggle switches do not update visually in other rooms until the player enters, causing a visual glitch.
- Room box shape mismatch (weight 0.08): The room box is a square even though the room can be any shape, which is visually confusing and limits design flexibility.
- Online connection required (weight 0.08): An online connection is required to browse and play dungeons online, which may be inconvenient for some players.

Gameplay feedback:
- Core dungeon maker (weight 0.94): Players emphasize creating custom dungeons with parts, enemies, and themes, often describing it as a Zelda-inspired dungeon maker. Many highlight the wide range of complexity and options for building as many floors as desired.
- Create and share levels (weight 0.58): Players can create their own levels and share them with the community, as well as play levels made by others. This sharing aspect enhances replayability and community engagement.
- Level editor functionality (weight 0.46): The game includes a robust level editor for building dungeons and adventure games, allowing players to design rooms and puzzles. Many appreciate the editor's ability to create custom Zelda-like dungeons and play them.
- Zelda Maker comparison (weight 0.41): Reviewers frequently compare the game to a 'Zelda Maker' or 'Mario Maker for Zelda,' noting its 2D top-down style and dungeon-building focus. This comparison captures the essence of the game as a creation tool for Zelda-like dungeons.
- Mod support (weight 0.31): The game supports mods, including Steam Workshop integration, allowing players to customize and extend the experience. Modding support is a notable feature for many users.
- Contraptions and puzzle design (weight 0.21): The dungeon creator includes mechanics and contraptions that make dungeons feel alive, with a focus on puzzle design. This adds depth to the creation tools beyond simple layout.
- 2D Zelda-like gameplay (weight 0.21): The gameplay is presented in a top-down 2D format inspired by classic Zelda titles such as Minish Cap. This style appeals to fans of traditional action-adventure games.
- Local co-op support (weight 0.15): The game offers local co-op for two players, allowing friends to play together in the same room. This feature is highlighted as a positive for social gaming.
- Multiplayer dungeons (weight 0.15): Dungeons support co-op multiplayer, enabling players to tackle created content together online or locally. This expands the game's appeal for group play.
- mod.io sharing integration (weight 0.15): User-created dungeons can be uploaded and shared via mod.io, providing an easy way to distribute and discover community content. The integration streamlines sharing beyond in-game options.
- Players build custom dungeons (weight 0.15): A core activity is players creating their own dungeons that others can play, emphasizing user-generated content. This is central to the game's identity as a creation platform.
- Limited maker mode (weight 0.14): Some feedback mentions a limited maker mode, suggesting that the creation tools may have restrictions or a simplified version. This could indicate areas for expansion.
- Rings provide bonuses (weight 0.14): Rings serve as equipment that grant small bonuses during levels, adding a light RPG element to gameplay. Players note these bonuses as a minor but useful feature.
- Community dungeon browsing (weight 0.14): Community-uploaded dungeons can be browsed and filtered by tags such as type and multiplayer suitability. This helps players find content that matches their preferences.
- Zelda-level creation and sharing (weight 0.14): Players can create Zelda-like levels and share them with friends, combining creation with social sharing. This feature strengthens the community aspect.
- Advanced room editing (weight 0.14): The level editor allows building puzzles and rooms with drag, copy, and cut functionality for efficient design. These tools enhance the usability of the creation system.
- Dungeon themes variety (weight 0.14): The game offers multiple dungeon themes, with some available in the demo and more in the full version. Themes add visual and atmospheric variety to created dungeons.
- Playing others' dungeons (weight 0.14): Players can play dungeons made by others, which is a key part of the experience alongside creation. This allows the community to enjoy each other's designs.

Performance notes:
- Runs well on low-end hardware (weight 0.09): Some players report the game runs great on low-end hardware, indicating decent baseline optimization. This positive experience shows the game can be playable on modest setups in typical scenarios.
- Crashes reported by players (weight 0.09): Some feedback mentions crashes occurring during play. Details are vague, but stability problems can significantly disrupt the experience.
- Slow mouse zoom controls (weight 0.09): Zooming in and out with a mouse is described as still very slow. This makes camera control feel sluggish and affects usability.
- Performance drops in large rooms (weight 0.09): Performance can take a hit with very large rooms and lots of interactable parts. Dense scenes appear to strain the game's performance.
- Lag on huge dungeons (weight 0.09): Low-end PCs experience lag with huge dungeons or very large custom levels. Large-scale content appears to be the main driver of performance problems.
- Occasional minor sound issues (weight 0.08): Minor sound issues occur occasionally according to feedback. These are described as minor but still noticeable to some players.

Recommendations:
- Targeted at Zelda Fans (weight 0.76): The game is repeatedly recommended for fans of classic top-down Zelda, especially A Link to the Past. Many reviewers state it is a must-play for 2D Zelda enthusiasts.
- General Recommendations are Positive (weight 0.64): Many reviews simply recommend the game without specific caveats. Phrases like 'recommend' and 'worth it' appear frequently.
- Dungeon Creation is Key Feature (weight 0.41): The ability to design and share custom Zelda dungeons is a major draw. Reviewers highlight it as a definitive game for creating and playing user-made dungeons.
- Strong for Mario Maker Fans (weight 0.27): Players who enjoyed Super Mario Maker or wanted a Zelda-themed maker game highly recommend this title. It is often described as the Zelda Maker they were looking for.
- Worth the Price (weight 0.26): Reviewers feel the game justifies its cost, even at full price. Some mention it is worth supporting the developers.
- Early Access is Worthwhile (weight 0.25): Despite being in early access, the game is considered worth buying now. Updates and future content add to its value.
- Try the Demo First (weight 0.2): Several reviewers suggest trying the free demo to see if the game suits you. It provides a good sense of what the game offers.
- Level Editor Appeals Broadly (weight 0.2): The game is recommended for anyone interested in level editors, even if they are new to the genre. It offers creative expression for makers.
- Good for Playing and Creating (weight 0.2): Whether you want to play user-created dungeons or build your own, the game delivers. It caters to both playstyles.
- Some Negative or Caveats (weight 0.18): A few reviewers do not recommend the game or mention frustration for some players. Others note that if you disliked Mario Maker, you may not enjoy this.
- Compared Favorably to Alternatives (weight 0.14): Quest Master is often preferred over other dungeon makers like Super Dungeon Maker. It is seen as a superior choice in the genre.
- Worth Waiting for 1.0 (weight 0.13): Some suggest waiting for the full 1.0 release if unsure. However, others feel it is already worth buying.
- Playstyle Flexibility (weight 0.11): Even those primarily interested in playing may try the editor. The game accommodates different preferences.
- Appeals to Kaizo and Randomizer Fans (weight 0.08): Players who enjoy Link to the Past randomizers and kaizo Mario Maker levels may find this game appealing. It offers challenging user-generated content.
- Community Content Lacking (weight 0.08): One reviewer notes that while level creation is good, there may not be many players for user-made levels. This could affect long-term engagement.
- Buy Before Price Increase (weight 0.07): A humorous recommendation suggests buying before the price rises by a cent. It reflects the game's value.

Other player notes:
- Game remains in Early Access (weight 0.97): Many reviewers note the game is still in Early Access, with some highlighting it has been so for over two years. They look forward to a full 1.0 release.
- Compared to Zelda and Mario Maker (weight 0.9): Reviewers frequently compare the game to classic 2D Zelda titles and Super Mario Maker, often describing it as a 'Zelda Maker' that Nintendo has not made.
- Frequent updates and active development (weight 0.9): The developers are praised for consistently updating the game with new content, sometimes weekly or even daily. They are actively working on improvements and additions.
- Active developer engagement with community (weight 0.7): Developers are highly responsive, engaging with the community on Discord, addressing feedback, and quickly fixing bugs.
- Favorable comparison to Super Dungeon Maker (weight 0.5): The game is often compared favorably to Super Dungeon Maker, with reviewers noting it has more features, better combat, and is still actively supported.
- Strong Zelda inspiration, especially Minish Cap (weight 0.46): The game's art style and gameplay are reminiscent of classic Zelda games, particularly The Minish Cap and A Link to the Past. Some note strong graphical similarity to Minish Cap.
- Singleplayer campaign in development (weight 0.4): A singleplayer campaign is planned and currently being made, using the same tools available in the game. It is a promised core feature.
- Compared to other maker games (weight 0.35): The game is compared to Quest Master and Super Dungeon Designer, often favorably, with more features and better execution.
- Demo available for testing (weight 0.31): A free demo is available, allowing players to try the game before purchase. The demo is generous, including user-created levels and limited maker mode.
- Overworld maker planned (weight 0.31): An overworld editor is in development and planned for after the 1.0 release. Reviewers look forward to this feature.
- Roadmap and planned features (weight 0.29): A development roadmap is posted, outlining future improvements and content, including a singleplayer campaign and more editor options.
- Friendly and active community (weight 0.29): The game has a friendly community that shares dungeon recommendations, posts bug reports, and follows updates on Discord.
- Thousands of player-made levels available (weight 0.24): The game offers access to thousands of user-created dungeons, with over 100 pages of community dungeons shared via mod.io.
- Content depth and growth potential (weight 0.24): Reviewers note the game already has a lot of content and is consistently improving, with a great future ahead as more features are added.
- Works well on Steam Deck (weight 0.2): The game is playable on Steam Deck and works well, including maker mode with controller support.
- Compared to Link's Awakening dungeon builder (weight 0.2): Reviewers compare the game to the dungeon builder in Link's Awakening, noting it is more expansive and gets it right.
- Dungeon sharing and offline play (weight 0.2): Dungeons are shared through mod.io, requiring an online connection to browse and play online, but can be downloaded and played offline.
- Limited language support (weight 0.15): The game lacks support for certain languages, including Japanese and Chinese, which some reviewers find limiting.
- Modding support and expanding workshop (weight 0.14): The game supports modding, with Workshop mod support expanding. This adds to the game's longevity and creative potential.
- Eight dungeon themes with unique art (weight 0.14): The game features eight distinct dungeon themes, each with unique art and atmosphere, adding variety to level creation.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.09): Players are frustrated by frequent bugs, softlocks, and crashes, especially in the editor and build mode. Updates often break existing dungeons, and the lack of guidance, missing item descriptions, and tedious editor interactions make creation difficult. Additionally, party members getting stuck in hazards and save file losses add to the annoyance.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.08): Enthusiasm stems from the game being the best dungeon maker, with intuitive tools, frequent updates, and a strong community. Players love the creative potential, co-op dungeons, and the Zelda-inspired experience that fills a void after Mario Maker.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): Satisfaction comes from the powerful and intuitive maker mode that fulfills the dream of creating Zelda-like levels. The high variety of creation elements, continuous updates, and huge amount of user-created content provide a deeply rewarding experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.08): Players appreciate the active and responsive developers who listen to feedback and frequently update the game. The community is friendly, and the developers' dedication, such as helping restore saves and adding custom text features, is highly valued.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement is driven by the game's mod support, upcoming massive updates like the Overworld Maker, and the potential to create full adventure games. The active community and frequent improvements keep players eager for future developments.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment arises from the game feeling cheap after two years in early access, with missing features like an overworld, music control, and search options. The lack of campaign or tutorial, limited trigger systems, and unpolished community dungeons also contribute.
- Anticipation (weight 0.05): Anticipation is high for the upcoming 1.0 release, the Overworld Maker, and potential online multiplayer. Players are looking forward to expanded tools, a single-player campaign, and continued updates.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Enjoyment comes from both creating and playing dungeons, especially troll levels and community creations. The Zelda-like gameplay and easy level creation make the experience fun and engaging.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration is felt for the passionate and dedicated development team, the high-quality art style, and the game's originality. The customization options, sprite art, and presentation that capture Zelda and Mario Maker vibes are highly praised.
- Hope (weight 0.04): Hope is rooted in the developer's responsiveness and plans for a 1.0 release, with continued updates and a single-player campaign on the way. Players see potential for the game to become even better if handled well.
- Amazement (weight 0.04): Amazement comes from having a full dungeon maker that feels like a dream come true, with endless combinations and features. Even newcomers to Zelda and Mario Maker find the game amazing and regularly exciting.
- Love (weight 0.03): Love for the game is driven by the ability to create custom Zelda dungeons and the engaging loop of building, playing others' dungeons, and learning from them. The ease of use, variety of themes, and similarity to Zelda make it deeply cherished.
- Gratitude (weight 0.02): Gratitude is expressed for the developer's quick and kind responses to issues, such as fixing playthrough problems and replying to reviews. Players also thank the creator for making a game that Nintendo does not.
- Fun (weight 0.02): Fun is derived from discovering new ideas in community dungeons and incorporating them into your own creations. Building and playing user-made dungeons, whether challenging or creative, provides endless entertainment.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Happiness comes from the base game already being excellent and the ability to create own Zelda-style dungeons. The game's existence and daily improvements bring joy to players.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance is caused by specific glitches like Master Vu's dialogue bug, slow mouse zooming, and the lack of a controller equivalent for right-click. New content being locked behind mini-games also frustrates players.
- Addiction (weight 0.02): Addiction is fueled by the fun dungeon editor and the compelling loop of creating dungeons, to the point of dreaming about ideas. The game is great for sitting down and chilling with for hours.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is evoked by the game's resemblance to classic Zelda titles like The Minish Cap and A Link to the Past, reminding players of childhood experiences with dungeon-making styles.
- Delight (weight 0.02): Delight comes from the sprite art exceeding expectations and the joy of thinking up puzzles for the first dungeon. For Zelda fans, the game is a dream come true.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise is felt when controller building works better than expected and when meta progression, rings, and NPC minigames add depth. Even those not into Zelda or Mario Maker end up enjoying the game a lot.}