Info about Shadow of the Depth:

Official game description:
Overview
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Dive into Shadow of the Depth, a thrilling action roguelike with top-down perspective and stunning hand-drawn visuals.  
Featuring a dark world and five distinct characters, players will explore an ever-changing labyrinth through an immersive combat system that challenges them to create and experiment with all the tools at their disposal. Find your perfect warrior, explore a world caught between light and shadow and see if you have what it takes to survive an onslaught of powerful monsters.  
Key Features
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· 5 PLAYSTYLES - Multiple outstanding characters for you to choose from, each with unique abilities and characteristics.  
*   Arthur, a melee warrior excelling in high defence at the expense of his agility, fights with a sword and shield, an expert in defensive manoeuvres. The son of a blacksmith, and seeking vengeance on the monsters that killed his father.  
*   Arya is an agile assassin with dual daggers, dealing high damage from up close, and as survivable as she can dodge enemy attacks. A wandering bounty hunter, often found skulking in the shadows of taverns and the lairs of monsters.  
*   Stephanie, an enigmatic sorcerer proficient in fire, frost and lightning magics, boasts powerful attacks at long ranges, but sacrifices survivability and agility. Able to teleport from danger at the cost of mana, she wields a magic orb.  
*   Phyllis (archer/hunter), a ranged attacker, is able to summon a wolf, a bear, and two eagles to divert enemy attention as she attacks.  
*   Ginzo, a swordsman with an extended attack range, wields a katana, and uses flashing sword slashes reminiscent of samurai.
· HACK N’ SLASH - Intense hack-and-slash action, seamlessly integrated with Rogue-like elements.  
· COMBO MOVES - Each character in Shadow of the Depth features their own distinct array of primary and ultimate skills, underpinned by multiple combo options or exclusive moves. Rhythmic combos, which task players with carefully timing their button hits, add depth to combat encounters, encouraging the mastering of all five of the game’s playable characters.  
· HAND-PAINTED - Hand-painted visuals help bring Shadow of the Depth’s dark and brooding world to life. Dynamic lighting adds further depth to the world, creating a tangible atmosphere which sits at the heart of every encounter.  
·ROGUELIKE - Explore randomly generated dungeons full of challenges, comprising three grand chapters, each culminating in thrilling and tense boss battles.
About Us
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We’re a team of 5 people that have been working on SOTD for over 5 years. In Shadow of the Depth, we've crafted a dark and intricate world, and the playable characters are simply tailored for entertaining gamers with various combat mindsets. We hope that you can find enjoyment in mastering your characters and their development, indulging in the pure combat while refining your gaming skills, and perhaps you’ll discover a new combat preference.  
You're welcome to join our Discord server or follow us on X (@ChillyRoom) for updates, discussions about the game, and your valued suggestions and support.  
**_Do you have what it takes to conquer the depths?_**

Release date: 9 Apr, 2025

Categories: Roguelike, Dungeon Crawler, Real-time Combat, Character Progression, Build Crafting, Single-player, Meta-Progression


- 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:
- Engaging, fluid, satisfying combat (weight 0.95): The game features engaging, fluid, and fast-paced combat with responsive controls, satisfying feedback, and depth comparable to titles like Hades. Players find the core gameplay loop addictive and enjoyable, with a good sense of impact and smooth controls that contribute to an overall satisfying experience.
- Diverse characters, unique playstyles (weight 0.44): The game offers a diverse roster of characters, each with unique playstyles, abilities, and upgrade paths. This character differentiation enhances replayability and allows players to experiment with various builds and strategies, contributing to a fresh and engaging experience with each playthrough.
- Good replayability, fresh runs (weight 0.42): The game offers good replayability with fresh runs, upgrade opportunities, and varied maps. The ability to save mid-run caters to relaxed play sessions.
- Varied builds, deep progression (weight 0.37): The game provides a variety of character upgrades, skill choices, and combo systems that allow for creative and unconventional builds.  The rune synthesis system and random skill upgrades further enhance replayability and enjoyment, offering options for 'gamebreaking' fun.
- Appealing and distinctive art style (weight 0.35): The game boasts a distinctive and appealing art style, often described as a blend of comic book aesthetics and dark fantasy.  Reviewers consistently praise the visual design, sound design, and overall aesthetic, noting its consistency and polish.
- Powerful character skills/builds (weight 0.17): Specific characters and builds offer powerful defensive and offensive capabilities.  For example, the mage's dodge and certain warrior skills provide significant advantages, while perfect block timing can trivialize normal difficulty.
- Responsive, active development team (weight 0.14): The development team is responsive to player feedback, frequently releasing updates and bug fixes. This dedication to improving the game enhances the overall player experience.
- Unique camera angle/perspective (weight 0.09): The game utilizes a unique camera angle and perspective that contributes to its distinctive visual style. This perspective is generally well-received and does not cause motion sickness.
- Flexible, rebindable control options (weight 0.08): The game offers flexible control options, with full controller and keyboard support, including rebindable keys.  The game also provides multiple keyboard and mouse loadouts, indicating a thoughtful approach to PC controls.
- Polished, solid early access (weight 0.05): The game is considered polished and content-rich for an early access title. The length of content is acceptable at this stage of development.
- Skillful play and builds (weight 0.05): The game balances skill-based gameplay with strategic build choices. Players can compensate for weaker mechanical skills through effective skill combinations, and vice versa.

Common complaints:
- Unbalanced and inconsistent difficulty (weight 0.71): The game's difficulty is inconsistent and often unbalanced, with players experiencing both trivial and overly challenging situations.  Enemies can stunlock players, deal excessive damage, and have unclear attack patterns.  The game's balance issues contribute to a frustrating and unenjoyable experience.
- Lacks content, depth, and variety (weight 0.67): The game suffers from a lack of content, depth, and variety in levels, enemies, and progression.  Players report monotonous gameplay, a weak meta-progression system, and unrewarding monster encounters, leading to a generic and unfulfilling experience. The game feels overpriced for the limited content it offers.
- Frustrating enemy behaviors/level design (weight 0.19): The game suffers from frustrating enemy behaviors and level design issues.  Enemies can attack through walls, spawn with invincibility frames, and have unpredictable attacks, leading to unfair and frustrating encounters.  The game's difficulty spikes and uneven pacing further detract from the overall experience.
- Numerous game-breaking bugs (weight 0.18): The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including loading issues, save data loss, and characters getting stuck. These technical issues can ruin runs and prevent players from progressing, leading to a negative and frustrating experience.
- Tedious and grindy character unlocks (weight 0.08): Character unlocks are unclear and grindy, with specializations feeling indistinct.  Character balance and bugs are significant issues, and progression outside of matches feels insignificant, leading to a tedious and unrewarding experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Top-down roguelike dungeon exploration (weight 0.38): The game is a top-down roguelike dungeon crawler with procedurally generated levels, offering a clear view of the battlefield. This perspective is noted as a less common but engaging experience compared to side-scrolling roguelikes. The core gameplay loop involves exploring these maps, defeating enemies, and acquiring equipment.
- Unexplained combo-based combat system (weight 0.14): The game incorporates a combo system, where different attack patterns are achieved through right-click attacks with slight pauses. However, the game does not explain this mechanic to the player, and it requires a talent point to reveal. Some reviewers found the combo system in an action roguelite to be unusual.
- Meta-progression and cross-class skills (weight 0.14): The game features meta-progression systems, including runes and skill trees, that allow players to customize their builds and reduce difficulty over time. Characters can also use weapons from other classes as secondary weapons, expanding their abilities and enabling cross-class skill combinations.
- Unique character builds/playstyles (weight 0.12): Each character has unique builds and playstyles. For example, Mage Stephanie utilizes elemental types, Warrior Arthur focuses on invincibility, Archer Phyllis uses tracking arrows and ice skills, and Assassin Ailiya relies on dodging.
- Parry/counter combat mechanic (weight 0.09): The game incorporates a parry/counter mechanic that requires player skill and can be used against various attack types. One character, Samurai Gintoki, has a core mechanic centered around parry-counter, granting invincibility during the parry animation.
- Simple, straightforward roguelike (weight 0.06): Some reviewers found the game to be simple with easy-to-understand rules, while others noted some difficulty. The game is described as a straightforward roguelike with roguelite elements.
- Teleporters reduce backtracking (weight 0.05): The game includes a teleport function on each map to avoid backtracking, adding dynamism to the experience. Multiple portals can be unlocked for fast travel, reducing the need to traverse already-explored areas.
- Five characters with unique playstyles (weight 0.04): The game features five playable characters in early access, each with distinct playstyles. These characters include Arthur the Warrior, Ginzo the Ronin, Arya the Bounty Hunter, Phyllis the Archer, and Stephanie the Mage.

Performance notes:
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.18): Multiple reviews cite performance issues, including lag and frame rate drops, especially during intense battles, when using summon builds, or in later levels. Some users experience these issues even on high-end hardware, indicating optimization problems. Some players also report minor bugs.
- Positive graphics and sound (weight 0.08): Graphics and sound are rated positively (8/10). This indicates that the game's presentation is generally well-received.
- Specific gameplay bugs reported (weight 0.03): Several specific bugs were reported, including character locking to the left in certain acts and environments flashing when summoned creatures return to the player. These issues detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- Loading issues in level three (weight 0.02): The third level has noticeable loading issues, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay. This is a specific instance of a technical problem.

Recommendations:
- Worth the price; has potential (weight 0.84): Many reviewers find the game to be worth its current price, especially given its early access status. They believe it has potential and are hopeful for future updates and content additions. Some suggest waiting for sales or full release, but overall, the game is considered a reasonable value.
- Balance issues need addressing (weight 0.7): Several reviews mention balance issues, particularly regarding character viability and difficulty scaling in later stages. Some characters feel underpowered while others are overpowered, leading to an uneven and potentially frustrating gameplay experience. Numerical balance adjustments are needed.
- Awaiting further development/content (weight 0.69): A common sentiment is that the game shows promise but needs further development and content. Reviewers are looking forward to future updates, bug fixes, and the full release, with many expressing hope that the developers will continue to improve the game based on feedback.
- Lacks replay value/too long (weight 0.65): Some reviewers feel the game lacks replay value, with playthroughs being too long or becoming uninteresting after a few attempts. Adjusting the overall game length per run is suggested to combat player fatigue and maintain engagement.
- Improve the shop system (weight 0.6): The shop system could be improved to offer players more meaningful options for spending their gold, enhancing player agency and progression.
- Negative reviews, likely review-bombing (weight 0.24): These reviews contain hyperbolic claims and emotional language without specific details. They are likely examples of review bombing and are therefore given a low importance score.
- Add more characters/skins; diversify (weight 0.05): Reviewers suggest adding more characters or skins and ensuring each class has unique characteristics and satisfying gameplay elements to encourage experimentation.
- Similar to Raksasi/Soul Knight (weight 0.03): The game is recommended to players who enjoyed similar games like Demon Slayer Raksasi or Soul Knight.
- Improve character abilities (weight 0.03): Specific feedback on character abilities, such as the Berserker's block, suggests improvements or replacements based on other classes' abilities.
- Try the demo first (weight 0.03): Several reviewers suggest trying the demo before purchasing the game to see if it suits individual preferences.
- Good for calm, relaxed play (weight 0.03): The game may appeal to players who prefer a calm, deliberate top-down action experience over flashy, fast-paced games, making it suitable for relaxed play sessions.
- Underrated roguelike gem (weight 0.02): The game is considered an underrated gem within the roguelike genre.
- Waiting for fixes (weight 0.02): The reviewer is waiting for specific issues to be fixed before changing their review to positive.
- Unrewarding high difficulty (weight 0.02): The reviewer is not interested in repeatedly attempting high difficulty due to the lack of satisfying rewards and frustrating experiences.
- Works on Steamdeck (weight 0.01): The game works perfectly on Steamdeck.
- Overall score: 7.5/10 (weight 0.01): The overall score is 7.5 out of 10.
- Addictive gameplay (weight 0.01): The game is addictive.

Other player notes:
- Early Access, awaiting more content (weight 0.16): The game is in early access, with developers planning to add more content and improvements. Reviewers are looking forward to future updates and changes to the game as it progresses towards its official release.
- Runes and meta-progression system (weight 0.04): The game features runes that can be equipped to enhance characters, with a limit of three runes at a time. Crystals are used for weapon upgrades and runes, while purple currency is used for leveling up, suggesting a meta-progression system.
- Developed by small, nostalgic team (weight 0.04): The game was developed by a small team of 5-7 members, Liang屋游戏. For some reviewers, Liang屋 is considered a nostalgic brand.
- Leveling unlocks characters (weight 0.03): Leveling up is tied to the player's account and is the primary method for unlocking new characters. One reviewer mentioned unlocking all characters relatively quickly after a single win.
- Fixed levels and bosses (weight 0.03): The game currently consists of three chapters with varying difficulty levels. However, the levels and bosses within these chapters are fixed, which may impact replayability.
- Chinese fonts, input issues (weight 0.03): The game uses Chinese fonts for Kanji characters. One reviewer reported an issue with Steam not being able to input Chinese characters, which may be a technical problem for some players.
- First review, correct price (weight 0.02): The game has a correct price. This is the first review written by the user.
- Specific control scheme (weight 0.02): The game uses a specific control scheme with X for attack, Y for skills (using mana), A for evade dash, LB for character/weapon skills, RB for ultimate skill, and RT for interaction.
- Mixed rating despite bug fixes (weight 0.02): Despite frequent bug fix updates, the game's current rating is around 70%, which the reviewer considers unfortunate. This suggests that while bugs are being addressed, other issues may be affecting the overall player experience.
- Floor spike traps (cultural reference) (weight 0.01): The reviewer notes the presence of floor spike traps, referencing ChillyRoom's design tendencies. This is a cultural reference.

Emotions:
No emotions}