Info about Epic Auto Towers:

Official game description:
Epic Auto Towers is a single-player turn-based strategy game combining elements of autobattler, deckbuilder and roguelike. Purchase uncommon and rare Towers and build the strongest combo to withstand the monster assault! Discover unusual Tower combinations as you come back for more.
PICK YOUR STRATEGY
------------------
In Epic Auto Towers you buy, drag and drop your Towers on the field from the Tower Store. The field has limited room, so your choice of Towers matters, as does Tower placement. For example, a Cat Tower gets bonuses from milk, so it makes sense to put it next to a Milk Tower.
CONSTANT UPGRADES
-----------------
All Towers destroyed during battle are fully restored next round, keeping all received bonuses. Don’t hesitate to invest in Tower upgrades, they stay forever!
STACK TOWERS
------------
Combine Towers of the same type to stack them higher. Taller Towers have improved stats and stronger unique abilities!
AUTOMATIC BATTLES
-----------------
Press “End Turn” and watch the Towers vs. monsters battle unfold. Did you prepare well?
Game features:
--------------
*   Common, uncommon and rare towers, each with their unique abilities!  
*   Unique-looking Towers: Cat Towers, Frog Towers, TNT Towers, etc.  
*   Build your economy: certain Towers, like the Chest Tower, give you gold each turn. Strike a balance between economy and battle Towers.  
*   Beautiful 2D graphics, fun-looking Towers, monsters and bosses!  
*   Epic synergies: Tower combinations, placement, and Relics all come together.  
*   Random generation: Random Towers are added to the Tower Store each turn. Adapt your strategy around what you can buy here and now, or take the risk and wait for the Tower you want! Either way, no two runs will be the same!

Release date: Nov 14, 2024

Categories: Autobattler, Deckbuilding, Roguelike, Tower Defense, Turn-based Strategy, Resource Management


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews state the game is not worth its full price, with one user citing a 15 € early access purchase as worthwhile and another recommending it only when on sale. This suggests the community views the fair base price as below the current full price, likely in the $10-$15 range based on the explicit 15 € reference and the sale recommendation.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 30.0h
  - Story completion: 5.0h
  - Session length: 0.8h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence for session length comes from the explicit statement that each game takes 25-60 minutes, which I average to 45 minutes (0.75 hours). For game completion, a player reports feeling able to win a standard run after 30 hours, suggesting typical time to beat the main game. For story completion, a German review states completing the first run after 5 hours, indicating a shorter time for a first successful run that likely represents the main story. No clear evidence exists for endgame playtime, so that metric is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game hooks players immediately with addictive tower defense gameplay, but poor early game balance and heavy RNG cause frustration and rapid boredom, typically setting in around 30 minutes.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Initial runs and early gameplay
  - Time to anchor: 0h 0m
  - Friction: overwhelming early game difficulty; heavy reliance on RNG for builds; limited viable strategies early game; punishing restart mechanic; inconsistent tower balance
  - Unlock drivers: surviving the early game; getting a lucky RNG for build; using specific recommended towers; persistence through many restarts
  - Conditions: playing in short sessions; tolerating high RNG and repetition; seeking casual addictive experience; willing to restart many times
- Player Archetypes:
  - RNG-Skeptic Strategist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Overcoming strategic challenges through deliberate build crafting, but the randomness prevents satisfying progression.
    - Playstyle: Attempts to min-max specific builds, restarts frequently, and feels forced to rely on luck rather than skill.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: experienced roguelike player; strategy gamer; skill-over-luck advocate
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire; other roguelikes; auto battlers
  - Early-Access Optimist (sale)
    - Motivation: Supporting development and hoping the game reaches its potential.
    - Playstyle: Engages with the demo or current version casually, but holds off on deep commitment until more content is added.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: early adopter; patient gamer; demo player
    - Reference games: other early access games
  - Casual Tower Defense Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Relaxing, addictive gameplay loop with satisfying progression.
    - Playstyle: Plays at a leisurely pace, enjoys endless mode and incremental upgrades, does not pursue high difficulty.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: tower defense fan; casual player
    - Reference games: other tower defense games
  - Hardcore Ascension Grinder (no buy)
    - Motivation: Conquering escalating difficulty through strategic mastery.
    - Playstyle: Aggressively pushes ascension levels, seeks optimal meta builds, but resents the forced reroll loop once the meta becomes too narrow.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: hardcore gamer; ascension chaser; meta critic
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire


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:
- Unique and fun concept (weight 0.54): Players find the game's concept unique and interesting, with a fun and addictive gameplay loop that is simple yet engaging. The core idea shows lots of potential and is praised for being a good time killer.
- Great tower variety and combos (weight 0.28): The game offers multiple distinct tower sets, each with different mechanics and abilities, allowing for many viable builds and interesting synergies. Players enjoy the diversity and the strategic options from combining towers.
- Addictive replayability (weight 0.28): The game is highly addictive with strong replay value, thanks to the endless mode and the variety of tower combinations. Players enjoy reaching high levels in endless mode and find the gameplay loop keeps them coming back.
- Appreciation for new content updates (weight 0.18): Players appreciate the regular addition of new towers and content packs. The developer's active updates and improvements are seen as a positive sign for the game's future.
- Nice visuals and design (weight 0.13): The game's graphics and visual design are pleasant, with well-drawn towers. The royal tower is specifically noted as well designed and balanced.
- Developer communication and balance (weight 0.1): Players notice that the developer actively works on balance and updates, fixing bugs and adding new content. This responsiveness is valued by the community.
- Initial fun but may decline (weight 0.05): Some players found the game fun at first but noted the experience might not remain as engaging over time. This is a minority view but indicates a potential longevity issue for some.

Common complaints:
- Excessive randomness and RNG (weight 0.27): The game relies too heavily on randomness, making wins feel dependent on luck rather than skill. Uncontrollable RNG ruins runs and is a major source of frustration across many reviews.
- Major balance issues (weight 0.26): The game has widespread balance problems, with many towers being useless filler and builds feeling non-functional. Players call for significant rebalancing across the board.
- Price too high for content (weight 0.21): The cost is considered disproportionate to the amount of content provided. Many reviewers feel the game is not worth its current price tag.
- First boss too difficult (weight 0.19): The first boss is significantly harder than the rest of the game, acting as a brutal DPS check that leads to repeated frustrating losses. Players find the first run to the first boss poorly balanced and overly punishing compared to later content.
- Cannot remove placed towers (weight 0.18): Players cannot sell or destroy built towers without special tokens or upgrades, forcing them into suboptimal boards. This mechanic is seen as overly restrictive and frustrating.
- Forced into specific builds (weight 0.15): Players are compelled to use the same early-game strategies repeatedly, ignoring most towers. Build variety is extremely limited, especially at higher difficulties.
- Endless mode poorly designed (weight 0.12): Endless mode requires too much luck for viable towers, while enemy scaling is absurd and towers stop progressing. The mode feels pointless and unfun.
- Many towers are useless (weight 0.06): A large portion of towers are considered garbage or have unachievable conditions, cluttering the card pool. This reduces the viability of creative strategies.
- Tower level cap too restrictive (weight 0.06): Towers are capped at level 10 even with upgrades, which limits progression and feels arbitrary. Players want the level limit removed or reworked.

Gameplay feedback:
- Multiple tower sets available (weight 0.33): The game offers multiple tower packs or sets, such as demon towers and obsidian tower, with various synergies and mechanics. Players have many combinable towers to choose from. This is frequently mentioned across clusters 1, 7, 10, 15, 71, 72, 94.
- Tower defense auto battler hybrid (weight 0.33): The game blends tower defense with auto-battler and roguelike deckbuilding elements. It is described as an auto-battler type game with random units and RNG-based selection. Clusters 2, 5, 6, 14, 62, 83 highlight this hybrid nature.
- Endless mode and waves (weight 0.19): The game includes an endless mode with specific wave progression and enemies with bosses. Clusters 3, 26, 92, 95, and 70 describe this mode.
- Ascension system for difficulty (weight 0.17): The game has an ascension system with multiple levels (e.g., ascension +3, 10th, 15th) that increase difficulty. This is highlighted in clusters 4, 12, and 34.
- Roguelike with RNG faction mechanics (weight 0.15): This roguelike tower defense features RNG elements, faction-specific reroll rules (Kingdom, Inferno, Island, Necropolis), and card-based upgrades. Endless mode and ascension options are also included. Clusters 3 and 37 provide this detail.
- Tower synergies and combos (weight 0.15): Towers have synergies (e.g., Cat+Milk, flower+honey) and combo mechanics that provide strategic depth. This is extensively covered in cluster 7, 23, 32, and 61.
- Difficulty levels and settings (weight 0.14): Multiple difficulty settings are available, including ascension and special modes. Clusters 8, 12, 82, 96 mention these options.
- First boss presents challenge (weight 0.13): Players encounter a challenging first boss that may require specific towers or planning. Clusters 13, 16, and 91 note the first boss as a blocker or difficulty spike.
- Tower removal and tokens (weight 0.12): Towers can be removed using tokens or tokens that influence drops and moves, with some premium options. Clusters 11, 41, 63, and 74 discuss this mechanic.
- Run-based planning and builds (weight 0.12): Players engage in runs with planning, builds, and starting bonuses, often with 25-60 minute sessions. Clusters 36, 51, 54, 56, 58 describe this structure.
- Relics and artifacts system (weight 0.1): The game features relics, artifacts, and starting bonuses that affect runs. Clusters 33, 36, 53, 80 describe these systems.
- Gameplay reliant on luck and RNG (weight 0.1): The game involves RNG-based tower selection and random units from the store, making luck a significant factor. Clusters 59, 86, 93, and 68 highlight this randomness.
- Specific tower types with unique abilities (weight 0.09): Examples include Necromancer Tower, slime devour mechanic, and towers like Glutton demon, rations tower, fryer. Clusters 19, 47, 90, 94 list various tower types.
- Strategic depth requires calculation (weight 0.09): The game requires thinking and calculation, balancing skill vs numbers, and involves positioning and strategy. Clusters 31, 64, 89, and 60 highlight this depth.
- Unique tower mechanics per faction (weight 0.08): Each tower has different mechanics, and factions have unique reroll rules. Clusters 10 and 37 emphasize these unique interactions.
- Early access with updates (weight 0.08): The game is in early access and receives updates that change builds. Clusters 9 and 17 mention this ongoing development.
- Bosses and enemy waves (weight 0.08): The game features bosses at specific milestones (e.g., end-boss at level 35) and waves of enemies. Clusters 18, 70, 80 provide details.
- Special game modes with different conditions (weight 0.06): There are special game modes with different starting and winning conditions, such as royal tower mode and standard run mode. Clusters 52 and 73 mention these modes.
- Economy tied to tower types (weight 0.05): The game economy is tied to specific tower types like royal tower, and there are gold/mana/stats towers. Clusters 46 and 88 mention this.
- Early game builds limited (weight 0.03): Early game builds are limited, which may affect the initial experience. Cluster 20 points this out.

Performance notes:
- Game crashes at high level (weight 0.04): The game crashes when players reach high levels, which disrupts progression and can be frustrating for dedicated players.
- Resolution limited to 1080p (weight 0.04): The game only supports up to 1080p resolution, causing blurry text on higher resolution screens, which affects visual clarity.
- Runs well on Steam Deck (weight 0.03): The game runs perfectly on Steam Deck, indicating good optimization for that platform.

Recommendations:
- Not worth full price (weight 0.23): Multiple reviews state the game is not worth its current price. They suggest avoiding purchase at full price or waiting for a significant discount.
- Not recommended currently (weight 0.22): Many reviewers do not recommend buying the game in its current state. They cite issues like poor balance, lack of content, and unfinished development.
- Negative overall sentiment (weight 0.17): Many single-review clusters express strong negative opinions, telling others not to buy, not to get involved, or regretting their purchase. This indicates a significant portion of players are dissatisfied.
- Poor balance issues (weight 0.16): Feedback highlights poor balance as a major reason for not recommending the game. Some reviews specifically mention balance and forced builds as problematic.
- Wait for full release (weight 0.15): Several users advise waiting for the game to be fully released or updated before purchasing. They mention the game needs more development and updates.
- Strongly recommended by some (weight 0.12): Some reviewers give the game a very positive rating, with some rating it 10/10. They strongly recommend the game.
- Recommends with future improvements (weight 0.12): A number of users would recommend the game if certain shortcomings, especially balance and quality of life issues, are fixed. They see potential but want changes.
- Recommended for genre fans (weight 0.11): Several reviews recommend the game specifically for fans of tower defense, deckbuilding, or auto battler genres. They suggest it offers a few hours of enjoyment for enthusiasts.
- Not for casual or average players (weight 0.11): Some reviews advise against buying the game for casual or average players. They note the game is too difficult, luck-dependent, or unenjoyable for general audiences.
- Buy on sale or support dev (weight 0.11): A few reviews suggest buying the game only when on sale, or purchasing it to support the developer if one is really into the genre. They imply the game is not worth full price.
- Try the demo first (weight 0.1): Some reviews recommend trying the demo before buying the full game. They suggest sticking with the demo as it provides sufficient gameplay.
- Do not buy (weight 0.08): Multiple clusters contain strong explicit warnings not to buy the game. This includes phrases like 'DO NOT BUY' and 'NOT FOR NOW'.
- Still recommended despite roughness (weight 0.08): A few users still recommend the game despite its rough state. They acknowledge the potential and enjoyable core gameplay.
- Good game with potential (weight 0.07): Some reviews state the game is good and has lots of potential, despite current issues. They recommend it for specific audiences or with caveats.
- Will change rating if fixed (weight 0.03): A reviewer indicates they will change their negative rating if balance is fixed, showing that improvements could flip some opinions.
- Worth every cent for some (weight 0.02): A single review states the game is worth every cent, indicating some players are very satisfied with their purchase.
- Good for killing time (weight 0.02): One review finds the game good for killing time, suggesting it is a casual time-waster but not necessarily a deep experience.
- Recommended for easy-going gamers (weight 0.02): One review definitely recommends the game for players who like easy-going games, suggesting it fits a niche audience.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.45): Players are extremely frustrated by heavy reliance on RNG for tower drops and boss encounters, which often ruins runs or forces constant restarts despite good play. Poor balance across towers and classes makes only a few builds viable, limiting experimentation and forcing repetitive, luck-dependent strategies. Difficulty spikes, especially early game and with the first boss, lack of meta-progression, and bugs compound the feeling of unfairness and stagnation.
- Disappointment (weight 0.27): Players feel let down because the full game fails to deliver on the promise of the demo, with poor balance, limited viable builds, and missing features like achievements or proper widescreen support. The game feels undercooked for early access, lacks content for its price, and the initial interesting concepts are spoiled by frustrating randomness and lack of flexibility. Many expected a deeper roguelike experience but instead found a repetitive, unbalanced game that discourages experimentation.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Players express excitement about the game's potential, depth, and addictive gameplay loop, often citing the variety of strategies and synergies across different tower sets. The challenge of discovering working builds, the anticipation of future updates, and the satisfaction of a good tower defense game after a long time generate strong positive emotions. Continuous updates and community interaction by the developer also fuel this excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Satisfied players enjoy the game's challenge, simplicity, and tactical depth, often succeeding with creative builds or progressing far into endless mode. They appreciate the game's value, performance on Steam Deck, and the rewarding feeling of finding unexpected tower combos. Winning runs, achieving high rounds, and the overall fun gameplay loop contribute to their satisfaction.
- Hope (weight 0.07): Players hope that future updates will fix balance issues, improve the game, and unlock its potential as a hidden gem. Many express willingness to change their reviews to positive or recommend the game once key problems like RNG dependency and tower balance are addressed. The fact that the game is still in early access gives them optimism that the developer will continue to improve it.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the game's unique charm, satisfying combat, animations, music, and the addictive tower/relic interaction system. The ability to experiment and adapt, even in failures, keeps the experience fun and engaging over long play sessions. Many find the game significantly improved from the demo and continue to play for hundreds of hours.
- Addiction (weight 0.03): The game is highly addictive despite its flaws, with players logging hundreds of hours due to its engaging gameplay loop and replayability. Even when frustrated by difficulty or balance, players cannot stop playing, indicating a strong compulsion to continue. The desire to overcome challenges and find working builds drives this addiction.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Players are angry about poor balance, heavy RNG reliance, and punitive design that forces restarts on mistakes. They also express frustration at overpricing, repetitive content, and a perceived lack of developer listening to community feedback. Random start bonuses that ruin runs exacerbate this anger.
- Fun (weight 0.03): Players find the game entertaining and easy to enjoy despite its issues, citing its progression, complexity, and lasting appeal through difficulty and replayability. The engaging nature of the game makes it fun even when challenging, and those who beta tested enjoyed the experience.
- Desire (weight 0.02): Players desire longer runs before endless mode, more decks and clearer synergies, and a broader variety of viable strategies beyond specific overpowered combos like milk + cats. This reflects a wish for more depth and flexibility in gameplay.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players feel joy from the game's charming art style, the fun of giving milk to cats, and witnessing the evolution of their tower setups. Simple, whimsical interactions like feeding animals bring a sense of delight.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game's development direction and the satisfaction of planning from start to finish to achieve a winning build. Despite flaws, the core experience of strategic tower placement and synergy creation produces strong affection for the game.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players are grateful to the developer for consistent updates and bug fixes, and express thanks along with hope for further improvements. The active support from the developer fosters positive sentiment and loyalty.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the game's music and art style, as well as the developer's ongoing work to add content. The aesthetic quality and dedication to updates are recognized and valued.
- Optimism (weight 0.01): Players feel optimistic because the game is improving with each update and has good potential as a tower defense title. They see a promising future for the game's development.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players anticipate future content additions that will make each playthrough feel new, and plan to follow the game's development closely. The potential for growth excites them.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the game's concept and its large variety of towers for different builds. The initial idea and potential for strategy depth capture their attention.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players get bored quickly due to repetitive gameplay, lack of variety, flat maps, and repetitive animations. The game fails to sustain engagement after a short time.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players find amusement in glitches like the infinite shop loop, and describe the game overall as amusing, providing light entertainment.
- Bittersweet joy (weight 0.01): One player experienced bittersweet joy when they finally achieved a broken build with pirate tower, only to have the game crash, mixing achievement with technical frustration.}