Info about The Land Beneath Us:

Official game description:
Steam Deck Verified
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About the Game
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The Land Beneath Us is a turn-based rogue-lite action dungeon crawler. Use powerful skill combos and stylish weaponry to battle your way through the Underworld known as Annwn. Enjoy challenging dynamic encounters and discover the mysteries of this mythological world. 
BATTLE THROUGH THE UNDERWORLD! 
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Forged by The Creator, the Ultimate Soul Harvester (U.S.H) is crafted to gather Souls. Now armed with Soul-Technology, its mission is one of redemption. Explore The Underworld, engage, barter, or confront characters. Learn from their tales to shape your unique path. 
MASTER THE COMBOS! 
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Overcome enemies with powerful abilities, executing customizable movement combinations. Plan strategically through short, action-packed levels to maximize hits on creatures! 
VARIED ARSENAL 
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Strategize and wield a diverse array of weapons, from Blood Axes to Longinus Spears and Lazer Pistols. Equip different weapons in each slot for a dynamic hack 'n' slash journey through the Underworld. 
REPLAYABILITY FACTOR 
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Enhance stats and abilities by collecting souls from defeated enemies as you explore each world. Enjoy direct combat? Boost your Weapon skill tree. Prefer a strategic approach? Unlock potent Combo Abilities to hit enemies from a distance.

Release date: May 13, 2024

Categories: Turn-based Roguelike, Dungeon Crawler, Grid-based Tactical Combat, Character Progression, Weapon Customization, Roguelite, Mythological Setting

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 45; verdict: Playable with minor tinkering; summary: The game performs well on Steam Deck with excellent controller support and low power consumption, but suffers from two stability issues: an exit menu bug that forces a restart, and a first-launch hang that requires file verification. These issues make the experience playable but not seamless, requiring minor troubleshooting.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $12.99
  - Reasoning: The reviews show mixed sentiment: some players feel the game is worth its full price, while others explicitly advise waiting for a 50-70% discount, implying the $14.99 base price is too high. The community's fair price likely sits below the current price, around $10-12, balancing the praised gameplay with the perceived overpricing.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 10.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.5h
  - Endgame: 45.0h
  - Reasoning: Game completion is estimated at around 10 hours based on a review stating it is probably less than 10 hours to complete, and another suggesting ~10 hours. Session length is derived from a review stating a single game takes 15-40 minutes, giving a midpoint of about 0.5 hours. Endgame content is estimated at 40-50 hours from a review promising that much engaging gameplay. The 30+ hour journey indicates some players spend more time, but the core completion is around 10 hours.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is immediately engaging and addictive, but its fun declines as difficulty spikes and late-game punishment frustrate players.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: N/A
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Early game is easy enough; Late game is too punishing; Getting hit once in late game is often fatal; Difficulty spikes sharply from the second continent; Duplicate weapons make unlocking new weapons actively bad for run progression; Too much meta progression for some players
- Player Archetypes:
  - Completionist Perfectionist (sale)
    - Motivation: To unlock and see all content without being forced to choose between fun and completion.
    - Playstyle: Avoids choices that lock out content, grinds to overcome difficulty, and seeks to experience every ending.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: completionist
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Tactical Synergy Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: To explore deep combat mechanics and create powerful synergistic builds.
    - Playstyle: Experiments with weapon loadouts, plans moves carefully, and optimizes relic synergies.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Roguelike Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience a new genre in a casual, accessible way.
    - Playstyle: Plays casually, learns mechanics gradually, and may use Steam Deck for portability.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: not really a roguelike player
    - Reference games: General: Showdown
  - Grind-Averse Purist (no buy)
    - Motivation: To enjoy a challenging roguelike loop without forced grinding or excessive meta progression.
    - Playstyle: Plays for the core combat but avoids grinding, and may stop playing when progression becomes tedious.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Game is highly addictive (weight 0.27): Players consistently describe the game as addictive and fun, with many noting it constantly draws them back for another round. This feedback appears across multiple clusters, indicating a strong hook.
- Excellent turn-based roguelike gameplay (weight 0.26): The turn-based roguelike mechanics are praised for being fast-paced, tile-based, and a unique twist on the genre. Players find the gameplay loop solid and engaging.
- Fun and well-made game (weight 0.25): Overall, players find the game fun, well-made, and worth the price. The gameplay and play-style feel good, and the game is considered phenomenal.
- Great weapon variety (weight 0.21): The game offers a wide array of weapons, relics, and upgrades that keep each run fresh and exciting. Players appreciate the multitude of options and how they modify builds.
- Satisfying combat system (weight 0.21): The combat system is described as novel, addicting, and satisfying, with depth that encourages planning several turns ahead. It starts simple but offers hours of strategic gameplay.
- Varied and challenging boss fights (weight 0.2): Boss mechanics are varied, well-done, and demand a balance of aggression and survival. Players find them thrilling and fun to fight.
- Appealing pixel art style (weight 0.17): The pixel art is tasteful and a highlight, making the game look unique and enhancing the visual experience. Players appreciate the distinctive style.
- Progression unlocks after first boss (weight 0.15): After beating the first boss, the game opens up with more weapons, passive upgrades, second abilities, and customization options. This unlocks the game's full potential.
- Engaging mechanics and gameplay loop (weight 0.14): The game keeps players hooked with its engaging mechanics and solid gameplay loop. It is described as addictive and hard to put down.
- Unique directional weapon mechanics (weight 0.12): The game assigns four distinct weapons to arrow keys or movement directions, each with different range mechanics. This adds a strategic layer to movement and attacks.
- Strategic chip system (weight 0.09): The chip system rewards well-thought-out movements and adds strategic thinking to gameplay. It is a key mechanic that enhances the tactical depth.
- Easy to learn, hard to master (weight 0.09): The game is simple to pick up but offers depth for mastery. Players appreciate the learning curve that keeps them engaged.
- Strong roguelite elements (weight 0.08): The game is praised for its roguelite side, with players noting it is a great alternative take on the genre. It is considered a good roguelite game.
- Well-implemented upgrade system (weight 0.08): The upgrade system for relics and weapons is well-implemented, with relic upgrades being very strong. Players appreciate the customization options.
- Works well on Steam Deck (weight 0.08): Players report the game is fun and suitable for Steam Deck, indicating good portability and performance on the device.

Common complaints:
- No mid-run save feature (weight 0.28): Players cannot save mid-run, losing all progress when quitting. This is a major quality-of-life issue, especially for a roguelike with long sessions.
- Imbalanced items and builds (weight 0.27): Certain items and builds are significantly stronger than others, discouraging experimentation and leading to repetitive optimal strategies. Some relics are broken or useless.
- Weapon and relic variety limited (weight 0.26): The game offers too few weapons, relics, and relic slots, leading to repetitive runs and a lack of build diversity. Players often end up using the same setups.
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.25): The game suffers from frequent bugs, including freezes, unresponsiveness, and effects not working. These issues can cause loss of progress and ruin the experience.
- Upgrade system punishes unlocks (weight 0.23): Upgrading weapons is tied to finding duplicates, so unlocking more weapons dilutes the pool and makes upgrades harder, weakening the character. This design flaw discourages progression.
- Late game becomes too punishing (weight 0.23): Later stages feature smaller, cluttered areas with more enemies and larger attack patterns, leading to unfair deaths and a breakdown of gameplay. Difficulty spikes sharply.
- First boss is a major hurdle (weight 0.2): Many players struggle to beat the first boss, which feels unforgiving and often requires specific items or luck. This creates an early difficulty spike that turns players away.
- Enemy scaling outpaces player (weight 0.18): Enemy health and damage scale too high in later stages, making fights feel unfair and forcing grinding. This leads to frustration and a sense of powerlessness.
- Visual clarity is poor (weight 0.17): The pixel art and color scheme make it hard to distinguish enemies and objects, leading to misjudgment. Visual effects can be too bright and hurt the eyes.
- Story and dialogue are weak (weight 0.16): The story is hard to understand and feels like an elementary school essay. Dialogue is obnoxious and post-ironic, detracting from the experience.
- Progression is boring and basic (weight 0.15): Players find the progression system uninteresting and lacking depth, with upgrades feeling dull and uninspired. This is a common complaint across multiple clusters.
- Lacks synergistic upgrade systems (weight 0.15): The game lacks branching, synergistic upgrades that change combat style, and also misses dodge and block mechanics, reducing build diversity and strategic depth.
- Teleport mechanic is problematic (weight 0.14): The teleport ability is often blocked by level design, and traps reset its cooldown, making it unreliable. This restricts player movement and causes frustration.
- Enemy variety is limited (weight 0.14): Enemies are repetitive and not interesting, with predictable patterns. This reduces engagement and makes combat feel monotonous.
- Difficulty is inconsistent (weight 0.14): Difficulty spikes sharply in certain areas, and bosses can be easier than normal rooms. This inconsistency makes the game feel unfair and poorly balanced.
- Sound design needs polish (weight 0.14): Sound effects are inconsistent, some attacks lack auditory feedback, and volume levels fluctuate. Music volume increases during combat, which is questionable.
- RNG can ruin runs (weight 0.12): Randomization can make runs feel doomed when relic and weapon combinations never coalesce into an effective build. RNG coinflips can end runs unfairly.
- Meta progression is too grindy (weight 0.12): Meta progression requires many runs to gain small stat boosts, and soul costs are expensive. This slows the pace and makes the game feel like a grind.
- Chip system is poorly balanced (weight 0.12): The chip system requires too much commitment and specific context, and using chips pauses the game for about 2 seconds, disrupting flow. It is not well balanced against weapon use.
- Boss design relies on trial-and-error (weight 0.09): Boss fights force players to grind and rely on trial-and-error, which is disliked. This makes encounters feel cheap rather than skill-based.

Gameplay feedback:
- Roguelike with meta-progression (weight 0.59): The game blends traditional roguelike elements with roguelite permanent upgrades and unlockable tools. This hybrid approach provides both challenging runs and long-term progression.
- Weapon and relic build system (weight 0.57): Builds consist of weapons and relics collected during runs, with categories and subtypes. Relics provide passive effects, can be upgraded, and tailor builds, while weapons can be upgraded by equipping duplicates.
- Directional weapons tied to movement (weight 0.45): Core mechanic assigns four different weapons to cardinal movement directions, so moving triggers attacks. This unique system combines movement and combat into a single action, with some weapons causing displacement or locking the player in place.
- Fast-paced action-strategy hybrid (weight 0.4): The game mixes fast-paced action with turn-based strategy, moving quickly to feel like an action game. It is easy to learn but very difficult to master, with a 'one-more-run' appeal.
- Turn-based combat with simultaneous enemy movement (weight 0.38): The game is fundamentally turn-based, with enemies moving in sync with the player each turn. This creates a tactical, grid-based experience where every move matters.
- Boss fights require learning (weight 0.3): Bosses have well-designed, distinct mechanics, including shields and stun effects, requiring players to learn their patterns. Players often die to bosses before figuring out how to defeat them, and killing bosses unlocks new abilities.
- Difficulty scales with progression (weight 0.25): The game gets increasingly difficult, with ascension-style difficulty, level modifiers, and post-game challenges. Winning runs unlock harder variations, and the last level has infinitely respawning monsters.
- Chip system for spell activation (weight 0.23): Spells and skills are powered up by walking in specific directional sequences called Chips. Players can reroll chip patterns, adding a layer of strategic planning to movement.
- Grid-based tactical combat (weight 0.2): Combat is tactical and grid-based, with maps randomly generated and divided into grids. The game features a grid system and hex-movement options, emphasizing positioning and strategy.
- Weapon variety and playstyles (weight 0.16): The game offers a broad arsenal of weapons, including melee and ranged types with different attack ranges and effects. Weapons are categorized into playstyles like Knockback, Shockwave, and Overkill, providing diverse build options.
- Mystery Dungeon style (weight 0.14): The game is a Mystery Dungeon game, featuring room-based battles and a traditional roguelike main mechanic. Players enter rooms with separate battles and must kill mini bosses before the main boss.
- Teleport and warp mechanics (weight 0.14): The game features a teleport function and warp ability with a cooldown, unlocked after the first area. These mechanics add mobility options and strategic depth to combat.
- Randomized maps and item pool (weight 0.14): Maps are fully random and cannot be revisited, with an item pool and quest system for unlocking items. Players drop into stages and select portals for currency, elites, fights, and weaponry.
- Stun and shield mechanics (weight 0.13): Enemy stun causes the player to skip a turn, and two stacks of stun cause permanent stun. Shields block one instance of any damage and stack per kill, doubling overkill.
- Casual to competitive spectrum (weight 0.13): The game offers both casual gameplay and challenging competitive play, with a loop that is easy to pick up. It eases players into mechanics but gets super complex by the third world.
- Enemies telegraph moves in advance (weight 0.12): Enemies telegraph their next move in advance, allowing players to plan their actions. Dodging is more important than attacking, and learning enemy combos is crucial for survival.
- Branching story and endings (weight 0.07): The game has a branching story, with upgrades that change the plot and ending. This adds narrative depth and replayability to the roguelike structure.
- RNG can cause unfair deaths (weight 0.06): RNG can make some maps kill you out of bad luck, leading to restart scumming. This can be frustrating for players seeking a fair challenge.
- Sword kill stack mechanic (weight 0.04): The sword weapon accumulates a kill stack that grants permanent damage. This encourages aggressive play and rewards sustained combat.

Performance notes:
- Startup loading issue (weight 0.05): The game may fail to start on first launch, getting stuck on the loading screen. This is a common technical problem that can prevent players from accessing the game.
- File verification fixes startup (weight 0.05): Verifying the integrity of game files can resolve the startup loading issue. This suggests the problem may be related to corrupted or incomplete installation files.
- Crash on exit (weight 0.05): The game crashes when the player exits to the desktop. This is a stability issue that can lead to frustration and potential data loss.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for genre fans (weight 0.24): Multiple reviewers recommend the game to fans of turn-based strategy, roguelites, and chess-like puzzle games. The game blends these genres effectively, appealing to players who enjoy grid-based combat and roguelike mechanics.
- High overall recommendation (weight 0.21): Several reviewers strongly recommend the game, describing it as highly recommended, easy to recommend, and a terrific game. This indicates a generally positive reception among players.
- Worth trying out (weight 0.12): Reviewers suggest giving the game a try, noting it is worth trying out and a good pick for about 10 hours of gameplay. This suggests the game offers a worthwhile experience for those interested.
- Mixed recommendation status (weight 0.09): Some reviewers have a hard time recommending the game currently, while others changed to positive for the time being. This reflects a divided opinion among players.
- Good value on sale (weight 0.08): Some reviewers mention the game is worth it on sale and recommend waiting for a 50-70% discount before purchasing. This indicates that while the game is enjoyable, its full price may not be justified for all players.
- Try demo before buying (weight 0.07): Reviewers advise playing the demo to try the game before purchasing, suggesting that the full experience may not be for everyone. This helps players make an informed decision.
- Not recommended by some (weight 0.06): A few reviewers cannot recommend the game because they weren't having fun, and one advises avoiding the purchase. This indicates that the game may not appeal to all players.

Other player notes:
- Developer responsiveness and patches (weight 0.21): The developers are praised for responding professionally and kindly to feedback, and they released updates that reduced grindy achievements and fixed balance issues shortly after reviews. This responsiveness positively influences reviewer sentiment.
- Comparisons to Crypt of the Necrodancer (weight 0.18): Multiple reviewers compare the game to Crypt of the Necrodancer, noting a unique twist on Bard mode and that it does not force constant movement. One reviewer also mentions enemy scaling is too high compared to Necrodancer.
- Positive price-to-value ratio (weight 0.18): Reviewers consistently mention the game is fairly priced, with some noting it is a low price for a well-made small-scale game. The game is considered decent for its price, though one reviewer feels content is slightly lacking for the cost.
- Developer identity and platform (weight 0.15): The game is developed by FairPlay Studios, a Thai developer, and published by Dear Villagers and Gamirror Games. It is being made for mobile and runs well on the ROG Ally, with gamepad support.
- Balance concerns and patches (weight 0.14): Reviewers mention balance issues, particularly with enemy scaling and weapon balance, but note that patches have addressed some concerns. One reviewer believes nerfs are intended to extend playtime.
- Story is sparse but present (weight 0.11): The story is described as average but present, with an intentionally sparse overarching narrative. It is more compact compared to similar RPGs, which some reviewers appreciate.
- Gameplay length varies (weight 0.11): Reviewers report a wide range of playtime, from less than 10 hours to a 30+ hour journey. A single run takes 15-40 minutes depending on play style, indicating variable session lengths.
- Language support and accessibility (weight 0.1): The game is available in Spanish, and it supports gamepad, making it accessible to a wider audience. This is a positive aspect for non-English speakers and handheld users.
- Translation issues affect clarity (weight 0.09): The game has serious machine translation issues that mislead relic effects, and some Japanese text can be misunderstood. This can confuse players and negatively impact the experience.
- Underrated and under-reviewed (weight 0.08): Several reviewers note the game is under-purchased and under-reviewed, deserving more attention. This suggests the game may be a hidden gem that hasn't gained widespread recognition.
- Setting and character unique (weight 0.08): The game is set in an underworld inspired by Welsh mythology and sci-fi invention, with the player controlling Sven, a mechanical being equipped with Soul-Tech. This unique setting is a point of interest.
- Demo experience influences purchase (weight 0.07): One reviewer played a demo before buying, which only includes the first chapter on normal difficulty with initial upgrades. This suggests the demo may not fully represent the game's content.
- Visual and audio presentation (weight 0.07): The game does not have cutting-edge graphics, but the OST is enjoyed by a reviewer. This indicates a mixed reception to the game's presentation.
- Quality of life improvements needed (weight 0.04): One reviewer notes the game needs some quality-of-life adjustments, though specifics are not detailed. This suggests minor usability issues that could be improved.
- File count and content volume (weight 0.04): The game has 194 files total, which may indicate a relatively small amount of content. This could be a factor in the perception of value for the price.
- Future updates anticipated (weight 0.04): A reviewer looks forward to future updates, indicating ongoing interest and potential for improvement. This suggests the game has a roadmap for content additions.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.28): Players are frustrated by forced grinding against bosses, RNG-dependent builds, and a slow meta-progression that requires many runs for small stat boosts. The lack of a save system, frequent bugs, and unfair difficulty spikes (e.g., sudden deaths, stun locks, and rooms with no survival chance) compound the annoyance. Additionally, weapon and relic imbalances, along with limited build variety, make progression feel unrewarding and the game overly punishing.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.19): Players enjoy the game's fast-paced, turn-based roguelite gameplay, which offers a tight loop, strategic depth, and a wide variety of weapons, relics, and enemies. The unique chip system and the ability to control pacing are highlighted as engaging and fun, with many finding the game absorbing and satisfying once they grasp the mechanics. The pixel art, humor, and overall atmosphere also contribute to a positive experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.11): Excitement stems from the game's increasing difficulty and the way it opens up with new weapons, passive upgrades, and abilities after the first boss, keeping runs fresh. The satisfaction of mastering a seemingly simple system that reveals depth, along with the addictive 'one-more-run' nature, drives players to keep playing. The unique gameplay twist, variety, and anticipation for future updates also fuel excitement.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Disappointment arises from a lack of depth in progression, weapons, and relics, leading to repetitive runs and builds that converge to similar configurations. The absence of a continue feature and losing progress when quitting mid-run sour the experience, as do clunky gameplay rhythm and a restrictive relic system. Some players also feel the game is too easy or that the quality does not match the price.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Satisfaction comes from the game's strategic depth and the rewarding feeling of planning several turns ahead, with combat tied to movement creating a satisfying rhythm. The variety of weapons and the challenge of activating chips perfectly provide a sense of accomplishment. Players also appreciate the developers' efforts in patching balance issues, which enhances the overall experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Annoyance is triggered by the inability to save mid-run, which forces players to lose progress, and by later levels that become cluttered with enemies and larger attack patterns. The chip system pausing the game for about two seconds disrupts flow, and minor issues like grindy challenges, random item placement, and obnoxious dialogue add to the irritation. Cumbersome keyboard-only controls for viewing enemy information also frustrate players.
- Love (weight 0.04): Players love the game for its fair, challenging, and well-designed bosses, as well as the variety of abilities and gameplay mechanics. The ability to control pacing in a turn-based roguelike is rare and well-executed, with the chip system and teleport feature being standout elements. The overall gameplay and variety of abilities make it a beloved title.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is expressed for the game's freshness, depth, and unique turn-based combat system, which offers a good balance of challenge. Players value the smooth easing into mechanics and the innovative directional mechanic from a Thai developer. The smooth graphics and overall polish also earn praise.
- Addiction (weight 0.03): The game is described as highly addictive, particularly for players who enjoy mastering randomized elements to craft powerful builds. The simple yet strategic gameplay and the satisfaction of building synergies keep players coming back for more. Many reviewers admit to being heavily addicted, citing the game's engaging loop and replayability.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is fueled by game-breaking issues such as being unable to escape blocked paths despite a teleport function, and the game becoming unplayable with poor customer support. Unfair deaths from paralyzing monsters and poor design choices, along with a last boss freezing and causing loss of progress, also provoke strong negative reactions.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise is expressed at how addictive and enjoyable the game turned out to be, exceeding initial expectations. Some players were also surprised that many weapon unlocks were not worth using, which bloated the weapon pool. Overall, the game's quality and fun factor were unexpected positives.
- Addicted (weight 0.01): The combat system is specifically described as addicting, with players finding the gameplay loop highly engaging. The game is also called incredibly addictive, indicating a strong pull to keep playing and master the mechanics.
- Fun (weight 0.01): The game is described as super fun, indicating that players find the overall experience highly enjoyable and entertaining.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the developers' attention to their game, suggesting that the level of care and polish is notable and appreciated.
- Sourness (weight 0.01): Sourness arises from upgrades that change the plot or ending, which punish completionists who want to experience all content without being forced into specific choices.
- Dislike (weight 0.01): Dislike is directed at the dialogue, which is seen as too post-ironic, and the main character, who is compared to a slightly-more-evil version of a certain AI, making the narrative unappealing.
- Stress (weight 0.01): Stress is caused by multiple issues including poor scaling, healing mechanics, and weapon upgrades, which make the game feel unbalanced and tense in a negative way.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is derived from the fun and interesting dialogues, which add a lighthearted and entertaining element to the game.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from the story and lore being hard to understand at first, which can hinder initial engagement with the game's narrative.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is expressed for the game's beauty, fun, and challenge, achieved without cutting-edge graphics. The ambiance is considered a master class in artistry, showcasing the developers' skill in creating an immersive experience.}