Info about Right and Down and Dice:

Official game description:
RIGHT AND DOWN
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About the Game
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Explore randomly generated card dungeons where you can only move Right and Down, use Dice to defeat mighty enemies, gather powerful artifacts and learn new abilities! Will you be able to escape from the dungeon?
ROGUELIKE GAMEPLAY
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Each dungeon is randomly generated, so each game is unique! On each turn, the only decision you can make is to go right or down! Explore the card dungeon and fight against mighty enemies, get blessings in the sacred shrines or buy new powerful artifacts from the shopkeeper!
USE THE DICE TO FIGHT!
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Each time you move to a new encounter card, you have to use your dice! The battle is divided in turns. In the player turn, roll the dice and place them on the enemies to defeat them! You can also place the dice in your skills to obtain different effects, like rolling more dice or healing yourself. But be careful, in the enemy turn they will attack you and activate their skills!
UNLOCKABLE ARTIFACTS, HEROES AND DUNGEONS
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*   Unlock 6 heroes with different starting artifacts and skills to create your custom run!  
*   More than 100 artifacts with a wide variety of effects that you can unlock with every game you play!  
*   30 different dungeons. Each one adds a new rule to the game and will increase its difficulty!  
*   Daily Mode with randomly generated conditions!

Release date: Jan 23, 2024

Categories: Roguelike, Dice-based Gameplay, Turn-based Combat, Dungeon Crawler, Procedural Generation, Card-based Gameplay, Strategy


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $4.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The community sentiment is mixed. One reviewer finds the game overpriced even at a discounted price of ~$5.5, suggesting a lower fair price. Another reviewer paid ~$10 and considers it worth it, indicating a higher acceptable price. A third reviewer only found it worth it on a deep discount or bundle, implying the full price is too high. Thus, the fair base-game price range likely falls between $4 and $10, with some leaning lower.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 50.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.8h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The gameCompletion metric is supported by a direct statement of finishing the game in about 50 hours. SessionLength is supported by multiple reviews giving run durations: 45 minutes, 1 hour, and 1-1.5 hours; the most specific and repeated value is 45 minutes (0.75 hours). No evidence provides a specific time for endgame content or a story completion time, so those are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Most players report the game as a repetitive, RNG-dependent slog that never becomes enjoyable, with no clear anchor event or timing for fun.
  - Stance: Never clicks
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: RNG-dependent difficulty; Repetitive gameplay; Grind-like loop; Tedious UI (no drag and drop); Long levels; Lack of progression
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: if you get good RNG; if you don't get good RNG; after completing much of the standard progression; after a while; after overcoming the learning curve; if you play with different characters
- Player Archetypes:
  - Dice & Board Game Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of dice manipulation and strategic placement puzzles
    - Playstyle: Tactical dice placement, exploring synergies, and comparing to similar board games
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: One Deck Dungeon; Dicey Dungeons; 20 Strong
  - Roguelike Veteran & Balance Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a challenging, well-balanced roguelike experience
    - Playstyle: Optimizing, breaking the game, and critiquing design flaws
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: One Deck Dungeon; Dicey Dungeons; Chocobo Dungeon
  - Series Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Continuation and evolution of the series they already enjoy
    - Playstyle: Comparing to the predecessor, exploring new mechanics, and completing the full experience
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Right and Down


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 fun and cool (weight 0.59): Players consistently describe the game as fun, cool, and excellent, highlighting its engaging concept and enjoyable gameplay. This positive reception is widespread across many reviews.
- Strategic variety and depth (weight 0.55): The game allows for many types of strategies, with a variety of characters, artifacts, and skills enabling diverse approaches. This strategic depth is appreciated by players who enjoy planning and optimization.
- Unique dice combat mechanic (weight 0.48): The dice-based combat is a standout feature, offering original and strategic gameplay that sets the game apart. Players enjoy the depth and decision-making it adds to battles.
- High replayability and content (weight 0.47): The game offers substantial replay value through unlockable characters, skills, blessings, artifacts, and randomly generated dungeons. Players appreciate the variety and the many ways to approach each run.
- Challenging and rewarding gameplay (weight 0.44): The game offers a satisfying challenge that is both engaging and rewarding, with thought-provoking puzzles and addictive mechanics. Players appreciate the balance between difficulty and reward.
- Satisfying build combinations (weight 0.36): Players find satisfaction in building combos and synergies with skills, artifacts, and blessings, leading to powerful and rewarding outcomes. The ability to create game-breaking combos is a fun aspect.
- Diverse heroes and abilities (weight 0.31): There is a wide variety of characters, each with unique playstyles, skills, and artifacts, providing meaningful strategic differences. This diversity enhances replayability and keeps gameplay fresh.
- Excellent roguelike experience (weight 0.3): The game is considered a fantastic roguelike, with mechanics similar to Dicey Dungeons but offering a unique twist. Players appreciate the roguelike elements and the unpredictability of each run.
- Improvement over predecessor (weight 0.29): Players find this game more fun, fairer, and more interesting than its predecessor, with added complexity and technical improvements. The removal of traps and easier character unlocks are also noted as positive changes.
- Accessible and easy to learn (weight 0.27): The game is easy to pick up and play, with clear explanations and helpful information on hover. The rules are simple to understand, making it accessible to new players while still offering depth.
- Well-balanced game design (weight 0.25): The game is praised for its excellent balance, with all classes being viable and rewards being fair. This balance contributes to a fair and enjoyable experience across different difficulty levels.
- Good value for price (weight 0.18): The game is considered worth its price, offering great value compared to board games and other titles. Players feel the content and quality justify the cost.
- Fair and controllable randomness (weight 0.18): Players appreciate that randomness is more controllable and can be overcome with skills, artifacts, and blessings, making the game feel fair. The RNG is liked and adds to the strategic depth.
- Enjoyable daily challenges (weight 0.12): The daily dungeon mode with handicaps is highlighted as a favorite feature, providing a good challenge and extending replay value. Players enjoy the variety and the strategic constraints it introduces.
- Great art and sound design (weight 0.12): The artwork and sound are praised for being beautiful, fun, and convincing, enhancing the overall experience. The aesthetic is a significant positive aspect for many players.
- Polished and fluid gameplay (weight 0.12): The game is described as polished and fluid, with automatic resolution and a nice dungeon crawler feel. This contributes to a smooth and enjoyable experience.
- Works well on Steam Deck (weight 0.05): The game functions well on the Steam Deck, making it convenient for portable play. This is a specific positive point for players using that platform.
- Italian language support appreciated (weight 0.04): The inclusion of Italian language support is noted as rare in this genre and is appreciated by Italian-speaking players. This adds to the game's accessibility.

Common complaints:
- Difficulty is inconsistent (weight 0.51): Players report that the game is either too hard or too easy, with early levels being punishing and late-game becoming trivial. The difficulty heavily depends on luck with artifacts, making runs feel unfair.
- Gameplay is repetitive (weight 0.45): A large number of players find the game repetitive due to limited enemy variety, few room types, and a lack of events or choices. The right-and-down movement and same 3x3 tile layouts contribute to monotony.
- Game balance is poor (weight 0.43): Many reviews highlight severe balance issues, including overpowered artifacts, weak bosses, and extreme difficulty swings. The game can become trivial with certain items or brutally hard without them, leading to frustration.
- Translation quality is poor (weight 0.3): Multiple reviews mention poor translations in French, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese, with machine-generated text and errors. This affects understanding of enemy abilities and game mechanics.
- Enemy difficulty is unreasonable (weight 0.3): Enemies deal too much damage, have overpowered skills, and appear in unfair compositions, especially early on. This leads to unavoidable damage and frustration.
- Lack of quality-of-life features (weight 0.23): Players miss essential features like an undo button, drag-and-drop dice, save options, and a statistics screen. These omissions make the game more tedious and less accessible.
- Game lacks variety and content (weight 0.22): There are few enemy types, no random events, and limited strategies, making the game feel repetitive and lacking in surprise. This reduces long-term interest.
- Runs are too long and slow (weight 0.2): Many players feel that runs drag on due to slow pacing, lengthy battles, and excessive grinding. This makes the game feel tedious and reduces replayability.
- Bugs affect gameplay (weight 0.19): Several bugs, such as freezing, incorrect victory conditions, and broken mechanics, can ruin runs. These technical issues undermine the game's reliability.
- Luck plays too large a role (weight 0.17): Dice rolls and random artifact selection heavily influence outcomes, often leading to unavoidable bad runs. This makes the game feel unfair and less strategic.
- Progression is lacking (weight 0.16): There is little meta progression beyond unlocking characters, and no growth after game over. This limits long-term engagement and makes the game feel shallow.
- UI and controls are problematic (weight 0.16): Frequent mouse dragging, lack of drag-and-drop, and hard-to-see indicators make interactions tedious. This hampers the overall gameplay experience.
- Game is not engaging (weight 0.15): Some reviewers find the game underwhelming, tedious, and lacking excitement, failing to hold their attention. This is a general criticism of the overall experience.
- Rewards are insufficient and weak (weight 0.14): Players consistently report that rewards are too few and low relative to the stress and effort required. This makes progression feel unrewarding and diminishes motivation.
- Bosses are underwhelming (weight 0.13): Bosses are often described as weak, lackluster, and easily defeated, feeling like just another minion. This reduces the sense of achievement and challenge at the end of runs.
- Artifact system has flaws (weight 0.13): The cap on artifacts without warning, inability to discard them, and forced refunds are frustrating. Some artifacts are too strong, while others are useless, leading to imbalance.
- Lack of information and tutorial (weight 0.13): The tutorial is unhelpful, and many systems are unexplained, leading to confusion. Players also note missing interface information, such as which dice are needed for skills.
- Endgame dungeons are too hard (weight 0.09): Specific endgame content, such as dungeon 4 and 5, is considered extremely difficult or impossible. This creates a frustrating wall for players who have invested time in the game.
- Game is too stressful (weight 0.06): The constant tension and punishing difficulty make it hard to enjoy the game. Players feel stressed rather than entertained, especially in early floors.

Gameplay feedback:
- Turn-based dice combat (weight 0.5): The core gameplay is turn-based combat where players roll dice and assign them to enemies or abilities. Enemies have dice slots instead of health, and are defeated when all slots are filled.
- Roguelike dungeon crawler (weight 0.44): The game features roguelike elements with procedurally generated dungeons and a dungeon crawl theme. Players must clear twelve levels per dungeon, with dungeons available for each character.
- Sequel to Right & Down (weight 0.34): The game is a direct sequel or spin-off of the previous game 'Right & Down'. It retains the movement restriction of only moving right or down through dungeon levels.
- Dice-based strategy mechanics (weight 0.33): The game combines dice with complex mechanics, requiring players to decide which die to use for each situation. It is a dice-based strategy game with colored dice and various abilities.
- Skills and artifacts synergy (weight 0.28): Each character has different skills and artifacts that can be combined for synergistic effects. Skills can draw additional dice, and artifacts can increase starting dice count.
- Daily dungeon challenges (weight 0.19): The game includes a daily dungeon mode with handicaps and additional conditions. Daily runs provide extra challenges for players.
- Similar to One Deck Dungeon (weight 0.18): The game feels like a streamlined and simpler version of One Deck Dungeon, with combat style similar to that game. It also combines mechanics from Dicey Dungeons and the original Right & Down.
- Dice activate skills (weight 0.15): Rolled dice can be used to activate skills such as health restoration or additional dice, or to attack monsters. Players must optimize dice usage between skills and hitting enemies.
- Intuitive and sophisticated (weight 0.08): The game is described as intuitive and sophisticated, offering a balance of accessibility and depth. It is easy to pick up but has complex mechanics.

Performance notes:
- Steam Deck compatibility issues (weight 0.16): The game is only rated Playable on Steam Deck, with small text and control prompts referencing non-native inputs. Despite this, the game generally works well on the device.
- Crash on picking up dice (weight 0.06): The game crashes every time the player picks up a dice, making the game unplayable at that point. This is a critical bug that needs immediate fixing.
- Autosave fails after crash (weight 0.06): If the game crashes or is force-exited, the autosave does not function, causing players to lose significant progress. This is a serious reliability problem.
- Windowed mode setting bug (weight 0.05): The windowed mode option does not work unless the resolution is selected first before enabling it. This is a minor but annoying UI issue.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for dice game fans (weight 0.32): Multiple reviewers strongly recommend the game to fans of dice manipulation and controlled randomness. The game's core mechanics appeal to players who enjoy strategic dice-based gameplay.
- Best bought on discount (weight 0.2): Several reviewers suggest purchasing the game at a discount or through bundles like Fanatical. This implies the full price may not be justified for all players.
- Worth its price (weight 0.17): Several reviewers state the game is worth its price, with some noting it is reasonably priced. The value proposition is generally positive, especially for the target audience.
- Not recommended by some (weight 0.1): A few reviewers do not recommend the game, with one planning to refund. This indicates mixed reception, possibly due to gameplay preferences or balance issues.
- Good for quick sessions (weight 0.09): The game is suitable for both short play sessions and longer grinding sessions. This flexibility appeals to players with varying time commitments.
- Recommended for challenge lovers (weight 0.06): The game is strongly recommended for players who enjoy challenges, rogue-lites, and dungeon exploration. This highlights its appeal to a specific niche.
- Skip if time limited (weight 0.05): One reviewer advises skipping the game if time is limited, suggesting it may not be a priority. This could be due to the game's depth or repetitive nature.
- Not for action seekers (weight 0.05): One reviewer warns against buying if you expect action-packed gameplay with combat and fantasy elements. The game likely focuses on strategic, turn-based mechanics instead.
- Lacks content for all difficulties (weight 0.05): One reviewer feels the game does not offer enough content to justify completing all difficulty levels. This may indicate limited replayability for hardcore players.
- Recommended with bias (weight 0.05): A reviewer recommends the game but admits bias due to favoring the series. This suggests the recommendation may be influenced by pre-existing affinity.

Other player notes:
- Comparisons to Right & Down (weight 0.51): Multiple reviewers compare the game to its predecessor, Right & Down, with some preferring the original and others liking this sequel more. The game is seen as smaller, more complex, and different in focus, with one noting it deviates by adding dice and strategy.
- Comparisons to Dicey Dungeons (weight 0.34): Several reviews compare the game to Dicey Dungeons, noting visual and gameplay similarities, but some feel Dicey Dungeons offers more interesting decisions regarding equipment and turn optimization. The combat is described as using points and suits to combine skills or cards.
- Game is a sequel (weight 0.24): The game is identified as the second in a series, a sequel to Right & Down by mc2games. It is more challenging than the first game, and some reviewers liked the previous one more.
- Localization issues in multiple languages (weight 0.2): Reviewers report poor quality translations in French, Japanese, and Chinese, with the French translation being incomplete for some enemy abilities. These localization problems detract from the experience for non-English speakers.
- Comparisons to One Deck Dungeon (weight 0.19): The game is compared to One Deck Dungeon, with one reviewer feeling it is a streamlined, simpler version, while another says it tries to improve on areas where One Deck Dungeon struggled but misses the mark. It is also compared to solo board games like Mini Rogue and 20 Strong.
- Session length and portability (weight 0.18): A run lasts about 45 minutes, and each dungeon takes 1-1.5 hours, making it suitable for portable sessions on Steam Deck. The game is compact, lightweight, and can be paused at the beginning of each dungeon, keeping save data.
- Comparisons to Slay the Spire (weight 0.15): The game is compared to Slay the Spire in terms of replayability and stability of clearing, and is described as a mix of Dicey Dungeons and Slay the Spire. These comparisons highlight its roguelike deck-building elements.
- Pricing and value concerns (weight 0.15): One reviewer considers the pricing high for the amount of content, while another says the game has enough content to justify its retail price. It has been bundled three times and is likely to be bundled again, and some bought it at an introductory discount.
- Game size and content (weight 0.13): The game feels like a small game, but it has enough content to justify its price according to one reviewer. It is compact and lightweight, designed for portable sessions, and could have a physical counterpart.
- Language support (weight 0.13): The game supports Italian language, but has localization issues in French, Japanese, and Chinese. This indicates that while some languages are supported, the quality of translations varies.
- Developer and publisher (weight 0.04): The game is developed and published by mc2games, who also made the predecessor Right & Down. This information is relevant for fans of the developer's previous work.
- Anticipation for sequel (weight 0.04): One reviewer is looking forward to the sequel, indicating positive reception and interest in future installments. This suggests the game has a dedicated fanbase.
- Video review link (weight 0.04): One review provides a video link for introduction, which may offer additional insights for potential buyers. This is a minor point but could be useful for those seeking more detailed information.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.31): Players are frustrated by the game's punishing difficulty, heavy reliance on luck, and lack of quality-of-life features such as an undo button and drag-and-drop dice. The movement restriction to right and down, combined with unbalanced encounters and low rewards, makes runs feel like a slog. Technical issues like crashes and poor localization further compound the frustration.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.17): Players feel satisfied when they overcome the game's challenges through strategic combos and synergies. The game's balance and fairness, especially in the late game, provide a rewarding experience. Building effective dice pools and chaining victories in the hardest dungeons are particularly gratifying.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.14): Players enjoy the game's original and fun dice-based combat, which offers strategic depth in dice placement. The daily dungeon provides a good challenge, and the variety of skills and artifacts keeps the gameplay engaging. The game is described as fun, cool, and entertaining with plenty of content.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): Players are disappointed by the game's lack of balance, progression, and challenge in the endgame. The reliance on random equipment selection rather than puzzle-solving, and the absence of meta progression or collection systems, underwhelm reviewers. Bosses are lackluster and die too quickly, reducing the sense of achievement.
- Boredom (weight 0.05): Players find the gameplay repetitive and tedious, with overly long runs and monotonous monster fights. The loop feels like a grind rather than a challenge, and looting is not fun. The lack of variety in the flow contributes to the boredom.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's strategic depth derived from simple foundations, and the dice elements add meaningful decision-making. The polished, fluid design and quality artwork and sound are also praised.
- Entertainment (weight 0.02): The innovative combination of dice with complex mechanics keeps players entertained. Each adventure feels unique, and the puzzle elements provide a good amount of engagement.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Players are excited about unlocking all characters and exploring the game's well-balanced positive aspects. The game is described as absolutely awesome, generating enthusiasm.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game, particularly the decision-making involved in choosing which die to use for each situation. The overall experience is highly enjoyable.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Players are annoyed by the frequent mouse dragging required for interactions, which is tiring. The initial windowed mode setting not working also caused irritation.
- Relief (weight 0.02): Players feel relief after finally clearing the last stage, releasing the oppressive stress. They also appreciate the absence of the infuriating trap mechanic from the previous game.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the cool combat system and the unique approach to roguelike gameplay. The dice combat mechanic shines and is a standout feature.
- Liking (weight 0.01): Players like the game's interesting combinations and builds, and consider it better than the previous part.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): The game is highly engaging, making it easy to lose hours of time playing.
- Favorite (weight 0.01): The game is the reviewer's favorite dice game, indicating a strong personal preference.
- Interest (weight 0.01): As a dice enthusiast, the reviewer found the game quite interesting, likely due to its unique mechanics.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players are angered by the high enemy DPS and the scarcity of healing or armor, making combat feel unfair.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): The gameplay is confusing, leaving players unclear about mechanics and objectives.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players experience joy from the concentration required to build synergies, finding it rewarding.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players are looking forward to the sequel, indicating positive expectations for future content.}