Info about Sword of the Stars: The Pit:

Official game description:
The Pit! On Tabletops!
======================
We have taken The Pit and made it into a board game! And then we made it into a video game version of the board game! We made a video game board game video game!  
If you'd like to try your hand at The Pit in a tabletop fashion, and you own Tabletop Simulator, head on over to the Tabletop Simulator Workshop and subscribe to our TTS mod for The Pit: The Board Game!  
Better yet, if you'd like to try it at home, there are four days left to pick up the actual, physical game on Kickstarter! Don't miss out!
Join Us On Discord
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About the Game
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A deadly plague ravages your world. Your last hope: a legendary alien facility dug deep into the Feldspar Mountains...a massive Pit, built by the ancient Suul'ka.  
If 'The Pit' really exists, there might be something left. Something that will give your doctors a fighting chance at the cure.  
All you know for sure is that every expedition into those mountains has failed to return...  
And Nothing Sows Death Like the Suul'ka.  
Quamdiu Poteris Superesse?  
Sword of the Stars: The Pit is a fun, fast, light-hearted turn-based RPG, where the tradition of Rogue and other old school dungeon-diving games meets the sci-fi Sword of the Stars universe, where the question to ask isn't "Did you make it to the end?" so much as "How far did you make it into The Pit before the monsters got you?"  
Be brave, press on for the sake of your planet, and when all else fails, go out in a blaze of glory!
Key Features
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*   3 Characters to choose from... Marine, Pilot and Engineer!  
*   5 Bonus characters from the MindGames expansion, now included in the base game.  
*   A secret hidden character! Google it!  
*   30 Levels of ancient evil science between you and the cure!  
*   Improve your character and increase your skills as you try and find a way to survive the depths.  
*   Dozens and dozens of enemies drawn from the Sword of the Stars universe!  
*   Over 50 weapons and armors with a variety of special effects including flamethrowers, rocket launchers, plasma cannons and powered Brawler armor!  
*   Randomized augmentation effects (for your equipment... and for you!) make each game unique.  
*   Crafting lets you make special items from bits and pieces of your enemies.  
*   Over 100 items to discover, ranging from the familiar to ancient exotic tech.  
*   Dozens of room types containing a host of exotic devices to help - or maybe hinder - your progress.  
*   Discover and decipher hidden messages, crafting recipes, and pieces of Sword of the Stars lore!  
*   Many fiendish ways to die including poisoning, disease, traps, radiation, starvation and of course... MONSTERS.

Release date: Feb 21, 2013

Categories: Roguelike, Dungeon Crawler, Turn-based RPG, Crafting, Resource Management, Survival, Character Progression, Procedural Generation

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The user reviews show no evidence of predatory monetization. The game uses traditional DLC that adds value, and there are no microtransactions or pay-to-win elements. The score is low.
- Wiki: score 75; verdict: Wiki Dependency for Crafting; summary: The dominant user complaint is the game's opaque crafting system, which forces players to rely on external wikis to discover recipes. This dependency is described as grindy, frustrating, and even necessary for basic survival, creating a significant barrier to engagement. The feedback consistently points to recipe and crafting knowledge as the core issue, aligning with the 'Hoarder' archetype.
- Proton/Linux: score 35; verdict: Playable but with outdated Linux support; summary: The game has a native Linux version that is functional, as evidenced by a positive report on integrated graphics. However, the Linux build is outdated (behind Windows by ~20 months) and the support state is confusing, leading to several negative reviews and recommendations to seek alternatives. The core gameplay works, but the lack of updates and clarity around Linux support creates friction for users.
- Steam Deck: score 45; verdict: Playable with tinkering required; summary: The audit reveals that while the game itself is well-received, its Linux support is problematic. The native Linux version is outdated and the developer has not updated it for over 20 months, leading to a confusing and frustrating experience for Linux users. However, the game runs well on low-end hardware, indicating potential for good performance on Steam Deck if the version issues are resolved. Overall, the experience requires tinkering, such as using Proton or waiting for updates.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $3.00 - $6.00
  - Reasoning: The community consistently advises waiting for a sale, implying the regular price is not considered fair. The Japanese review explicitly states that the full set (including all DLC) costs under 500 yen (~$3.5) on sale, and since the base game now includes all DLC, this sale price represents the community's perceived fair value. The other reviews reinforce that the game is worth buying only at a discounted price, suggesting a low price range around $3-6.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 200.0h
  - Reasoning: The 20-hour clear time and the 10-30 hour range directly support a game completion time of approximately 20 hours. The recipe collection times of 200 and 800 hours indicate endgame content, with 200 hours being a typical time to collect all recipes. No evidence was found for a separate story completion or typical session length, so those metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a steep early learning curve and a boring initial grind, but becomes addictive and satisfying once players unlock recipes and understand the systems.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Unlocking more recipes
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: steep learning curve; boring grind at the start of each run; tedious recipe checking; little hand-holding for new players; tedious required for optimal gameplay
  - Unlock drivers: unlocking more recipes; understanding the systems; meta-progression lessening permadeath sting; deciphering crafting recipes
  - Conditions: prior roguelike experience reduces early friction; willingness to decipher recipes instead of looking them up; tolerance for grinding; interest in crafting and meta-progression; patience with dated graphics; preference for challenging gameplay
- Player Archetypes:
  - Veteran Roguelike Devotee (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastery and challenge; the satisfaction of overcoming high-stakes survival and deep systems.
    - Playstyle: Methodical, planning builds, learning from deaths, and exploring all classes and difficulties.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: old veteran of Roguelikes; experienced player
    - Reference games: ADOM; DC: SS; Nethack; Tome; Dungeons of Dredmor
  - Grind-Weary Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: They seek a fair challenge but are frustrated by the game's reliance on grinding and RNG.
    - Playstyle: They attempt to play but become discouraged by the tedium of inventory management and information gating.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: someone who intentionally avoids spoilers and wikis; person with hundreds of hours on other roguelikes
    - Reference games: Dungeons of Dredmor; Crawl
  - Curious Newcomer (sale)
    - Motivation: Curiosity and exploration; they want to understand the game's systems and see if they can survive.
    - Playstyle: They rely on guides, try different classes, and gradually learn the mechanics.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual gamer
    - 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:
- Highly addictive and engaging (weight 0.23): Many reviewers find the game incredibly addictive and engaging, often losing track of time while playing. The gameplay loop is compelling and keeps players coming back for more.
- Unique sci-fi setting (weight 0.16): The sci-fi theme is a standout feature, offering a fresh take on the roguelike genre. Players appreciate the interesting and uncommon setting, which adds to the game's appeal.
- Intuitive controls and interface (weight 0.09): The interface and controls are praised for being straightforward and user-friendly. This accessibility makes the game easy to pick up and play, even for those new to the genre.
- Detailed and artistic design (weight 0.06): The game is noted for its detailed and wild art style, which contributes to its immersive atmosphere. The visual presentation is a positive aspect for many reviewers.
- Memorable soundtrack (weight 0.06): The soundtrack is well-received, adding to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment. Players find the music interesting and fitting for the game's setting.
- Convenient save system (weight 0.06): The ability to save at any time is a highly appreciated feature, offering flexibility and reducing frustration. This is particularly valuable in a challenging roguelike.

Common complaints:
- Game is extremely difficult (weight 0.38): Players consistently report that the game is brutally hard, punishing, and merciless even on the easiest difficulty. The high difficulty is a dominant theme across many reviews.
- Crafting failures waste materials (weight 0.11): Crafting has a random chance of failure that consumes materials even when it fails, and the success chance is not always shown. This leads to frustrating loss of valuable items.

Gameplay feedback:
- Core roguelike genre identity (weight 0.54): Players consistently identify the game as a traditional, turn-based roguelike with a sci-fi setting, featuring strategy, crafting, and RPG elements. This genre classification is central to player expectations and experience.
- Extensive crafting system (weight 0.53): The game features a deep crafting system with many ingredients, recipes, and crafting stations. Recipes are often unlocked through gameplay progression, hacking, or deciphering in-game messages, and are essential for survival.
- Durability and resource management (weight 0.36): Weapons, armor, and items degrade over time and must be repaired, while ammo, food, and other resources are scarce. This creates a constant need for careful resource management and planning.
- Procedural generation and randomness (weight 0.36): Floors, enemies, loot, and item placement are randomly generated, ensuring no two runs are identical. RNG heavily influences loot drops and overall gameplay, with luck playing a major role.
- Weapons, ammo, and combat mechanics (weight 0.25): The game features various guns and ammo types, with weapons having different mechanics. Combat is a central element, with equipment degradation adding an extra layer of strategy.
- Multiple character classes (weight 0.21): The game offers various classes such as Marine, Engineer, Scout, Psion, and Medic, each with different stats, skills, and starting equipment. This provides replayability and diverse playstyles.
- Difficulty levels and scaling (weight 0.2): The game includes multiple difficulty levels, from easy to higher challenges, and enemies become stronger as players descend deeper. This provides adjustable challenge and progression.
- Traps and environmental hazards (weight 0.15): The game includes various traps that can displace or harm the player, adding danger and requiring careful navigation. Traps are part of the procedurally generated floors.
- Skill and stat progression (weight 0.13): Players can develop skills and stats on level up, allowing for character customization. This progression system is a key part of the RPG elements.
- Resource scarcity and management (weight 0.12): Ammunition, repair tools, and food are scarce, forcing players to prioritize and manage resources carefully. This scarcity heightens tension and strategic decision-making.
- Hunger and survival mechanics (weight 0.12): Players must manage hunger and starvation, with food being scarce and often requiring crafting or scavenging. This survival aspect adds tension and resource management challenges.

Performance notes:
- Runs on low-end hardware (weight 0.04): The game runs without issues on a laptop with Intel HD Graphics 4400 on Ubuntu 16.04, indicating good optimization for low-end systems.

Recommendations:
- Not for everyone (weight 0.19): Several reviewers caution that the game is not suitable for all players, particularly those who dislike difficulty, randomness, or slow pacing. It is described as a niche title for patient, dedicated players.
- Recipe system is frustrating (weight 0.18): The recipe unlock system is a common point of criticism, with some reviewers finding it tedious and DLC-restricted. They recommend using wikis or mods to alleviate the frustration.
- Character class recommendations (weight 0.12): Reviewers suggest specific classes for beginners, such as Seeker, Engineer, Scout, and Psion, while advising against tank classes like Marine and Bug. These recommendations help new players ease into the game.
- Quality-of-life mod essential (weight 0.11): A community mod is highly recommended to improve gameplay, such as unlocking all recipes and increasing game speed. Reviewers suggest playing the base game first before installing the mod.
- Original version preferred (weight 0.07): Some reviewers recommend playing the original version before the DLC, as it offers a less intimidating experience. They caution that the DLC may add complexity that is not ideal for newcomers.

Other player notes:
- DLC adds significant content (weight 0.48): Multiple DLCs add new levels, loot, weapons, recipes, classes, and enemies, increasing difficulty and extending gameplay. The Gold Edition and Mind Games expansions are particularly noted for adding psionics, new species, and advanced mechanics.
- Compared to Dungeons of Dredmor (weight 0.2): Reviewers frequently compare the game to Dungeons of Dredmor, often finding it inferior or more punishing. Some also compare it to other roguelikes like Nethack, ADOM, and Caves of Qud.
- Recipe system requires wiki (weight 0.18): Crafting recipes are not fully documented in-game, requiring players to consult wikis or online communities. A community mod can unlock all recipes and improve inventory management.
- Japanese localization now available (weight 0.17): The game now supports Japanese language, with a localization pack released in Ver.1.5.5S including all DLC. A Japanese wiki is also available, though some information is scarce.
- Long playtime and pacing (weight 0.16): A full run takes 15-30 hours, with some players reporting 70 hours to reach the bottom on easy. The game has a 'quick' mode and developers have made efforts to shorten run times.
- Developer support praised (weight 0.15): Developers are praised for regular updates, free content, and good behavior. However, some criticize the developer for leaving products in bad states and having bad attitudes.
- Linux version behind Windows (weight 0.08): The Linux version is behind the Windows version, and its support is compared unfavorably to Tales of Maj'Eyal. Some players note the Linux version exists but has issues.
- DLC content locked to characters (weight 0.08): Some crafting recipes and loot are restricted to DLC characters, and using them with other characters incurs severe penalties. This can be frustrating for players who don't own all DLC.
- Game is affordable and on sale (weight 0.07): The game is considered affordable and frequently goes on sale, making it a good value. The Gold Edition is recommended as the best option.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.36): Players are frustrated by the game's extreme difficulty, heavy reliance on RNG, and punishing mechanics such as permadeath, durability, and hunger systems. The crafting and recipe systems are opaque and grindy, requiring rare items and causing frequent failures. The game often feels unfair, with deaths occurring due to random factors beyond player control.
- Disappointment (weight 0.11): Players are disappointed because the game's potential is undermined by design flaws, excessive grinding, and reliance on random drops. The expansion and DLC policies are criticized, and the game becomes tedious and unsatisfying over time. The finale and overall experience fail to meet expectations.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the game's variety, depth, and engaging roguelike gameplay. The multiple classes, weapons, and random elements provide high replayability. The survival mechanics and crafting progression are fun, especially in the early stages, and the game is addictive and rewarding.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Players feel satisfaction from mastering the game's challenging systems and overcoming difficult situations. Clearing the game and progressing through the laboratory provide a great sense of achievement. The game's tactical depth and learning curve make success feel rewarding.
- Love (weight 0.05): Players love the game for its excellent turn-based strategy, deep crafting, and endless replayability. The sci-fi dungeon crawl atmosphere and variety of characters and weapons are highly appealing. The game's blend of crafting, exploring, and fighting is considered almost perfect.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the game's complexity, variety, and polished mechanics. The sci-fi setting and consistent AI are praised, and the game is seen as an underrated roguelike. The depth of the crafting and item management systems is recognized as a strength.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Players are excited by the game's addictive and feature-rich roguelike gameplay. The thrill of traps, hazards, and opening the Weapon Vault adds to the excitement. The endless replayability and new DLC releases keep players engaged.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players are angered by the lack of Russian language support and certain design choices, such as the one-way transfer chest and high chance of losing items. Useless tools and inventory limitations also contribute to frustration.
- Liking (weight 0.02): Players like the game because it reminds them of Dungeons of Dredmor and offers enormous content. Each action involves meaningful decisions with pros and cons, and the game is considered a fine example of the genre with deep systems.
- Stress (weight 0.02): Players experience stress due to slow resting mechanics in tense situations and the need to conserve items and avoid confrontation. The hardcore roguelike nature adds pressure to every decision.
- Addiction (weight 0.02): Players find the game addictive, wanting to return despite repeated failures. The feeling of 'one more try' and the engaging gameplay keep them coming back.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the game's compelling gameplay and techno-fantasy lore. Discovering information from computers adds depth and intrigue.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Players are annoyed by the inventory management and grinding that kill enjoyment. The game is too long and wears out its welcome.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Players regret purchasing the game because it won't be fixed and the journey to win was not worth the effort.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Players feel sadness because the difficulty climb on harder difficulties is poorly designed, and after deciphering all recipes, the excitement of operating computers fades.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players are amused by the ability to play as a tentacled telepathic extraterrestrial dolphin and by repeatedly failing to notice the underscore in the folder name.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players are bored by the drawn-out pacing and repetitive combat after a certain point.
- Tension (weight 0.01): Players feel tension from the challenge starting at floor 30 and the need to calculate every step and conserve resources.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Players approve of the Linux version working and the enjoyable soundtrack, and they find the game an entertaining challenge.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game as one of the best roguelikes, with well-executed mechanics, high-resolution graphics, and deep systems.}