Info about Tales of Maj'Eyal:

Official game description:
  
Tales of Maj’Eyal is a roguelike RPG, featuring tactical turn-based combat and advanced character building. Play as one of many unique races and classes in the lore-filled world of Eyal, exploring random dungeons, facing challenging battles, and developing characters with your own tailored mix of abilities and powers.  
With a modern graphical and customisable interface, intuitive mouse control, streamlined mechanics and deep, challenging combat, online stats and character sheets, Tales of Maj’Eyal offers engaging roguelike gameplay for the 21st century.  
*   Focus on randomly generated tactical battles  
*   Rich set of very unique classes  
*   Unlocks & achievements progression  
*   Rich world with its own history which slowly reveal during the game  
*   No consumables, no grinding  
*   Turn based: think before you act!  
*   Simple, easy to use interface  
*   Easy modding support with Workshop integration
Buyers will get all the extra features that normal donators get. You can test for free on

Release date: Dec 12, 2013

Categories: Roguelike, Tactical RPG, Dungeon Crawler, Character Progression, Skill Tree Progression, Open-World Exploration, Turn-based RPG, Mod Support

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The game monetization is fair and transparent. The base game is free, and the paid DLCs are substantial content expansions that users consider worth the price. There are no microtransactions for power, no gacha, and no pay-to-win elements. The few mentions of 'coins' or 'donator features' are not flagged as predatory, as they are not tied to real-money spending or required for progress.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: The Student; summary: The user feedback consistently highlights that external wikis and guides are considered essential for understanding game progression, mechanics, and hidden content. The most frequent complaint is the dependency on outside resources for basic navigation and system learning, which aligns with the 'The Student' category.
- Steam Deck: score 75; verdict: Playable but Unstable; summary: The game exhibits critical stability and UI compatibility issues on Steam Deck, with frequent mid-game crashes and broken display elements that require extensive manual workaround. While a minority report a positive experience, the majority of feedback highlights a frustrating setup and unreliable performance, placing it firmly in the 'broken' range.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $7.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews explicitly state that the current Steam price of $7 is a great deal and fair for the content. One reviewer even suggests that doubling the price to $14 would still be worth it, indicating that the community sees the base-game price as very reasonable and possibly undervalued. This evidence points to a fair price range where $7 is the minimum acceptable and up to $15 (reflecting the sentiment that it is worth far more) is still considered fair.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 20.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first evidence directly states that a player is nearly done with the campaign after 20 hours, providing a typical story completion time. The second evidence clearly gives the length of a single successful run without deaths as about 10 hours, which aligns with other fast playthrough reports. The third evidence describes session lengths evolving from 20-30 minutes to multiple hours, indicating a typical session of around 1 hour for mid-game players. The fourth evidence, from a Chinese review, confirms that a lucky death-free clear takes 15-24 hours, supporting story completion in the 15-24 hour range. Game completion (total time including deaths and retries) has highly variable evidence (ranging from 60-80 hours to 200+ hours) and no single typical value, so it is set to null. Endgame hours are mentioned only vaguely (optional endgame threats) with no concrete numeric report, thus set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Tales of Maj'Eyal has a steep early learning curve with repetitive, easy early dungeons that make the first 30 minutes a slog. Once players learn zone progression, unlock classes, and get their build going, the game becomes deeply addictive with immense replayability.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Build coming online / getting past the early game slog
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Repetitive early dungeon content; Steep learning curve with many noob traps; Lack of direction on where to go and what to do; Early game feels tedious and boring; Permadeath punishes exploration mistakes
  - Unlock drivers: Learning zone order from wiki or guides; Unlocking new classes and races through achievements; Using inscriptions effectively; Surviving the first 10 levels; Switching to adventure mode (multiple lives)
  - Conditions: Play on adventure mode to reduce permadeath frustration; Look up recommended zone progression (spoiler-free guide); Experiment with different builds to find a fun playstyle; Use the global chat for tips and encouragement; Focus on early game survival and defensive abilities
- Player Archetypes:
  - Build-Crafter Optimizer (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering character builds and optimizing talent synergies
    - Playstyle: Experimenting with class and race combinations, theorycrafting, and fine-tuning skill trees
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: optimizer; theorycrafter; build enthusiast
    - Reference games: Dungeons of Dredmor; Elona; Cogmind; Tangledeep
  - Flexible Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying exploration and adventure without punishing difficulty
    - Playstyle: Playing on Adventure or Explore modes, focusing on story and discovery, taking breaks as needed
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual gamer; adventure lover; story explorer
    - Reference games: Dungeons of Dredmor; Into the Breach; Peglin; Tangledeep
  - Permadeath Purist (buy)
    - Motivation: Conquering the highest difficulties through knowledge and skill
    - Playstyle: Playing on Roguelike mode with permadeath, memorizing enemy patterns and optimal strategies
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: old-school player; roguelike veteran; challenge seeker
    - Reference games: Moria; Nethack; Rogue; Cogmind


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:
- Classic traditional roguelike experience (weight 0.64): Frequently praised as a pure, classic, and best-in-class traditional roguelike. It is considered one of the greatest games in the genre.
- Vast race and class diversity (weight 0.55): Offers an enormous variety of unique races, classes, and subclasses, each with distinct abilities and playstyles. This provides unmatched build diversity and replayability.
- Extremely high replayability (weight 0.27): The game offers near-infinite replayability due to its vast number of builds, unlockables, and procedural content. Players report hundreds of hours of gameplay with constant discoveries.
- Deep and engaging lore (weight 0.25): The game features a rich world with extensive, well-written lore and backstory. This deep narrative is integrated with game systems, enhancing the sense of exploration and discovery.
- Fun and satisfying combat (weight 0.22): Combat is described as fun, direct, and satisfying, with a good amount of content and variety. The turn-based tactical system adds strategic depth to encounters.
- Excellent value for money (weight 0.21): Praised for having an excellent price-quality ratio, with many feeling the game is worth its full price. It is considered a great value given its massive content and longevity.
- Accessible for beginners (weight 0.15): Considered an easy entry point into the traditional roguelike genre, making it great for beginners. The game includes features like auto-explore that lower the learning curve.

Common complaints:
- Cheap and frequent deaths (weight 0.23): Deaths are often sudden, unexpected, and feel cheap, leading to constant frustration and the need to repeat sections from the start.
- High overall difficulty (weight 0.22): The game is widely considered very difficult, with some players calling it unfair or unfun. It requires patience and a steep learning curve.
- Outdated or simple graphics (weight 0.19): Multiple players criticize the graphics as outdated, simple, or not appealing. While some acknowledge graphics are not the main focus, the visual style is a common turn-off.
- Poor escort missions (weight 0.09): Escort quests are described as badly designed, frustrating, and infuriating, detracting from the overall experience.
- Painful user interface (weight 0.09): The UI is criticized as terrible, crude, and painful at times, negatively impacting the gameplay experience.
- Minimal and text-heavy story (weight 0.08): The story is described as very minimal and mostly conveyed through large amounts of text, which may not appeal to all players.
- Berserker class very weak (weight 0.07): Players report that the Berserker class, particularly Berserker Alchemist, is underpowered throughout the entire game, making it a poor choice.
- Poor modern system compatibility (weight 0.05): The game does not support modern graphics drivers and does not run well on current systems, causing technical issues.
- Lack of guidance after tutorial (weight 0.05): Players find little guidance or tutorials after the initial introduction, making the game feel too old-school and difficult to navigate.

Gameplay feedback:
- Permadeath roguelike core (weight 0.83): The game is described as a true roguelike with permadeath as a central mechanic, often featuring turn-based tactical combat, procedural generation, and deep character customization. This is the most frequently cited feature, making it the defining aspect of the experience.
- Flexible permadeath options (weight 0.43): Players appreciate multiple permadeath variants, including the ability to disable it entirely or use lives-based modes. This flexibility accommodates different playstyles and skill levels while retaining the roguelike identity.
- Many classes and builds (weight 0.33): The game offers a huge variety of races, classes, and skill trees, including unique advanced classes like Necromancer. This diversity allows for deep build crafting and replayability.
- Turn-based tactical combat (weight 0.18): Combat is described as turn-based, tactical, and chess-like, requiring strategic planning. This is a key feature that distinguishes the game from action roguelikes.
- Mod support and metaprogression (weight 0.16): The roguelike includes mod support and metaprogression elements, such as unlockable races and classes. This extends the game's longevity and allows community customization.
- Multiple difficulty levels (weight 0.14): Players can select from a range of difficulty settings, from casual Normal to extreme Nightmare/Insane modes. This allows players to tailor the challenge to their preference.
- Skill tree progression (weight 0.14): Each class has a unique skill tree, and some classes feature advanced specializations like anti-magic or berserker. Character progression is centered on developing these trees.
- Dungeon crawler with RPG mechanics (weight 0.12): The game is described as a turn-based dungeon crawler with D&D-like mechanics and Diablo-style itemization. It combines spellcasting, melee combat, and role-playing elements.
- Open world exploration (weight 0.07): The game includes a vast open world with fast travel, allowing for non-linear exploration. This contrasts with the strict dungeon-crawling structure of many traditional roguelikes.

Performance notes:
- Frequent crash on launch (weight 0.32): Many players report that the game crashes when attempting to enter a location, loading into zones, or simply starting up. This is the most common and severe issue, affecting at least 15 users across multiple clusters such as Cluster 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 43, and 44.
- Endless loading screens (weight 0.12): Several users encounter infinite loading screens or loading bars that never complete, preventing gameplay. This issue is noted in Clusters 2, 13, 38, and 42.
- Black screen or blank tilesets (weight 0.11): Some players encounter a black screen on startup or in-game, requiring settings adjustment. This is mentioned in Clusters 5, 9, 17, 46, and 51.
- Graphics driver incompatibility issues (weight 0.07): Reports indicate OpenGL support issues with AMD drivers and other graphics incompatibilities, causing the game not to run. See Clusters 10, 16, and 36.
- Save corruption and loss (weight 0.07): Players have lost saves or experienced save corruption after crashes, including bricking of save files. This is highlighted in Clusters 20, 47, and 49.
- Game requires manual fixes to run (weight 0.07): Players have attempted various fixes like editing config files, using Revo Uninstaller, or toggling old graphics bugs, indicating poor out-of-box experience. Clusters 6, 34, and 56 discuss this.
- Crashes after DLC purchase (weight 0.03): One user reports that the game crashes to a blank screen immediately after purchasing DLC. Cluster 26 documents this specific issue.
- Resolution and font fitting issues (weight 0.03): Problems with resolution settings and font size fitting are causing display issues for some players. This is noted in Cluster 18.
- Level up screen shows empty sheet (weight 0.03): A glitch prevents the level-up screen from displaying properly, showing an empty sheet instead of the relevant stats. Cluster 19 covers this.
- Memory leaks degrade performance (weight 0.03): The game suffers from memory leaks, causing gradually worsening performance over play sessions. Cluster 30 reports this issue.
- Windows 11 incompatibility (weight 0.03): Some players suspect that Windows 11 may be the cause of their inability to run the game. Cluster 24 raises this concern.
- False playtime logging (weight 0.02): Some users observe that the game falsely logs playtime, which may affect tracking or achievements. Cluster 45 mentions this.
- Temporal hounds glitch requires file editing (weight 0.02): A specific glitch related to temporal hounds forces players to edit game files to continue. Cluster 56 documents this.

Recommendations:
- For traditional roguelike fans (weight 0.45): The game is highly recommended for fans of classic roguelikes, deep RPGs, and challenging dungeon crawls, emphasizing its traditional mechanics rather than roguelite elements.
- Overall strong buy recommendation (weight 0.38): Many reviewers strongly advise purchasing the game, calling it worth the money, a great value, and even a hidden gem that deserves support.
- Free version available to try (weight 0.22): Reviewers note that the game has a free version on the developer's website, allowing players to try before buying, which reduces risk.
- Great for newcomers to roguelikes (weight 0.22): The game is recommended for players new to the roguelike genre, being more accessible than hardcore classics while still offering depth.
- Worth buying even at full price (weight 0.2): Several reviews emphasize that the game is worth its price tag, even without a sale, and offers great value for money.
- Mixed recommendations for casual players (weight 0.13): A few reviews recommend the game for those who usually dislike roguelikes or find them too hardcore, while others advise caution for complexity and frustration.
- High replayability and depth (weight 0.12): The game is described as a desert island title with high replayability, offering deep interactions and long-term goals for dedicated players.
- Buy to support developer (weight 0.12): Some reviewers recommend purchasing on Steam or buying copies for friends as a way to support the developer, especially since a free version exists.
- DLC expansions are worthwhile (weight 0.05): The DLC campaigns are considered worth the additional cost, adding meaningful content to an already rich game.

Other player notes:
- Thai language mod created (weight 0.02): An author created a mod that translates the game fully into Thai, indicating a demand for localization support from the Thai-speaking community.
- Request for underwater DLC (weight 0.02): A player requests an expansion or DLC focused on underwater content, suggesting interest in expanding the game's aquatic gameplay or exploration features.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.26): The game is plagued by game-breaking bugs, crashes, and save corruption that frequently prevent players from launching or continuing their progress. Unfair difficulty spikes, random overpowered enemies, and poor balance between classes make deaths feel cheap and unavoidable. The UI and performance issues, such as lag, black screens, and confusing controls, compound the frustration, making the game feel unplayable and not worth the time investment.
- Excitement (weight 0.19): Players are thrilled by the immense variety of classes, races, builds, and unlockable content, which provides near-infinite replayability. The constant discovery of new synergies, deep mechanics, and the dopamine rush from powerful loot and critical hits create a highly addictive and rewarding gameplay loop. The game's intense combat and the challenge of progressing further in each run generate a consistent sense of excitement and engagement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.16): The game provides a deeply rewarding experience through its fair but challenging combat, where outplaying enemies and overcoming difficult encounters feels genuinely earned. The vast customization options, deep class system, and high replay value offer hundreds of hours of engaging gameplay with a strong sense of progression. Players feel a great sense of accomplishment from mastering the game's mechanics, building successful characters, and finally achieving victory after many attempts.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players find great enjoyment in the vast array of character combinations, unique class abilities, and the fun of experimenting with different builds. The moment-to-moment gameplay, including engaging combat and the slot-machine feel of loot drops, keeps the experience exciting and time flies by. Despite its difficulty, the game is considered very fun and accessible, with players continuing to have a good time even when not making significant progress.
- Admiration (weight 0.08): Players admire the game for being the pinnacle of the traditional roguelike genre, citing its unmatched build diversity, deep character customization, and vast content. The continuous support, updates, and clear passion from the solo developer are highly praised, as is the game's ability to eliminate tedious micromanagement while maintaining strategic depth and challenge. It is widely considered one of the best and most enduring RPGs ever created.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Players are disappointed by the game's aging and unappealing visuals, as well as a lack of meaningful updates and bugfixes over many years. The cumbersome UI, poor tutorials, and a feeling that interesting mechanics are wasted by a lack of depth or engagement lead to a sense that the game has not realized its full potential. Game-breaking bugs that prevent play and a design that can feel shallow or outdated compound this disappointment, especially compared to modern alternatives.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the game's remarkable balance between deep, strategic gameplay and accessibility, making it a welcoming entry point into traditional roguelikes. The developer's long-term support, labor of love, and continued interaction with the community are highly valued, as are the quality-of-life features and informative tooltips. The game's rich content, rewarding sense of achievement, and unique systems create a genuinely enjoyable experience that players are grateful for.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players express deep love for the game's core mechanics, particularly the turn-based tactical combat and the sheer breadth of class and build customization. With thousands of hours played, it is considered an all-time favorite that surpasses other genre giants, providing endless replayability and a perfect blend of depth and accessibility. The game's ability to adapt to the player's experience and its status as a 'real roguelike' solidifies its place as a beloved classic.
- Addiction (weight 0.03): Players describe the game as highly addictive, with a compelling gameplay loop that keeps them coming back for more despite significant frustration from bugs or difficulty. The drive to unlock new classes and races, experiment with builds, and achieve a successful run creates an engrossing cycle that has led to burnout, neglected responsibilities, and a strong desire to keep playing. The game is credited with getting players addicted to the entire roguelike genre.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Players find amusement in the game's unexpected and often absurd death scenarios, such as being killed by a door, a knife-wielding scouser, or random teleportation. The humorous descriptions of bugs, the rage quit achievement for unexplained deaths, and the very nature of dying repeatedly are framed as fun and entertaining. These moments, along with accidental humorous events, contribute to a lighthearted enjoyment of the game's chaos.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Players are highly enthusiastic about the game, recommending it strongly to fans of RPGs and roguelikes as the best in its class. They praise its deep combat, character building, and immense replayability, often describing it as a modernized version of beloved classics. This positive sentiment is so strong that players have rebought the game after losing accounts and encourage new players to persevere through the learning curve.
- Fun (weight 0.02): Players find the game fundamentally fun due to its deep build crafting and the great randomness of each run. The addictive gameplay loop, creative setting, and excitement of loot drops and achievements create a consistently enjoyable experience. Even repeated attempts at the game are described as fun, highlighting the engaging core gameplay.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players are surprised by the game's unexpected depth and engagement, which far exceeds initial impressions based on its age or appearance. Discoveries like 4K scaling, a second boss phase with full health, or the sheer number of achievements in a short time create moments of astonishment. Finding such a highly enjoyable and complex game after years or at a low price point is a recurring source of positive surprise.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Players express boredom due to repetitive and monotonous gameplay, particularly during early zones where they spend the majority of their time fighting massive amounts of trash mobs without much thought. The need to replay the same maps and progression paths, combined with useless item drops and a repetitive soundtrack, makes large portions of the game feel tedious. A perceived lack of good skills and variety in the core gameplay loop contributes to this disengagement.
- Gratitude (weight 0.02): Players express gratitude for the developer's dedication, the free or low-cost availability of the game, and the fair pricing for additional content. The enjoyment provided by the game has motivated players to donate or buy the game to support the creator. The helpful community and the developer's long-term support and updates are also deeply appreciated.
- Determination (weight 0.02): Players show strong determination to continue playing and mastering the game despite repeated setbacks, deaths, and technical issues. They express a clear intention to try again, find workarounds, or specifically guide a chosen character to victory. This resilience underscores that the challenge is a core part of the appeal for these players.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): Players are amazed by the staggering amount of content and depth, which they find to be on par with or surpassing legendary roguelikes. The vast combination of races, classes, and skills creates a feeling that the game is nearly infinite in its possibilities. The low price relative to the quality and the ability to sink extremely long sessions into the game are frequently cited as mindblowing.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players experience joy from the game's timeless appeal, simple yet immersive experience, and the fun of experimenting with a vast array of builds. The expansive content, rewarding gameplay, and mechanics like timeline paradox are described as delivering a complete and heartful experience. The game is seen as an endlessly replayable and complete time dump that brings genuine happiness.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Players express regret for not discovering or playing the game sooner, often having owned it for years without giving it a proper chance. Some regret purchasing the game due to a lack of time to learn its complex systems, while others are disappointed by its outdated graphics. The overarching sentiment is that of missed time and wishing they had experienced the game earlier.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players express anger at specific design imbalances, such as magic users with knockback and teleport being overpowered, and at the game becoming unplayable after a DLC purchase. The inability to reset key bindings after a mistake and the frustration of losing a 20-hour save also contribute to this anger. The tone is often laced with vulgar language, indicating a high level of emotional upset.}