- Addictive, replayable gameplay loop keeps players engaged.
- Unique, polished art style enhances the experience.
- Probability-based grid navigation adds strategic depth.
- Significant bugs and technical issues detract.
- Progression and economy feel unbalanced.
- Await updates for a more polished experience.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 96% · Negative 4%. Score: 4 / 100
Positives:
- The core gameplay loop is highly addictive, encouraging players to start 'just one more run'. This is due to the blend of chance and strategy, meta-progression, and the desire to uncover all the game's secrets.
- The game features a unique and polished art style, often described as 'ugly-cute' or 'charmingly disturbing,' which significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere and originality. The visuals are complemented by well-crafted animations and sound design, creating an immersive experience.
- This cluster contains general positive sentiments without specific details. Therefore, it receives a low importance score.
- The game features immersive sound design and a fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere. The music complements the mood effectively, creating a suspenseful and engaging experience for the player.
- The game incorporates humor and amusing details, with playful secrets hidden throughout the game. These elements add to the overall enjoyment and create a sense of discovery.
Negatives:
- Numerous bugs and technical issues plague the game. These include game-breaking bugs, display issues, control problems, and audio glitches, negatively impacting the player experience and progression.
- The game's difficulty and boss variety are lacking. Players find the game too easy, with repetitive boss encounters and inappropriately leveled enemies, especially in later biomes. Some players suggest a need for a harder difficulty mode and more unique boss designs.
- The core gameplay loop involves calculating probabilities, which can be mentally taxing and detract from enjoyment for some players. The game becomes repetitive, reducing to a probability calculation focused on minimizing losses.
- The game's progression and economy feel unbalanced. Players either become overpowered too quickly or struggle with gold acquisition, impacting both in-game and out-of-game progression. Early game unlocks are slow due to high costs.
- Character balance is off, with some characters being significantly weaker or less enjoyable than others. Some character attacks feel awkward and clunky.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay revolves around navigating a grid using probability-based mechanics. Players must strategically consider risks and rewards while managing resources and health. This system is central to the game's design and requires careful decision-making.
- The game blends roguelike and dungeon crawler elements, emphasizing randomized environments and progression. Players descend into dungeons, making each decision crucial for survival. The goal is to progress as far as possible, facing random encounters and challenges.
- While the game incorporates chance, players have agency through items and strategic choices. Consumables and special items, like teeth, can influence probabilities and provide various effects. This allows players to mitigate randomness and make informed decisions.
- Characters possess unique skills, stats, and abilities that influence gameplay. Monsters also have unique effects that change the dynamics of combat. These elements add depth and variety to encounters, requiring players to adapt their strategies.
- The early access version of the game has limited content, leading to short runs. Players may find the experience ends quickly, just as they start to enjoy it. This limitation is a common issue in early access titles.
Performance:
- The game runs well on Steam Deck and has no demanding technical requirements, making it accessible to a wide range of players and hardware configurations. This ensures a smooth and enjoyable experience regardless of the platform.
- A bug can occur during the first boss fight where the boss gets stuck, preventing progression and forcing the player to restart the game. This is a critical issue that severely impacts the player experience.
- Traps sometimes function inconsistently, trapping players for multiple turns even when not directly aligned. This behavior is unexpected and can lead to unfair or frustrating situations.
- Players are experiencing brief freezes when rapidly clearing the grid as the door to the next floor unlocks. This can disrupt the flow of gameplay and become frustrating, especially during intense moments.
- There is an unclear interaction where a wizard loses a bonus upon death by a bomb, but it's uncertain if this is intended. This lack of clarity can confuse players and make it difficult to understand game mechanics.
Recommendations:
- Many reviewers recommend the game but suggest waiting for future updates and patches to address bugs and add more content. They see great potential in the game's core mechanics and are eager to see how it evolves through early access.
- Reviewers express strong support for the game and its developers, often citing its great value for the price. They encourage others to purchase the game to support the development team and enjoy a worthwhile experience.
- The game is being compared favorably to other popular titles like Balatro and Slay the Spire, with some reviewers suggesting it could even replace them. This comparison indicates a strong endorsement for players who enjoy similar card-based roguelike gameplay.
- One reviewer notes that the game may not be suitable for players who struggle with percentages, implying that the gameplay involves calculations. This could be a barrier to entry for some players.
Miscellaneous:
- The game already supports Chinese language and achievements, and players are hoping for Steam achievements to be added in the future to enhance the gaming experience and provide a sense of accomplishment.
- Reviewers noted the potential for deeper lore and the possibility of discovering secret challenges within the game. This suggests an intriguing element that could reward exploration and dedicated play.
- The game supports both horizontal and vertical screen orientations, providing flexibility for players on different devices or with different preferences.
- The game has a level progression system where players advance after completing five rounds or clearing the current screen of monsters. This provides a clear objective and a sense of progression.
