Info about Malignant Survivors:

Official game description:
3D rogue-like action game in a dark fantasy theme. Blow up thousands of malignants and find quality loot to improve your heroes for harder challenges.  
Explore millions of possibilities in hero builds with 800+ item definitions and 30+ random modifiers. Discover a profound sense of progression through +50 hours of gameplay by acquiring quality loot.
Features
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*   Mouse only mode (single handed, supports everything, no need for keyboard).  
*   Lots of loot, a perfect feeling of looting.  
*   No need to invest hours to progress; enjoy quick gameplay sessions with the perfect feeling of progression, reminiscent of the best Hack and Slash games.  
*   Runs efficiently even on low-end PCs.

Release date: Feb 13, 2024

Categories: Action RPG, Roguelike, Looter Shooter, Hack and Slash, Character Progression, Loot and Grinding, Single-player

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 80; verdict: Unstable and resource-heavy; summary: The game exhibits significant stability and performance issues on Steam Deck, including crashes, frame drops, and failure to utilize the GPU, requiring workarounds like disabling cloud saves. While some users enjoy it, the technical barriers are substantial.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $2.00 - $4.00
  - Reasoning: The community consistently indicates the game is only worth a few dollars. Many bought it on deep discounts (under $1-2) and consider it good value only at those prices. One review explicitly states the base price is $3 and it's not worth more than $2-3. Another notes the base price is low. Thus, a fair base-game price range is likely $2-4, with $3 as a common reference point.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.1h
  - Endgame: 15.0h
  - Reasoning: The session length is directly stated as four to five minutes per session, which converts to approximately 0.08 hours. The endgame playtime is supported by a player who farmed for 15 additional hours after initial play, indicating time spent in endgame content.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is enjoyable early on, but after the tutorial, difficulty spikes and later repetitive grind and lack of meta progression diminish the fun.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Early game
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Tutorial stage too hard after prologue; Lack of auto-attack; Paying gold to pick up items; Uneven difficulty spikes
  - Unlock drivers: Easy difficulty added in update
  - Conditions: If you enjoy fast-paced combat; If you like deep itemization; If you grind the tutorial stage; If you play as Chemist; If you accept the lack of meta progression
- Player Archetypes:
  - Treasure Hunter (buy)
    - Motivation: The thrill of finding rare loot and building powerful characters.
    - Playstyle: Farms high difficulties, optimizes gear, and uses summons and skills to clear hordes.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: treasure hunter
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Genre Veteran Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Desire for a polished, feature-complete game with meta progression and varied content.
    - Playstyle: Plays many similar games and expects depth; likely tries to find meta progression and mechanics.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: intense player
    - Reference games: Vampire Survivors; Halls of Torment; Death Must Die
  - Build Optimizer (buy)
    - Motivation: Theorycrafting and optimizing builds to push higher difficulties.
    - Playstyle: Plans gear slots, prioritizes movement speed, recommends heroes, and looks for skill and magic find gear.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Casual Value Seeker (sale)
    - Motivation: Getting a good value for money and an accessible, easy-to-play experience.
    - Playstyle: Plays casually, uses mouse-only controls, and enjoys the game without heavy investment.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - 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:
- Enjoyable loot grinding (weight 0.32): A significant portion of feedback focuses on the fun of loot hunting and grinding for powerful equipment. Players enjoy the satisfying endgame loop of seeking better items and becoming overpowered.
- Fun and unique game (weight 0.25): Many reviews describe the game as nice, interesting, and unique, highlighting its blend of looter and survivor genres. Players find the gameplay enjoyable and the concept creative.
- Good value for price (weight 0.23): Players frequently mention the game is worth its price, with several noting it is cheap or low-cost. The combination of low price and enjoyable gameplay makes it a good value purchase.
- Overpowered builds possible (weight 0.16): Players enjoy the ability to become extremely powerful, with unlimited power-ups and stacking equipment. This allows for dominating even the highest difficulties with the right build.
- Deep itemization system (weight 0.15): Players praise the deep equipment system, noting over 800 unique items and 30+ random modifiers. This depth allows for high build customization and specialized characters.
- Accessible for all players (weight 0.14): The game offers easier modes for beginners and more difficult modes for hardcore players. It is easy to learn and has a simple UI, making it approachable for a wide audience.
- Short session friendly (weight 0.13): The game is well-suited for short play sessions, with runs lasting only a few minutes. Players appreciate being able to play in brief bursts without a large time commitment.
- Good performance and optimization (weight 0.13): The game runs smoothly with no frame drops, even with many enemies on screen. Players also note it works well on Steam Deck and has good graphics.
- Active developer support (weight 0.11): Players appreciate the developer's responsiveness and regular updates that add new content. Recent patches have fixed bugs and added characters and skills, improving the game.
- Unique inventory mechanics (weight 0.1): The inventory system, where equipment takes effect immediately and can be stacked, adds a fresh touch. The shared item bag and carry-over mechanics are also noted as interesting features.
- Relaxing and immersive (weight 0.08): Some players find the game relaxing and immersive, with a good atmosphere. It is described as a good game to play without thinking during spare time.
- Good early game experience (weight 0.08): The early to mid game feels like a substantial hack and slash, and players enjoy gearing up on lower difficulties. The game is fun before obtaining super items as well.
- Rewarding progression system (weight 0.07): Players find the progression system rewarding, with satisfying moments when acquiring new skill equipment. The early game becomes easier as better gear drops, providing a sense of growth.
- Variety of characters (weight 0.07): The game features several characters or jobs, including an Alchemist with better item drops. Players appreciate the good number of heroes and the ability to create specialized builds.
- Mixed but positive reception (weight 0.07): While some players find the game just okay or with a couple of interesting ideas, the overall reception is positive. The framework is considered fine, and there are hours of mindless fun to be had.
- Useful gameplay tips (weight 0.05): The game provides helpful gameplay tips, such as using the C key to show drop details. This assists players in searching for rare drops when the sound plays.
- Strong legendary synergies (weight 0.05): Legendary callbacks provide strong synergies, and powerful abilities like Blizzard and Undead Sword are highlighted. These elements add depth to combat and build strategies.
- Interesting difficulty scaling (weight 0.03): Enemy spawns scale with character level, allowing weak early characters to still fight. This scaling keeps the game challenging but fair as players progress.

Common complaints:
- Game balance is poor (weight 0.2): Character balance and overall game balance are criticized, with issues becoming more pronounced at higher difficulties and during the early service period. The difficulty curve is poorly designed, and Nightmare difficulty is vastly harder than Hard.
- Game lacks content and progression (weight 0.16): The game is criticized for having limited content, only one map, and no meta progression. Gold becomes useless after unlocking characters and equipment slots, and there is no meaningful long-term progression.
- Loot drop rates are poor (weight 0.15): Good loot rarely drops, and many drops are useless, making it hard to obtain quality items. Higher difficulties do not offer better drops, and the drop system feels confusing and unrewarding.
- Skill cooldowns are too long (weight 0.14): Players consistently report that skill cooldowns are excessively long, with basic skills taking up to 12 seconds and many abilities ranging from 10 to 30 seconds. This leads to a tedious early game where most time is spent waiting for cooldowns.
- Movement speed is too slow (weight 0.1): Players find the movement speed very slow, which makes the game feel sluggish and contributes to enemies catching up too easily. This is especially problematic in the early game.
- Game feels unfinished and flawed (weight 0.1): Many players describe the game as deeply flawed and unfinished, often leading to frustration. The overall quality is compared to an asset flip, and there are many imperfections.
- Enemies can one-shot players (weight 0.09): Large enemies on higher difficulties can one-shot the player, and Nightmare difficulty enemies deal over 100 damage per hit, making the game feel unfair and punishing.
- Items must be bought after runs (weight 0.09): Items collected during a run must be bought at the end of the run with gold, which feels restrictive and adds unnecessary friction to the gameplay loop.
- Performance issues on lower-end machines (weight 0.05): The game lags on non-high-end machines and performance degrades later in the game, causing frustration for players with less powerful hardware.
- No windowed mode support (weight 0.05): The game does not support windowed mode, which is a basic feature that many players expect and need for multitasking or performance reasons.
- Character portraits mismatch models (weight 0.05): The character portraits, such as the Paladin and Necromancer, do not resemble the actual character models, which is a visual inconsistency that bothers players.

Gameplay feedback:
- ARPG with roguelike elements (weight 0.22): The game blends action RPG mechanics with roguelike and survival elements, creating a hybrid genre experience. This combination is a notable aspect of the game's design.
- Multiple difficulty levels exist (weight 0.19): The game features a range of difficulty settings, including Nightmare, Hell, and Torment tiers. These difficulties likely affect enemy strength and loot quality.
- Gold unlocks characters and slots (weight 0.18): Gold serves as the primary currency for unlocking characters and equipment slots. This progression system is frequently mentioned and is a key part of the game's meta.
- Loot hunting is core (weight 0.17): Players consistently describe the game as a looter game where hunting for equipment is the central activity. This is a defining mechanic that shapes the overall experience.
- Gold and items from runs (weight 0.11): Players earn gold and collect items during runs, which can be used to improve future runs. This creates a loop of farming and upgrading.
- Hero selection from small pool (weight 0.09): Players choose a hero from a small selection, each with different abilities. This provides some variety but may be limited.
- Equipment has power levels (weight 0.07): Equipment is rated by power levels and tiers, indicating a stat-based progression system. Higher-tier gear is likely more effective in combat.
- No skill tree or meta progression (weight 0.07): The game lacks a traditional skill tree or meta progression system, which may limit build variety. This is a notable design choice that some players may find limiting.
- Single map with multiple difficulties (weight 0.07): The game appears to have only one map, but it is played across various difficulty levels. This could lead to repetitive gameplay.
- Tutorial prologue stage (weight 0.07): The prologue serves as a tutorial stage, introducing players to the game's mechanics. This is a standard onboarding feature.
- Alchemist class scales with equipment (weight 0.05): The Alchemist class becomes stronger with more equipment and also drops higher-grade items. This class has a unique synergy with the loot system.
- Stage-based hack and slash (weight 0.05): The game is structured as a stage-based hack and slash, with combat focused on melee or ranged attacks. This is a core gameplay loop.
- Active skills with cooldowns (weight 0.05): The game features active skills that have cooldown timers, adding a layer of strategic timing to combat. This is a common ARPG mechanic.
- Higher difficulties yield better loot (weight 0.05): Higher difficulty levels drop better quality items and equipment with stronger modifiers. This incentivizes players to tackle harder content.
- Skills tied to equipped items (weight 0.05): Skills are directly tied to the items a character wears, meaning loadout determines abilities. This is a unique twist on skill systems.
- Drop rate stat affects loot quality (weight 0.05): The game has a drop rate stat that influences the chance of obtaining high-power items. This stat is likely important for optimizing loot.
- Run ends at max level (weight 0.05): A run ends when the player reaches max level or dies, with no time limit. This creates a level-based progression within each run.
- Early game focuses on gold farming (weight 0.05): The early game involves farming gold to unlock heroes and equipment slots. This is a grind-heavy start that may be tedious for some.

Performance notes:
- Effects cause performance drops (weight 0.12): Heavy skill effects, minions, and projectiles lead to low FPS, especially in late game or Torment farming. Players also note that effects cannot be turned off, worsening the issue.
- Performance varies by hardware (weight 0.11): Some players report smooth performance on weak PCs and Steam Deck, while others experience lag on non-high-end machines. This indicates inconsistent optimization across different hardware configurations.
- Infinite loading after updates (weight 0.1): Multiple players report getting stuck on endless loading screens after patches or updates. This issue appears repeatedly and disrupts gameplay significantly.
- Crashes on certain difficulties (weight 0.08): The game crashes, especially on Torment difficulty or in the final stage, even on newer medium-performance machines. This suggests stability issues under specific conditions.
- High resource usage (weight 0.08): Players report extremely high memory and CPU usage, and the game may not use the graphics card properly. This contributes to poor overall optimization.
- Performance drops despite settings (weight 0.03): Even with reduced graphics settings, players still experience frame drops and lag. This indicates that optimization issues are not easily mitigated by lowering visual quality.
- Post-patch stuttering and audio issues (weight 0.03): After a patch, some players encountered stuttering and BGM cutting out. This suggests that updates may introduce new performance regressions.

Recommendations:
- Good value at low price (weight 0.23): Several reviewers note that the game is worth its low price, especially when on sale. They consider it a good deal for the cost.
- Loot grinding fans recommended (weight 0.19): Multiple reviewers recommend the game to players who enjoy loot grinding and looter mechanics. The game is praised for its endgame grinding and loot-driven action.
- Not recommended due to flaws (weight 0.18): Several reviewers do not recommend the game due to numerous flaws, frustration, and lack of progress or fun. Some suggest avoiding it even on discount.
- Action RPG and roguelike appeal (weight 0.05): The game is recommended for fans of action RPGs and roguelikes who can tolerate some flaws. It offers deep customization and dynamic combat.
- Not for Vampire Survivors fans (weight 0.03): One reviewer explicitly advises against the game for fans of Vampire Survivors, suggesting it may not meet their expectations.
- Developer effort praised (weight 0.03): A positive recommendation is given due to developer effort and updates, suggesting the game is improving over time.
- Alchemist class recommended (weight 0.03): A reviewer recommends playing as the alchemist class, implying it provides a more enjoyable experience.
- Light Diablo experience (weight 0.03): The game is described as a light Diablo, appealing to those who want a similar but less intense experience.
- Alternatives suggested (weight 0.03): One reviewer advises against wasting time on this game and suggests Army of Ruin or Soulstone Survivors as better alternatives.
- Bugs tolerable for some (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for people who can deal with bugs, indicating that technical issues are present but manageable for certain players.
- Regret purchasing game (weight 0.03): One reviewer regrets buying the game, suggesting it did not meet expectations or provide sufficient enjoyment.
- Short sessions suitable (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for those who want to play in short sessions and enjoy looter games, fitting a casual playstyle.
- Wait for completion (weight 0.03): One reviewer recommends buying on sale but suggests waiting for the game to be completed as a proper game, indicating it is still in development.
- Niche and not for everyone (weight 0.03): The game is described as cheap and fine for killing time, but its quirks make it niche and not for everyone.
- Chaotic early service appeal (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for players who enjoy chaotic and unbalanced early service games, indicating a niche appeal.
- Tutorial replay for difficulty (weight 0.02): A tip is given to replay the tutorial stage if the difficulty is too high, implying the game can be challenging.
- Equip gear with skills (weight 0.02): A gameplay tip suggests equipping gear with skills as much as possible to enhance performance.
- Avoid microtransactions (weight 0.02): One reviewer advises saving money and buying a free-to-play game with microtransactions instead, implying poor value.
- Refund recommended (weight 0.02): A reviewer suggests refunding the game, indicating strong dissatisfaction.

Other player notes:
- Compared to Vampire Survivors and Diablo (weight 0.23): Reviewers frequently compare the game to Vampire Survivors and Diablo, noting similarities in atmosphere, gameplay, and loot systems. This helps set expectations for the game's style and mechanics.
- Game is cheap and worth buying (weight 0.22): Multiple reviewers highlight the game's low price, especially on discount, and consider it good value for money. The affordability is a key positive factor in their recommendations.
- Developer actively updates game (weight 0.18): The developer is praised for releasing updates, bug fixes, and new content. However, some reviewers note that the developer has shifted focus to a sequel, leaving the current game in a poor state.
- Loading screen issues on Steam Deck (weight 0.09): Some players experience a loading screen loop on Steam Deck, with a workaround involving disabling Steam Cloud sync and deleting saved settings. This issue has not been addressed by the developer.
- Difficulty and balance issues (weight 0.09): Reviewers criticize the developer's difficulty design, noting that the highest difficulty is Torment 2 and requesting a higher Torment 5. There are also requests for character balance and clearer rarity colors.
- Limited content and maps (weight 0.08): The game has only one map and not much content, leading to boredom and stagnation. Reviewers suggest that more stages and variety are needed to keep the experience fresh.
- Game is creative and fun (weight 0.05): Reviewers describe the game as creative and fun, indicating that the core gameplay loop is enjoyable. This positive sentiment is a key reason for recommending the game.
- Chemist character is best choice (weight 0.05): The Chemist character is highlighted as the best choice due to a drop rate improvement trait. This character-specific feedback suggests a balance issue where one character is significantly stronger.
- Equipment carryover after payment (weight 0.05): Equipment can be carried over after paying, similar to Halls of Torment. This system allows players to save items and pay for them later, adding a strategic layer to the loot system.
- Game has no story (weight 0.05): The game has no story, focusing entirely on character and item-based gameplay. This is noted as a potential drawback for players seeking narrative depth.
- Plays well on Steam Deck (weight 0.05): The game plays well on Steam Deck, making it a good option for portable gaming. However, there are some startup issues that can be worked around.
- Developed by solo indie developer (weight 0.05): The game is developed by a solo indie developer, Eren Aydin, which is a notable achievement. This context may influence expectations for the game's scope and polish.
- Game is fully released (weight 0.05): The game is fully released and not in early access, indicating a complete state. However, some reviewers suggest it should be seen as early access due to its limited content and potential.
- No meta progression system (weight 0.03): The game lacks meta progression, instead using starting inventory slots. This design choice is noted as a departure from other games in the genre, which may affect long-term engagement.
- Supports Russian language (weight 0.03): The game supports Russian language, which is a positive feature for Russian-speaking players. This localization support is appreciated by reviewers.
- Mouse controls available (weight 0.03): The game supports mouse controls, which is a basic but important feature for PC players. This is noted as a positive aspect of the game's control scheme.
- Steam achievements and cards (weight 0.03): The game includes Steam achievements and collectible cards, adding extra value for collectors and completionists. This is a standard but appreciated feature.
- Uses free Paragon assets (weight 0.03): The game uses free Paragon assets, which may affect the visual style and originality. This is noted as a potential limitation in the game's presentation.
- Released in early 2024 (weight 0.03): The game was released in early 2024, making it a relatively recent title. This timing may be relevant for players looking for new games in the genre.
- Demo available for testing (weight 0.03): A demo is available, allowing players to try the game before purchasing. This is a positive feature that helps players make informed decisions.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.47): Players are frustrated by poor balance, long cooldowns, slow movement, and low drop rates that make progression tedious. Technical issues like crashes, lag, and infinite loading screens further ruin the experience, while unfair one-shot deaths and unclear hitboxes add to the anger.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.13): The core loot-hunting loop and the thrill of finding powerful equipment are the main sources of enjoyment. Players also appreciate the game's value for its low price and the fun of blasting through hordes of enemies with strong items.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment stems from repetitive gameplay, lack of roguelike features, and poor balance that makes the game feel grindy and unfair. Updates that remove items or effects, and the absence of meta progression, also contribute to a sense of letdown.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Satisfaction comes from the game delivering on its promise of easy, mindless fun with short runs and a good value for the price. Powerful item drops and smooth performance, even with many enemies on screen, also contribute to a positive experience.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): Players are confused by unclear enemy damage, sudden deaths, and inconsistent loot drops across difficulties. The mechanics of attack speed and cooldown reduction items, as well as damage overflow with extremely high power items, also puzzle players.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom arises from the repetitive nature of the single map and the lack of variety in gameplay. After reaching a certain point, players lose motivation due to the monotony and the unchanging environment.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is triggered by unfair mechanics such as melee enemies hitting from a distance and excessive enemy spawns. The game's perceived low quality and frustrating item system also fuel negative reactions.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is driven by the deep equipment system and the power fantasy of becoming overpowered. Lucky drops of extremely high-power items, like a 2 billion power item, create a strong urge to continue grinding.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise comes from discovering that items are auto-equipped and magic find increases infinitely, which is an unexpected mechanic. Players are also pleasantly surprised that the game is fun despite its low price.
- Fear (weight 0.01): Fear is caused by the game repeatedly force-closing on the final stage, and the worry that an update might cause loss of equipment again. These issues create anxiety about the stability of progress.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is expressed that the developer will consider player suggestions to improve the game, and confidence in the developer's active updates and bug fixes. This optimism suggests a belief in the game's potential.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is sparked by the unique mix of looter and survivor genres, which appeals to players. The game also holds attention for the first couple of hours, indicating initial engagement.
- Uncertainty (weight 0.01): Uncertainty arises from not knowing which equipment to use, likely due to unclear item stats or build options. This indecision can hinder the player's ability to optimize their character.
- Respect (weight 0.01): Respect is given to the solo indie developer for creating a fun game at a low price. This acknowledges the effort and value delivered despite limited resources.
- Disinterest (weight 0.01): Disinterest is expressed simply because the game is not for the reviewer, indicating a personal preference mismatch rather than a flaw in the game itself.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret is felt because the reviewer bought the game but cannot play it, likely due to technical issues or other barriers. This leads to a sense of wasted money and disappointment.}