The Bell Echoes Review Summary

A fun, addictive roguelike-tactical fusion with enjoyable combat, but harsh difficulty, unwelcoming to beginners, flawed skills/equipment, and limited movement range.

Fun and addictive gameplay: Many reviewers find the game fun, addictive, and engaging. Some note it becomes more enjoyable as they play and understand it.

Strong roguelike and tactical fusion: The combination of roguelike elements with tactical combat is seen as creative, engaging, and innovative. It offers a unique flavor and high replayability.

Enjoyable tactical combat: The combat system is frequently praised as fun, acceptable, and holding up well. Tactical gameplay is a key source of enjoyment.

Solid foundation and potential: The game is noted to have a very good foundation and a lot of potential for improvement. Reviewers see a strong base that could be built upon.

Diverse and challenging bosses: Bosses are described as diverse and challenging with interesting mechanics. This adds to the game's appeal for players seeking a challenge.

High Difficulty and Beginner Unfriendly: The game is considered too hard, especially in the first hours, with a steep learning curve and overwhelming systems. New players face early failures and confusion.

Skill and Equipment System Flaws: Many skills are useless, upgrades require too many points, and equipment is mostly lost or irrelevant. The systems lack depth and synergy.

Movement Range Too Limited: Characters can only move one tile per action point, causing turns to be spent just walking while enemies cross the map quickly. This makes positioning frustrating and wastes tactical opportunities.

Insufficient Early Access Content: Multiple reviewers feel the Early Access version lacks enough content, with only three maps and short runs. This limited scope makes the game feel incomplete for its price.

Story and Dialogue Quality Lacking: The story is considered average or weak, with some dialogue feeling annoying or AI-generated. The narrative fails to engage players.

Tactical roguelike RPG core: The game is widely described as a tactical or strategy RPG with roguelike elements and turn-based combat. This fusion forms the primary genre identity.

Three-character party size: Players control a squad of up to three characters in battle. Team composition and character selection are central to gameplay.

8x8 grid combat: Battles occur on an 8x8 grid with terrain features and height differences. This grid-based tactical layout defines the combat space.

Positioning and turn order: Positioning and movement are crucial, with characters moving one tile at a time. Turn order decisions and careful planning each step are emphasized.

Corruption and sanity mechanics: Characters have a corruption value that grows randomly, and when full they become weakened. Stress and sanity systems also affect gameplay.

Poor optimization reported: Players report poor optimization, which likely results in performance issues such as low frame rates or stuttering. This affects overall gameplay smoothness.

Runs poorly on old hardware: Feedback indicates the game fails to run on a ten-year-old computer, suggesting compatibility issues with older hardware. This limits accessibility for players with outdated systems.

Missing frame rate lock option: There is no option to lock the frame rate, which can cause inconsistent performance and screen tearing. Players desire this feature for a more stable experience.

Recommended for tactical roguelike fans: Many reviewers recommend the game for players who enjoy roguelike tactical games and strategy RPGs with roguelike elements. The game is often compared to titles like Into the Breach for its positional puzzle-solving and small-board strategy.

Positive overall recommendation: Many reviewers give a general recommendation without specific conditions, stating it is worth playing, worth buying, or that they personally recommend it. Some also express encouragement to the developer.

Not for casual players: Multiple reviewers warn that the game may not be suitable for casual players due to high learning cost and the need to read skill descriptions and consider positioning. Impatient players or those seeking a casual experience may be disappointed.

Recommended for tactical SRPG fans: Several reviews recommend the game for fans of classic tactical SRPGs such as Fire Emblem, and for those who enjoy strategy and turn-based tactical games. The game offers character progression, build-crafting, and story progression.

Worth trying as a tactics game: Some reviewers describe the game as a sweet tactics game worth trying, and encourage giving it a chance. They suggest trying the demo before buying.

Reports suggest a tactical roguelike that can become addictive, but often only after players push through high grind, hard bosses, and mostly numerical unlocks. The clearest enjoyment signal comes once players get the taste or pass a hard milestone.

Friction: High roguelike grind; Unlocks are mostly numerical and do not match grind; Unlocks do not inspire grinding; High boss fight difficulty; Very picky and demanding for players; Need to try the demo before buying.

Unlock drivers: Returning to the surface and spending combat points on blacksmith and goddess statue buffs lowers difficulty; Story and roguelike split prevents excessive level grinding; Getting the taste of the game makes it addictive; Beating Misty Forest on hard difficulty leads to increasing enjoyment.

Veteran Franchise Patron: Claims early keys or CDK, plays through to clear and provide feedback, and buys extra copies to support development. Motivation: Supporting the developer and continuing the experience from the previous game. Stance: buy.

Grid Tactics Positioning Strategist: Reads skill descriptions, plans one step ahead, and considers distance and attack range on a small tactical board. Motivation: Solving turn-based grid puzzles through positioning, range, and terrain. Stance: buy.

Roguelike Build Tinkerer: Plans role shifts between runs, manages erosion or pressure hazards, and values skill upgrades and build depth. Motivation: Experimenting with builds and adapting characters across repeatable dungeon runs. Stance: buy.

Sequel to Book of Heroes: The game is a sequel to Book of Heroes, with a changed name, and is made by the same author. Reviewers note significant improvements over the predecessor in fun and design.

Frequent Into the Breach comparisons: Multiple reviewers compare the game to Into the Breach for its compact tactical board and strategic feel. Some note it has more synergy and grind, while others find it less mentally demanding.

Chinese indie tactics roguelike: Reviewers identify the game as a domestic Chinese indie title that blends tactical RPG and roguelike elements. It is described as a niche but ambitious project from a small studio.

Community engagement and CDKs: The developer sent out CDKs to old players before release and is trusted based on past actions. The game was discovered through content creators and Bilibili videos.

Compared to Chrono Ark mechanics: Several reviewers compare the game to Chrono Ark, especially for its battle flow replacing cards with tactical fights and its shard upgrade system. Map design may also have drawn inspiration from Chrono Ark.