Info about The Bell Echoes:

Official game description:
**· Fight alongside your companions and venture deeper**
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Throughout your journey, you will meet a cast of distinctive companions and venture deeper together.
New regions will open, new allies will join your party, and new storylines will unfold.
With every step forward, you draw closer to their pasts—and to the hidden side of this world.
**· Not your usual “move once, attack once” tactics game**
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Each character has a rich and versatile skill set, letting you freely plan an entire turn around your resources and chain multiple abilities together.
When your three party members link their actions together, a single battle becomes a layered, coordinated offensive of your own making.
**· Knockbacks, collisions, terrain, and objects are all weapons**
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Height, cover, displacement, knockbacks, collisions, and battlefield objects and terrain all have a real impact on combat.
Slam enemies into obstacles, trigger chain reactions through objects, and use terrain to reshape both offense and defense.
Even a seemingly limited battlefield can keep opening up new tactical solutions.
**· Repeated ventures shape each character’s combat style**
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As you push deeper, your characters continue to grow in new directions.
Skill Insights can change how abilities function, while talents, equipment, gems, and other upgrades can push the same character toward completely different builds and playstyles.
**· Echoes open the path, memories reveal the truth**
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Defeat powerful enemies and obtain precious Echoes to advance the story and unlock deeper regions.
But that is only the beginning.
Keep venturing deeper and collect Chapter Memory Fragments to uncover each character’s hidden past—and the deeper secrets of the world itself.
Contact Us
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Please leave us a message in the Steam discussion group, or send us an email at 382330596@qq.com.

Release date: Sep 27, 2026

Categories: Tactical RPG, Roguelike, Turn-based Combat, Grid-based Combat, Knockback and combo systems, Meta-Progression, Party Management, Pixel Art


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: These quotes provide total or early playtime observations but do not state hours to complete the game, hours to finish the main story, a typical session duration, or endgame duration. The nearly 30-hour and 4-hour comments are overall or early playtime, the 3-hour comment is initial learning time, and the 1-hour comment is a single play duration that is not enough to establish a reliable typical session length. Therefore all requested playtime metrics are unsupported and returned as null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: 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.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Getting the taste of the game
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - 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
  - Conditions: Enjoyment depends on liking the tactics and roguelike blend; Tolerating a high roguelike grind; Being willing to try the demo before buying; Using return-to-surface upgrades to reduce difficulty; Getting the taste of the game; Beating Misty Forest on hard difficulty; Being a tactics-game fan; Appreciating the pixel style
- Player Archetypes:
  - Veteran Franchise Patron (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting the developer and continuing the experience from the previous game.
    - Playstyle: Claims early keys or CDK, plays through to clear and provide feedback, and buys extra copies to support development.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: old player
    - Reference games: The Hero's Book
  - Grid Tactics Positioning Strategist (buy)
    - Motivation: Solving turn-based grid puzzles through positioning, range, and terrain.
    - Playstyle: Reads skill descriptions, plans one step ahead, and considers distance and attack range on a small tactical board.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Into the Breach
  - Roguelike Build Tinkerer (buy)
    - Motivation: Experimenting with builds and adapting characters across repeatable dungeon runs.
    - Playstyle: Plans role shifts between runs, manages erosion or pressure hazards, and values skill upgrades and build depth.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Chrono Ark; PUBG
  - Punishment-Averse Hardcore Roguelike Player (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking satisfying power growth and positive feedback from roguelike runs.
    - Playstyle: Compares systems to similar roguelikes, tracks pressure penalties and monster scaling, and avoids games that feel exhausting or unrewarding.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Slay the Spire; The Hero's Book


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:
- Fun and addictive gameplay (weight 0.48): 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 (weight 0.42): 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 (weight 0.28): 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 (weight 0.19): 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 (weight 0.12): Bosses are described as diverse and challenging with interesting mechanics. This adds to the game's appeal for players seeking a challenge.
- Authentic Into the Breach feel (weight 0.11): Some reviewers compare the game to Into the Breach, describing it as having a similar feel but more synergistic and grindier. This comparison indicates a familiar yet distinct tactical experience.

Common complaints:
- High Difficulty and Beginner Unfriendly (weight 0.65): 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 (weight 0.45): 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 (weight 0.45): 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 (weight 0.42): 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 (weight 0.36): The story is considered average or weak, with some dialogue feeling annoying or AI-generated. The narrative fails to engage players.
- Healing Scarcity and Character Imbalance (weight 0.34): Only one reliable healer exists, and many characters are weak compared to others. Melee characters struggle, and team composition is limited to three characters.
- Meta Progression Grindy and Unrewarding (weight 0.34): Unlocks are mostly numerical, runs yield few resources, and meta progression feels insufficient. Players lack motivation to grind.
- Character Art and Visual Issues (weight 0.33): Character portraits are unappealing, with bad proportions and lighting. Graphics are rough, and visual effects are lacking.
- Melee Combat Frustrating (weight 0.33): Melee characters are disadvantaged by low movement, enemy counterattacks, and lack of taunt. They often feel useless compared to ranged.
- Poor Guidance and Tutorial (weight 0.32): The tutorial is too brief, especially for 'insight', and explanations of attributes are confusing. New players are overwhelmed.
- Negative Traits and Randomness Punish (weight 0.27): Random negative traits and corruption increases force players to reroll or quit. The randomness often feels unfair and frustrating.
- Slow Pacing and Tedious Gameplay (weight 0.27): Animations are slow, cutscenes cumbersome, and the game lacks a speed-up option. Battles become a chore.
- UI and Information Presentation Issues (weight 0.26): The UI is cluttered, controls are awkward, and key information like corruption values are not shown. This hampers usability.
- Frustrating Corruption Mechanic (weight 0.24): The corruption meter fills randomly, is punishing with no warning, and can make characters uncontrollable, often leading to team wipes. Many feel it forces a no-hit playstyle.
- Difficulty Spikes and Unfair Enemies (weight 0.23): Enemies scale harshly, bosses have huge ranges, and some mechanics ignore distance. This creates sudden difficulty spikes that feel unfair.
- Keyboard Controls and Bugs (weight 0.2): Keyboard movement is disabled, and a skill mutation bug causes the game to freeze with 'insufficient resources'. These issues severely impact usability.
- Low Positive Feedback and Rewards (weight 0.19): The game provides little positive feedback during runs, and rewards like gems are low value. This reduces motivation to continue.
- Roguelike Structure Too Short (weight 0.12): Runs only have two stages, causing characters to end before getting strong. This limits build variety and satisfaction.
- Lack of Controller Support (weight 0.11): There is no controller support, and controller adaptation is poor. This limits accessibility for some players.
- Bug: Story Progression Reset (weight 0.06): After the third chapter, the game jumps back to the prologue animation. This bug disrupts the narrative flow.

Gameplay feedback:
- Tactical roguelike RPG core (weight 0.83): 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 (weight 0.46): Players control a squad of up to three characters in battle. Team composition and character selection are central to gameplay.
- 8x8 grid combat (weight 0.43): 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 (weight 0.4): 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 (weight 0.38): Characters have a corruption value that grows randomly, and when full they become weakened. Stress and sanity systems also affect gameplay.
- Seven skills per character (weight 0.33): Each character has seven skills, typically divided into basic, special, and super special categories. This provides distinct playstyles and skill upgrade options.
- Meta progression system (weight 0.3): Long-term progression is achieved through meta upgrades, resonance points, and facilities. Gems and system modules are used to enhance attributes.
- Knockback and combo systems (weight 0.29): Combat features knockback and collision mechanics, as well as link/combo pursuit systems. These enable tactical displacement and chain attacks.
- Pollution and insight systems (weight 0.18): A pollution mechanic affects the player, and an insight system with choices influences playstyle. These systems add strategic layers.
- Boss fights and diversity (weight 0.18): The game includes boss fights with large attack ranges and diverse mechanics. Bosses present significant challenges.
- Talents and random in-battle elements (weight 0.18): The game includes talents and random elements such as in-battle talents and equipment. Out-of-battle long-term unlocks complement this.
- Pixel art and 45-degree view (weight 0.17): The game features a pixel art style and a 45-degree view with varied terrain. The visual presentation supports the tactical gameplay.
- Combat rules and turn-based system (weight 0.17): Combat follows specific rules and is turn-based. Turn order and action sequencing are fundamental.
- Roguelike three-choice upgrades (weight 0.15): During runs, skill upgrades are chosen from three random options, a common roguelike mechanic. This adds variability and decision-making.
- Equipment and stat bonuses (weight 0.14): Equipment provides small attribute boosts, stat bonuses, and combo effects. It enhances character performance.
- Early Access availability (weight 0.09): The game is currently in Early Access, indicating ongoing development. This may affect content and stability.

Performance notes:
- Poor optimization reported (weight 0.07): 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 (weight 0.07): 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 (weight 0.06): 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.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for tactical roguelike fans (weight 0.39): 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 (weight 0.32): 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 (weight 0.24): 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 (weight 0.2): 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 (weight 0.19): 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.
- Support for indie and domestic games (weight 0.19): Some reviewers express a desire to support indie games or domestic games despite worries, encouraging the developer to work hard and survive. They give a thumbs up to encourage.
- Requires reading and positioning (weight 0.16): Reviewers emphasize that players must be willing to read skills and think about positioning. Those who want to casually click and immediately enjoy large-scale clearing are advised to be cautious.
- Caution advised for purchase (weight 0.15): A few reviewers do not recommend purchasing at the current state or price, citing the game's condition and lack of competitiveness in the domestic tactical RPG market. One explicitly says not recommended for purchase.
- Recommendations for new players (weight 0.1): New players are advised to look at positioning first and get comfortable with their team before focusing on character strength. This helps ease the learning curve.
- Positive for deep thinking enthusiasts (weight 0.1): One reviewer recommends buying if you like deep thought, and another notes it is for deep hardcore turn-based roguelike enthusiasts. This highlights the game's appeal to players who enjoy mental challenge.
- Early Access purchase recommended (weight 0.1): A reviewer recommends purchasing the game in Early Access. Another reviewer will continue to experience updates, implying ongoing support and recommendation.
- Suggestions for improvement (weight 0.1): Reviewers suggest optimizing portraits and spending money on marketing to improve sales, as well as providing sample builds or combos to attract players. These are constructive feedback for the developer.
- Better than many tactical RPGs (weight 0.06): One reviewer states the game is already better than many uninspired tactical RPGs on the market. This positive comparison highlights its quality relative to competitors.
- Good for operation skill honing (weight 0.06): A reviewer recommends the game for players who enjoy honing their operation skills. This indicates the game offers a skill-based challenge.
- Looking forward to full version (weight 0.06): A reviewer expresses anticipation for the full version of the game. This indicates interest and potential recommendation.
- Recommended with reservations (weight 0.06): A reviewer recommends the game for players who can get into it. This implies some may find it difficult to engage with.

Other player notes:
- Sequel to Book of Heroes (weight 0.36): 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 (weight 0.35): 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 (weight 0.33): 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 (weight 0.22): 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 (weight 0.19): 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.
- Niche tactical roguelike with depth (weight 0.19): The game is described as a niche tactical roguelike that is not mediocre. It offers a strong tactical feel and encourages thinking, unlike some mindless build-focused games.
- Developer updates and responsiveness (weight 0.15): The developer is actively updating the game, adding new characters and chapter four. They are also responsive and fix bugs quickly.
- Unique map size and design (weight 0.15): The game uses an 8x8 map size, which is smaller than many other games. It also abandons traditional long movement phases and features varied terrain.
- Concerns over low sales and completion (weight 0.14): Some reviewers worry that low sales may prevent the game from being completed. The game has been on sale for over three months with few reviews.
- Pricing and value concerns (weight 0.13): Some reviewers find the game overpriced at 58 and doubt it will become popular. Others received it for free as old players.
- Eastern martial arts meets Western magic (weight 0.11): The game's setting combines Eastern martial arts themes with Western magic elements, creating a distinctive blend. This fusion is highlighted as a unique aspect of the game's world.
- Story and roguelike side content (weight 0.11): The game separates a linear main story from roguelike side content. This structure allows players to engage with the narrative or focus on repeated runs.
- Solid character and skill framework (weight 0.11): Reviewers praise the character skill system and gameplay as already forming a very solid framework. The game offers multiple characters with different playstyles.
- Requests for more female characters (weight 0.09): Some reviewers request more female characters and pretty girl characters. This suggests a desire for greater variety in the cast.
- Demo and cloud saves available (weight 0.09): The game has a demo and supports cloud saves. These features are mentioned as positive points for players.
- Translation work in progress (weight 0.06): The English translation is noted as a work in progress. This may affect the experience for non-Chinese players.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Players are frustrated by opaque and punishing systems such as the pollution mechanic and corruption, which force panicked decisions and costly recovery. Poor onboarding, including unclear tutorials, jargon, and a steep learning curve, leaves new players overwhelmed. Additional friction comes from awkward controls, missing quality-of-life features like keyboard movement and speed-up options, and the game's poor optimization causing overheating.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.13): Satisfaction stems from the game's deep tactical combat, where chaining actions, positioning, and skill synergies produce clear positive feedback. Players enjoy the strategic depth of the turn-based system, build variety, and the mental challenge of planning big plays. The game rewards mastery and provides a sense of cleverness, especially after overcoming the initial learning curve.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment arises from unmet expectations regarding content and balance, such as limited maps, weak audio-visual presentation, and character imbalance. The corruption mechanic and HP-recovery limits restrict playstyles and reduce fun, while meta-progression feels restrained. Technical issues like poor optimization on older computers and awkward controls further detract from the experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Players enjoy the strategic depth of calculating movement and skill order, the twisty story, and the unique blend of roguelike and tactics. The pixel art style, varied builds, and teammate-throwing mechanic add to the fun. The game becomes more enjoyable as players understand its mechanics and explore its tactical possibilities.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): Appreciation is driven by the game's rewarding strategic choices, such as actions that alter later decisions and terrain interactions. Players value the serious story, cohesive character design, and the developer's respectful attitude. The game's ability to let skill make a difference and its independent author's effort are also praised.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement comes from discovering new item-skill synergies, deep character building, and flashy tactical operations that clear the board. The assassin character's high damage and the combination of tactical combat with roguelike elements create engaging moments. The game exceeds expectations with infinite tactical possibilities.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): Confusion is caused by an unclear tutorial and overwhelming early mechanics like AP, SP, terrain, and collision. Players struggle to find skill upgrade details and categorize the game as either tactics or roguelike. Uncertainty about story progression and misleading start options add to the confusion.
- Engagement (weight 0.03): Engagement is evident as players focus on researching movement and resource usage, gesture at the screen to plan positions, and continue thinking about the game. The compelling combat system and grid interaction keep them invested. The game's interesting and non-boring design encourages active planning and calculation.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement arises from humorous situations like failing to arrange turns and self-deprecating jokes about messing up plans. The ability to throw teammates and the comical combat effects from movement penalties near bosses add levity. The game's playful nature makes mistakes entertaining.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is fueled by looking forward to the full version, future updates, and specific character releases like the knight. Players are eager to see improvements and optimizations during early access. The promise of more content and development keeps them waiting.
- Relief (weight 0.02): Relief is felt because the turn-based gameplay allows a slow, tension-free pace, and the game doesn't feel like repetitive labor. Discovering teleportation for map running and seeing skills connect after moving a character provide moments of ease. The design avoids constant pressure.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance stems from choices that seem meaningful but have only one viable option, and from manually managing actions while teammates ignore strategic intent. Stacking debuffs without clearing skills and the lack of a battle restart button add to the irritation.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from the game being pleasantly surprising, offering more freedom in skill ordering and actions per turn than expected. The presence of a story in a tactical roguelike and its better-than-expected quality caught players off guard.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is expressed for maintaining meaningful failure and adjustment, more character interactions, and additional meta-progression to help weaker players. Players see potential in the game and want it to improve.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Addiction is reported as the game becomes very engaging once it clicks, with players finding it hard to put down. The loop is described as very addictive, especially the 'Meow Meow' aspect.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is sparked by terrain change and obstacle summoning mechanics, an engaging detective-like story, and similarities to 'Into the Breach'. The story and character portrayal keep players curious.
- Indifference (weight 0.01): Indifference arises when players do not closely follow the plot and find the game mediocre or too similar to another title. The lack of distinct engagement leads to a neutral stance.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness is felt when players realize they still enjoy deeply engaging games and make fewer mistakes than in previous runs. The sense of improvement and continued engagement brings joy.
- Caution (weight 0.01): Caution is advised because the game is highly difficult and picky, and may not appeal to those seeking instant large-area clearing fun. Players recommend trying the demo first.
- Attachment (weight 0.01): Attachment develops as players keep a character in the team for a long time, wanting to know more about them through interactions and relationship development. The bond grows with continued use.}