Info about Krater:

Official game description:
  
**Krater is real-time squad based dungeon crawling adventure. The game combines fast paced combat, tactical squad management, crafting, and questing all seen from a classic RTS perspective.**  
While the game’s campaign can be played offline, there are also hours of specifically designed co-op missions to tackle with friends online.  
Since release, there have been tweaks/improvements to just about everything else, from game balance to improved loot/item generation to a reworked HUD and smoother graphical performance.  
The game universe brings you far into the future of a post-apocalyptic Sweden. Once home to IKEA, Vikings, and Minecraft, today its primitive inhabitants scavenge the broken overgrown world for technological artifacts.  
At the rim of an impact site known as the Krater, three factions vie for control over the wound opening up into the world below. Consisting of an endless series of caves and tunnels filled with old world treasures and perils, the Underside stretches into the depths of the fallen Swedish civilization. You arrive at the Krater with your team of freelancers to take part in the gold rush where people come back rich or don’t come back at all.
Key Features:
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*   **Co-Op Adventure** - Loot together through hours of specially designed co-op missions. Conquer tough co-op bosses together and bring your spoils back to the main campaign.  
*   **Unlimited Exploration** - No matter how deep you crawl, there is always more to explore in Krater’s open world. Packed full of randomized dungeons and events, more than 60 handcrafted original locations, and 200+ quests. Locations range from small settlements to large urban areas like Solside City, a sprawling regional hub where you’ll find all sorts of NPCs and services.  
*   **Achievements** - Earn over 40 achievements online or offline.  
*   **Uniquely Persistent Characters** - Watch your team of odd personalities evolve as they level up and gain new abilities, equipment, better stats, and even incur injuries.  
*   **Face the Consequences** - Your characters must cope with the dangers of Krater - if not they will face the threat of gameplay affecting permanent injuries or even death!  
*   **Craft Everything** - From items and weapons, to gear and abilities, you can craft it all with an extensive crafting system.  
*   **Unique Graphical Style** - Krater makes great use of the new Bitsquid engine, which sports pleasing DX11 graphical features and lighting effects to create a one of a kind universe full of sun soaked towns & amazing environments, colourful effects, and complicated characters.  
*   **No mandatory connection to an online service** - For those who would rather stay clear of online gaming services and login screens, Krater provides the entire Single-Player campaign in ‘offline’ mode.

Release date: Jun 12, 2012

Categories: Dungeon Crawler, Action RPG, Cooperative Multiplayer, Character Progression, Crafting, Post-apocalyptic

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required / Near-Broken; summary: The game suffers from persistent tiny font rendering that ruins immersion and remains unfixed by the developer, plus widespread launch failures even under default Proton configuration, making the overall experience frustrating and requiring 40+ due to mandatory tiny-text squinting and startup tinkering.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: Reviews consistently indicate that the game is only seen as good value when purchased on sale for under $10, implying the current base price of $14.99 is too high. The community sentiment suggests a fair base price should be lower, around $5–$10, as that matches the price point where players recommend purchasing.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Game completion: No explicit total time to finish the game is reported; the 50-60 hour figure is for full achievements, which may include optional grinding, and reaching the capital after 50 hours does not confirm completion. Story completion: No clear main-story duration is given; '50 hours to reach the capital' is ambiguous and includes farming, and '20 or so hours' of repetition suggests the story might be shorter, but no specific number. Session length: Multiple reviews describe a 'hop-in, hop-out' structure and casual play sessions, implying short sessions of around 1 hour; no specific number given, so estimated 1 hour. Endgame: No evidence of post-story content or hours spent in endgame.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Krater offers a novel and engaging start with easy-to-learn mechanics and an interesting world, but the fun drops sharply after a few hours due to repetitive combat, limited enemy variety, and weak character progression.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: The point when repetitive combat and progression caps overcome initial novelty
  - Time to anchor: 1h 30m
  - Friction: repetitive combat with limited enemy variety; restrictive ability system; low level cap early (level 15) that halts progression incentive; excessive grind from crafting and progression system; tedious dungeon design with few tile sets
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: tolerance for grind and repetitive gameplay; solo play (co-op is broken or limited to 3 missions); desire to explore despite weak story
- Player Archetypes:
  - Solo Hack-and-Slash Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of top-down action RPG gameplay with story and loot progression.
    - Playstyle: Plays alone, focuses on the campaign, clicks skills, and explores the world.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: indie darling; top down hack and slash fan
    - Reference games: Torchlight
  - Disappointed Co-op Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: Desire for functional cooperative multiplayer gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Looks to play with friends, but finds the co-op broken, crash-prone, or too short.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: co-op fan
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Wary Bug-Skeptical Player (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Caution driven by reports of technical problems and incomplete features.
    - Playstyle: Researches reviews and avoids the game until major patches or deep discounts.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: indie darling; patient gamer
    - 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:
- Great visual and audio design (weight 0.93): Players consistently praise the graphics, visual style, and soundtrack. The art direction and music create an immersive post-apocalyptic atmosphere.
- Interesting setting and world (weight 0.82): The post-apocalyptic world, mutants, and offbeat setting are frequently noted as appealing. The atmosphere is compared favorably to Fallout and Borderlands.
- Crafting system is appreciated (weight 0.4): The crafting system, including the ability to craft equipment from plans, is frequently mentioned as a positive feature, though some find it only okay.
- Customizable abilities and builds (weight 0.4): Players enjoy the implant and ability modification systems that allow flexible character customization. The growth system with multiple classes and branches adds depth.
- Innovative combat system (weight 0.34): The tactical team-based RTS/ARPG hybrid battle system is described as exciting and well-implemented. It adds variety and strategic depth.
- Character and class variety (weight 0.27): Controlling multiple characters and various class growth options provide gameplay variety. Mercenaries add to the party depth.

Common complaints:
- Game unfinished and abandoned (weight 0.86): A large number of players report the game feels unfinished, abandoned, and no longer in development, with many citing critical bugs, crashes, and a general broken state that prevents a complete experience.
- Repetitive quests and bland story (weight 0.63): Quests heavily follow a repetitive pattern of kill, fetch, and deliver without variety, and the story is described as linear, bland, and uninteresting, offering no narrative depth or engaging twists.
- Co-op mode is incomplete (weight 0.62): The cooperative mode is heavily criticized for lacking a story mode, having only 3 levels, empty lobbies, and launching without online co-op, which is a core feature.
- Alt-tab mouse issue (weight 0.16): Alt-tabbing causes mouse scaling issues that require a game restart, indicating poor window management and responsiveness to system events.
- Map loading is too slow (weight 0.16): The large 3D map loads very slowly, causing severe performance issues and frustration when navigating the game world.
- Fonts are too small (weight 0.15): Font sizes are too small, making text difficult to read, which strains the eyes and hinders comprehension of in-game information.

Gameplay feedback:
- Real-time strategy with RPG elements (weight 0.56): The game blends real-time strategy with RPG elements, described as a tactical team-based RTS/ARPG hybrid. It is top-down, isometric, and involves controlling a group of characters with strategic elements.
- Four classes with two skills each (weight 0.53): The game features four distinct classes, each with two basic skills. An augmentation system is available to modify these skills, and there are eight branches offering further specialization. This allows for interesting combinations and teamwork.
- Party of three characters (weight 0.41): Players control a party of three characters, typically from different classes. This team composition is a core part of the gameplay, allowing for tactical combinations.
- Level cap and rank progression (weight 0.41): Character progression is tied to a rank system with level caps of 5, 10, or 15. This limited progression is designed to encourage grinding, which some players find bizarre.
- Post-apocalyptic Swedish setting (weight 0.4): The game is a post-apocalyptic RPG set in Sweden, reminiscent of Fallout. It has a great atmosphere, quirky writing, interesting world, nice visuals, and funny dialogues.
- Crafting system incentivizes grinding (weight 0.39): A crafting system is present, where players can create equipment based on plans. It is noted as a fun feature that incentivizes grinding, but also as a grinding-incentiviser.
- Class roles and team dynamics (weight 0.37): Playstyle and itemization are important, with multiple mercenaries and tank/healer/damage dealer roles. Characters are interchangeable, but classes allow for interesting combinations and teamwork.
- Dungeon crawling with enemy respawns (weight 0.35): The game features dungeon crawling with limited enemy types and map design with respawns. Enemies respawn when moving between layers, and there is a 45-level limbo dungeon. Randomized dungeon elements add variety.
- Ability mods enable complex builds (weight 0.32): Ability modifications and an implant system allow for complex builds. There is potential for complicated builds through boosters and customization systems, though some find progression limited.
- Map difficulty and co-op mode (weight 0.3): Map difficulty fluctuates, and the game has a consistent, thematically appropriate graphic design. Co-op is available through short mission scenarios, but replayability is low.
- Real-time combat without pause (weight 0.27): Combat is real-time without a tactical pause, which some players find mindless due to auto-attack and ability spam on tougher enemies. This can lead to less strategic depth in battle.
- Weapon and gadget inventory system (weight 0.26): Gear consists of weapons and gadgets, with a weapon upgrade system that offers depth. Loot is fun and crafting is enjoyable, contributing to the overall experience.
- Debuff and permadeath mechanics (weight 0.21): A temporary debuff (kalectwo) occurs after taking damage three times, requiring medical treatment. Permanent death and irreparable injuries are also present, adding tension.
- Varied growth and implant systems (weight 0.21): The growth system is varied with multiple branches and an evolution system. An implant system provides stat upgrades, allowing for deeper character customization.
- Single-player MMO feel with skill combos (weight 0.19): The game can feel like a single-player MMO due to its gameplay loops. Stats like stamina, life, and healing are present, and players must combine skills effectively for success.
- Boss abilities influenced by dialogue (weight 0.15): Boss abilities can be determined by previous dialogue choices, and the quest system includes kill and boss objectives. This adds a narrative layer to combat.

Performance notes:
- Frequent crashes and instability (weight 0.37): The game crashes consistently across various scenarios, including during Chapter 2, multiplayer, crafting, and even before the tutorial. These crashes often occur without error messages, making troubleshooting difficult.
- High system demands for age (weight 0.1): The game is considered demanding for its age, suggesting poor optimization or high hardware requirements relative to its release date.

Recommendations:
- Strong Avoid Recommendations (weight 0.58): Strong negative feedback advises against any purchase, using harsh language like 'pile of trash' and 'not even for free,' indicating widespread dissatisfaction.
- Mixed Grinding Experience (weight 0.08): A mixed review says exploration and grinding can be rewarding for those who love them, but innovation is superficial; otherwise, avoid.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.35): The game is widely seen as an unfinished, crash-prone product that squandered its potential due to missing features like tactical pause and co-op, a limited level cap, repetitive quests, and an overly difficult final boss. Despite promising ideas and an atmospheric setting, poor implementation, lack of variety, and abandoned updates left players feeling their time was wasted.
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Key technical issues such as a bad keyboard mapping, alt-tab mouse tracking bugs, crashes during crafting, and save problems compound with design flaws like a lack of enemy variety, forced grinding through a poorly implemented crafting system, and an unavailable or broken co-op. The absence of tactical pause makes hectic combat uncontrollable, while a tiny font and uninteresting story further diminish engagement.
- Boredom (weight 0.17): Repetitive dungeon crawling with only a few enemy groups and auto-attack combat that relies on just two to six skills makes the game feel monotonous within hours. Quests are described as copy-pasted from MMORPGs, and the limited arsenal and fast level cap offer no meaningful progression or variety.
- Anger (weight 0.08): Players are angry because the developer lied about delivering a promised co-op campaign and did not fulfill features even after a $100 backer tier. The game was released as a rushed early access title with bugs, broken promises, and then abandoned without further updates.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): The game becomes annoying quickly due to crashes, a lack of fullscreen mode, slow movement and loading times, and a progression system with extreme cost jumps that makes leveling tedious. After an hour, most reviewers preferred playing something else.
- Irritation (weight 0.02): Irritation stems from a punishing mechanic where enemies respawn upon leaving a floor, and death forces a complete dungeon redo with no checkpoints, wasting all progress.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Despite widespread issues, a few players found the single-player experience fulfilling enough to justify a positive emotion.
- Heartbreak (weight 0.02): The game is described as a heartbreaking missed opportunity that had the potential to surpass Borderlands but instead became a broken and disappointing product.
- Sadness (weight 0.02): Sadness is caused by the game crashing before a player can even complete the tutorial, preventing any meaningful experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is driven by the innovative tactical RTS/ARPG hybrid battle system, which some players found well-implemented and engaging.
- Demotivation (weight 0.02): Poor balancing between quest difficulty and rewards demotivates players from continuing, as the effort required does not feel worthwhile.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the great atmosphere, characters, graphics, and dialogues, but these positives are not enough to maintain interest, resulting in a conflicted emotional response.
- Betrayal (weight 0.02): Players feel betrayed because the worldmap includes indicators for future content that was never delivered, suggesting abandoned promises.
- Initial excitement (weight 0.02): Early impressions of the combat and atmosphere evoked comparisons to Dragon Age and Fallout, generating initial excitement that later faded.}