▼ Not recommended
5 hrs
Oh Caiys, this is a big miss and very out of character for you. Look, I think the individual gameplay elements and the vibes are perfectly fine, but really it's the 'zero challenge' of this game that is so mind numbing, especially if you come with any kind of expectations from your previous titles. All these upgrades and cool looking active abilities are worthless because you can't lose, and even if you don't play optimally, you still make progress extremely fast. Me and my steam friend are kinda talking and like, is this... crap? Case made crap? I don't think the game is that bad, it's just lacking that rogue-lite loop or at least a mode for it.
It really feels like it should have been a generic rogue-lite (perhaps you will make one of those someday), it still has all the individual progression elements and the framework for it, like active abilities with AOE that look very cool, but what is the point. And I don't mind generic grind games either, I played a few fun clickers here and there, but even as a mindless grinding game, it's not doing enough to keep my attention. The entire time I play this game in my mind I am looking for something to min/max, I want to optimize this game and play it with some consequences, but there is no way to do so.
Is a rogue-lite mode with perma-death still possible as an optional mode, maybe with some achievements for it? There is probably a way right, maybe a mode where you can't let everyone taken or something. But if it's not worth your time, I mean the game is $2, I don't really care that much. I would not mind actually reading what these upgrades and abilities do, you just didn't give me a reason for it.
That said, I kinda liked the atmosphere and some limited allure with mysterious narrative, it still has all the usual gimmicks from your games without the actual gameplay loop for them to have a purpose. The whole lack of challenge kind of soured the whole thing for me, I feel like the game plays fine, so if you had to worry about loosing, maybe it would be more engaging.
Even the grind gameplay was a little funky, it's like the game is a bit slow for the first 10% of the playthrough, and then I got like 90% of it in half that time. You end up just mass clicking on upgrade before you even read what they do, and that is not a good thing, I think decision making is what made some of your game fun, and I am not sure why you thought this was a good idea.
(+) So I don't have a problem with actual gameplay, I can see it being fun if there was some challenge to it or consequences, or if any of the choices I made actually made a difference. Otherwise it's like, I can unlock another 25 nodes now, do I care what they do, not %%%% really.
I think the mouse abilities were kinda neat visually, just not really needed to actually beat the game, so look cool AOE, why though, what does it do for me, just about nothing cuz there is barely anything in my way
(+) I didn't mind the writing or that syndicate type feel of the game, actually kinda nice, maybe could have used a little more personality or characters
- I feel like you will quickly hit a point in this game where you just don't give a damn about anything you click or do, because frankly nothing you take makes that much of a difference in a long run
Maybe it should have a rogue-lite mode with perma death? I understand it's not the game you made, but it sure feels like it still has that skeleton to it that has nothing to support.
You have all these abilities and upgrades, but you can also do nothing and you still making good progress. So I don't think in the current state these linear time sinks have much to offer, maybe if you had some milestones that you actually had to overcome, or actual ways to fail, it feels like it needs some decision making that actually makes a difference, but this is Everyone is a Winner game
- not sure if it was one of the nods that unlocked active abilities, but if the player goes into the wrong direction they might miss that part of the game for a long time?
Overall Thoughts: 5/10
Even if I play like a generic clicker game, say something like a Scream Collector, it's mindless grind but I still feel like I am optimizing my time or actively doing something or getting some fun feedback. Everything about this game feels like wasted potential, you have many cool visual effects here and fun vibes, but it's just so freaking dull to play. I am not reading anything because it's not a big deal, it does not make that much of a difference because there is nothing to overcome, the milestones you do get, are still worthless because there is barely anything to look forward to other than maybe some funky abilities.
Maybe I missed a trend where a game like this is fun now, I don't agree with the execution here, this does not feel like a fun grinding game to me, it still feels like one of your Rogue-lite games that is completely missing any form of challenge or enjoyable back and forth progression.
Love you sir, I don't understand what you saw in this. If it was a generic rogue-lite sure, probably would work well enough.
It really feels like it should have been a generic rogue-lite (perhaps you will make one of those someday), it still has all the individual progression elements and the framework for it, like active abilities with AOE that look very cool, but what is the point. And I don't mind generic grind games either, I played a few fun clickers here and there, but even as a mindless grinding game, it's not doing enough to keep my attention. The entire time I play this game in my mind I am looking for something to min/max, I want to optimize this game and play it with some consequences, but there is no way to do so.
Is a rogue-lite mode with perma-death still possible as an optional mode, maybe with some achievements for it? There is probably a way right, maybe a mode where you can't let everyone taken or something. But if it's not worth your time, I mean the game is $2, I don't really care that much. I would not mind actually reading what these upgrades and abilities do, you just didn't give me a reason for it.
That said, I kinda liked the atmosphere and some limited allure with mysterious narrative, it still has all the usual gimmicks from your games without the actual gameplay loop for them to have a purpose. The whole lack of challenge kind of soured the whole thing for me, I feel like the game plays fine, so if you had to worry about loosing, maybe it would be more engaging.
Even the grind gameplay was a little funky, it's like the game is a bit slow for the first 10% of the playthrough, and then I got like 90% of it in half that time. You end up just mass clicking on upgrade before you even read what they do, and that is not a good thing, I think decision making is what made some of your game fun, and I am not sure why you thought this was a good idea.
Pros:
(+) So I don't have a problem with actual gameplay, I can see it being fun if there was some challenge to it or consequences, or if any of the choices I made actually made a difference. Otherwise it's like, I can unlock another 25 nodes now, do I care what they do, not %%%% really.
I think the mouse abilities were kinda neat visually, just not really needed to actually beat the game, so look cool AOE, why though, what does it do for me, just about nothing cuz there is barely anything in my way
(+) I didn't mind the writing or that syndicate type feel of the game, actually kinda nice, maybe could have used a little more personality or characters
Feedback:
- I feel like you will quickly hit a point in this game where you just don't give a damn about anything you click or do, because frankly nothing you take makes that much of a difference in a long run
Maybe it should have a rogue-lite mode with perma death? I understand it's not the game you made, but it sure feels like it still has that skeleton to it that has nothing to support.
You have all these abilities and upgrades, but you can also do nothing and you still making good progress. So I don't think in the current state these linear time sinks have much to offer, maybe if you had some milestones that you actually had to overcome, or actual ways to fail, it feels like it needs some decision making that actually makes a difference, but this is Everyone is a Winner game
- not sure if it was one of the nods that unlocked active abilities, but if the player goes into the wrong direction they might miss that part of the game for a long time?
Overall Thoughts: 5/10
Even if I play like a generic clicker game, say something like a Scream Collector, it's mindless grind but I still feel like I am optimizing my time or actively doing something or getting some fun feedback. Everything about this game feels like wasted potential, you have many cool visual effects here and fun vibes, but it's just so freaking dull to play. I am not reading anything because it's not a big deal, it does not make that much of a difference because there is nothing to overcome, the milestones you do get, are still worthless because there is barely anything to look forward to other than maybe some funky abilities.
Maybe I missed a trend where a game like this is fun now, I don't agree with the execution here, this does not feel like a fun grinding game to me, it still feels like one of your Rogue-lite games that is completely missing any form of challenge or enjoyable back and forth progression.
Love you sir, I don't understand what you saw in this. If it was a generic rogue-lite sure, probably would work well enough.
Niche, obscure and underrated games: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/
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