Part 1 (Sep 2023) · #11 of 18 in that tierWatch the moment (3:02:05)
A vividly animated action roguelite focused on boss hunting. Unleash an array of diverse weapons and powerups to combat the corruption of the Void.
Consensus
B72.3/100
Steam players96.5% positiveOverwhelmingly Positive4,929 reviews
Metacritic ↗Users: 8/10
VG Insights estimate ↗≈148K copies · ≈$1.6M gross
What creators say
Ranked Jun 2023 · #13 of 14 in that tierWatch the moment (0:47:25)
Ranked Apr 2023 · #14 of 16 in that tierWatch the moment (2:03:54)
What players say
A colorful twin-stick action roguelite by Swedish studio semiwork, focused on hunting bosses through corrupted levels with hundreds of weapons and power-ups, a jump/backflip and stomp mechanic, and local co-op.
Players love it: Steam shows Overwhelmingly Positive (about 96.5% of roughly 4,900 reviews), with many calling it an underrated hidden gem comparable to Nuclear Throne, Enter the Gungeon and The Binding of Isaac. Praise centers on weapon/item variety, snappy animation, music and goofy personality. It entered Early Access in Feb 2021 and had its 1.0 release on Jun 8, 2023. Critic coverage is thin: Metacritic lists only two critic reviews (both 90/100, no Metascore yet) and OpenCritic had no entry found. Attention picked up after semiwork's later hit R.E.P.O., with fans asking for online multiplayer or a sequel; the price has dropped to $4.99 (from about $20 per reviewers).
Players love
- Huge pool of weapons and power-ups (reviewers cite hundreds) that stays reasonably balanced and gives strong replayability
- Fluid, snappy pixel animation, bouncy combat feel and satisfying gameplay loop
- Backflip/jump plus stomp combos give movement a distinct identity versus a standard dash or roll
- Level design built around finding and cleansing corrupted beacons makes most enemy encounters optional rather than lock-in arena rooms
- Strong music, sound effects, character design and humor; collected items are visibly represented on the character
- Multiple difficulty levels and a quick, useful tutorial; early runs feel fair rather than impossible
- Extremely cheap at $4.99 with local co-op and Steam Deck / full controller support
- Boss-focused structure with varied enemies and bosses that flee mid-fight
- Widely called a criminally underrated hidden gem and outstanding value, the most repeated theme in top reviews
Common complaints
- Screen clutter and visual chaos, especially late-game with lots of particles and projectiles
- Some weapons and starting items feel weak or useless, with melee weapons most often called out
- Final boss and ending disappoint some players: the last boss resembles a regular run boss and post-credits reward is mostly a harder difficulty
- Technical complaints: 60 FPS cap, stuttering reported by some, limited graphics settings and slowdown on laptops
- Art style and pixel look does not land for everyone; a couple of reviewers mention motion sickness or find it too busy
- Feels derivative to some, described as a mix of existing twin-stick roguelikes without much that is new
- Content can feel thin after a number of runs
Can feel tedious
- Stomp mechanic is seen as forced by some, with parts of the game depending on it
- Late-game chaos can reduce play to spamming dodges rather than deliberate movement
- Hunting for weapons or perks that feel good can be unrewarding early on
- Unlocking everything (for example the last character essence) is confusingly unclear for completionists
- Repetition after several runs reported by lower-hour reviewers
What's unique
- Jump/backflip mover with stomp attacks used in combos, unlike dash-based twin-stick shooters
- Beacon-cleansing objective structure that makes enemy rooms optional and lets players rush the boss
- Wacky improvised weapons (for example wielding Mjolnir or martial-arts staff builds) and items that visibly show on the character
- Bosses that flee mid-battle, forcing chase and positioning decisions
- Split-screen local co-op and Remote Play Together in a genre often single-player only
Players want
- Online multiplayer (co-op is local/split-screen only) is the most repeated request
- More graphics and performance options plus an uncapped frame rate
- Deeper item synergies and character-specific mechanics to make builds feel more distinct
- Rebalance weak starter items, perks and melee weapons
- More post-game content or a stronger ending, plus more content overall
- A sequel or new content from semiwork, asked for frequently since R.E.P.O.'s success
Summarised from Steam reviews and community discussion.
Steam tags
Action RoguelikeTwin Stick ShooterRogue-likeBullet HellShoot 'Em UpLocal Co-OpRogue-liteTop-Down ShooterFunnyPixel Graphics
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Tier list Part 1 (2023)
Voidigo is a chaotic, visually striking top-down, 3D-ish action shooter roguelike. He already covered it in a chapter of his roguelike design analysis video and calls it great. The standout is that nearly every item changes gameplay or visuals rather than tweaking a number. It can get overwhelming and is easy to break, but he enjoys the power fantasy. He places it in A tier, near the top.
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