Roguecraft DX

Roguecraft DX is a very good game, and I think there is something particularly enjoyable about the way it approaches the idea of a game. At its core, it is a simple experience. You start playing, you make decisions, things happen, and eventually you find yourself somewhere that is different from where you started. It is a straightforward concept, but sometimes straightforward concepts are exactly what we need. There is a certain charm to Roguecraft DX that is difficult to describe without describing it, which is why I will instead say that it has charm. The game creates an atmosphere where every moment feels like part of a larger journey. Even when nothing particularly important is happening, something is still happening, and that is an important distinction. A game does not always need to constantly surprise the player. Sometimes it is enough to give the player a reason to continue. And Roguecraft DX gives you that reason. There is also a satisfying sense of progression. You begin with one situation and gradually move toward another situation, learning along the way that the situations are connected. This creates a feeling of development that is difficult to reprodu…

Nice relaxing afterhours gaming. It's fun getting the strategy right in terms of health and options, and I like the added features that weren't in the demo!

Had this been released in the '90s, it would be considered a classic today. Thanks to them targeting the Commodore Amiga platform to begin with, it has that '90s look nailed down, and it has a selection of enemies that they've made their own (such as the Cthulu variants). The game doesn't hold your hand, nor does it hold back, so if you like a challenge, you'll get it. There's a nice sense of humor to the game too, and I appreciate the secrets to uncover, like we used to have to do. Only two complaints are that it doesn't tell you what the potions are, so you have to remember after trying them, but since the game is different every time, there's no point in writing them down. The angle of the mage's magic missile also needs some work,; it should always aim where you click, instead of which direction you are looking (as that isn't always clear).

Roguecraft DX is a compact turn-based roguelike where you choose between three heroes and work through a procedurally generated Lovecraftian dungeon one floor at a time. Runs are designed to stay short, with Classic, Endless and Chicken Run modes adding different ways to keep diving back in. Pros ✔️ It is REALLY easy to pick up - Movement, combat and exploration make sense almost immediately. I could jump in, die, learn something and start another run without spending forever studying menus first. ✔️ The retro presentation commits to the bit (the 8 bit that is) - The pixel art, music, old-school initials and interface all work together. It feels like an older dungeon crawler instead of just a modern game wearing pixel art. ✔️ The Lovecraftian setting gives the simplicity some personality - Tentacles, weird monsters, suspicious potions and secret rooms make the dungeon more interesting. More importantly, you can rescue a badger familiar that fights beside you and fetches loot. Excellent decision. Cons ❌ It is very simple - That accessibility also means a lot of the moment-to-moment play really is move, poke, move, poke. Anyone after a mechanically dense roguelike may run out of th…

Please add more characters, enemies, biomes, and possibly some cosmetic items. You can still maintain the no meta-progression arcade style gameplay and still have cosmetics. Just add more. This game needs way more for the price you pay. $12 is ridiculous.

Fun little dungeon crawler, nothing overtly complex here, just good old turn-based crawlage with retro aesthetics! A lot of other reviews have pointed out the gameplay already so I'll just take this space to instead raise awareness of the superb soundtrack by the demoscene legend Jogeir Liljedahl (of Maniacs of Noise, no less)!