Charoite into the Deep

Absolutely amazing game! It definitely deserves more attention. The main goal is to descend deeper and deeper to uncover a hidden “treasure.” The game is divided into floors, and the further you go, the more engaging and fun it becomes. The core gameplay revolves around finding the stairs to progress while using a “dowsing” skill to locate traps and dealing with enemies along the way. Since dowsing only lasts for a short time, you have to remember where the traps are while continuing to fight, which adds a nice layer of challenge. The story is also very interesting, with plenty of unexpected twists. There are even two different endings you can choose from. Overall, this game is fantastic, especially considering its low price point. Highly recommended!

Charoite into the Deep is a unique action-exploration game with a puzzle aspect. The game is divided into small levels where you can't run around freely, instead you only move horizontally and vertically between squares. The "puzzle" part is finding traps hidden in those squares. Using an ability, you can detect what's inside the squares around you, but the ability costs MP and works only for a moment, so it's a bit like that memory game, where you pick two cards at a time looking for pairs. Yet, it's an action game, so you also need to defeat enemies, while avoiding the traps. It's all very, very simple, but also unique and enjoyable, and stays fresh for the whole playthrough thanks to new abilities, enemies and traps being introduced every now and then, and bosses with their own gimmicks. Technically, it's competently made (haven't encountered a single bug, optimization problems etc.), visuals and music are atmospheric and pleasant, characters cute and the story somewhat deeper and more complicated than it would seem in the beginning. Overall, a very charming and fun game. And the price is much lower than one would expect from a game of this quality. [spoiler]Objectively:[/sp…