Nelumbra

I've been following this really cute game for a while now. The gameplay is addictive and there's plenty of things to unlock. The overall vibe is perfect and the soundtrack is beautiful. It was also great to follow the dev on Insta, so I'd absolutely recommend trying this one :)

Basically, it's a very hard twin stick shooter and plays a bit like "20 minutes till dawn". No auto aim. There's a little bit of meta progression, including unlocking new orbs (characters). Each orb plays a bit different. Some are more close combat, others have a bit more range. After struggling for hours, not understanding what to do, I was about to give up. There's no real tutorial. No explanation of goals. No indication of where you are, progress wise. And it's freaking hard. But the action is tense and there IS some actual logic to it. After six hours I was finally able to sort of finish a run. So yeah, it's a great game once you figure what to do exactly. One major pain in the behind: there are a few endless sanctums. If you enter, they seem to go on forever in all directions. Problem is, the portal to return to the main map after achieving the goal for that area always appears right where you originally started. And it can be very hard to find after wandering off. The map does wrap around eventually and the portal makes a noticable noise when you come closer though.

Nelumbra is a roguelite action experience that blends survival mechanics, rapid combat, and a mysterious narrative into a compact yet engaging package. Developed and published by Eleven Dusks Studios, the game places players in the role of the Light Bearer, an individual trapped within an endless cycle of rebirth and conflict. From the outset, the premise revolves around uncovering fragments of a forgotten past while battling increasingly dangerous celestial threats. Rather than relying on extensive dialogue or cinematic storytelling, the game allows its themes of memory, fate, and repetition to emerge naturally through gameplay progression and repeated runs. The most distinctive aspect of Nelumbra is its combat system. While many roguelites emphasize conventional weapon attacks, this title introduces a strong focus on mobility through an offensive dash mechanic. Movement is not simply a way to avoid damage; it becomes a primary tool for survival and destruction. Dashing through enemy formations feels rewarding and requires constant awareness of positioning, especially when the screen becomes crowded with hostile forces. The combat strikes a satisfying balance between accessibilit…

I've been enjoying my time with this one. There's just enough currency coming in to provide a steady amount of unlocks, and the differing attack styles of each character lead to different tactics and preferences that can really alter how you're playing the game (especially if you're on a ranged character and the option to create duplicates comes up). I can safely say I'm getting more than my money's worth, and hope to see more people pick this up.

Please fix the bugs on the light bulb hat, it's giving a signs that don't exit and the ones you already got.

Very nice game ! But for real, I will have a terrible relation with the next crow I stumble on irl xD Apart from that, the game is soo cool. It's addictive asf ! The dash mechanic makes the game so dynamic ! I recommend it 100%, especially if you like roguelike survivor game !