Tears of the Maker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-SIZgQqq9w Was interested when I saw it was a pachinko roguelike deck-builder and was not let down. The gritty 8-bit aesthetic adds a subtle horror vibe that is a nice touch to the two modes available. You either go true rogue fashgion with the tower climb, or dive into the story mode that lets you earn permanent upgrades and cards, not to mention unlock things for future tower climb sessions. I did manage to find a combo that became my go to in every session, but the further I got the more important my card choices became to stay alive against foes with higher defense (the offensive levels weren't much to deal with though). But even with that subtle repetition I found myself coming back to try to get higher in the climb or stringer in the story (currently in new story+). All in all, Teares of the Maker has been a surprisingly addictng experience. Give the demo a shot if you're not sure, but if you like an old-school rogue chllenge that deviates a bit from the norm then I gotta suggest you check this one out.

Really love the game, i wish there was a way to choose the cards with 1,2,3 or something like that tho XD but this game is very cool and addicting. 4/4/2026 they added the 1,2,3 for selecting cards, very cool :D

This is a very fun game that keeps each run fresh and interesting with the randomness of cards and opponents. I enjoy both game modes (tower and story) and find it engaging to unlock new attire and companions while customizing and building a strong deck of cards. The unique graphics and custom music enhance my gameplay experience and I thoroughly enjoy each run I attempt as the levels, opponents, and my cards randomly progress. I haven’t made it to the end yet but I’m excited to continue playing and see how far I can go!

Got it on sale, and am still getting plenty of time out of it. I think the music is catchy, but might be a little repetitive. I don't focus on it and can understand if people get tired of it. I'll play a few attempts to at a time to avoid get burned out about the game either way. It has more depth than I thought it might with only allowing 3 slots to equip some types of cards, though there are more types available as you get farther. There is an initial difficulty while seeing which cards do what, too. I'm not sure if the difficulty scaling might be too high too fast, but I'm still trying out different strategies either way. The low chance for item removal that enemies sometimes get can wreck runs, though you can sometimes be able to reset it to a random new one. Overall, I'd say 5/10 for a rough on the edges, but still interesting roguelike that isn't super expensive.

Love the unique art and music in this game. Tower mode is a lot of fun and gives you the tools for completely different builds every time you play. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys deckbuilders and roguelites. Plays great on steam deck!

I rarely play roguelite deckbuilders, but this completely hooked me. I sat down to try it and the next thing I knew nearly 10 hours had flown by while I was collecting cards, experimenting with what worked, healing myself or doing damage to the enemy, and figuring out the best ways to manipulate the tear flow to beat the story mode. Best 7 dollars I have spent this year.