Maze Mice

As close to an unfinished game as it gets without being actually unfinished. 4 levels, 2 enemy types, 1 boss that is just a larger one of the enemy types. That's it. A bunch of unlockable items, many of which aren't especially useful. Unlockable characters that only differ by starting item, so they are all interchangeable. In their 1.0 release notes the developer notes that the game didn't sell well, which more or less backs up the pseudo unfinished state of the game. It's a shame, the game has solid bones but needs more meat.

I'm a bit on the fence for this game. The mechanics are a bit thin as there are 2 enemy types and most levels involve you running around in a circle to herd and keep distance from the ghost enemies while the ones trailing you mostly keep you from going backward. Selecting some healing items and leveling them up is the only rule you need to stay alive, otherwise basically any weapon will help keep the enemies down to ensure your movement options remain open, though the ghosts are usually more difficult to deal with. There are only a few levels, too many characters for some reason that dont differ significantly, and I am still unlocking weapons/support gear which have interesting quirks. Would have liked to see the game require a bit more thought and execution to play, maybe with more enemy behaviors or hazards, but I admit I'm not sure if the design would support it easily. Maybe challenges to complete a run with certain pre-set builds or modifiers. Ultimately, I guess I like it enough as I enjoy the music and playing with new weapons/items. After I unlock everything, I cannot imagine having much reason to play further.

I totally missed the [b]Vampire Survivors[/b] hype and addiction, so this is my version of that. I'd definitely say it's much more like that than the arcade-y [b]Pac-Man[/b] experience the screenshots make it out to be. You kill cats and collect pellets to earn experience and level up. Every level, you draw three abilities and pick one to upgrade. You have one life, so when you die, the run resets completely. Having a good run is heavily dependent on synergizing abilities, but also a bit of luck in drawing good options. If you've played any post-[b]Vampire Survivors[/b] roguelike, all of this will probably sound very familiar. The bullet-time mechanic - [i]everything only moves when you move[/i] - was a great addition and makes the game feel strategic. You can pause at any moment to weigh your options. Do you lure an enemy closer? Do you make a dash for a pellet or pickup? Do you intentionally take a hit to reach a goal? You have time to think through all of those decisions. But once they become second nature, the game still flows naturally and never feels interrupted. There are a lot of [i]characters[/i], and you unlock them faster than you'll actually complete runs …

Very cute. The mechanics are different and fun. Reminds me of the first game I ever played, A-Maze-Ing on the TI-99. I wonder if the creators also played that one.

Excellent game. Grows stale around 25 hours but I highly recommend it!!!! Perfect in every way.

mousey mouse game about mice in maze and also killing cats with fire landmines and saxophones nice game like 8/10 i like it :)