Brut@l

Brut@l is an unusual and visually striking roguelike that attempts to bridge the gap between the earliest text-based dungeon crawlers and modern action-driven gameplay. Developed by Stormcloud Games Limited and published by Rising Star Games, it revolves around a bold idea: take the ASCII symbols that formed the architecture, enemies, and weapons of classic roguelikes and recreate them as three-dimensional objects in a fully animated dungeon. This concept immediately gives the game its identity. Instead of stone walls, you move through corridors made of floating characters; instead of sculpted weapons, you forge blades and hammers built from letters. The result is a modern dungeon crawler whose foundations are built on nostalgia, yet reinterpreted through stylized lighting, bold contrast, and frantic real-time combat. The basic structure of Brut@l is straightforward: choose one of four heroes — Warrior, Amazon, Ranger, or Mage — and descend into a procedurally generated 26-floor dungeon with permadeath in place. Each run begins humbly, with little more than a torch, a shield, and your bare fists. As you explore, you uncover ASCII letters used to craft weapons, recipes that allow you to enchant gear, potions with unpredictable side effects, and scattered loot that can determine whether your run thrives or ends abruptly. The crafting system, while simple compared to deep RPGs, adds both creativity and tension; you never know whether the next letter you collect will complete the blueprint for a powerful weapon or contribute to a potion that might save — or doom — your character. Combat is one of Brut@l’s primary pillars, and it has an immediacy that contrasts sharply with the old-school aesthetics. Enemies are numerous, aggressive, and varied: skeleton archers pepper you with ranged attacks, orcs swing with heavy, punishing blows, and elemental creatures apply status effects that force you to reposition or rethink your approach entirely. Each weapon type comes with its own rhythm and a unique heavy attack, adding depth to your loadout choices. In a good run, fights feel weighty and energizing, especially when a well-timed strike or dodge turns a losing encounter into a narrow victory. The real-time combat gives Brut@l a distinct personality among grid-based and turn-based roguelikes; it feels more like an arcade brawler fused with dungeon-crawler structure, which will appeal to players who prefer action over deliberation. However, the movement and platforming elements of the game often reveal its rough edges. Many floors are filled with pits, moving platforms, and narrow passages that require precise control. Unfortunately, the character movement can feel slightly loose or floaty, making it easy to misjudge jumps and fall into instant-death hazards. Because runs are lengthy and death is final, losing a promising character to an awkward platforming moment can be far more frustrating than falling in battle. This inconsistency is one of the most commonly cited issues and can interrupt the flow of an otherwise enjoyable descent. It highlights the tension between the game's ambitions and its execution — the core of the combat and crafting works well, but the platforming often undermines it. Visually, Brut@l remains its own greatest advocate. The ASCII-inspired 3D art style is not just a gimmick but an engaging stylistic choice that gives the whole game a unique atmosphere. The stark black-and-white base aesthetic allows colored visual effects to stand out sharply — fire glows vividly, lava pools reflect light dynamically, and enchanted weapons shimmer in neon hues. This layering of color over monochrome structure creates a sense of progression: as you make your way deeper into the dungeon, the environment begins to feel more alive, more dangerous, and more otherworldly. The presentation is complemented by a thumping soundtrack and punchy sound effects that enhance the sense of intensity during combat. Replayability is woven throughout the game, starting with its procedural dungeon layouts and extending into its crafting system and co-op play. Local two-player co-op is a welcome feature, turning the dungeon crawl into a chaotic, collaborative battle where triumphs feel communal and failures sting twice as much. Even more compelling is the built-in Dungeon Creator, which allows players to design custom levels and share them via Steam Workshop. This feature extends the game’s lifespan significantly, especially for players who enjoy expressing creativity or testing themselves against community-made challenges. While not everyone will dive into the creator, its inclusion shows how much Brut@l values variety and player-driven content. Yet despite its visual flair and fun combat, Brut@l does struggle with depth and long-term variety. Once you understand the basic mechanics and have mastered a few reliable strategies — especially powerful enchanted weapons — later floors can lose some of their tension. The procedural generation occasionally produces repetitive or overly simple room layouts, and the core loop of fighting, collecting letters, crafting, and descending can grow predictable. Though the game’s pace is brisk and its style polished, it doesn’t evolve enough to keep every run feeling distinct after many hours, especially compared to more complex roguelikes. Ultimately, Brut@l is a distinctive and memorable entry in the roguelike genre. Its ASCII-inspired visuals, fast combat, and creative crafting system give it a personality few games can match, and its willingness to experiment earns it lasting charm. It is at its best when you are locked in a tense brawl, managing resources, and forging new weapons from scattered symbols. But it is also occasionally hindered by loose platforming and a sense of repetition that sets in during extended play. For players who love stylish, action-driven dungeon crawlers with roguelike structure — and who appreciate a bold aesthetic twist — Brut@l offers a fun, challenging, and visually unique journey. For those looking for precision platforming or deep systemic complexity, its shortcomings may stand out more clearly. Even so, the game’s creative spark makes it a noteworthy adventure for fans of roguelikes with an experimental edge. Rating: 7/10

Неплохая игра, разработчики сэкономили на визуале, за-то сделали прикольную боёвку, на несколько часов игры я думаю эта игра потянет)

Smacked keyboard with head it became axe. Wife saw now demands renovation. I said lets go basement treasure and beer await. She bonked me but kept weapon.

你这跳跃距离设置得也太傻屄了，稍微远一点的地方就落身死，玩什么？

I f**king love this game, and I've yet to beat it- Though I do love beating my head at this wall over and over again and learning new things each time. When/If I beat the game and if remember to update my review, I will. At time of writing I have less than 10 hours, BUT I have a handful of hours on the PS4 version as well. Most of my hours were/are there still. Things of note: - You need to play w/ controller, preferably one w/ rumble vibrations like a dual shock PS4 controller honestly. This is because there are some small enemies that can be hard to see when they attach to the player's body and deal damage. If you have a rumble controller, it'll buzz telling you there is a lil guy on yah. - The death pits suck, no they don't get easier imo - I still have no idea how to deal with the poison and lava flooring on some sections - The co-op seems to be local only, but that is okay - There are lots of moving pieces to manage like food, health, mana, special attack charge, inventory space, potion materials, etc. You WILL (or should) continue to improve the more you play, and its a lot of fun :D

3/5 star

Сомнительно, но окей.

Эта игра представляет графику выполненную при помощи символов, что и написано в описании. Поиграв в эту игру час, я могу сделать маленький вывод по своим ощущениям. Плюсы: + Рандомная генерация с сидами. + Возможность крафта, как обычного оружия, так и зачарованного. + Малая хардкорность. + Дерево навыков. Развивайся как хочешь. Минусы: - Однообразие. Здесь нет каких-то вещей, которые могут как-то менять геймплей. Находишь оружие и оно отличается от других только типом атаки, либо уроном. - Почти одинаковые персонажи. Персонажи представляют собой 4 класса: Амазонка, Рейнджер, Воин и Маг. Их отличия только в скине щита (у мага посох) и начальный набор перков. Моя оценка 7 / 10. Игра понравилась, но вот из-за этих минусов верну деньги, так как любитель различного геймплея. Надеюсь в далньейших обновлениях разнообразят игру введением уникальных механик. Если вам поднадоел Исаак, то можно приобрести эту игру. Разрабам удачи!

「Rogue」をそのまま3Dアクションにしたというわかる人にしかわからない出オチのようなコンセプトのゲーム。 荷物管理や灯りと食料の確保、操作の複雑さといった要素は大幅に緩和され、現代的な遊び心地です。 今から少し前、ローグライクといえば不思議のダンジョンだったりヴァンサバ系列のローグライトだった時代に突如現れた、 ローグから派生ツリーを伸ばしたローグライクアクション。 不思議のダンジョンが再注目された2024年において、このゲームも再注目されてほしいと思う次第。