Death's Toll

Since every other review is just memes, here's an actual review. The game is rough. It seems like the dev(s) wanted to go a certain direction, and it does have potential. The idea feels familiar: an action roguelite where you progress through a map and fight enemies. However the game is held back by a lack of clarity, both in objective and in action. The combat movement feels a bit clunky, which is damning in a roguelike where you only get three hits before your run is over. The default keyboard controls are also a bit odd (for example, F is the interact button, while E opens your inventory). The game similarly suffers a lack of information in its objective. At the character creation screen, you can buy certain character classes and loadout upgrades with currency, but the game gives you no information on how you can obtain that money. Do you need to beat a run to get it? I don't know, because I lost interest after 20 minutes. Now, there is something to be said for not giving players too much information. It's fun to figure stuff out. But the basics like controls and what you're even supposed to do in the game should be more clear. Is the monster chasing you based on real time or map time? How are you supposed to manage your health and thirst when so much of the map feels empty and the tiles you choose feel like they don't make much of a difference? I don't like being so harsh on a new game that's clearly a labor of love by a small developer, but as a fan of the genre I feel it necessary to contribute more to a review than "haha there's a frog in the game". With some polish this could definitely be an interesting game, but as it stands it just doesn't measure up even as a comedic novelty.