Deep Rune

If you liked Myth Bearer, you'll love Deep Rune! I feel like this game took the essence of this developer's previous game in the genre, and then tremendously refined and improved upon it. The addition of mechanics like fall damage, critical hits, and different playable character classes (each with different bonus traits), as well as improved graphics and music make Deep Rune a whole lot of fun. I also think that this game is a little more forgiving than its predecessor; while I did do a lot of save-and-reload to experiment with game mechanics and try some speculative plays, I did not need to do any huge chunk of backtracking or restarting to complete my first run through the game (as a Tribesman, I completed a run in about 5.5 hours). There were definitely some bits I did not get to, so I am interested to try another playthrough as a different character to try to experience the bits of the game I have not yet explored; my vague impression is that there is at least one alternate ending, though I'm not sure if that's actually the case. I can't think of much to criticize. I know some people would say the game is short, but I think the character classes and remaining outstanding secrets will ensure I replay this game at least once. Like its predecessor, the magic spell list is a little back-loaded, which makes the endgame feel like there's a sudden explosion of possibilities, not all of which you have time to realize. There are some very minor usability issues, like needing to click a few different tabs to see all your stats/inventory (I'd prefer a wide-screen version where the entire right-pane HUD was visible at once, with no tabs). But overall I found the gameplay very engaging, and the UI enabled me to carry out my intentions and speculations with little effort and few errors. Having played and enjoyed Myth Bearer relatively recently, I was kind of astonished at just how much improved the sequel could be, capturing the same essence, but with much richer mechanics, a better UI, and more forgiving and more-easily-traversible level designs. EDIT: After another 5 hours, I completed a second playthru, unlocked a new character class, and now am starting a third playthru :)

This game ultimately boils down to a resource management game. HP, MP, weapon durability, inventory and even the timing of your character level ups are all strategically utilized to move through this resource starved game (and that is not a bad thing). The dungeon feels meticulously crafted, and is full of components (secret entrances, nooks, and other out of the way resources) that open up to you as you progress and collect more abilities to help you navigate the various zones in the map. As an RPG, it has a a remarkable amount of depth considering its simplicity. Multiple characters to choose from actually ends up changing the way you approach the game given their unique ability sets. There is also additional surprises for being as thorough as possible in the game. My total time (Itch.io included) = 6 hours 37 minutes. This is a radical improvement to Bailey's previous title "Myth Bearer" (which you should check out too.) The resource management puzzle type RPGs that he has crafted are excellent games to explore for their price points.

⭐⭐⭐

Swego czasu była to płatna produkcja, która niedawno została udostępniona za darmo przez autora. Jest to niełatwa gra, w której przemierzamy podziemia, zdobywamy przedmioty, walczymy z przeciwnikami, odkrywamy sekrety itd. Na pierwszy rzut oka wygląda na platformówkę, ale takową nie jest.(w grze nie ma skoku). Bardziej to taka strategia, w której dobrze musimy przemyśleć kolejny ruch. Z ograniczonymi zasobami bardzo łatwo o śmierć. Sam przy pierwszym podejściu utknąłem, bo nie mogłem pokonać jakiegokolwiek przeciwnika (walka jest turowa,). Trzeba kombinować i wybierać jak najlepszą ścieżkę i opcję dla naszej postaci. Złoto również jest ograniczone i z czasem może jego braknąć, aby np. wykupić sobie strzały. Technicznie jest w miarę ok. Sterowanie odbywa się wyłącznie przy pomocy klawiatury i myszy. Miałem jedynie błąd z maną. Gra informowała, że pasek MP miałem pełny, ale gdy chciałem rzucić zaklęcie, to informowała, że brakuje mi MP. W ten sposób nie mogłem za wiele zrobić i zwyczajnie zakończyłem grę. Niemniej odkryłem dużo, choć nie odnalazłem wszystkich pierścieni lub broni i nie zdobyłem odpowiednio dużej ilości punktów. Wbijanie osiągnięć w Deep Rune jest wymagające. Polecam.

Extremely impressed with this game! I found it by accident but I am glad I did! The game is more so a Puzzlevania that expects you to pay attention than anything else. Be careful as you make your way to the bottom of the "Cave" as escaping this place will be much more difficult than I was expecting! Seriously it's crazy this game is free. To the developer if you're reading this I appreciate the work you put into this game! Some people may not appreciate this as much as I do but it reminds me of the good DOS days honestly. Looking forward to playing the game again! Gonna try to do better for that (Escape)

RPG mekaniklerini ve bulmaca çözmeyi kusursuz bir şekilde harmanlayan, İskandinav mitolojisine dayanan gizemli bir dünyada geçen yandan kaydırmalı bir macera oyunu. King's Field, Tower of the Sorcerer ve DROD RPG'den esinlenmiştir.

Solid game about resource management and planning. Not quite as difficult or as large in scale to Mythbearer (Dev's previous game of the same genre) but that increased leeway and multiple characters allow for a lot more replayability than Mythbearer. Also a lot more secrets in this game. Would recommend.