Below the Stone
- November 17, 2023
- Strollart
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Below the Stone" is a challenging pixel art roguelike where dwarves embark on a quest to reach the deepest depths of the earth. Each descent reveals new adventures and biomes, with greater rewards and risks the deeper you go. Prepare for your expedition in the Dwarven kingdom, where you can craft, store loot, and manage resources, but beware - death means permanent loss of your dwarf's items.
Reviews
- The game has a solid foundation with engaging gameplay mechanics and a fun extraction roguelike loop.
- The art style and sound design are charming, creating an enjoyable atmosphere for exploration and combat.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively working on updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
- Currently, the game lacks content and can feel repetitive after a few hours of play, with limited progression options.
- The penalty for dying (losing all items) can be frustrating and may deter some players from fully enjoying the experience.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as combat and inventory management, need refinement to enhance overall enjoyment.
- gameplay47 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a solid and engaging loop, blending elements of roguelike mechanics with exploration and mining, reminiscent of games like "Legend of Zelda" and "Deep Rock Galactic." While many players appreciate the fun and addictive nature of the core mechanics, some express concerns about repetitiveness, lack of depth, and bugs that hinder the experience. Overall, the game shows promise for future development, but currently suffers from limited content and some frustrating design choices.
“It's has a very engaging roguelike gameplay loop that feels pretty damn refined even in alpha.”
“I absolutely love this game, it's the proper pacing, the gameplay loop is wonderful, the cave/dungeon generation is great, the progression feels good, the devs are actively adding new content and polishing old stuff, perfect balance of risk/reward.”
“The gameplay loop and its mechanics are solid and very fun, and I'm definitely looking forward to the future of the game and its development.”
“There just isn't enough depth or variety in the core gameplay loop to prevent it from feeling like a chore that I paid to do and could very likely have the same outcome.”
“I managed to find the dungeon to the second level exactly once in five hours of gameplay, so progress is basically blocked by the bad level design.”
“I wouldn't recommend it at this time due to the gameplay loop being poorly designed and unfun right now--though it definitely has some really fun elements.”
- story34 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is currently seen as underdeveloped, with many players expressing a desire for a more engaging narrative and deeper quest lines. While the gameplay loop is enjoyable, the quests often feel repetitive and simplistic, primarily consisting of fetch tasks that lack variety and depth. Players hope for future updates to enhance the story and quest system, as the game is still in development and has potential for improvement.
“What you have here is a fun game that relies on the players to have had some experience in the genre and uses the story and wit to hold it together.”
“Very fun game but it could use more of a storyline and a more in-depth guide so people don't get lost or confused on what they are supposed to do.”
“The missions are similar fetch quests every time.”
“There is still room for improvement, especially related to quests and a story arc, but that is to be expected from a game in this stage of development.”
“The quest system is overly simplistic, and some quests may be impossible to complete due to inaccessible items at the time.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their appealing art style, which combines elements reminiscent of titles like Dwarf Fortress and Core Keeper. Players appreciate the clarity and polish of the visuals, noting that they enhance the overall gameplay experience, despite some minor issues with melee combat detection. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and potential.
“The graphics design is great overall; 99% of the time you can tell exactly what you're looking at in a split second.”
“Visually, the game is stunning with its chunky but smooth art style.”
“This game is so well polished so far and the graphics are amazing.”
“Below the stone is what you would get if you took some aspects and aesthetics from Dwarf Fortress, added a small amount of gameplay elements from Deep Rock Galactic, and threw in a splash of isometric roguelites.”
- music11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and fitting integration into the gameplay, with many reviewers highlighting its pleasantness and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as outstanding and reminiscent of other beloved games, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere. Despite some minor issues, the music is consistently noted as a standout feature that reflects the developers' hard work and creativity.
“Hours, it has been running perfectly and I have enjoyed every moment until now, the soundtrack is really good, fits the game well and is pleasant.”
“The gameplay, the art, the music, every single little part of the game has soul; you can really see the hard work.”
“Everything is well polished, the soundtrack is very nice as well.”
“There are some bugs like getting stuck on wall corners, text not disappearing, the music randomly stopping when you walk between biomes.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be both tedious and immersive, often feeling compelled to repeatedly gather materials for minimal upgrades, which can lead to frustration, especially with the risk of losing everything upon death. While the repetitive nature of grinding for resources and items can become tiresome, some players still find it addictive, hoping for future updates to introduce more engaging mechanics and rewards.
“You can lose everything on death in this game with no way of getting it back, meaning a lot of re-grinding lost gear/items.”
“Grinding in the mines for coal to smelt ingots can get tiresome, just like in any other game with grindy aspects.”
“A lot of the time spent playing the game is over-grinding for materials you'll use once before you get to the next tier, and the combat is only difficult in that you have 100 life and enemies do a lot of damage.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by outrageous and cringey puns, particularly from a dwarf character, which many players find hilarious. Despite being in early alpha, the game's comedic elements have resonated well with users, contributing to its overall appeal.
“I think that the humor in this game is outrageous.”
“The first bit of humor that really stuck to me was the dwarf who uses these cringey puns.”
“Pretty funny rogue-like game.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers good replayability due to its randomized cave systems, ensuring that each expedition feels unique. However, some users feel it lacks the depth of randomness and perks found in similar titles, which may affect its overall replay value relative to its higher price.
“The caves being randomized gives a nice sense of replayability as no two expeditions are going to be the same.”
“- good replayability”
“It sells itself as a 2D Deep Rock Galactic or Zero Sievert with extraction parts and various biomes, but it actually feels closer to an auto-shooter game like Repetendium and Vampire Survivor, with less randomness, perks, and replayability for a higher price (2-3x).”
“The game lacks the depth and variety needed for true replayability, making each playthrough feel repetitive and uninspired.”
“After a few runs, the game becomes predictable and fails to offer new experiences, which significantly diminishes its replay value.”
- stability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed; while some players report smooth performance without frame drops, others experience significant bugs, including game-breaking issues early in gameplay. Overall, the stability can be inconsistent, affecting the overall enjoyment.
“The game runs great with no hitches or frame drops, making it an extremely fun experience.”
“I haven't encountered any stability issues; everything runs smoothly.”
“The performance is rock solid, allowing for an immersive and uninterrupted gameplay experience.”
“The game is very buggy (literally had a game-breaking bug on my first run, and another within two hours of gameplay).”
“It is still really slow and buggy.”
