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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Highly addictive gameplay with a satisfying mining and exploration loop.
- Great art style and immersive sound design that enhances the overall experience.
- Active developer engagement with the community, showing commitment to updates and improvements.
- Currently lacks content and depth, making gameplay feel repetitive after a few hours.
- Punishing mechanics, such as losing all items upon death, can be frustrating for players.
- Some balancing issues with combat and inventory management, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- gameplay56 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this early access title is described as highly addictive and engaging, featuring a solid core loop that combines elements of roguelikes and extraction mechanics. While many players appreciate the fun and immersive experience, some express concerns about the punishing nature of the game, slow progression, and a lack of depth in certain mechanics, which can lead to repetitive gameplay. Overall, the game shows promise with its enjoyable mechanics and potential for future content, but it currently has some rough edges that need addressing.
“Highly addicting gameplay, and I always find myself fully immersed.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“The game is too punishing, and the progression is so slow and sometimes doesn't make sense. Sometimes when you get old, you just want a relaxing gameplay experience where you can explore and progress without constant fear of losing all of your progress.”
“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.”
- story40 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is currently 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. Overall, players appreciate the potential for improvement in storytelling and quest design as the game continues to evolve.
“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.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 27 % 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 mechanics. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“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.”
- music14 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its atmospheric quality and overall fit with the gameplay, enhancing the player's experience. Reviewers noted the soundtrack as outstanding and enjoyable, with some even comparing it favorably to other well-regarded games like Terraria. While there are minor issues such as music stopping in certain areas, the overall sentiment is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and immersion.
“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.”
“The music is amazing; I could listen to it all day.”
“There are some bugs like getting stuck on wall corners, text not disappearing, the music randomly stopping when you walk between biomes.”
- grinding9 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 requiring extensive resource gathering that can feel repetitive and unfulfilling. The risk of losing everything upon death adds to the grind, as players must repeatedly farm materials for minimal upgrades. While some enjoy the slow-paced grind, many express a desire for more engaging mechanics and rewards to enhance the experience.
“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 the dwarf character, which adds a comedic touch to the experience. Players find the humor to be a highlight, especially in light of the game's early alpha status, suggesting that the comedic elements contribute positively to its charm. Overall, the game is described as a funny rogue-like experience.
“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.”
“Game is very good, kind of hilarious how every 'not recommended' review can be explained by the fact it says alpha 0.1 in the lower right corner when the game launches and the fact that the game has only been out for 7 days as of the time of this review.”
- 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 and variety of perks found in similar titles, which may affect its long-term appeal, especially given its higher price point.
“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 gameplay becomes monotonous, and I found myself losing interest quickly due to the lack of meaningful changes or new experiences.”
- 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 their playthrough. Overall, the stability appears inconsistent, affecting the overall enjoyment for some users.
“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 enjoyable 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.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with a captivating environment that enhances the experience. Players appreciate the quality of the soundtrack, but many also enjoy the flexibility to immerse themselves in the game while listening to external content, such as podcasts.
“It's got a great atmosphere, and while the soundtrack is really nice, I really enjoyed sticking on a podcast and going off on a dwarven adventure.”
