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Cogmind

96%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
grinding, character development
96% User Score Based on 1,580 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $24.99
Buy NowGet on Steam$24.99

About

Cogmind is a single-player Science Fiction Role Playing game with an interesting plot and excellent visuals. Players build and modify a unique robot from parts, experiencing dynamic character development without grinding. The procedurally generated world, combined with hand-crafted content, features dozes of robot classes and immersive tactical combat, making it very replayable.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Cogmind screenshot
Cogmind screenshot
Cogmind screenshot
Cogmind screenshot

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,580 reviews
gameplay149 positive mentions
grinding33 negative mentions
  • Incredible depth and complexity in gameplay mechanics, allowing for a variety of playstyles and strategies.
  • Beautiful ASCII art and sound design that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Active developer who is responsive to community feedback and consistently updates the game with new content.
  • Steep learning curve that may overwhelm new players with its complexity and numerous mechanics.
  • Durability system can be frustrating, as parts can be easily damaged or destroyed during combat.
  • UI may be too small for some players, making it difficult to read and navigate, especially on smaller screens.
  • gameplay
    464 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Cogmind offers a deeply engaging gameplay experience that combines traditional roguelike elements with innovative mechanics, such as a unique part-swapping system that allows for extensive customization and strategic depth. Players appreciate the game's accessibility, with well-explained mechanics and a user-friendly interface, although some find the learning curve steep due to the complexity of its systems. The gameplay is characterized by tactical decision-making, resource management, and a dynamic environment that encourages experimentation, making it a standout title in the roguelike genre.

    • “Cogmind is a modern evolution of the rogue-like genre, with both incredible depth and width of mechanics to invest into and learn how to use and exploit to your advantage.”
    • “The unique system of hot-swappable parts and the many ways you can use them is the main mechanic here, and it's a blast.”
    • “The gameplay is stellar, casting off experience and class archetypes for a system focused on modular parts, allowing you to swap parts and playstyle as your run goes on and you evolve further.”
    • “Suffice to say, Cogmind is the kind of game where it's mandatory to pore over wiki entries, guides, ask sweats on Discord, and engage in a fair amount of brutal trial and error if you ever want to start to get a solid grip on its mechanics.”
    • “The core mechanics of Cogmind are intensely aggravating.”
    • “The item destruction mechanics are a very bitter pill to swallow, and most new players might bounce strongly off of it, and I wouldn't blame them.”
  • graphics
    222 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are a standout feature, blending minimalist ASCII art with a well-designed tileset that enhances the overall atmosphere and immersion. Players appreciate the unique aesthetic, which combines retro charm with modern interface elements, making it accessible and visually appealing even for those typically averse to simplistic graphics. The attention to detail in animations and effects, alongside a customizable interface, contributes to a rich visual experience that complements the game's deep mechanics and storytelling.

    • “The visuals are superb, to me at least.”
    • “Cogmind is a perfect blend of crunchy mechanics, engaging theme, and beautiful art style.”
    • “The graphics are stunning for such a simple game.”
    • “I saw the graphics at first and thought, nah, not for me.”
    • “Bought it very long ago but couldn't play, due to how graphics are rendered in the game.”
    • “Some people might say .. cmon this game is not for everybody... it does not have graphics at all..”
  • story
    166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is intricately woven into its gameplay, offering a rich and immersive experience that unfolds through exploration and interaction with the environment. Players uncover lore and narrative elements gradually, often through terminals and side routes, creating a sense of discovery that enhances replayability. While the plot is not linear and requires active engagement, it is praised for its depth, complexity, and the way it intertwines with the game's mechanics, making it a standout feature in the roguelike genre.

    • “The story is deep, the gameplay loop is fun, and there are so many easter eggs to find.”
    • “The world is richly detailed, and the lore and backstory are seamlessly woven into the game.”
    • “The story grows out of nowhere.”
    • “The game has a mysterious air to it, and that's fine, but it doesn't give you much in the way of main story substance, especially mid-game.”
    • “I wouldn't say the story is an afterthought; there are actually some cool ways it's woven into gameplay, but it just feels too disjointed.”
    • “At first glance, it looks like Cogmind has a very minimal story: you start at the bottom of a subterranean complex run by a hostile AI.”
  • replayability
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely praised for its immense replayability, driven by deep gameplay mechanics, extensive customization options, and procedural generation. Players appreciate the variety of strategies, character builds, and the engaging lore that enhances the experience, making each playthrough feel fresh and unique. Overall, it stands out as a highly replayable roguelike that offers countless hours of engaging gameplay.

    • “A great deal of replay value through customization and procedural generation.”
    • “Replayability abounds, with increasing levels of difficulty for added challenge for one who has mastered the initial gameplay, as well as additional areas to explore, events to uncover, character builds to try and perfect.”
    • “Cogmind has an incredible amount of replayability, driven by the variety of build potential and sheer volume of lore to discover.”
    • “Compare this to traditional roguelikes which may provide 2-3 builds for every class, you can see why this game falls short in the replayability department.”
    • “Roguelikes are a favorite game genre for me, but there are too many less-than-stellar games out there, or some that just aren't fun to play or where replayability is nil.”
    • “There are also alternate endings, a scoring system and online leaderboards, and secret things you can do to extend replayability, so don't let the potentially short length scare you off.”
  • atmosphere
    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound design and unique aesthetic, creating a tense and engaging experience that captivates players from the start. Reviewers highlight the effective use of audio, including atmospheric sounds and weapon effects, which enhance the overall environment, making it feel alive and dynamic despite its minimalist graphics. The combination of deep lore, strategic gameplay, and a richly detailed world contributes to an exceptional atmospheric experience that resonates with both newcomers and seasoned roguelike fans.

    • “The atmosphere is absolutely brilliant and the sound design is sublime.”
    • “Cogmind oozes with atmosphere right from the start.”
    • “The atmosphere and soundtrack are also impressive, and create a tense and immersive experience.”
    • “It makes fantastic use of sound to really build the atmosphere of a lone robot crawling its way up in a cold, uncaring environment.”
    • “The atmosphere combined with the bits of lore scattered about makes this world great to explore.”
    • “At first glance, the graphics seem stylish but a bit basic if you're not used to this type of game, but the amount of love and detail that went into each and every animation really shows and conveys a lot of atmosphere.”
  • grinding
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, reviews indicate that "Cogmind" successfully eliminates traditional grinding mechanics commonly found in roguelikes, replacing them with a progression system based on exploration and floor advancement rather than combat. Players appreciate the lack of tedious experience grinding, which allows for a more engaging and dynamic gameplay experience, though some still find certain aspects of combat and inventory management to be tedious. The game is praised for its depth and complexity without the burden of grinding, making it feel fresh and rewarding.

    • “Amazing roguelike, deep while being approachable and not tedious.”
    • “Cogmind is a roguelike with a ton of variety, no grinding, a smooth learning curve and lots of tactical depth.”
    • “There is no experience (no grinding!), you gain 'levels' by climbing to the next floor.”
    • “It's slow, it's tedious, it's punishing and it's unrewarding.”
    • “There are different 'difficulty' modes, but none of them actually solve the fundamental game design problem of the game's systems being so complexly interwoven that they become tedious to interact with or think about, nor the problem of equipment requiring huge investments for insignificant rewards.”
    • “Combat felt tedious at best and each run seemed nigh-identical to the last, but response from multiple people including the developer and some community members prompted me to continue playing to see if the game held more.”
  • music
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's sound design is highly praised, with powerful sound effects for weapons and explosions that enhance immersion. However, many players express disappointment over the absence of a musical soundtrack, feeling that while the ambient sounds contribute to the atmosphere, the lack of combat music detracts from the overall experience. Some users suggest that the game would benefit from a suitable soundtrack to complement its engaging sound effects.

    • “The atmosphere and soundtrack are also impressive, and create a tense and immersive experience.”
    • “While the game doesn't have music, it's filled with ambient sounds from all the machines of the complex 'living', it fits the game's mood extremely well and contributes even more to the immersion.”
    • “If I had any complaints, it's maybe that the music is a little light (not quite lacking... but kind of close).”
    • “My only complaint about this game is I seriously wish it had combat music and stuff.”
    • “There is no music to speak of, and I hope none ever comes since the atmospheric drawl of machines, weaponry, and robots is more than enough to draw a player into the world they are playing in.”
  • humor
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in Cogmind is described as both engaging and chaotic, providing players with moments of genuine laughter amidst its complex mechanics and learning curve. Reviewers appreciate the game's clever writing and amusing interactions with various robots, which contribute to a fun and immersive experience. Despite some technical flaws, the humor enhances the overall enjoyment, making exploration and gameplay feel rewarding and entertaining.

    • “Some of them act so chaotic it is hilarious.”
    • “This roguelike is amazing, and very hilarious.”
    • “A great sense of humor and staggering depth, that's incredibly easy to get into.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is highly engaging, featuring a unique non-regenerating health system and a free-form approach that rewards players through item management rather than traditional experience points. Players appreciate the simplicity of the model, where leveling up grants more item slots based on gameplay choices, fostering a dynamic and thematic development experience that emphasizes player skill and strategy over grinding.

    • “This free-form approach to character development, besides being thematic, is very rewarding.”
    • “I especially like the simple but sweet character development model - levels get you more item slots (you pick what slots you want on level-up) and you only get levels for progressing to the end of the game.”
    • “Some of the most notable creative concepts introduced by Cogmind are a non-regenerating health ('corruption') system instead of a food clock, deterrents from clearing entire dungeon levels, and encompassing most of the character development within the item system (no 'experience').”
    • “For character development, how you can play the game is directly related to how you play the game.”
    • “Dynamic character development without XP/grinding.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players find it underoptimized and occasionally clunky, others appreciate the intuitive mouse mode and well-optimized keyboard controls for veterans. Despite these issues, the game runs smoothly on its own engine, leading to no significant performance problems.

    • “If your build isn't well optimized, attrition overwhelms you.”
    • “+ the game works on its own engine, so no performance issues at all.”
    • “And yet, despite its janky optimization and occasional clunkiness, I found myself smiling, laughing, and looking forward to exploration and immersing myself in Elden Ring.”
    • “The mouse mode is intuitive and good for anyone starting out with this game or roguelikes in general, and the traditional roguelike keyboard mode is well-optimized for veterans, albeit more complex.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on Linux with Proton and is described as bug-free and fully complete, contrary to its early access label. Players can expect a rich experience with over 500 hours of content and multiple endings, all without significant technical issues.

    • “Regardless of what the tags say, this is not an early access game; the game is bug-free, highly complete with a full storyline, at least nine endings, and is 500+ hours of content for anyone willing to stick it out to see everything this game has to offer.”
    • “Don't be put off by the early access tag, the game is a complete experience and almost completely bug-free.”
    • “Runs great on Linux with Proton enabled.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization of this game is praised for its integrity, with users highlighting it as a genuine labor of love that stands in stark contrast to the prevalent cash grab practices of many AAA studios. Reviewers appreciate the developer's commitment to quality over profit, positioning the game as a refreshing alternative in the current gaming landscape.

    • “This game is a person's life's work, and that simply does not compare to most of the cash grab garbage that's churned through Steam, especially from AAA companies.”
    • “Developer is a chad for making this in a time where AAA studios are making cash grab trash and Yandere devs are failing to deliver on any promises, then leaving their game in early access until the heat death of the universe.”

Buy Cogmind

34h Median play time
55h Average play time
20-80h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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