Deadnaut: Signal Lost
- March 28, 2023
- Screwfly Studios
- 18h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Deadnaut: Signal Lost," a sci-fi horror turn-based roguelike, you play as the Handler, controlling a Deadnaut treasure hunter navigating hazardous environments and facing nightmarish creatures. With 5 playable suits, procedurally generated levels, and an atmospheric soundtrack, you must gain your Deadnaut's trust or use their puppeting software failsafe while collecting Sigils for lightweight meta progression. Remember, your Deadnaut is not your friend.
Reviews
- Deeply atmospheric and immersive, with excellent sound design that enhances the gameplay experience.
- Offers a variety of gameplay styles and paths, allowing players to customize their approach to challenges.
- Engaging mechanics that reward strategic thinking and careful planning, making each decision feel impactful.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks variety, leading to a sense of tedium in later stages.
- The difficulty balance is inconsistent, with some players finding it either too easy or frustratingly hard without a satisfying middle ground.
- Limited lore and story integration, with disjointed narrative elements that fail to engage players meaningfully.
- story38 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of the game is presented through disjointed log entries and lacks a cohesive narrative, leaving players confused about the overarching plot. While the atmosphere is praised and the gameplay mechanics are engaging, many players feel that the story is underdeveloped and could benefit from a clearer introduction and more context. Overall, the mysterious elements of the narrative are intriguing, but the execution leaves much to be desired, with players expressing a desire for deeper exploration of the game's universe.
“The story is mysterious and makes you think.”
“Lots of cool equipment and weapons and abilities to use/unlock, and much like Duskers, the story is slowly revealed through the logs you discover as you go.”
“As much as I love the mechanics of the game, I would really love to learn more about the story and the universe this game is set in.”
“The story is given in random tidbits gleaned from log entries that I quickly stopped reading, as they all seemed disjointed and unrelated to one another, possibly due to randomization.”
“Why doesn't the game start with an intro video explaining the story or even a text intro at the minimum? You literally have to look at the help menu for context.”
“I think if it was changed more and the story was fleshed out to explain why you're actually doing anything.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Gameplay in the game is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics and frustrating repetition, with players noting a variety of paths and upgrades available for tackling challenges. However, the slow pace, lack of clear tutorials, and unforgiving permadeath mechanics contribute to a sense of frustration, making the experience feel tedious for some. While the atmosphere and immersive elements are praised, many players feel that the gameplay lacks depth and engagement, leading to a mixed reception overall.
“Gameplay-wise, there are an interesting number of paths and upgrades you can take your deadnaut to handle challenges, and while I haven't tried all of them, I can see how all the different approaches could work in their own ways.”
“I love that it doesn't hold your hand and lets you explore and figure out the game mechanics naturally.”
“The moment-to-moment gameplay is exciting and you are always very engaged, on edge even, since one (or a couple of misclicks when you're getting impatient) and you're in for a lot of trouble.”
“What the game actually is, in the end, is a fairly slow, repetitive, and frustrating roguelike with traditional grid-based movement, randomly generated levels, and unforgiving permadeath mechanics.”
“The movement is slow (and when you rush, you put yourself in a bad spot really fast), the maps are big but unexciting, combat is rather repetitive... I pushed through into one of the later stages of the game, died there and after that could not rekindle the flame to try anew as a run takes too long and the moment-to-moment gameplay does not grip me enough to put myself through it to maybe see the end of the whole thing the next try.”
“There is no depth and very repetitive gameplay.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Deadnaut: Signal Lost" is widely praised for its immersive and intense qualities, effectively enhancing the gameplay experience with its top-notch audio and unique sci-fi aesthetics. While some players note that the repetitive missions and limited exploration detract from the overall enjoyment, the game's ability to evoke a sense of tension and dread is consistently highlighted as its strongest feature. Overall, the atmospheric design is considered a standout element, making it a compelling choice for fans of roguelikes.
“Deeply atmospheric and immersive.”
“An accessible and streamlined roguelike with engrossing atmosphere and excellent systemic depth.”
“Super atmospheric rogue-like game, where you guide your poor soul through the depths of horrendous space hulks in the hope of restoring the knowledge humanity has lost....”
“There is a certain dead feeling to the game which is well emphasized by all the atmosphere.”
“I love the atmosphere of it, but I started hitting Esc to skip it after the second or third time just because it was so repetitive.”
“Honestly, the best part about Signal Lost is its steady gameplay and general atmosphere.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as minimalistic yet effective, fitting well within its gritty, retro-futuristic aesthetic reminiscent of the *Alien* universe. While some players appreciate the simplicity and how it enhances the atmosphere and gameplay, others feel that the lack of variety in visuals can make levels and enemies feel repetitive. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's immersive experience, allowing players to engage their imagination.
“Despite the simplistic graphics, this game really works.”
“The soundtrack does a great job setting the mood, and while the graphics are minimalist, they work fine in this setting.”
“The graphics are simple but effective.”
“Graphically, the game is minimalistic.”
“Due to the simple graphics, every level and enemy looks the same.”
“As you're remote connecting to the deadnaut, you view the action through a console, where everything going on is rendered as outlines and blips - so like most rogue-likes, the graphics are simplistic.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in Deadnaut to be tedious, with a choice between waiting for certainty or taking risks that often yield no rewards. While the game initially creates a compelling sense of isolation and suspense, the repetitive nature of grinding becomes monotonous after several hours.
“You can wait around to be sure (tedious) or roll the dice (risk without reward).”
“Deadnaut can create a neat sense of isolation and suspense; however, after 10 hours, everything feels a bit tedious.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's strong replayability, noting its immersive themes, rich lore, and diverse mechanics that encourage multiple playthroughs with varying strategies. Each run offers unique experiences, enhancing the overall value of replaying the game.
“But thematically very cool and immersive in both its presentation and mechanics, with tons of lore and plenty of replay value.”
“The replayability seems to be very good as each run allows for different approaches.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music effectively enhances the game's atmosphere, complementing its minimalist graphics to create an immersive experience.
“The soundtrack does a great job setting the mood, and while the graphics are minimalist, they work fine in this setting.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users note that while some performance-boosting stims enhance gameplay, they also come with drawbacks that can negatively impact the overall experience.
“The other stims boost your performance, but then they take it away.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it unplayable at times.”
“I constantly experience frame drops and lag, which ruins the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game offers a significant depth of exploration and design, though players may initially find it challenging to understand the mechanics and content.
“It takes some time to wrap your head around how to do things and the content, but it hints at a huge depth of exploration and character design!”
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to shape their heroes in unique and meaningful ways.”
“I love how the choices you make throughout the game truly impact your character's growth and relationships.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the limited choices in character customization, which made my character feel generic.”
“The story arcs for the characters are predictable and fail to evoke any real emotional connection.”
