Deadnaut: Signal Lost
- March 28, 2023
- Screwfly Studios
- 18h median play time
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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.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Deeply atmospheric and immersive, with excellent sound design that enhances the gameplay experience.
- Offers a variety of paths and upgrades for gameplay, allowing players to approach challenges in multiple ways.
- Engaging and strategic gameplay that rewards careful planning and decision-making, making each run feel unique.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks variety in levels and enemy types, leading to a sense of tedium over time.
- The difficulty balance is off, with some players finding it either too punishing or too easy, resulting in frustration.
- The story and lore feel disjointed and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more context and depth.
- story76 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 91 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story places players in the role of a distant commander controlling a "deadnaut" on perilous missions, but many find the narrative disjointed and lacking clarity, often conveyed through random log entries that fail to engage. While the atmosphere and strategic gameplay are praised, players express a desire for a more cohesive and fleshed-out storyline, as the current presentation leaves much to be desired and can feel repetitive. Overall, the mysterious elements of the story intrigue some, but the lack of a clear narrative structure detracts from the overall experience.
“The story is mysterious and makes you think.”
“I want to gush about this game - I already typed a page and a half about the multiple layers of strategy involved in missions (there are more than enemies to worry about, but if you're clever you can turn obstacles and enemies on each other!) but this is too long already.”
“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.”
“It puts its player in the seat of a distant commander figure in control of a deadnaut, a poor as-good-as-dead soul that gets sent on near-suicide missions for reasons I didn't quite catch.”
“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.”
- gameplay66 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics and frustrating elements, with players noting a variety of paths and upgrades available for their characters. However, many find the experience slow, repetitive, and lacking in depth, with a steep learning curve due to poorly explained mechanics and unforgiving permadeath. While some appreciate the atmospheric tension and immersive elements, the overall consensus suggests that the gameplay may not be engaging enough to sustain long-term interest.
“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.”
“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) can lead to a lot of trouble.”
“Each suit changes up gameplay pretty dramatically.”
“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.”
- atmosphere44 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Deadnaut: Signal Lost" is widely praised for its deep immersion and high tension, effectively utilizing audio and visual design to create a haunting sci-fi experience reminiscent of classic alien aesthetics. While some players note that the gameplay can feel repetitive and the exploration lacks depth, the overall ambiance and systemic depth contribute to a compelling roguelike experience that stands out in the genre. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of dread and urgency, making every decision feel crucial within its atmospheric setting.
“An accessible and streamlined roguelike with engrossing atmosphere and excellent systemic depth.”
“Very few roguelikes have an amazing atmosphere as Deadnaut; Screwfly outdid themselves this time in my opinion, fairly priced with a lot of different ways to play it and the above mentioned atmosphere, this is definitely my favorite Screwfly game.”
“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.”
“Love the clunky sci-fi aesthetics as in Duskers, but also the feel of the old Alien/Aliens universe, and the sound really adds to the stress/atmosphere of the game along with the minimal feel to the display making you use your imagination more!”
- graphics34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as minimalistic yet effective, fitting well within the retro-futuristic aesthetic reminiscent of the "Alien" universe. While some players appreciate the simplicity and how it enhances the atmosphere and horror elements, others note that the uniformity of visuals can make levels and enemies feel repetitive. Overall, the graphics successfully contribute to the game's immersive experience, complemented by a strong soundtrack.
“The soundtrack does a great job setting the mood, and while the graphics are minimalist, they work fine in this setting.”
“Rather than investing in graphics, the devs instead have crafted a pretty gritty, near future with all the retro-futuristic charm you'd expect from something out of the 'Alien' universe.”
“The graphics are simple but effective.”
“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.”
“Rather than investing in graphics, the devs instead have crafted a pretty gritty, near future with all the retro-futuristic charm you'd expect from something out of the alien universe.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of Deadnaut to be tedious, as the need to either wait for certainty or take risks without guaranteed rewards can lead to a sense of monotony after extended playtime. While the game effectively builds isolation and suspense, the repetitive nature of grinding diminishes enjoyment over time.
“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.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability, with players noting that each run allows for different approaches, enhancing the overall experience. Its immersive presentation and rich lore further contribute to its replay value, making it thematically engaging.
“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 different approaches.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for effectively setting the mood, complementing the minimalist graphics and enhancing the overall atmosphere.
“The soundtrack does a great job setting the mood, and while the graphics are minimalist, they work fine in this setting.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is criticized for its mechanics, where certain stimulants enhance performance temporarily but ultimately lead to a decrease in effectiveness, creating a frustrating experience for players.
“But the other stims boost your performance, then take away.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % 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. This complexity suggests a rewarding experience for those willing to invest time in mastering the system.
“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!”
