DemonCrawl
- November 5, 2019
- Therefore Games
- 59h median play time
Get on Steam"DemonCrawl" is a single-player Fantasy Role Playing game with an intriguing story and fabulous gameplay, featuring splendid visuals and music. The game offers 800+ unique items, 5 Quests with multiple difficulties, 50+ stages, and 70+ stage mods for a long-lasting challenge. With open-ended player progression and various gamemodes, "DemonCrawl" is very replayable, despite being slightly buggy and grinding.
Reviews
- DemonCrawl is a fun and addictive twist on the classic Minesweeper, combining RPG and roguelike elements with a vast array of items and mechanics.
- The game features a great soundtrack and charming pixel art, enhancing the overall experience.
- There is a significant amount of content and replayability, with numerous unlockable items, masteries, and quests to explore.
- The game can be excessively RNG-dependent, leading to frustrating moments where runs end due to unavoidable guesses or bad item drops.
- Some mechanics, such as omens and stage modifiers, can feel punishing and may ruin otherwise good runs.
- The learning curve can be steep for new players, and the lack of clear explanations for many items and mechanics can be overwhelming.
- gameplay249 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is a complex twist on the classic minesweeper formula, integrating a plethora of roguelike mechanics, items, and modifiers that enhance replayability and depth. While many players appreciate the addictive nature and variety of mechanics, others find the overwhelming number of features, reliance on RNG, and some poorly explained mechanics frustrating, leading to a steep learning curve and occasional unfair gameplay experiences. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of familiar puzzle-solving with RPG elements, but its execution can be inconsistent, making it a mixed experience for players.
“The mechanics this game introduces are expansive and unique, which make for an overall enjoyable experience.”
“It's a great combination of classic minesweeper gameplay with RPG as well as roguelite mechanics.”
“Demoncrawl is a roguelite based on minesweeper that boasts a massive amount of content, a vast library of items to discover, engaging and challenging gameplay, and endless replayability.”
“Overloaded with feels-bad mechanics like curses from chests and double-payment for doctors; inventory management being a separate screen is extremely clunky for how simple the interface could be.”
“The gameplay also relies on RNG quite a bit in terms of which items you get and what guesses you have to make, which some people don't like.”
“The devs don't seem to have any interest in balancing the many broken mechanics (both good and bad for the player).”
- music149 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in this game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its quality and variety, often describing it as unexpectedly fantastic for a minesweeper title. The soundtrack features distinct tracks for each level, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience, and is considered one of the standout elements of the game. Overall, the music is described as catchy, enjoyable, and a significant factor in the game's addictive nature.
“The soundtrack alone makes it worth checking out.”
“The music is absolutely amazing and some of the best I've heard from an indie game in recent memory.”
“The combination of the visual presentation and the soundtrack manages to give every stage its own unique feel.”
“There's one specific song that'll probably make you want to turn the volume down in a particular stage though, you'll recognize it.”
“The music becomes annoying every time I die and need to go through the screens to try again.”
“The art and music in this game aren't incredible, but the atmosphere is godlike.”
- story132 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in "Demoncrawl" is minimal and somewhat abstract, primarily serving as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a central focus. Players navigate through a series of quests that blend traditional minesweeper mechanics with RPG elements, offering a mix of strategy and chance, which can lead to frustrating moments due to the reliance on luck. While the narrative unfolds gradually through quest descriptions and snippets, it is often perceived as obtuse, with some players appreciating its quirky twists while others find it lacking depth.
“The story/quest mode is pretty fun, and overall it is prettier than regular minesweeper.”
“The plot is extremely strange, but there's some very interesting twists and turns where you never could have imagined it would end up, even if you're not paying much attention to it.”
“It's oddly addicting, the music is amazing, there's so much content that'll keep you replaying for hours, and the story (and yes there is a story) will keep you hooked trying to figure out what's going on.”
“The story, such as it is, is a little obtuse and pretentious.”
“While playing through the quest, the items you get mention lots of random things and there's little to no explanation for any of it.”
“Also, and what personally drove me to this review, the writing/ending on the last quest was so hackneyed that I cannot even think favorably of the game anymore, despite my initial enjoyment.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the charming pixel art style and retro aesthetic that evoke nostalgia for classic games. However, some players find the visuals confusing, as certain tiles can look too similar, leading to gameplay mistakes. Overall, while the art and music are often highlighted as strong points, there are concerns about clarity and usability in the graphical design.
“The pixelated artwork is sometimes creepy but beautiful, and the music and ambiance is very enjoyable.”
“The visuals are great and the music is beyond my expectations for just minesweeper.”
“Artistically, Demoncrawl sticks with 16-bit style graphics reminiscent of SNES games.”
“Terrible game with a lousy graphical style.”
“However, recently when I decided to give this game another try on easy mode, one thing ultimately stopped me: the graphics.”
“The graphics are somehow worse than the original minesweeper too.”
- replayability29 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional replayability, offering a wealth of content, diverse classes, and numerous unlockables that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the variety in gameplay mechanics and the challenge presented by different archetypes, making it a satisfying twist on the classic minesweeper formula. However, some users express frustration with random elements affecting progression, yet overall, the replay value remains a standout feature.
“Tons of content and has incredible replayability.”
“The concept works surprisingly well and the result is a very satisfying puzzle-roguelite with a ton of unlockables and replayability.”
“Demoncrawl is a roguelite based on minesweeper that boasts a massive amount of content, a vast library of items to discover, engaging and challenging gameplay, and endless replayability.”
“In the end, it's just another game that's relying solely on bad luck to extend replayability; it disgusts me.”
“So whilst it certainly improves greatly on the normal game of minesweeper and adds a massive amount of replayability, it ends up being more frustrating than the original at times.”
“So, we as players deal with the RNG, because the cost isn't worth cutting replayability - which is what the RNG offers.”
- grinding29 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, with many players noting that unlocking classes and items requires a significant investment of time and effort, often leading to frustration. While some enjoy the challenge and find the gameplay fun despite the grind, others feel that the reliance on RNG and the slow accumulation of tokens detracts from the overall experience. Recent updates have attempted to alleviate some of the grinding, but many still believe that the system needs further adjustments to improve player satisfaction.
“The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worth it.”
“Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
“While there are moments of grinding, they are balanced by engaging gameplay and rewarding loot.”
“The game is designed to be super grindy (if you don't resort to cheesy farm strats) - MMO levels of grindy with layered RNG.”
“It's very grindy to accumulate tokens and artifacts, and then to make it worse I think it's unusually easy to regret your purchases here - you spend a bunch of tokens and artifacts on some special run only to die to a stupid mistake, or you spend them on unlocking a special ability which it turns out you don't like as much as your old one, and well, better go grind some more.”
“If the tokens were far, far more plentiful and/or the prices were halved, it would be a lot more tolerable, and maybe even recommendable; what would be even better is if the tokens were only for the cosmetics (which cost 100 tokens each), but as-is, the grindy token slog to unlock gameplay drags what could have been a great game down.”
- stability17 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and inconsistencies that significantly detract from the overall experience. While some players find moments of enjoyment amidst the chaos, the frequent technical issues and glitches lead to frustration and hinder gameplay, making it difficult to recommend despite its potential. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess" that struggles to maintain stability, especially with new content updates.
“Runs great on my Linux box (Mint 20, NVIDIA proprietary).”
“Runs great on my mid-range laptop.”
“It is a technical disaster: as other reviewers said, this game is a buggy mess.”
“Buggy, crashy garbage that when it holds itself together through duct tape and glue sticks shines somewhat beautifully, but good luck with finding those moments consistently.”
“This game was really good on launch, but I feel like with every passing update and event put into this game nowadays it starts acting more and more buggy.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the absence of microtransactions on PC but criticizing the progression system, which feels overly grindy and balanced for a pay-to-progress model. While there is a free mobile version with ads and in-app purchases, many users express discomfort with the overall monetization practices, suggesting they detract from the game's value and enjoyment. Overall, the lack of in-game purchases on PC is seen as a positive, but concerns about the game's balance and monetization ethics remain prevalent.
“Thank goodness there's no microtransactions in this game, because that would definitely make the developers more biased to make it 'harder.' So I respect the developer for not going that route.”
“I don't regret buying this game, but the sketchy monetization just puts me off way too much to recommend it to others.”
“I would not have bought this game if it had this kind of monetization back when I bought it since I don't want to support these kinds of business practices.”
“All I know is right now the progression system is absolutely beyond broken due to it being balanced for pay-to-progress microtransactions.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its brutal and dark comedic elements, with players enjoying the amusing monster names generated by the game. The combination of old-school gameplay with a roguelite twist adds to the fun, making for a challenging yet entertaining experience that is particularly enjoyable in multiplayer settings. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, providing a unique and engaging atmosphere.
“I picked this title up largely because a minesweeper roguelite sounded novel and hilarious.”
“Fav puzzle posing as a dungeon crawler with much brutal humor & plenty of butthurt guaranteed!”
“The name generator for the monsters can sometimes give them amazing (and hilarious) names.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly due to its nostalgic ties to the classic Minesweeper, evoking feelings of empowerment and excitement. The balance and utility of items enhance the overall enjoyment, although some players hope for future improvements to certain game mechanics. Overall, the game successfully rekindles fond memories while providing a fresh and engaging experience.
“I really wanted to like this game; growing up with Minesweeper on the old Windows 95 made me feel like a powerful genius as a kid. When I saw this game, I got excited because it gave me an excuse to play it again.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players express frustration over the lack of optimization in the game, noting that critical bugs remain unaddressed while new content is prioritized. Additionally, performance appears to be inconsistently influenced by random factors, suggesting that player choices should have a more significant impact on outcomes. Overall, there is a strong desire for a dedicated performance patch to enhance gameplay stability.
“The player gains experience to level up based on the difficulty of the level completed and their performance, as well as a variety of other factors (speed, no flags, skipping items).”
“Tldr - player's performance and choices in the game should have a more direct impact on the end result of a session.”
“Your performance is incredibly RNG-based in this game depending on the items received.”
“Every few months I go back to check if one of my favorite games has patched a game-breaking bug, but no, like always they just release new content (and with it much more jank) instead of just focusing on a much-needed performance patch.”
“The performance is incredibly RNG-based in this game depending on the items received.”
“TL;DR - Player's performance and choices in the game should have a more direct impact on the end result of a session.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive fantasy adventure style, enhanced by a variety of gameplay elements such as a life system, special abilities, and unique stages. While the art and music may not stand out, the overall atmosphere is described as exceptional, contributing significantly to the gaming experience.
“I just adore how a classic game gets expanded like this: life system so you can go on, tons of items to help you (or make things harder), special abilities, special stages, the whole fantasy adventure style and atmosphere, even a little bit of plot.”
“Amazing atmosphere and gameplay.”
“The art and music in this game aren't incredible, but the atmosphere is godlike.”
“That being said, I just adore how a classic game gets expanded like this: life system so you can go on, tons of items to help you (or make things harder), special abilities, special stages, the whole fantasy adventure style and atmosphere, even a little bit of plot.”
