Dice & Fold
- June 24, 2024
- Tinymice Entertainment
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Dice & Fold" is a turn-based dungeon crawler that combines strategic card unfolding with dice rolling combat mechanics, similar to table-top RPGs and Solitaire. Players must strategize their dice rolls to maximize damage and control the battlefield, while anticipating enemy counterattacks. With over 20 distinct creature cards, the game offers a risk-reward system for players to balance aggressive tactics against self-preservation.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features a meaningful meta-progression between games, allowing players to unlock new characters and trinkets that enhance replayability.
- The art style is charming and visually appealing, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.
- The gameplay is simple yet engaging, making it easy to pick up and play while still offering strategic depth.
- The game suffers from balancing issues, with some characters and items being significantly more powerful than others, leading to a lack of variety in gameplay.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as freezing during runs or issues with dice placement.
- The gameplay loop can become repetitive after a while, as the enemy variety is limited and the mechanics do not evolve significantly over time.
- gameplay196 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a simple yet engaging loop that combines dice mechanics with strategic decision-making, making it accessible for players of all ages. While many players appreciate the charming art style and the variety of characters and mechanics, some express concerns about the balance and repetitiveness of gameplay, particularly due to the reliance on luck and RNG. Overall, the game offers a fun and addictive experience, though it may benefit from additional content and refinement to enhance its depth and variety.
“The art is adorable, the gameplay is simple yet engaging, and it's rapidly become one of my favorite games I've played in recent months.”
“Fun and straightforward in play, I enjoy the strategy and mechanics.”
“The gameplay loop is intuitive and fun, and I can see the core of a good game here with a bit of polishing.”
“The gameplay loop is uneventful; there's too much luck involved, and simply bad luck can ruin an otherwise more or less perfect run.”
“Gameplay sorely lacks variety.”
“The game feels unpolished and rushed, from annoying bugs to outright unbalanced game mechanics.”
- graphics76 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, which effectively complements the gameplay mechanics. While many users appreciate the simplistic yet visually appealing design, some have noted issues such as flickering and bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered engaging and well-suited for the game's theme, contributing to its fun and accessible nature.
“Awesome art style, nice sound design, and varied and engaging gameplay.”
“Beautiful art style, easy to understand gameplay and hours of fun ahead of me.”
“The graphics are very nice and beautiful and the design is excellent!”
“I see frequent flickering in the graphics when I drag dice over enemy cards.”
“The music sucks, the sound effects suck, the visual effects suck, the visuals are okay.”
“Is it worth this kind of money for a game that is just some point and click with simple graphics?”
- replayability51 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, with a variety of unlockable characters, items, and companions that encourage experimentation and different play styles. Players appreciate the mix of tactical elements and casual gameplay, along with features like endless modes and higher difficulty settings that enhance replay value. However, some users note that the lack of strategic variation in certain aspects may limit long-term replayability compared to other roguelikes.
“The game has high replayability, many characters to unlock and play as.”
“With a wide variety of heroes, companions, and items, there is a lot of variation between runs and plenty of replay value.”
“Its unique combination of roguelike elements and diverse class options offers endless replayability.”
“This game was interesting for the first hour, but after I beat the dungeon the first time and replayed with the queen and king, it was all the same. It doesn't add the replayability I was expecting; no new enemies, just three different final bosses and different relics, but even then some characters can't use relics.”
“However, I think this game won't have the replayability or staying power of something like Slay the Spire, and here's why:”
“Good, fun little game, run length is perfect (you're not stuck for too long clearing one run), the variation added in the 1.0 release seems interesting at a quick revisit, but I'm not sure how much replayability there is.”
- music43 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its pleasant and calming qualities, often describing it as atmospheric and fitting for the game's aesthetic. However, a common criticism is its repetitiveness and lack of variety, with several users noting that the soundtrack feels same-y and could benefit from additional tracks or dynamic changes during gameplay. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, it may become monotonous for others over time.
“Perfect chill strategy game with good music.”
“Music 10/10, makes me feel like I'm in a tavern, super nice and cozy.”
“Really fun game with awesome music and great mechanics.”
“My only criticism is I think more time could have been spent developing the in-game music as it's very same-y and repetitive and often tracks overlap.”
“The one knock I would give this game is that the music, while solid, is extremely repetitive, and gets real old real fast.”
“The music is a bit repetitive and it would be nice to have multiple tunes to mix it up a little.”
- stability15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting various bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players have encountered only minor issues, many describe the game as "buggy" and "unpolished," particularly on platforms like the Steam Deck. However, there is some optimism as developers appear to be actively addressing these problems with frequent updates and responsiveness to player feedback.
“In addition to the buggy state of the game, it really encourages players to drag out the fights to milk gold, special abilities, specific dice, and other things out of each fight, which drags the game down and makes it start to become tedious.”
“That said, this game is a buggy mess.”
“Very unpolished and buggy on Steam Deck.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some appreciate the challenge of grinding for achievements and character strategies, many find the necessity to prolong fights for resources tedious and frustrating. The game encourages players to farm gold and health in a way that can make runs feel unnecessarily long, and the item shop design often fails to provide meaningful rewards for this grinding. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the grinding mechanics can detract from the overall fun and pacing of the gameplay.
“In addition to the buggy state of the game, it really encourages players to drag out the fights to milk gold, special abilities, specific dice, and other things out of each fight, which drags the game down and makes it start to become tedious.”
“As a result, runs get tedious and are easily twice as long as they could be, if the game rewarded people for winning fast, or at least punished temporizing efficiently.”
“This is hands down an incredibly tedious and unfun (but reliable and literally rewarding) way to play the game.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, players have reported mixed experiences with optimization, noting some performance issues like freezing during gameplay, particularly on Mac systems. While some aspects of the game perform adequately, there are calls for improvements in character recruitment mechanics and overall optimization to enhance the gaming experience.
“My favorite parts are the art style and to think of how to use my roll to be the most optimized.”
“The strategy is not complicated, the character setting is good, the skills and team design are okay, and the performance is stable.”
“And the recruitment of companions can be optimized, such as HP inheritance.”
“Finally, the game's very poorly optimized.”
“Mac optimization is a bit off probably.”
“I recently noticed some performance issues (my game froze a couple of times fighting the hydra), but that might be on my end.”
- story5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for lacking a substantial storyline or context, which makes encounters feel aimless and random. While some players appreciate the core gameplay mechanics, the absence of a story mode detracts from the overall experience.
“No substantial storyline.”
“But lacks a story mode.”
“It's not necessarily a problem that the game has no story, but the lack of any context for these encounters makes the entire exercise feel pointless, especially when the outcome is so random.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users noting a lack of ads during gameplay, while others criticize the deceptive advertising on the Steam page, leading to perceptions of the game as a cash grab.
“The Steam page is deliberately deceptive, leaving a sour taste in my mouth and making this feel more like a cash grab.”
“Dishonest advertising.”
“I bought it after seeing it in a lot of ads on Twitter.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Dice & Fold" is characterized by soothing music and satisfying sound effects that enhance the gameplay experience. Its charming visuals, inspired by tabletop aesthetics, further contribute to an engaging and immersive environment.
“I love the atmosphere of Dice & Fold; the satisfaction of clicking things and the accompanying sound effects.”
“Visually, Dice & Fold draws inspiration from its tabletop roots, featuring charming card and dice designs that contribute to its engaging atmosphere.”
“Soothing atmospheric music.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character designs, noting their creativity and potential for unique character development, particularly with the idea of incorporating D&D-style elements. However, there is a suggestion for deeper exploration of character arcs and interactions to enhance the overall experience.
“The character designs are nice.”
“The character development is rich and engaging, allowing players to form a deep connection with the characters.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth throughout the game.”
“The characters seem one-dimensional, and their arcs don't evolve in a satisfying way.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its effectiveness, particularly through the skills of heroes and companions, which are described as both useful and amusing. However, some players feel that the overall comedic elements may not resonate with everyone, leading to mixed reactions.
“The music is top-tier, the bosses are challenging without being unbeatable, and the skills of both heroes and companions are both useful and hilarious (looking at you, Wanderer).”
“The humor in the dialogue and character interactions had me laughing out loud, making every quest feel like a fun adventure.”
“I love how the game balances intense moments with lighthearted jokes and funny scenarios that keep the mood upbeat.”
“Not funny :/”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional appeal, offering a fun and wholesome experience that resonates with both kids and adults, making it an enjoyable quick pickup game.
