Dice & Fold
- June 24, 2024
- Tinymice Entertainment
- 8h median play time
"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.
Reviews
- The game features a good variety of heroes and characters, each with unique abilities that encourage different strategies.
- The art style is appealing and the gameplay is engaging, making it a fun experience for casual play.
- The game has a solid core mechanic of rolling dice and strategically placing them, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- The game suffers from balancing issues, with some characters and items being significantly more powerful than others, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as dice not registering correctly or the game freezing.
- The reliance on RNG can make the game feel unfair at times, as players may lose due to bad luck rather than strategic decisions.
- gameplay146 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet addictive mechanics, primarily revolving around dice rolling and strategic decision-making, which keeps players engaged for hours. While the game offers a charming art style and a variety of characters and abilities, some players note a lack of depth and variety in gameplay, leading to potential repetitiveness. Overall, it strikes a balance between casual accessibility and strategic challenge, making it appealing to fans of the roguelike genre.
“The gameplay is fun, and so far very challenging.”
“The mechanics are very interesting and simple to learn, and the variety of characters with different abilities is very nice so that each one is a different experience and you have to think of a different strategy to move forward.”
“It's a simple concept/gameplay loop but the variety of heroes, skills, trinkets, items and just the randomness of the dice keeps it fair, yet still challenging, and a ton of fun to play.”
“Gameplay sorely lacks variety.”
“The game feels unpolished and rushed, from annoying bugs to outright unbalanced game mechanics.”
“On the negative side, there's not much variety in gameplay, monsters, etc., so it can get stale pretty fast.”
- graphics57 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, which many players find appealing and reminiscent of classic RPGs and tabletop games. While the visuals are generally described as beautiful and engaging, some users noted issues with bugs and a lack of polish in certain areas. Overall, the art direction is considered a strong point, contributing to the game's fun and replayable nature.
“The graphics are very nice and beautiful, and the design is excellent!”
“The art style is simplistic in a very aesthetically pleasing way, and I played the demo quite a bit and bought it shortly after it came out.”
“The paper art style is charming, and the dice mechanics of the game are quite fun and unique.”
“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?”
“There’s a ‘deck’ of enemies, but that’s just aesthetic, and you have no control over it!”
- replayability44 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse cast of characters, companions, and items, allowing for various strategies and play styles. Players appreciate the inclusion of different difficulty levels and an endless mode, which further enhances replay value. However, some users note that while the initial experience is enjoyable, the lack of significant variation in later runs 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.”
“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.”
“However, I think this game won't have the replayability or staying power of something like Slay the Spire, and here's why:”
- music30 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy and relaxing qualities, while others find it repetitive and lacking variety. Many appreciate the whimsical and immersive feel it adds to the gameplay, though a few critics feel it doesn't significantly enhance the experience. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered decent, with some standout moments, but there are calls for more diverse tracks to maintain engagement.
“Music 10/10, makes me feel like I'm in a tavern, super nice and cozy.”
“Peaceful music with fairytale vibes is just what you need.”
“Really fun game with awesome music and great mechanics.”
“The one knock I would give this game is that the music, while solid, is extremely repetitive, and gets real old real fast.”
“Besides, this game is the type where you wouldn't need the music on, nor would you miss it.”
“The music is a bit repetitive and it would be nice to have multiple tunes to mix it up a little.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly on the Steam Deck. While some users have experienced minor issues, others describe the game as a "buggy mess," though there is acknowledgment of the developers' responsiveness and ongoing updates to address these problems. Overall, while stability remains a concern, the game's fun factor and developer engagement offer some reassurance.
“Very unpolished and buggy on Steam Deck.”
“That said, this game is a buggy mess.”
“1) The game is buggy.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with long runs exacerbated by a focus on farming gold coins that becomes less relevant later on. While character strategies add some variety, the overall gameplay, particularly the movement of dice, feels repetitive and lacks excitement. Additionally, the game's design does not effectively reward quick victories, leading to frustration with the grinding mechanics.
“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.”
“The majority of the items you buy that amplify your coin farming are not worth it.”
“This is hands down an incredibly tedious and unfun (but reliable and literally rewarding) way to play the game.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally criticized, with users noting poor performance, particularly on Mac systems. While the art style and character design are appreciated, the overall gameplay experience is hindered by optimization issues, including the need for better companion recruitment mechanics.
“My favorite parts are the art style and thinking about 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, but the performance could be improved.”
“Finally, the game is very poorly optimized.”
“Mac optimization is a bit off, probably.”
“The recruitment of companions can be optimized, such as HP inheritance.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has received criticism for perceived dishonesty in advertising, with some users feeling misled by the Steam page, which they believe presents a deceptive image of the game. While some players report not encountering ads, the overall sentiment suggests a concern that the game prioritizes profit over genuine quality, leading to a perception of it as a cash grab.
“However, the Steam page is deliberately deceptive, and that leaves a sour taste in my mouth that makes this feel more like a cash grab.”
“Dishonest advertising.”
“I bought it after seeing it in a lot of ads on Twitter.”
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game lacks a dedicated story mode, which some players feel diminishes the experience by providing no context for encounters, making them feel arbitrary. While the core gameplay is enjoyable, the absence of a narrative element leaves a sense of purposelessness in the overall experience.
“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.”
“But it lacks a story mode.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % 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 feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
“I was hoping for more depth in the characters, but they all seem one-dimensional.”
“The choices I made didn't seem to impact the character's growth or story at all.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Dice & Fold is highly praised for its satisfying sound effects and visually appealing designs that reflect its tabletop origins, creating an engaging and immersive experience for players.
“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.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for being both effective and entertaining, particularly through the skills of heroes and companions, which add a comedic touch to gameplay. However, some players feel that the overall humor may not resonate with everyone, suggesting a mixed reception.
“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 quirky character traits that keep the mood upbeat.”
“Not funny at all.”
“The humor fell flat.”
“I didn't find any of the jokes amusing.”
- 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.