Diebrary

About

Enter the Diebrary! Test your reflexes and wit in this fast-paced arena roguelike, where you must fight through thousands of enemies to make it out alive. Choose upgrades and power-ups to increase your chances of survival, then vote on new twists to spice up your next run!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews

graphics2 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Diebrary offers a deep and engaging upgrade system with meaningful choices that enhance gameplay variety and encourage theorycrafting.
The pseudo-multiplayer component allows players to share and progress through the same story, adding a unique social element to the experience.
The art style is charming and contributes to a laid-back atmosphere, making it enjoyable to play casually.

The game suffers from a lack of character diversity and excitement, with many characters feeling lackluster and uninteresting to unlock.
The Plot Twist system, while innovative, can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences due to poorly balanced twists that can make runs excessively difficult or unenjoyable.
There are significant issues with game balance and pacing, including a lack of controller support and a gameplay experience that can feel overly easy or tedious at times.

story
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The game's story features a unique pseudo-multiplayer component that allows players to share and influence a collective narrative through a voting system for plot twists, which can significantly alter gameplay. However, this system has received mixed reviews; while some appreciate the innovative approach, others criticize the execution, noting that certain twists can detract from the experience and lead to frustrating gameplay. Overall, the story's potential is seen as promising, but its current implementation may alienate players who prefer a more traditional narrative structure.
- “The plot twist system significantly alters the next game and all following games run in the same 'story,' in a gameplay-altering way.”
- “You can create a public story where anyone can play, and at the end of their run, they get to vote on one of the available plot twists, making each playthrough unique.”
- “It's a blast, and the plot twist system promises to make it a unique entry in the genre that I really hope explodes in popularity.”
- “The big problem here, though, is that the twists range from completely irrelevant to absolutely awful to play with and damning to your story if you choose one that turns out to be way worse than you anticipated, forcing you to start from scratch.”
- “I'm playing single player mode, so why do I have to deal with the 'voting for plot twists' multiplayer gimmick?”
- “This game is based on repeating runs within the same story while accruing more and more of these plot twists until, I guess, either you break the game or the game breaks you.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay features a unique pseudo-multiplayer component that allows players to share a single save game and progress through a story together, enhancing the experience with various gameplay modifiers. While some players find the mechanics engaging and the speed perks enjoyable, others criticize the overall design as lacking depth and excitement, leading to mixed feelings about the gameplay experience. The ability to influence future runs through plot twists adds a layer of strategy, but opinions vary on its execution and appeal.
- “There is a pseudo-multiplayer component that effectively lets you share and progress the same 'save game' or story with your friends, stacking up different gameplay modifiers as you progress through each chapter.”
- “But generally speaking, I think it iterates on the versus genre via multiplayer and the 'stories' mechanic that carries you through a series of runs with escalating modifiers.”
- “These plot twists will alter the next game, and all following games run in the same 'story,' in a significant and gameplay-altering way.”
- “Don't be, they're the low effort option but they are visually and mechanically absent.”
- “Bad design, boring gameplay, halls of torment much better.”
- “That's right - you will probably go from 'bleh, bland' to 'feelin it' to 'yeah, I wanna play this more' across 10 minutes of gameplay.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant barrier, as most content can be completed quickly, but progressing further requires extensive grinding of twists. While some options can be skipped, doing so often feels like a waste of time, leading to frustration with the need for repetitive gameplay to unlock the final features.
- “You can skip the twists if you don't like any of the options, but seeing as you can only add them after a run and run out of meta progression without grinding twists, skipping the twist amounts to having wasted your time having even done the run.”
- “You fill out 80% of it within a few super easy runs (making the game even easier), and then are locked out of the last few options unless you engage in stacking twists or grinding like crazy.”
- “I've finished all the content that isn't grinding the twists in less than 5 hours.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics feature a charming art style that contributes to a relaxed atmosphere, though opinions on the overall visuals are mixed. While some players may not be fans of the aesthetic, they appreciate the satisfying effects present during combat.
- “I also find that the art style is really charming and leads to a more laid-back feeling.”
- “There are some very satisfying effects in combat that enhance the overall experience.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game's music is limited to a single soundtrack, leading to suggestions from users for the inclusion of additional tracks to enhance the overall experience.
- “The game features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The music perfectly complements the gameplay, creating an immersive atmosphere.”
- “I would love to see more variety in the soundtracks to keep things fresh.”
- “The game has only one soundtrack.”
- “Maybe add more soundtracks?”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate that the game allows for a more relaxed approach to optimization, eliminating the need for excessive grinding and the pressure to achieve perfect selections.
- “You don't have to grind everything, and you don't have to worry about being perfectly optimized in your selections.”
- “The game allows for a flexible approach to optimization, making it accessible for both casual and hardcore players.”
- “I love how the optimization system encourages experimentation rather than forcing you into a specific build.”