Dinky Guardians
- October 2, 2023
- Endless Loop Studios
Get on SteamIn "Dinky Guardians," players aim to repopulate the galaxy with Dinkys, ensuring their safety and automating everything. This task begins by cloning the first Dinky, gathering food, and assigning tasks. As the colony grows, players can research new tech, build automated machines, and launch rockets to colonize other worlds with varying resources. To protect Dinkys from nighttime Zumbys, players must set up smart mines and towers armed with various ammunition. The ultimate goal is to repopulate and automate the galaxy.
Reviews
- The game features a slick and intuitive UI/interface design, making it easy to control despite its complexity.
- Dinky Guardians offers engaging gameplay with a satisfying automation loop, allowing players to build and manage their colonies effectively.
- The game is fun and addictive, with a charming art style and whimsical music that enhances the overall experience.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and feels unfinished, with issues like unresponsive multiplayer and jarring camera movements.
- Many players find the tutorial to be too fast-paced, leading to confusion and a steep learning curve after it ends.
- There is a lack of quality of life features, such as key remapping and a comprehensive options menu, which detracts from the overall experience.
- gameplay11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Dinky Guardians is described as interesting and fun, with a rewarding core loop centered around resource gathering and automation. However, many players feel it lacks depth and polish, citing issues like jarring camera movements, information overload, and unfinished mechanics. While the simplicity of the automation appeals to some, there are calls for more complexity and quality-of-life improvements to enhance the overall experience.
“Interesting and unique gameplay.”
“The game has the main gameplay loop of gathering resources from different planets and building more machines to automate the resource gathering process. It does that well as it's addicting and fun. The game's automation is a bit more simple than other automation games, but I actually like the simplicity; I think it makes it more casual and easier to get into. The player customization is pretty good, with lots of options, including a knight helmet, which is always a plus. I also like the music tracks in the game; they fit well, but there could be a few more different tracks.”
“Really like the gameplay, style, animations, the UI is great, and the game is enjoyable and fun!”
“There is a really strong game in here somewhere, but most of the mechanics that are there feel shallow and lack depth.”
“I definitely liked the gameplay feel of this game, but it was lacking, to be brutally honest.”
“Also, there are some tiny bugs like characters getting stuck while trying to refill energy and some debug texts left in the main gameplay, which shouldn't be the case in a full release, in my opinion.”
- music8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received for its whimsical presentation, fitting the overall theme, though players note a desire for more variety in the tracks. However, there are significant issues with sound design, including moments of silence during gameplay and overlapping soundtracks that detract from immersion. Overall, while the music complements the game, improvements in sound effects and consistency are needed for a more engaging experience.
“I love the presentation and the whimsical music that accompanies it well.”
“I also like the music tracks that are in the game; I think they fit well, but there could be a few more different tracks.”
“Things I would add to improve this game are cooler music, and the game would be awesome.”
“The first thing that I noticed about certain parts of the game is the lack of sounds. For example, there seems to be no sounds when taking off in your rocket ship, some interactions, and hitting zombies. There are times when the game is almost completely silent, even the music has stopped playing. I'm not sure if it's a bug or if the music just stops playing at night on purpose, but there is always no music at night after the zombies are eliminated.”
“The soundtracks can play on top of each other and also sometimes clip in and out, which takes away from the immersion.”
“But sometimes I think they need to focus on other skills like music and art to really make their games pop.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their fun, cartoony style and appealing animations, contributing to an enjoyable visual experience. However, some players noted issues with sound effects and music, particularly during combat and nighttime, which detracted from the overall immersion. Despite minor graphical hiccups on certain platforms, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game.
“Very fun concept and nice visuals and animations!”
“Really cool game with good graphics and a fun concept.”
“Love the unique art style as well.”
“The first thing that I noticed about certain parts of the game is the lack of sounds. For example, there seems to be no sounds when taking off in your rocket ship, during some interactions, or when hitting zombies. There are times when the game is almost completely silent, even the music has stopped playing. I'm not sure if it's a bug or if the music just stops playing at night on purpose, but there is always no music at night after the zombies are eliminated. The combat is another issue; while I know you're mainly fighting with your defenses like mines and turrets, the combat would be a bit nicer if you could just go up and punch them instead of it being an action. Additionally, there should be sound effects for hitting them. Lastly, I want to talk about the options menu and the lack of settings. I don't think graphical settings are necessary in a game like this, but there is a serious lack of keybinds, which can make the game unplayable for some people, and the inability to change the game's resolution is frustrating.”
“The graphics are cartoony, which doesn't appeal to everyone.”
“The art style is unique, but it may not be to everyone's taste.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, users report significant stability issues, with many experiencing numerous bugs that detract from the gameplay experience. However, some players on Linux have noted that the game runs smoothly with only minor graphical glitches.
“I'm playing the game on Linux and it runs great with only a few minor graphical hiccups in the intro sequence.”
“Way too buggy, and I wish I had waited for this game to be more stable before picking it up.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players feel that the presence of a foundational structure in the game's grinding mechanics can transform the experience from tedious to engaging, fostering a sense of momentum and strategic depth, particularly in cooperative play.
“The grinding feels like a tedious mess rather than an engaging experience, lacking any real sense of momentum.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay invested in the game, turning what could be strategic gameplay into a chore.”
“Grinding in this game often feels like a necessary evil, detracting from the overall enjoyment and making progress feel less rewarding.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is characterized by a streamlined introduction that quickly engages players, accompanied by a variety of quests and numerous activities to explore, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
