Dust to the End
- August 11, 2021
- Zjoy Game
Get on Steam"Dust to the End" is a sandbox survival game set in a western-themed world. Gather resources, craft tools, build shelters, and fend off hostile enemies to survive. Navigate through a procedurally generated map with dynamic weather and day/night cycles, and make your way to the end of the world. Team up with friends or go solo in this challenging open-world adventure.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging trading system set in a post-apocalyptic world, reminiscent of the Caravaneer series.
- The hand-drawn graphics and art style are visually appealing, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and frequently update the game, adding new content and fixing issues.
- The English translation is poor, leading to confusion and a lack of immersion in the story.
- The gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, especially in the mid to late game as players often find themselves doing the same tasks over and over.
- Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel unbalanced, with high miss rates even at seemingly favorable odds.
- story71 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in this game is generally considered weak and serves primarily as a vehicle for progression between regions rather than as a compelling narrative. Players find the quests straightforward and repetitive, with minimal player choice and poor translations detracting from immersion. While some appreciate the gritty atmosphere and basic plot elements, many agree that the focus is more on trading mechanics and base building than on an engaging storyline.
“So I play this game as a post-apocalyptic caravan simulator, building up economic power in each region I pass through until I reach my goal (because, yeah, there's a bit of a story here).”
“The raiders steal your fellow 'undergrounders' and you start your quest to find your friends and exact revenge.”
“While you don't have much say in how the story plays out, it is still a fun adventure.”
“The story is the flimsiest cover I've recently experienced and is best forgotten as a tool to advance regions.”
“There's essentially no story.”
“With the translation errors and the story being quite run of the mill so far, it hasn't really drawn me in, and isn't really the focus of the game except as a means to unlock new areas.”
- gameplay51 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring engaging mechanics like bunker exploration, trading, and turn-based combat, but marred by repetitiveness and a grindy loop. While the game offers depth in crafting and character progression, many mechanics are poorly explained, leading to frustration, especially with the UI and slow dialogue. Despite its flaws, players find enjoyment in the core gameplay loop and unique elements, making it a decent experience for those willing to navigate its challenges.
“A caravan/trading game with turn-based RPG fights and heavy base-building mechanics.”
“Great trading game with engaging management elements and fair RPG mechanics.”
“The gameplay on the other hand is extremely fun and worthwhile.”
“It's also a visually repetitive mess with lots of stock sound effects, an awkward English translation, hair-pullingly slow dialogue trees, very few settings to fiddle with (my kingdom for faster text speed and borderless window mode, augh), plenty of poorly explained mechanics, and no good basic automation for stockpiling.”
“Halfway through the game, if you're diligent enough in your bunker development, you can safely ignore the central gameplay loop (which is caravan trade, by the way) and just rush the disconnected story.”
“There is no tutorial to speak of, and many mechanics are not self-evident (e.g., mercenary personality impact is complex yet entirely opaque) until you learn from experience/trial and error.”
- grinding31 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features a significant amount of grinding, often leading to repetitive gameplay and tedium, particularly in crafting and resource management. While some players appreciate the depth of mechanics and the potential for meaningful progression, many find the grind excessive and detracting from overall enjoyment. Overall, the grinding aspect is a mixed bag, with some players tolerating it for the sake of progression, while others feel it hampers the game's potential.
“In the end, the game could have been better, but it is a fun setting with smart trading; challenging but not too grindy.”
“Basically look at all the other negative reviews: horrible grindy game loop with a vague attempt to look similar in mechanics to Battle Brothers.”
“Starts off very strong but it gets very tedious with all the grinding and running back and forth.”
“This is a great game with a gritty atmosphere, simplistic combat, and an interesting story wrapped around a very grindy core.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Dust to the End" feature a hand-drawn, stylized aesthetic that effectively conveys its post-apocalyptic setting, appealing to many players despite being described as simplistic or low quality. While some reviewers appreciate the colorful and detailed art style, others note that the graphics are basic, reminiscent of older games, yet they do not detract from the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the visuals are well-received for their artistic quality, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“Dust to the End has nice hand-drawn graphics in a post-apocalyptic setting, which is what drew me to the game.”
“I like the colorful graphics, and the soundtrack is quite good and atmospheric.”
“Great art (assets are so extremely well made I cannot even begin to tell you how good everything looks in this particular art style).”
“Underneath the low quality graphics lies a decent post-apocalyptic RPG with a resource management game that might turn off the uninitiated.”
“It's pretty bare bones as far as graphics, sound, and story are concerned.”
“Graphics are okay for being modeled pretty old school (re: slightly better than Fallout 2).”
- music5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users note that the selection of songs is somewhat limited. Overall, the soundtrack effectively complements the game's vibrant graphics and mechanics.
“The music is awesome!”
“I like the colorful graphics and the soundtrack is quite good and atmospheric.”
“The art brings the world to life along with the music and great game mechanics. My compliments to the developer.”
“The music is pretty limited, but the songs it does have are good.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“I found the music to be forgettable and not engaging.”
- character development4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is considered basic and lacking depth, which detracts from the overall investment and enjoyment for some players. While there is a rudimentary RPG-like system in place, it fails to engage players fully, leading to feelings of boredom despite the appealing character design and immersive post-apocalyptic environment.
“What I do like is the odd character design and that I can move around in a post-apocalyptic world, build bases, and live from trading while there are enemies and traders roaming the lands next to me.”
“The main reason I am unable to invest myself fully into this game and give it something like a 9/10 is the lack of character development.”
“Don't get me wrong, this game is well worth the price range in my opinion, and there is an RPG-like character development system in the game, but it is very basic.”
“I got bored because character development is nil.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is solid, running smoothly without lag, while character performance can be enhanced through ability scores, class traits, and careful management of relationships, food, equipment, and skills. Players must strategically consider these factors to maximize combat effectiveness, as character interactions can significantly impact performance.
“It runs smoothly without lag.”
“There are other things to consider too for peak combat performance, such as the food your characters get to eat (more or less action points gained per round), their equipment (along with upgrades), their levels and skills.”
“Characters have ability scores and class traits/features that can improve their performances, but that's about it.”
“Meanwhile, you have to be wary that all these characters get along or their combat performance will suffer (most story characters actually can't seem to stand each other, so you can just leave some of them).”
“There are other things to consider for peak combat performance, such as the food your characters get to eat (more or less action points gained per round), their equipment (along with upgrades), their levels, and skills.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its colorful graphics and engaging soundtrack, creating an immersive experience. Reviewers highlight a gritty ambiance paired with sandbox freedom, enhancing the overall enjoyment despite a grindy core and simplistic combat.
“I like the colorful graphics, and the soundtrack is quite good and atmospheric.”
“This is a great game with a gritty atmosphere, simplistic combat, and an interesting story wrapped around a very grindy core.”
“It has a great atmosphere, offers more sandbox freedom than any game of this kind I have played so far, and would be easily worth the usual 16ish bucks you pay for those games.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be subtle and often overshadowed by its extensive gameplay mechanics, such as industry building and trading. While there are amusing elements like a quirky board game and a slot machine, the overall depth of the game may detract from its comedic impact.
“I was particularly impressed by the wide scope of the game - building industry, fighting, trading, crafting, getting market shares (with a small funny board game), even a slot machine! :)”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the game enjoyable and engaging, noting its variety and potential for replayability. However, some express concerns about limited replay options, suggesting that future mods may enhance its longevity.
“The game is fun, interesting, and has a good amount of variables for replayability!”
“I'm having a blast with this game; the replayability options are limited, but I hope mods will help prolong its value over time.”
“So far I'm having a blast with this game, but I'm only seeing limited replayability options here. Perhaps over time, mods will help prolong the game's value.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the game's stability, emphasizing that they prefer experiences free from bugs and technical issues.
“Life's too short for buggy games.”
