Evolings [Game Jam Version]
- March 22, 2020
- Sørb
- 2h median play time
"Evolings is a single-, turn-based rogue-like strategy game with good mechanics and around 2 hours of playtime. In the game, you battle through hordes of evil monsters by recruiting and evolving cute creatures, each with unique abilities and strengths against certain enemies. The game includes different types of friendly and evil creatures, such as Peppermint, Blob, Devil, Witch, and Flame, with varying abilities and weaknesses."
Reviews
- Charming and addictive gameplay with a unique monster collecting experience that encourages experimentation with combinations and synergies.
- Offers a satisfying challenge that rewards strategic thinking and planning, making each run feel distinct and engaging.
- Great art style and soundtrack that enhance the overall experience, appealing to fans of creature collecting and roguelikes.
- The game can be excessively difficult and unbalanced, particularly in the early stages, leading to frustrating experiences for players.
- Heavy reliance on RNG can make runs feel unfair, with some players feeling that success is too dependent on luck rather than skill.
- Lacks meta progression and variety in content, which can lead to repetitive gameplay and diminish long-term engagement.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating randomness, with players noting a lack of clarity and variety that hampers immersion. While the core loop and combat can be enjoyable, the introduction of new mechanics can feel abrupt, and the reliance on RNG often makes strategic planning difficult. Overall, the game offers a satisfying challenge but struggles with consistency and depth across different acts.
“If you’re a fan of monster taming games or rogue-lite/likes, you may enjoy the whimsical aesthetic of evolings and its core gameplay loop.”
“Excellent roguelike with immensely satisfying and punishing mechanics.”
“The gameplay of the fights is super fun and although it is pretty simple, it becomes very very challenging at times.”
“No, you didn't because the game just decides to introduce a new mechanic out of the blue. You could be having a great run, but then the game just decides not to give you more than one evolving for the first world, and then you just die because no amount of strategic planning can beat the boss. I've only won once, and that's because the final world is dramatically less luck-based than the first two!”
“However, the gameplay loop was too mundane and didn’t offer enough variety or progression that carried through your future runs for me to truly get immersed to the point I didn’t want to put it down.”
“The worst is that the gameplay when you start Act 1 is almost the same as when you start Act 2. Maybe you have slightly different attack, defense, or health stats, but the gameplay is always the same.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for being both enjoyable and fitting, with a soundtrack described as "annoyingly awesome." Players appreciate the cute art style that complements the music, enhancing the overall fun experience of the game.
“Music and art style are also super cute and lovingly done.”
“This is a really fun game with an awesome soundtrack!”
“I love the gameplay and the soundtracks.”
“The soundtrack is annoyingly awesome.”
“I love the gameplay and also the soundtracks.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and whimsical 3D rendered pixel art style, complemented by a cute and well-executed aesthetic. The attention to detail in the art and music enhances the overall experience, making it appealing for fans of monster taming and rogue-lite games.
“This game is clearly inspired by those or similar experiences and has a really charming yet fresh 3D rendered pixel art style with attention to detail.”
“Music and art style are also super cute and lovingly done.”
“Would definitely recommend this game if you look for a grindy rogue-like experience with a cute pixel-art style!”
“The graphics are outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models are poorly designed and look very low resolution.”
“The environments feel bland and uninspired, making the game visually unappealing.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, highlighting it as a challenging and enjoyable feature within a rogue-like framework, complemented by a charming pixel-art style. It is recommended for those who enjoy grind-heavy gameplay and monster collection.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers decent replayability, allowing players to easily guide their party in various directions, enhancing the overall experience with multiple playthroughs.
“The game has decent replayability, and it's not too hard to direct your party in the direction you want.”
“Each playthrough offers new choices and outcomes, making it a fresh experience every time.”
“The variety of character builds and story paths encourages multiple runs to explore all the possibilities.”
“Has decent replayability, and it's not too hard to direct your party in the direction you want.”