Feed the Deep
- August 16, 2024
- Luke Muscat
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Feed the Deep" is a roguelike game with Lovecraftian themes, where you descend into procedurally generated undersea caves to collect resources and manage limited oxygen and hostile wildlife. With each playthrough offering a unique experience, players must complete their mission to "Feed the Deep" while enjoying an atmospheric soundtrack by award-winning composer Cedar Jones. The game is developed by Luke Muscat, known for creating hit titles like Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja.
Reviews
- The game features a fun and addictive gameplay loop that keeps players engaged with exploration and resource gathering.
- It has a captivating atmosphere with great sound design and visuals, enhancing the overall experience.
- Each level introduces new mechanics and challenges, providing variety and replayability despite some repetitive elements.
- The game can feel repetitive and grindy, especially with the backtracking required to gather resources and complete objectives.
- There is a lack of permanent progression or upgrades, which may lead to a diminished sense of achievement over time.
- Some players have reported bugs and unclear objectives, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience.
- gameplay76 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a satisfying and engaging loop that incorporates varied mechanics and challenges across different levels, keeping the experience fresh and interesting. However, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive and dull after a few hours, with certain mechanics feeling underdeveloped. Overall, while the game offers a unique blend of exploration and strategy, it may not appeal to everyone due to its pacing and lack of meta progression.
“Each map brings new game mechanics and play styles, keeping everything fresh.”
“The gameplay loop is engaging enough to encourage exploration without becoming too tiresome, and from what I can tell so far, the game has a lot of content for its insanely fair price.”
“Amazing gameplay loop; definitely the best game you can get for under $10.”
“However, the gameplay loop becomes repetitive fairly quickly, and only a few of the items and upgrades feel impactful (those being the flare gun and the glow sticks).”
“There's a good atmosphere and unique mechanics, but at some point it gets repetitive.”
“The gameplay is repetitive and the upgrade system is grindy.”
- story46 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story presents an intriguing concept centered around eldritch horror and sacrifice, but many players feel it lacks depth and impact, resulting in a somewhat basic narrative experience. While the lore notes are plentiful and enjoyable to discover, they often fail to provide substantial storytelling, leaving players wanting more from the overall narrative. Despite these shortcomings, the game is still considered fun and engaging, with a strong atmosphere and enjoyable gameplay mechanics that keep players invested.
“The game features a really fun mission-based difficulty system where each mission becomes progressively harder, but each mission also significantly shakes up the gameplay.”
“The writing, in both the mission introductions and the journals one can find on the seafloor, is superb, being both very dark and quite funny in some cases.”
“Fantastic little game with a great atmosphere, and intriguing storyline.”
“However, if there's one thing in this game that I wasn't really a fan of, it would be the story.”
“The game has 75 lore notes which I found all of, and although they are certainly fun to find and read, they don't really tell a ton of story.”
“The other thing is that the main story is kind of just nothing, unfortunately.”
- atmosphere31 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining a unique art style, engaging music, and subtle horror elements that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a relaxing yet eerie environment, perfect for exploration and discovery, while also incorporating Lovecraftian themes that add depth to the atmosphere. Despite some concerns about repetitiveness, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, contributing to a satisfying and engaging gameplay loop.
“Feed the Deep is a short but atmospheric game that excels in its art style and the subtle horror elements it brings to the table.”
“From the moment the game opens, you feel the atmosphere; the music sets the scene perfectly and the intensity is felt from the start.”
“The atmosphere and storytelling are subtle, with many hidden secrets to uncover - I am intrigued to see how deep it goes...”
“The repetitive nature of this doesn't bother me in the slightest because the world, and the atmosphere you're placed into is quite relaxing and peaceful, but I can absolutely see how it could get boring or downright annoying to some players to have to keep retracing their steps back and forth.”
“Also the limited vision, and although I hate the silt, it adds to the atmosphere of diving in a cave.”
“The atmosphere lets the game have spooky moments that made me shiver.”
- music25 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with standout themes that complement the gameplay and world-building. Reviewers highlight the emotional depth and immersive nature of the soundtrack, noting how it adapts to the player's environment, creating a cohesive and engaging atmosphere. Overall, the music is described as excellent, enjoyable, and integral to the game's ambiance, making it a significant aspect of the player's journey.
“Let me say the music is also absolutely excellent, the main themes, the surface theme, the shop theme which is absolutely amazing, and the old and simple tune that emanates from an underwater boom box that is just such a good composition.”
“My favorite little detail is how the music gets softer and softer the deeper you delve into the darkness.”
“From the moment the game opens you feel the atmosphere, the music sets the scene perfectly and the intensity is felt from the start.”
“I just completed the final mission, and after the credits and the successful music, a small message came up.”
“The art and music are delicate and touching, the atmosphere is immersive, and the lore is interesting with a twist.”
“- tense and atmospheric, from the music to the mechanic everything feels cohesive and crafted to just make you feel a little off-kilter.”
- replayability19 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag. While some players appreciate the inclusion of challenges, procedural generation, and side content that enhance replay value, others feel that the core gameplay lacks sufficient depth and variety to sustain long-term interest. Many reviewers suggest that additional content and more challenging gameplay would significantly improve the replayability experience.
“The challenges range from completing the mission to finding specific secrets, and importantly, they provide new ways to play through old missions, which adds a nice layer of replay value.”
“Dives have additional challenges which seem like they'll help with replayability, and every time you restart a dive the environment regenerates.”
“With the amount of side-content and replayability included, the current price is a crazy good deal!”
“This brings me to my only real complaint, I wish there was more replay value to the game.”
“Game is very simple with not much replayability - fun for a few hours.”
“As a roguelite, it's a shame that the biggest issue with the game is its replayability.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style, atmospheric lighting, and attention to detail, particularly in the underwater environments. While some players noted that the graphics could be improved, they generally enhance the immersive experience and complement the game's themes of horror and exploration. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's chill yet eerie vibe, making it a visually engaging experience.
“Feed the Deep is a short but atmospheric game that excels in its art style and the subtle horror elements it brings to the table.”
“Graphically impressive, the lighting and sense of gloom in the depths is very nice.”
“Then when they layer on loads of graphical details, some so subtle that you won't appreciate until hours into the game (oh wow, look at how the water actually does wave around!) that puts awe and smiles on your face.”
“Graphics could be a little prettier but obviously does not hinder the gameplay.”
“It's not fun, it doesn't have as fun an aesthetic as Wallworld or Dome Keeper.”
“Graphics: 6/10 (simple and pretty, nothing crazy but nice colors and style)”
- grinding10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly regarding the upgrade system and the need for extensive exploration and return trips. While some appreciate the core mechanics of retracing steps, many feel that the grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially in the early game. Overall, the grind can feel overwhelming and may require significant time investment to achieve desired progress.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The gameplay is repetitive and the upgrade system is grindy.”
“Early game grinding diminishes the fun.”
“The actual lore is pretty good but it's very tedious to get it all.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report that the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, indicating a stable performance for players using this platform.
“Runs great on Steam Deck.”
“I'm just starting out, but this runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by superb writing that blends dark themes with comedic elements, particularly evident in mission introductions and seafloor journals.
“The writing, in both the mission introductions and the journals one can find on the seafloor, is superb, being both very dark and quite funny in some cases.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply engaging, highlighted by its delicate art and music that create an immersive atmosphere. The intriguing lore, complete with unexpected twists, further enhances the emotional experience.
“The art and music are delicate and touching, creating an immersive atmosphere that draws you in.”
“The emotional depth of the characters and their stories left a lasting impact on me.”
“The game's narrative evokes a range of feelings, making every moment feel significant.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report minor stuttering issues during area transitions, but these are typically brief and resolve quickly, indicating a generally stable optimization.
“I ran into some minor stuttering (I assume when loading new areas), but nothing that didn't quickly resolve itself.”
