Feed the Deep

About

Feed the Deep is a single player action game. It was developed by Luke Muscat and was released on August 16, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 600 reviews

gameplay66 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

The game features a captivating atmosphere and engaging gameplay loop that keeps players hooked.
Each level introduces unique mechanics and challenges, enhancing replayability and exploration.
The game is well-polished, runs smoothly on various platforms, and offers a fair price for the content provided.

The lack of meta-progression and repetitive gameplay can lead to a diminished sense of long-term engagement.
Some players find the backtracking and resource gathering tedious, which can detract from the overall experience.
The game could benefit from clearer objectives and a more robust tutorial to guide new players.

gameplay
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
The gameplay is characterized by a satisfying and addictive loop that encourages exploration and features unique mechanics introduced in each level, keeping the experience fresh and engaging. While some players appreciate the game's atmospheric elements and polished controls, others note that it can become repetitive and lacks depth in certain areas, particularly regarding objectives and progression. Overall, the game offers a blend of creativity and challenge, making it a worthwhile experience for its price, despite some criticisms of grindiness and unclear mechanics.
- “The gameplay loop is also addictive and somehow calming.”
- “As for gameplay, the adventure is captivating and new features are thrown in with each new level which keeps it engaging.”
- “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.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive and the upgrade system is grindy.”
- “This pairs with very unclear objectives and mechanics depending on which 'dive' one embarks on.”
- “Nicely polished but there is barely any gameplay there.”
story
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its intriguing atmosphere and dark humor, while others find it lacking depth and engagement. Although there are interesting lore notes and environmental storytelling, many feel that the main narrative is underdeveloped and repetitive across missions, leading to a lack of motivation to replay them. Overall, while the foundation of the story is compelling, it fails to deliver a truly impactful experience.
- “Fantastic little game with a great atmosphere and an intriguing storyline.”
- “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.”
- “The atmosphere and storytelling are subtle, with many hidden secrets to uncover - I am intrigued to see how deep it goes...”
- “The game not only lacks a tutorial but also any real story elements that could guide you through the experience.”
- “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.”
- “Overall it's a pretty great game that just suffers a bit from having a story that's a little too basic.”
atmosphere
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
20%
5%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, enhanced by delicate art and atmospheric music that set a perfect tone for exploration and tension. Players appreciate the blend of relaxation and creepiness, with some noting the subtle horror elements and intriguing lore that deepen the experience. While the atmosphere is generally considered phenomenal, a few players mention that the repetitive gameplay could detract from the overall enjoyment for some.
- “The art and music are delicate and touching, the atmosphere is immersive, and the lore is interesting with a twist.”
- “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 is phenomenal.”
- “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.”
- “The atmosphere lets the game have spooky moments that made me shiver.”
- “The music stops the further you go down the cave, which really adds to the atmosphere and the horror.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
16%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience of exploration and gameplay. Reviewers highlight the delicate balance between the soundtrack and the game's environment, noting how the music evolves as players delve deeper into the caves, adding to the tension and ambiance. Overall, the soundtrack is described as excellent, with memorable themes that complement the game's art and mechanics beautifully.
- “From the moment the game opens, you feel the atmosphere; the music sets the scene perfectly and the intensity is felt from the start.”
- “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.”
- “The music is great to listen to while exploring, pushing your limits to get that loot, and exploring the story points and hidden gems throughout the level.”
- “The music stops the further you go down the cave, which really adds to the atmosphere and the horror.”
- “My favorite little detail is how the music gets softer and softer the deeper you delve into the darkness.”
- “- tense and atmospheric, from the music to the mechanic everything feels cohesive and crafted to just make you feel a little off-kilter.”
replayability
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the procedural level design and challenge goals that enhance replay value, others feel that the overall content is lacking, limiting long-term engagement. Many reviews highlight enjoyable gameplay loops and additional challenges that can refresh missions, but there are also calls for more content to truly elevate replayability. Overall, the game offers decent replayability, but improvements are needed for a more robust experience.
- “Level design: 10/10 (the procedural levels combined with destruction and making your own paths is awesome with lots of replayability)”
- “The main gameplay loop is enjoyable, and procedural generation adds to replayability.”
- “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.”
- “As a roguelite, it's a shame that the biggest issue with the game is its replayability.”
- “I would estimate that the game needs 10 times more content to be minimally replayable.”
- “I understand that in some games, a different map can be enough for strong replayability, but unfortunately, that's not the case here.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
41%
9%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their impressive details, atmospheric lighting, and effective art style that enhances immersion and gameplay. While some users noted that the graphics could be more polished, they still contribute significantly to the overall experience, particularly in creating a sense of psychological tension. Overall, the visuals are described as a blend of simple yet appealing aesthetics that complement the game's themes and mechanics.
- “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.”
- “Graphically impressive, the lighting and sense of gloom in the depths is very nice.”
- “The art style is great and the cave designs are perfect for confusion and immersion!”
- “Graphics: 6/10 (simple and pretty, nothing crazy but nice colors and style)”
- “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 again Wallworld or Dome Keeper.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
5%
90%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early stages, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. The upgrade system and the need for frequent return trips during exploration are often cited as frustrating elements, although some believe that future updates could improve the experience. While some appreciate the core mechanics of retracing steps, many feel that the grind can be overwhelming and detracts from the game's potential fun.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive and the upgrade system is grindy.”
- “Early game grinding diminishes the fun.”
- “Upgrade system is tedious.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability on the Steam Deck, with users reporting smooth performance during gameplay.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “I'm just starting out, but this runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply impactful, highlighted by its delicate art and music that create an immersive atmosphere. The intriguing lore adds an unexpected twist, enhancing the overall emotional experience.
- “The art and music are delicate and touching, the atmosphere is immersive, and the lore is interesting with a twist.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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. This combination creates a unique and engaging tone that resonates well with players.
- “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.”