Hadean Tactics
- August 24, 2023
- Emberfish Games
- 28h median play time
Get on Steam"Hadean Tactics" is a turn-based strategy game set in a dark, procedurally generated underworld. Assemble a party of unique heroes, each with their own abilities and upgrade trees, to battle through hordes of nightmarish creatures. With permanent death and permissive saving, every decision matters in this intense, unforgiving experience.
Mac OS
PC
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Windows
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Reviews
- Fun fusion of roguelite card game and autobattler that scratches the Slay the Spire/TFT itch.
- Great customization options with the ability to create your own heroes and decks, leading to endless combinations and strategies.
- Engaging gameplay with a unique blend of tactical and deckbuilding elements, providing a satisfying experience.
- Currently lacks content, with only a few heroes and limited replayability, making runs feel repetitive.
- Balance issues exist, with certain strategies and cards being overwhelmingly powerful while others feel useless.
- Visuals and UI could use improvement, as they feel unpolished and sometimes hinder gameplay clarity.
- gameplay250 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Hadean Tactics is a unique blend of roguelike and auto-battler mechanics, offering fast-paced, engaging combat with a strategic layer through real-time pauses and deck-building elements. While many players appreciate the depth and variety of builds, some criticize the lack of polish and clarity in mechanics, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game is seen as highly replayable and enjoyable, particularly for fans of the genre, despite some balancing issues and a need for more content.
“The gameplay is fast-paced, easy to follow, and addictive.”
“The gameplay loop of 7-second turns works so well, and the strategy and tactics are always super engaging and interesting.”
“With the surprisingly fun gameplay combo of deck building and auto fighter, Hadean Tactics provides endless min/maxing to achieve awesome OP DPS satisfaction.”
“Its lacking some of the polish, has lots of mechanics, stats, numbers etc. that aren't all well explained.”
“The auto-battle mechanic is neat, but sometimes there is a lack of description on a relic or card for you to really know what it does, so you end up wasting a run learning things.”
“It's a mess, a few of the cards duplicate breaking the game, but everything is so unbalanced it just feels janky. The core game mechanics are terrible; you just drag cards to the field constantly, just not fun.”
- replayability86 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game boasts impressive replayability, driven by a vast array of content, unlockables, and customizable hero options that encourage diverse strategies and playstyles. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics and the challenge of higher difficulty levels, although some note that the repetitive nature of enemies may limit long-term replay value. Overall, it offers a rich experience for fans of roguelikes and auto-battlers, with potential for even greater replayability as more content is added.
“The sheer amount of content is staggering, with a wealth of unlockables, secrets, and challenges that promise countless hours of replayability.”
“There's 3 characters to play (with different play-styles and deck), and a 4th character that is fully customizable - making for almost endless replayability and combo shenanigans.”
“Hadean tactics is just what roguelike lovers want in a game: good mechanics, replayability, interesting characters, and all that with a tinge of originality that is not always that easy to find nowadays.”
“It's fun - just think that it's currently too difficult to get the synergies you want, which is definitely going to hurt replayability after a while.”
“A full playthrough is very short (15-18 battles or so)... and you fight the same dozen or so enemies every run, so there isn't much replayability.”
“That being said, it's not quite at the levels of replayability you'd want out of a roguelike yet - I'm getting tired after around 10 hours.”
- graphics52 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 31 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the clean UI and unique art style, while others criticize the overall quality as mediocre or outdated. Many users note that while the visuals may not be the main draw, they appreciate the engaging gameplay and replayability. Overall, the graphics are seen as average, with potential for improvement, especially given the game's indie status.
“Clean graphics and UI, easily readable, and everything is explained extremely well with concise, easy-to-understand tooltips, which is an extreme rarity in a lot of these kinds of indie games.”
“Awesome graphics, gameplay, unlock new things constantly, and super low system requirements.”
“The game boasts a unique and vibrant art style that immediately sets it apart from other games in the genre.”
“The art-style is abysmal though.”
“Boring as hell and graphics is so outdated, so combined it delivers little to no satisfaction at all.”
“Graphics/style in particular is quite mediocre.”
- music22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as extraordinary and well-suited to enhance gameplay tension, while others find it bland, repetitive, or overly intense for a tactical experience. Many players suggest that the soundtrack is forgettable outside of the game, and some prefer to listen to their own music while playing. Overall, the music's impact varies significantly among players, with a notable divide between those who appreciate its contribution to the atmosphere and those who find it lacking.
“Complementing the game’s visual design is a soundtrack that is nothing short of extraordinary.”
“The music in Hadean Tactics is perfectly tuned to the gameplay, enhancing the tension and excitement of each battle.”
“Whether you’re deep in the heat of combat or carefully planning your next move, the soundtrack keeps you fully engaged, heightening the emotional impact of every decision you make.”
“The music is mid and forgettable as soon as you close the game.”
“The game doesn't feel totally complete; the music is bland and repetitive, and it feels like there are too many alliance options to get anything consistently.”
“Music isn't really good, art is just okay, and the game as a whole isn't really inventive.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor shines through its custom hero mode, allowing players to create absurdly overpowered characters, leading to comical gameplay experiences. While the initial variety of options is entertaining, players note that the repetition of enemies and events can diminish the humor over time. Overall, the ability to craft unique and funny builds contributes significantly to the game's charm.
“This game has a hilarious custom hero mode that I wish other roguelikes would implement.”
“The ability to create your own heroes entirely from the ground up, including all of their stat progressions, possible synergy paths, and abilities - leads to some absolutely hilariously overpowered but extremely fun runs.”
“It's absolutely hilarious to make a massively statted character that you fling around the board for maximum damage every turn.”
- story10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is minimal, with many users noting that it is almost non-existent and lacks depth. While there are light story elements tied to the gameplay, the narrative raises questions about its thematic coherence, particularly regarding the blending of Greek and Judeo-Christian elements. However, there is potential for improvement if the developers expand on the story and the different circles of hell.
“I do believe that if they keep developing the different circles of hell to climb and attach an interesting story, then given time this will be a great game.”
“I realize that there is only by technicality any story present at all, but why do the circles of hell have Greek names while being ruled over by embodiments of the Judeo-Christian seven deadly sins?”
“Combines the autobattler with the light story elements of Demon Train.”
“Where you had your certain card pool and progressed through the story.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the game enjoyable with excellent customization options, but they criticize it for being excessively grindy. The need to repetitively play the same maps to earn experience points for upgrades detracts from the overall experience.
“Deck and character customization need too much grinding.”
“Grind is present in the form of experience points, like you need to tediously play the same maps over and over again just to collect enough points to advance to the next upgrade.”
“Fun game, but way too grindy.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, players report that the game runs smoothly without significant bugs or performance issues, although some suggest that further optimizations could enhance the experience, especially under extreme gameplay conditions.
“The game so far has run without any bugs or performance issues for me (until I overwhelmed it with an infinitely sustained recursive combo, but that's on me).”
“Variety is there and things run smoothly.”
“Might need some optimizations.”
- stability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is reported to be largely bug-free, providing a stable experience with plenty of content to explore. However, some users have noted minor issues with unit clicking that can disrupt gameplay, requiring adjustments to the camera.
“Basically bug free for me so far and there's tons of content to explore, tons of things to try.”
“In general, the game runs bug free (from my experience) and is kind of like if Slay the Spire, Monster Train, and Autochess had a baby, and I love it.”
“Clicking units is slightly buggy and clunky, forcing you to mess with the camera occasionally.”
“The stability of unit selection is inconsistent, which can disrupt gameplay.”
“I often experience issues with clicking on units, leading to frustration during critical moments.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is significantly enhanced by its engaging soundtrack, which intensifies the impact of player decisions during combat and strategy. However, some players feel a lack of emotional investment in their monster team due to their limited visibility, detracting from the overall emotional experience.
“Whether you’re deep in the heat of combat or carefully planning your next move, the soundtrack keeps you fully engaged, heightening the emotional impact of every decision you make.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized as serious yet not overly grim, contributing to a compelling and engaging experience. Overall, it is widely regarded as a strong point of the game.
“The atmosphere is... serious, without being grim.”
“Atmosphere is pretty great”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted for its meticulous attention to detail, with both character designs and environments contributing to a rich and immersive experience. This careful crafting enhances the overall depth and believability of the characters within the game.
