Hydra Slayer

About

Hydra Slayer is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Zeno Rogue and was released on March 24, 2016. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Hydra Slayer" is a turn-based roguelike game where you play as a hero on a quest to defeat the multi-headed Hydra. With a variety of weapons and abilities, you must strategically plan your attacks to decapitate the regenerating beast. Each playthrough offers unique challenges with permadeath and randomized levels, providing a high replayability factor. Will you be the one to slay the Hydra?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

humor3 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Hydra Slayer offers a unique and engaging math-based roguelike experience that combines strategic planning with traditional gameplay mechanics.
The game is well-balanced, providing a variety of weapons and consumables that create interesting tactical possibilities during combat.
Players who enjoy traditional roguelikes and mathematical challenges will find Hydra Slayer to be incredibly addictive and rewarding.

The user interface is often buggy and unwieldy, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially on Windows 10.
The game lacks sufficient streamlining in the effect of consumables, requiring players to read extensive text and perform calculations to understand their impact.
Newcomers may find the steep learning curve and complex mechanics overwhelming, making it less accessible for those not comfortable with math.

gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay of "Hydra Slayer" is characterized as a traditional roguelike with a unique twist, featuring turn-based, grid-based combat and strategic mechanics centered around hydra battles. Players must calculate their attacks based on the hydras' head count and regeneration, making for a simple yet deep experience. However, some technical issues and minor glitches detract from the overall experience.
- “Traditional roguelike, with intriguing mechanics.”
- “Drinking the blood of slain hydras reinvigorates our hero and causes him to grow a little (both replenishing and increasing HP), which is the key mechanic of the game, making the combat strategic.”
- “While Hydra Slayer easily qualifies as a proper traditional roguelike, having turn-based, grid-based combat, dungeons, levels, weapons, potions, and monsters, the combat is non-traditional as it involves calculating how to kill hydras based on how many heads they have, how many they will regrow, and how many each of your different weapons will slice off, while also adding game mechanic-changing items into the mix.”
- “There are currently some rough edges: music on the game over screen glitches, isometric mode has way lower FPS than it should have (around 30 using OpenGL and 10-12 on my machine using SDL2), and there are some grammar errors (mainly the 'fewer' / 'less' issue that comes up a lot because of the heads mechanic).”
- “Simple in its mechanics, and you don't have to be particularly good at math to do quite well!”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally considered subpar, but it contributes to a unique and uncanny atmosphere. However, technical issues such as glitches on the game over screen and performance drops in isometric mode detract from the overall experience.
- “The music is not great, but surely your children are tech-savvy enough to work around that issue.”
- “Even the aesthetic and soundtrack create an atmosphere that is uncanny in its own special way.”
- “There are currently some rough edges: music on the game over screen glitches, isometric mode has way lower fps than it should have (30ish using OpenGL and 10-12 on my machine using SDL2, which could be using DX or OpenGL) and there are some grammar errors (mainly the 'fewer' / 'less' thing which comes up a lot because of the heads mechanic).”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by several bugs, including glitches in the music during the game over screen and significantly low frame rates in isometric mode, with reports of performance dropping to as low as 10-12 fps. Additionally, users have noted various grammar errors that detract from the overall experience.
- “The UI is irritatingly buggy.”
- “There are currently some rough edges: music on the game over screen glitches, isometric mode has way lower FPS than it should have (around 30 using OpenGL and 10-12 on my machine using SDL2, which could be using DirectX or OpenGL), and there are some grammar errors (mainly the 'fewer'/'less' issue that comes up frequently due to the heads mechanic).”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics are functional but not particularly impressive, though they serve their purpose. The aesthetic and soundtrack contribute to a unique and uncanny atmosphere, and the inclusion of an ASCII option is a notable feature.
- “Even the aesthetic and soundtrack create an atmosphere that is uncanny in its own special way.”
- “Graphics are not very good but functional, and there's the option for ASCII, which is great.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in "Hydra Slayer" is characterized by a playful self-awareness, as reviewers often use lighthearted sarcasm to dispel misconceptions about the game's complexity, suggesting that it is more accessible than it may initially seem.
- “This is the point in the review where I would laughingly reassure the reader that the above gobbledegook is a misrepresentation of 'Hydra Slayer' and that it does not require a calculator to play.”
- “The humor in this game is so well-crafted that even the most mundane tasks become laugh-out-loud moments.”
- “I found myself chuckling at the witty dialogue and clever puns scattered throughout the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique and uncanny aesthetic, complemented by a distinctive soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- “Even the aesthetic and soundtrack create an atmosphere that is uncanny in its own special way.”