It Returned to the Desert

About

Unique mix of turn-based strategy and adventure. Defend the town of Glint Rock against radioactive giant ants! Dr. Mill is a geologist that came to town to examine the recent meteor crash. Now he has to convince the towns folk that something's going on.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 25 reviews

atmosphere4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

It Returned To The Desert is a charming homage to the classic game 'It Came From the Desert', successfully evoking nostalgia with its retro-style graphics and engaging gameplay.
The game offers a fun mix of exploration, adventure, and turn-based combat, with a variety of mini-games that enhance the overall experience.
Players appreciate the non-linear gameplay and the opportunity to interact with the quirky characters of Glint Rock, making for an enjoyable and immersive adventure.

The game suffers from a lack of polish, with simplistic graphics and repetitive combat that can make gameplay feel tedious over time.
Many players feel that the writing and story development are lacking, resulting in a less engaging narrative experience.
There are complaints about limited storage space and a lack of terrain variety in combat scenarios, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of the game evoke nostalgia with a retro style, blending exploration and adventure elements; however, many users criticize them as simplistic and poorly executed. The use of downscaling and pixelation techniques is seen as a lazy approach that fails to capture the essence of true pixel art, resulting in a lack of attention to detail and quality. Overall, opinions are divided, with some appreciating the nostalgic feel while others find the graphics horrendous.
- “The graphics in particular do a great job of inspiring nostalgia.”
- “A relaxing mixture of exploration, adventure, and turn-based combat with retro-style graphics and ants (oh so many ants).”
- “The graphics create a charming retro aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.”
- “Most of the graphics are horrendous - it's an obvious case of simplistic 3D graphics that are somehow meant to be 'old school' and pixel-art-like just by running it through a downscaling and pixelating shader with a reduced palette and dithering techniques.”
- “There's no human attention paid to adapting the actual graphics to work in a low resolution - which is what makes pixel art great - just this lazy approach/attempt at not having to produce graphics.”
- “There's no human attention paid to adapting the actual graphics to work in a low resolution - which is what makes pixel art great - just this lazy approach/attempt at not having to produce graphics.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game's story is criticized for lacking depth and atmosphere, failing to fully immerse players in the small-town setting it aims to depict. While it draws some nostalgic parallels to classic titles, the narrative feels minimal and repetitive, leaving players wanting more in terms of character development and engaging events. Overall, the story is seen as a missed opportunity to enhance the gaming experience.
- “Throwback to the classic it came from the desert, story and characters are fun, combat is a bit repetitive and takes a long time to complete.”
- “A game like this has the chance to add a lot of atmosphere with characters and interactions and events that would help depict life in a small town and transport you there.”
- “A game like this has the chance to add a lot of atmosphere with characters and interactions and events that would help depict life in a small town and transport you there, but there is basically none except the bare minimum for story development.”
- “Once you see through this, there actually isn't much of a story.”
- “It's not exactly the same story with the same characters or locations, but otherwise very, very familiar!”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the charming characters and playfully creepy vibe, others feel it lacks depth and fails to fully immerse them in the small-town setting. Overall, the game offers a blend of engaging pixel-art and minimal atmospheric elements, with some enjoying the adventure and tactical combat aspects.
- “Super atmospheric little adventure with some minigames and tactical combat sprinkled in.”
- “I came to Glint Rock for the pixel-art point & click gameplay, and stayed for the charming characters and playfully creepy atmosphere.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players note that the game's non-linear structure enhances its replayability, offering varied experiences with each playthrough. However, some users express confusion over how this aspect contributes to replay value.
- “As for the game being non-linear, this is a selling point that adds replay value I don't understand.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay primarily revolves around a tactical turn-based mini-game that is considered simplistic and lacking in strategic depth, leading to a repetitive experience for players.
- “A lot of time is spent in the tactical turn-based mini-game, which in itself is very simplistic and doesn't offer much in terms of strategic gameplay.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect tedious due to the expansive maps, which can lead to repetitive gameplay and a sense of monotony.
- “The large maps quickly make playing through them tedious.”