Link

About

Link is a strategy game with roguelike elements, where players manage a group of soldiers stranded on a hostile, arctic planet, trying to survive until rescue arrives. Each survivor provides unique bonuses, and upgrading the base with various facilities is crucial for survival. Players must maintain the shelter, ensure it's properly heated, and grow plants to endure the harsh conditions while fighting off alien threats.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and challenging survival/rogue-like experience with the ability to tailor difficulty settings for new players.
Players can unlock new characters and strategies through successful campaigns, adding depth and replayability to the game.
The balance of base management and tactical combat keeps the gameplay engaging, with a variety of strategies to explore.

The game suffers from severe balance issues, with enemies being overpowered and gameplay feeling unfairly punishing.
The fixed low resolution (800x600) and lack of options to adjust it make the game visually unappealing and difficult to play.
Many players report bugs and unfinished elements, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment.

graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
65%
12%
The graphics of the game are generally described as low-resolution (800x600) and reminiscent of retro pixel art, which some players appreciate for its charm, while others find it outdated and limiting, especially on modern displays. Many reviewers note that the graphics are serviceable but lack polish, with static backgrounds and minimal visual flair. Overall, while the graphics may not impress, they do not detract significantly from the gameplay experience for those willing to overlook them.
- “This game surprised me - it plays like a roguelite board game, and the pixel tabletop aesthetic really helps it in my opinion.”
- “I like the retro pixel graphics.”
- “No bells and whistles on the presentation, but if you can see past the graphics, the game itself is solid.”
- “Graphics is 800x600 and attempts to switch to full screen will make this game unplayable.”
- “Graphics generally are not that important to me, but this looks like something that should be played on an Amiga 500 in 1994 with the old Philips monitor, not a modern PC, where 1080p monitors are the norm... but perhaps the dev is actually coding this on an Amiga 500 with the old Philips monitor in 1994!”
- “The game graphics are mainly static backgrounds and tokens that you drag across the screen.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
77%
14%
The game's story revolves around tactical missions where players manage resources and characters to complete various objectives, including scavenging and rescue missions. As players progress, they earn points to unlock new characters, enhancing the narrative experience through character development and strategic decision-making. However, some players noted that the tutorial lacks depth, and there are occasional technical issues that can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- “During a mission, the characters explore a map and fight enemies in turn-based combat.”
- “Each turn, you choose an action for each crew member: you can create a room in the base, craft something (weapon, armor), help a character with low stats to stay alive by providing food, heat, or health, or pick a mission and send one or more characters outside to find resources.”
- “The tutorial doesn't cover enough; I ran out of objectives to complete before I unlocked all the characters, and there are still a couple of little typos.”
- “Tactics part - it's a simple turn-based strategy where you explore the map and use some abilities, but it's basically a risk assessment game as you may end up losing all your crew on an easy scavenging mission.”
- “You build, you manage resources, and you send characters on tactical missions, but before long you either succeed or fail the campaign.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The gameplay is praised for its engaging mechanics, particularly the base building aspect that adds strategic depth and variability. While some users noted a cumbersome interface and RPG Maker roots, the overall experience is enjoyable, especially for those who appreciate the theme and mechanics. Players find the learning curve rewarding, as mastering the game leads to improved survival and strategy in achieving victory.
- “Getting to know the game mechanics and becoming better at surviving with every new game was great fun for me - I recommend the game strongly.”
- “In any case, the premise of the game is cool and I was digging the base building bit, which is reminiscent of the original UFO: Enemy Unknown base building mechanic: you build improvements in each square to provide resources for your team.”
- “This adds a lot of variability to the game once you understand the core mechanics, as your strategy to achieving all three victory conditions (and ensuring rescue) will determine your approach.”
- “The real problem with this game is gameplay.”
- “Base building mechanics - each turn you assign people to build new facilities and sustain life, heal, etc.”
- “This adds a lot of variability to the game once you understand the core mechanics as your strategy to achieving all of the three victory rules (and ensure rescue) will determine your strategy.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The game offers high replayability due to its strategic depth and the ability to choose from a diverse crew of around 20 characters, each with unique bonuses. Players can unlock new crew members by completing objectives, enhancing the experience with each playthrough. Overall, it provides a fun and engaging experience that encourages multiple runs, though there is room for improvement.
- “It is a relaxing, albeit challenging little game with lots of replayability for the price.”
- “It has a surprising amount of replay value and strategic depth, though it could be improved a lot too.”
- “Fairly enjoyable experience for the cost, and the replayability is decent: successfully accomplishing your objectives (which you get to pick at the start of the game) gives you requisition points to unlock new crew members to start new games with.”
- “Fun and interesting system with a couple little quirks; what gives it replayability is that you pick a crew of 3 people from a list of around 20, and each has a special bonus.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the grinding aspect of the game is intensified by a continuously increasing threat level, which persists even during mundane activities like farming for food. This creates a sense of urgency and challenge, making the grinding experience feel more dynamic and engaging.
- “Constantly growing threat level, even if all you do is just farming for food.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game, being in early access, is reported to have numerous bugs and glitches that can affect gameplay stability. Users have noted that these issues occur intermittently, reflecting the typical challenges associated with early access titles.
- “This is an early access game and as such still has many bugs and glitches that crop up from time to time.”