MidBoss
- February 20, 2015
- Eniko
- 17h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"MidBoss" is a turn-based roguelike where you play as a weak imp, able to possess defeated enemies to gain their strengths and skills. With over 60 unique abilities to discover, the goal is to become strong enough to defeat and become the dungeon's endboss. The game offers different modes for varying levels of difficulty.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The possession mechanic is unique and adds depth to gameplay, allowing players to mix and match abilities from different monsters.
- The game features a charming art style and humorous writing, making it enjoyable and engaging.
- The death card system allows players to carry over items from previous runs, adding a layer of strategy and replayability.
- The user interface is clunky and can be frustrating to navigate, making inventory management a chore.
- The game can feel repetitive due to limited enemy variety and level design, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
- Some players have reported issues with controls and performance, particularly with Kaspersky antivirus flagging the game as a threat.
- gameplay107 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this roguelike is centered around a unique possession mechanic that allows players to take control of enemies and utilize their abilities, offering a diverse range of strategies and playstyles. While the mechanics are engaging and provide depth, some players find the overall gameplay experience can be slow and occasionally unclear regarding certain mechanics. Overall, the game combines traditional roguelike elements with innovative features, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and experienced players alike.
“The mechanics are unique and it's easy enough for a novice such as myself but deep enough for people who are more experienced.”
“Possessing enemies to fight and learn their abilities is an extremely fun mechanic that allows for a huge variety of strategy and flexibility.”
“The possession mechanic adds a ton of variety to what you do as you dungeon crawl, the aesthetics and music are quirky and lighthearted, and the grave goods system that allows you to carry over magic items you've collected in previous runs to your next run makes the sting of death feel a little bit lighter.”
“It has a deluge of numbers and meta-stats, while it fails to show their significance in the gameplay.”
“There are also many annoyances here (such as not having shortcuts for items - wtf?) and the death card mechanic simply not working (I have many cards, yet always the same two ones show up when a new character is created), etc.”
“Perhaps the only part of confusion was in regards to the unique mechanic of the game to take over monsters and how to effectively unlock/keep/move over their abilities and such - but all of that becomes rather clear after a few runs!”
- graphics30 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as cute and charming, with a retro aesthetic that evokes older PC RPGs. While some players appreciate the crisp visuals and playful atmosphere, others note issues with optimization and a lack of variety in dungeon designs. Overall, the art style is seen as appealing, though opinions vary on its depth and execution, with some suggesting a graphical overhaul could enhance the experience significantly.
“The graphics are cool and cute, and I enjoy the writing a lot.”
“The graphic style is incredibly evocative of older PC isometric RPGs, and successfully manages to capture the retro feel while not feeling like it's pandering to nostalgia.”
“The possession system is fun, the graphics are nice and cute, and the music gives the game a playful atmosphere.”
“Good little roguelike, poorly optimized graphically speaking - but shouldn't affect you unless you're on a toaster.”
“A complete graphical overhaul could make this game absolutely nuts.”
“There wasn't any graphical variety in the dungeon floors.”
- music22 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its enjoyable and fitting nature that complements the game's light-hearted atmosphere. While some find it repetitive and overly loud, the majority appreciate the soundtrack's quality and its ability to enhance the overall experience. The combination of quirky aesthetics and solid sound design contributes to a playful and engaging environment, making it a standout feature for many players.
“This is both a challenging and well-balanced roguelike with a bit of a 'Disgaea flair' in the aesthetics and music.”
“The music is enjoyable, the control scheme is easy to pick up, and the possession system gives you the option to mix abilities between forms to better fight enemies.”
“The art style is cute, the writing is fun and silly, the music is pretty and fits the general vibe of the game super well, and the gameplay is tight.”
“The music is repetitive and loud.”
“I meet the system requirements, but every time I try to run the game, I just get a black window pop up with the game version in the corner, and the music plays, but that's all that happens.”
“The music is decent, but it doesn't stand out in a meaningful way.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its randomly generated dungeons and loot that enhance replay value, while others criticize its limited content and challenge, leading to a feeling of diminished replayability after a few runs. Despite these concerns, features like item retention from previous playthroughs and upcoming adjustments to map sizes are expected to improve the experience. Overall, it offers a decent level of replayability, particularly for fans of the roguelike genre.
“This combined with the randomly generated dungeon and loot makes the game highly replayable and a must-buy for anyone lucky enough to discover it exists.”
“Short, well-made game with great replayability.”
“Excellent roguelike, a perfect example of how depth and replayability can grow from very simple mechanics.”
“Which outright ruins replayability once you've seen and possessed every monster even if you did not beat the game.”
“As a roguelike, it is merely okay, due to the low replayability.”
“That being said, despite having more of the fixing of a traditional roguelike than many of the roguelites you see on the market, the game is the 'lightest' roguelike I've ever played, in that as a veteran roguelike player, it offered me almost no challenge, and has comparatively little replayability.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its snarky wit and engaging character interactions. While some feel the humor is enjoyable, they note that the game's brevity may limit its overall impact. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with diverse mechanics, making it a charming experience for players.
“Midboss is a fun, engaging game with a delightfully snarky sense of humor and a welcoming approach that many of its fellow rogue-likes seem to fear.”
“The game also features a fun sidekick character called Mid, who always calls you 'boss', which gives the game additional charm with funny quips and helpful tips.”
“Been playing Midboss for a good few days now and I'm thoroughly enjoying it; love the RPG style, character humor, and design. It was worth the purchase for my birthday! :)”
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered uninteresting and minimal, with many players noting that it lacks depth and presence. While some appreciate the game for its gameplay rather than its narrative, others find the brief story elements at the beginning and during interactions to be insufficient for those seeking a more story-driven experience. Overall, the focus appears to be more on gameplay than on storytelling.
“As dumb as my story of how I found this game is, it doesn't change the fact that Midboss is one of the best overlooked games on Steam.”
“Most of my games are more story-based (or Stardew Valley), and I'm generally awful at combat games of any variety, but I am so glad I purchased this game!”
“Game doesn't seem super story-driven, so forgetting where you are isn't really an issue.”
“There isn't much of a story.”
“Game concept, story pacing.”
“Minor annoyance, but there's some story at the start and when you first meet a merchant.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, particularly in the early stages and during backtracking in large levels. While some express satisfaction in the gameplay, the repetitive nature and lack of quick play features detract from the overall experience; however, upcoming adjustments and a fast travel feature may alleviate some of these concerns.
“The early game is very tedious and monotonous since it's always exactly the same.”
“As of this review, I do have to say that backtracking in large levels or going up and down floors repeatedly can get tedious and affect replayability, but according to the developer, map sizes are being adjusted and there's a fast travel feature coming up soon which would solve that issue.”
“This rogue-like is tedious as hell, eschewing all the common quick play features of even the oldest rogue-likes.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is generally considered poorly optimized in terms of graphics, but it runs smoothly on most systems, including budget laptops from the last couple of years, without significant slow-downs or stuttering. Overall, performance issues are mainly a concern for users with very low-end hardware.
“The game offers a solid roguelike experience, though the graphics could use some optimization. However, this shouldn't be an issue unless you're using very low-end hardware.”
“I appreciate the depth of gameplay, but the optimization could be improved for a smoother experience.”
“While the game is enjoyable, I found that the optimization leaves something to be desired, particularly in terms of graphical performance.”
“Good little roguelike, poorly optimized graphically speaking - but it shouldn't affect you unless you're on a toaster.”
“I played it on a 2-year-old budget laptop without any notable slowdowns or stuttering.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a playful and non-serious tone, enhanced by decent music and cute graphics, which provide a refreshing contrast to the often grim nature of many rogue-likes. The fun possession system further contributes to this lighthearted ambiance.
“The music is decent, and the game's non-serious atmosphere is welcome, given that many roguelikes are kind of grim.”
“The possession system is fun, the graphics are nice and cute, and the music gives the game a playful atmosphere.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, citing frequent bugs that hinder functionality and overall performance.
“Plus, they seem to be very buggy - as mentioned above, they don't even work properly for me.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I've encountered numerous glitches that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
