Mines and Magic
- March 25, 2024
- Zolden Games
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Mines and Magic" is a nostalgic, turn-based dungeon crawler game with puzzle elements. Explore randomized dungeons, battle monsters, and collect resources to craft powerful items and upgrade your character. The game features permadeath and procedural generation, ensuring a fresh challenge in every playthrough.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of tower defense and resource management, providing engaging and strategic gameplay.
- Many players find the game addictive and rewarding, especially once they overcome the initial learning curve.
- The developer is active and responsive, showing promise for future updates and improvements.
- The game suffers from balancing issues, particularly in the early levels, making it frustrating for new players.
- There is a lack of clarity in game mechanics and tutorials, which can lead to confusion and a steep learning curve.
- The game is still in Early Access with limited content, and some players feel it lacks polish and features compared to its predecessor.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, offering a challenging experience with a balance of strategic building and tower defense elements. However, players note some limitations, including bugs and unclear mechanics, which can hinder the overall experience. Once players grasp the core mechanics, the game becomes enjoyable and even addictive, despite its early access status.
“While it's clear it's early access, I absolutely adore the core gameplay.”
“Unique gameplay with a balance between strategic building and tower defense.”
“Despite being over 5 years old, the gameplay is still decent, providing a high level of challenge, although it still has a few limitations.”
“The 5-10 hour gameplay he talked about is probably to find the right map; for getting a decent amount of resources; if I want to upgrade to get resources, I'm stuck.”
“Past that, balance issues and lack of clarity in the game mechanics become more and more apparent.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game evoke a retro and nostalgic feel, reminiscent of titles like Warcraft 3, though they are described as fairly ordinary and somewhat clunky. While some players appreciate the cool aesthetic and potential of the game, others note that the user interface is confusing and that the graphics are still in early development stages, indicating room for improvement. Overall, the visuals have potential but currently lack polish and clarity.
“The graphics feel very retro and nostalgic.”
“The graphics are so cool and the economy system is great.”
“A strategy tower defense game with resource management, featuring graphics reminiscent of Warcraft 3.”
“A strategy tower defense game with resource management, featuring graphics reminiscent of Warcraft 3, which are fairly ordinary.”
“The user interface and graphics are clunky; my eyes were flying all over the place, and I couldn't make heads or tails of much based on the UI itself.”
“It's still an early release, so the graphics and a few things are limited, and the interface could still use some work.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth, with players noting that the randomness of mines can hinder plot progression, requiring frequent restarts for a better experience. While there is some map exploration and economic elements reminiscent of the Civilization series, the game lacks comprehensive tutorials and meaningful lore, making it feel more like a tower defense game without a strong narrative.
“There is map exploration within missions and even another global map to the single-player campaign, both with economic aspects reminiscent of the Civilization series.”
“Since this is essentially a tower defense map, there isn't really any lore or quests that go with it, which is fine since these types of maps don't really tend to be that sort of thing.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Mines and Magic offers excellent replayability, making it a family-friendly game that encourages multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate how its design enhances the overall replay value.
“Mines and Magic has great replay value and is truly family-friendly.”
“I do like how this impacts the replayability very much.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for its inconsistent user experience and numerous bugs, particularly affecting non-gameplay elements like menus and cutscenes.
“The user experience is all over the place, and the game is quite buggy, mostly in terms of non-gameplay elements like menus and cutscenes.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered numerous glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is enhanced by distinctive character design, which helps make characters, particularly enemies, more identifiable. However, there are concerns that this aspect may be influenced by external factors, such as EA's involvement.
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character's unique backstory and motivations.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
“The depth of character arcs adds layers to the story, making every decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth throughout the game.”
“The characters seem one-dimensional, and their arcs don't evolve in a way that feels satisfying or engaging.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express concerns that the monetization strategy of the game appears to prioritize profit over player experience, leading to perceptions of it being a cash grab or potential scam.
“He asked me why, and I answered honestly that it looked like a cash grab or potential scam.”
