Pesticide Not Required
- September 2, 2023
- MatK
- 15h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Pesticide Not Required" is a roguelite bullet heaven game that combines farming mechanics with character build customization. Farm crops, fish, and mine for resources, automate your farm with helpful pets, and create overpowered builds with 40+ stats. Experience quick 20-minute play sessions, customizable home interiors, and season-themed map variations.
PC
Web Browser
Windows
Reviews
- The game combines farming, fishing, and mining mechanics with bullet heaven gameplay, creating a unique and engaging experience.
- The art style is charming and the variety of playable frogs, each with distinct abilities, adds depth to the gameplay.
- It's easy to pick up and play, with short run times and a satisfying progression system that encourages experimentation with different builds.
- The game can feel repetitive after a few runs due to limited weapon variety and similar gameplay across different seasons.
- Some players have reported issues with controller disconnections and a lack of polish in certain areas, such as hitboxes and music variety.
- The difficulty curve can be inconsistent, with early levels being too easy and later levels becoming frustratingly difficult without proper upgrades.
- grinding120 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect in this game is centered around farming, fishing, and mining, which serve as alternative methods for leveling up and obtaining weapons, adding depth to the typical bullet-hell gameplay. Players appreciate the unique blend of these mechanics, finding them engaging and fun, although some feel that the farming tasks can become tedious and lack strategic depth. Overall, the combination of grinding through farming and combat creates a refreshing twist on the roguelike genre, appealing to fans of both farming sims and action games.
“This one's graphics are not great even in the pixel-art realm and while the farming 'twist' is interesting, I am finding the game itself dull.”
“Mowing the hordes doesn't feel satisfying, it just mellowly happens in the background while you go around your stupid farming business, a dubious gimmick that adds an unnecessary extra step between killing and level rewards.”
“The weapons don't combine/transform, there are only a few pet types, very limited strategy when it comes to farming, and the upgrades are all just number go up bundles, meaning no given upgrade is all that exciting.”
- gameplay83 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay combines elements of auto-battling and farming simulation, creating a unique twist on the survivor genre reminiscent of "Vampire Survivors." Players engage in a charming loop of mining, fishing, and farming while battling pests, which adds depth and variety despite some repetitiveness over time. Overall, the game is praised for its cute aesthetics, fun mechanics, and satisfying progression, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
“With an adorable concept, cute critters as both player characters and enemies, and fun mechanics, it weaves an element of a farming sim into the vampire-survivors-like bullet hell world, which I found absolutely adorable and very fun.”
“The gameplay loop is tight and easily replayed.”
“The farming gameplay works surprisingly well with the bullet heaven genre.”
“The gameplay doesn't get any more depth, and the harder difficulties are just more mobs with more HP.”
“Like, yeah, you can fish, mine, and farm in this for XP and coins, but it's mechanically the same as killing monsters for XP and coins; the only difference being that rocks and fish don't move towards you trying to kill you.”
“It doesn't have any bullet hell mechanics even though it might be mistakenly tagged as a bullet hell.”
- graphics41 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Pesticide Not Required" are characterized by a charming and adorable pixel art style that many players find delightful, though some note that it lacks high graphical fidelity. The vibrant visuals and cute character designs contribute to a wholesome atmosphere, making it appealing for fans of the genre, despite some criticisms regarding the overall execution and repetitiveness of enemy designs. Overall, the game's aesthetic is well-received for its creativity and humor, enhancing the gameplay experience.
“The game has a pixel aesthetic that's not lazy.”
“The graphics are charming, and the music was decent too.”
“Adorable art style and a great new take on the games it drew inspiration from.”
“This one's graphics are not great even in the pixel-art realm, and while the farming 'twist' is interesting, I am finding the game itself dull.”
“They don't add a lot of graphical fidelity, and the enemy types could have just been spawned in on the other seasons.”
“Graphics are a little rough, but cute.”
- music30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game features a variety of tracks that are mostly seasonal, with some players finding the winter music particularly unappealing compared to the more enjoyable spring, summer, and autumn themes. While some users appreciate the relaxing and charming aspects of the soundtrack, others criticize it as repetitive and boring, suggesting a need for a more engaging and diverse soundtrack to enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, opinions on the music are mixed, with some enjoying it and others feeling it detracts from the game.
“The music is awesome and I love all the fun skins you can get.”
“Fun mechanics, nice soundtrack, very satisfying gameplay loop.”
“Enjoyable music, cute graphic design, and a lot of content.”
“The only complaint I have against this game is that the music can be very boring.”
“Even the music is just boring and makes you want to fall asleep.”
“Let's play electric bass guitar or something with really deep sound on repeat... when I play winter stages and I don't plan to play a lot of winter stages, I really turn off the music and play something else.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, featuring cute characters to unlock, multiple stages with varying difficulties, and a customizable hub area. However, some players note that the shallow weapon pool and linear upgrades may limit long-term replay value. Despite these concerns, many reviewers express enthusiasm for returning to the game for additional runs and grinding.
“Brilliant little rogue-lite with a bunch of replay value.”
“Lots of replayability, grind, and many different ways to play the game.”
“Replay value is pretty low because the weapon pool is shallow and upgrades are linear with no choices.”
“I do agree with what some others are saying in that seeing some more weapon diversity would help the replayability more long-term.”
“Cute characters to unlock, 4 stages with 4 difficulties for replayability and a customizable house/garden hub area.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its subtlety and silliness, particularly through the amusing animations of frogs, which evoke laughter even in moments of failure. Players appreciate the thoughtful design and variety of frog types, contributing to an overall joyful experience.
“It's silly with a great sense of humor, but is also well made and has evident thought and care put into it.”
“Makes me happy when I play it, and if I die I laugh at the funny animation of your frog flying off the screen.”
“I appreciate the combo of genres, super subtle humor, and amount of frog types.”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story combines elements from "Vampire Survivors" and "Story of Seasons," but it falls short in delivering a compelling narrative, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Players note that while the concept is appealing, key components of the genre are lacking, impacting the overall experience. Character abilities are seen as trivial and nonsensical, further detracting from the story's effectiveness.
“I like a lot about this game, but sadly it just misses the plot on a few key components of the genre that make it more frustrating than fun after a few runs.”
“As for character abilities, those normally range from +2% x per occupied farming plot to 'can't mine well', that kind of inanity.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the inclusion of a cute, clickable dog that evokes feelings of joy and warmth among players, leading to positive reviews. The game's wholesome nature, combined with its charming art style, creates an inviting experience that resonates with a wide audience. Overall, the emotional appeal is a significant factor in its enjoyment and popularity.
“You put a dog in the game which you can click, and people will write positive reviews of your game, because 'there's a cutie doggie omg I can pet the doggie omg omg so wholesome.'”
“Wholesome bullet hell, cute art style, simple and cheap enough for anyone to enjoy.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a commendable monetization model with no microtransactions, allowing players to enjoy progression and homestead decorations without additional costs. This approach is positively noted by users, especially in contrast to many contemporary games.
“The progression and decorations for the homestead are good and there are no microtransactions.”
“Also, no microtransactions, which is a win these days.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is poorly optimized for controller use, lacking shortcuts or hotkeys, which forces players to navigate through imprecise menus repeatedly.
“Badly optimized for controller, with no shortcuts or hotkeys, so you have to cycle through imprecise menus every time.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting smooth performance and no issues while running on the Steam Deck.
“Runs great on my Steam Deck; so far, no issues.”
“Runs great on my Steam Deck; so far, no issues.”
