Rencounter

  • November 3, 2016
64%
Game Brain Score Based on 136 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Rencounter Game Cover
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"Rencounter is a challenging, turn-based RPG with roguelike elements and a mysterious atmosphere. Navigate through a deadly maze full of enemies and valuable resources, manage your inventory and character development, and make choices that determine your destiny as you uncover secrets in this immersive, explorable dungeon crawler."

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

64%
Audience ScoreBased on 136 reviews
gameplay4 positive mentions
story10 negative mentions
  • Offers a dreamy, psychedelic experience that is engaging for short sessions.
  • Intriguing narrative that unfolds as you play, providing a sense of mystery.
  • Challenging gameplay with a steep learning curve that rewards strategic thinking.
  • Lacks a tutorial and clear UI, making it difficult for players to understand mechanics.
  • Average graphics and unfinished feel, with many bugs and balancing issues.
  • Combat can be repetitive and lacks depth, leading to frustration during encounters.
  • story37 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for its minimalism and lack of clarity, with many players noting that it feels unfinished or non-existent. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the need to piece together a backstory through scattered scrolls, the overall narrative is deemed insufficient, leaving players wanting more context and engagement. Overall, those seeking a rich story experience may find this game lacking.

    • “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
    • “I like that you need to use your imagination and fill in a backstory as you discover scrolls (story notes).”
    • “The story is shrouded in mystery and you learn it slowly as you play.”
    • “The story seems pretty awful, and the way everything is strung together just made it feel tedious.”
    • “The game lacks all story and/or structure that would allow me to actually call it a game.”
    • “However, I find this game lacking; no story, no meat on the bone, so to speak.”
  • gameplay33 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is marked by a steep learning curve due to the absence of tutorials and unclear mechanics, which can frustrate players. While the core mechanics offer potential for enjoyment and challenge, the user interface is criticized for being basic and more suited for mobile devices, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the engaging atmosphere and tactical elements, suggesting that with time and experimentation, the gameplay can become rewarding.

    • “There is no real storyline, but the atmosphere is nice and the gameplay is fairly engaging.”
    • “You have to learn this game and will be thrown right in the middle of it from the very beginning - and the mechanics are not exactly simple compared to other titles of the genre.”
    • “There is mechanical fun and challenge to be had if you know what you're doing.”
    • “Missing tutorial, unclear UI and mechanics, and almost a complete lack of story or context.”
    • “The UI, gameplay/combat, storyline, etc. are all nothing short of atrocious.”
    • “Cons: lacks any tutorial, so you have to figure out (through many deaths) all the mechanics.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally considered average, with some reviewers noting a unique art style while others criticize the visuals as bland and repetitive. While there are occasional textural flaws, the overall aesthetic is seen as acceptable for a turn-based strategy game, though not impressive enough for those seeking top-tier graphics.

    • “Tough but fun rogue-lite with a bit of a unique art style.”
    • “The graphics are amazing.”
    • “+ graphically it looks pretty good especially for a turn-based game.”
    • “The visuals, enemy and level design are all pretty bland and there is a certain ring of repetitiveness here.”
    • “Graphically and thematically very bland...”
    • “Graphics on this game are not great.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and solid, while others describe it as average yet fitting for the game's dark atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for enhancing the suspense and ambiance, making it a notable aspect for those who appreciate atmospheric soundscapes.

    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
    • “The soundtrack is ominous, always keeping the suspense of the next room intact.”
    • “Even though the soundtrack of the game is average, it actually complements the dark nature of the game pretty well.”
    • “Soundtrack is pretty solid, but I wouldn't recommend this for most fans of roguelikes or turn-based tactical games.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its uniqueness and engaging qualities, drawing comparisons to other titles like "Let It Die." While it creates a mysterious and immersive environment, some players feel that the lack of a storyline and overly dark tone can detract from the overall experience. Despite its challenges, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “The atmosphere is cool, and I'd love to see some more story elements fleshed out--but as a roguelike this isn't a huge expectation.”
    • “It's something I haven't seen before and it's another nice atmospheric touch.”
    • “It's difficult and atmospheric and a bit confusing at first but I'm having fun with it.”
    • “Rencounter is a difficult (randomized, no rules explained), turn-based (with some indecipherable rules where some units act more often than others), RPG (there are generic bodybuilder hunks with stats, no interaction beyond 'kill it', no roles, at best a dungeon hack), roguelike (why balance stuff? you can always restart and maybe the randomness likes you next time) game with a mysterious atmosphere (you run around in a weird environment and kill stuff for no other reason than it tries to kill you too).”
    • “Nothing brightens things up here and succumbs to a game that tries to force its dark atmosphere down our throats.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unfulfilling, as it often involves endless random combats without a compelling story to support it. While some decent loot can be obtained, the repetitive nature of battles detracts from the overall experience, leading many to view the game as a failure.

    • “I don't understand what the point of being dropped into endless random combats is, just for the sake of grinding?”
    • “I found decent loot, but the battles were tedious.”
    • “But it still feels like a failed game to me, since there is no story and just grinding enemies for 10 floors is not really enough for me to give it a passing review.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game is praised for its high replayability, offering numerous character and team builds, challenging fights, and multiple endings. It is particularly appealing to fans of roguelikes, providing a substantial amount of content for its price.

    • “It has a lot of replayability, and there are many different builds you can create for your character or team. The fights are well done and become very challenging if you're trying to achieve all the endings with one character.”
    • “I think that this game is priced fairly for what it offers, and for those who enjoy roguelikes, it provides a huge amount of replayability.”
    • “Highly replayable.”
    • “The game lacks significant replayability; once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
    • “While there are multiple endings, the journey to each feels repetitive and doesn't offer enough variation to keep me engaged for a second playthrough.”
    • “After finishing the game, I found that the lack of meaningful choices and consequences made replaying it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is noted as decent, with a strong emphasis on strategy reminiscent of Dark Souls, suggesting that players can expect a thoughtful progression system that enhances gameplay.

    • “The character development is quite decent.”
    • “This game is essentially a turn-based Dark Souls, with a heavy emphasis on strategy and character development.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
    • “I expected more depth in character development; it feels like a missed opportunity.”
    • “While the gameplay is engaging, the character development is disappointingly simplistic.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game exhibits stability issues, with users reporting occasional bugs and erratic video errors, suggesting a somewhat rough experience overall.

    • “A little buggy with the occasional erratic video errors, at least for me.”
    • “A pretty basic, slightly buggy, a little rough around the edges Unity game.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted to be surprisingly effective, with players finding it genuinely funny. However, some users express frustration over negative feedback on their reviews, suggesting a divide in how humor is perceived among players.

    • “Surprisingly funny game.”
    • “I just thought it was funny, but of course I've destroyed my review with '17% found this helpful.' I didn't even troll; how can you be so super serious and thumb me down for being the first, jealous?”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players find the game emotionally challenging, requiring resilience in the face of defeat, similar to experiences in titles like RimWorld and Dwarf Fortress. This aspect fosters a sense of perseverance and emotional toughness, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

    • “This is the kind of game that expects the player to be emotionally tough enough to accept defeat and to keep coming back, similar to what games like RimWorld and Dwarf Fortress offer.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized as poor, even in its early access phase, with players expressing concerns about performance issues from the outset.

    • “I played not much, but at first glance, the game optimization is terrible, even in early access.”
    • “The performance issues are frustrating, and it feels like the game wasn't optimized for even basic hardware.”
    • “I encountered frequent frame drops and long loading times, which really detracts from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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