Rogue Voltage
- May 10, 2024
- Horizont Computergrafik
- 25h median play time
Get on SteamIn Rogue Voltage, a puzzle-based roguelike game, players build their abilities by wiring together modules to create powerful builds and defeat monsters with chain reactions. Every turn, players decide where to allocate energy, such as powering their blaster or healing potion. Turns can be manipulated tactically to dodge hazards or ambush enemies. The game features procedurally generated levels and enemies that become increasingly challenging as players progress.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Rogue Voltage offers a unique and innovative gameplay experience that combines deckbuilding with engineering mechanics, allowing for creative strategies and satisfying synergies.
- The game features a variety of characters and modules, each providing different playstyles and opportunities for experimentation, enhancing replayability.
- The art style and apocalyptic setting contribute to an engaging atmosphere, while the active development and community support promise future improvements and content.
- The game currently lacks sufficient content and variety, particularly in terms of bosses and enemy types, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
- Some players find the learning curve steep and the mechanics overwhelming, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience without prior knowledge of similar games.
- There are issues with the user interface and controls, which can be frustrating, especially when managing complex wiring and module interactions during gameplay.
- gameplay64 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Rogue Voltage is characterized by its innovative mechanics that blend strategic planning, damage management, and time manipulation, creating a unique roguelike deckbuilding experience. Players appreciate the engaging core loop and the depth of interactions between various modules and characters, although some express concerns about the steep learning curve and the potential for runs to end abruptly due to minor mistakes. Overall, the game is praised for its addictive nature and fresh approach to combat, despite some balancing issues and a need for clearer tutorials on its complex mechanics.
“It combines clever thinking and strategic planning with a unique and interesting mechanic of balancing out damage, healing, defending, and even time manipulation.”
“The gameplay loop is interesting and engaging if you like logic puzzles; there are interesting synergies between characters, and I have a feeling it is only going to get better from here.”
“Unique, addicting gameplay that instills that 'just one more run' feeling.”
“I can say that there is a lot that the tutorial doesn't explain; I think they should skip some of the tutorial about plugging stuff into your attack machine to attack and put more time into hidden mechanics and how each teammate affects each other.”
“Currently, some characters outshine others, and certain mechanics such as hazards and gravity effects can feel redundant compared to simply going for high damage numbers to secure quick victories.”
“Rather than having mechanics that support the player in completing the game, a slight error in one of the myriad of game mechanics, like forgetting a color or an enemy moving your time slot to an environmental hazard, will most likely end the run as there are only 5 HP.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the charming art style, cohesive aesthetic, and retro pixel graphics that enhance the apocalyptic setting. However, some users criticize the simplicity and lack of animations, as well as the cluttered visual presentation in certain areas. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received for their creativity and polish, there are notable concerns regarding functionality and consistency.
“The aesthetic details are pretty, evocative, and cohesive.”
“Great gritty pixel graphics, moody soundtrack, and addictive gameplay.”
“Graphics are great, I especially love the art style of the characters.”
“No content besides generic story mode, boring enemies, no story, simple graphics with almost no animations.”
“The GUI is pretty atrocious both aesthetically and in showing the relevant information.”
“Didn't like the graphic style of the game that much from the pictures, but decided to give the demo a try anyways because why not.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its lack of presence and overall dullness. While some appreciate the moody atmosphere it contributes to, others find it jarring due to poor looping and a lack of variety. Overall, there is a consensus that the soundtrack needs significant improvement to enhance the gaming experience.
“Great gritty pixel graphics, moody soundtrack and addictive gameplay.”
“Rogue Voltage answers the question: what if Slay the Spire, but instead of cards, you have modules on a rack that you can wire together like a switchboard operator to (a) make stuff, (b) make stuff blow up, or (c) move stuff around in time, all with an old-school analog vibe, great music, and that 'just one more turn!' addictiveness that'll keep you up till 2:00 a.m.”
“As a person obsessed with electricity, I really enjoy zapping the components and wires :) graphical style and music are magnificent!”
“The music doesn't loop seamlessly, so it's very jarring.”
“Atmosphere is good and moody, but the soundtrack is pretty boring.”
“Minor technical hiccups, presentation issues, and a frankly uninspiring soundtrack.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users describing it as generic, uninspired, and lacking depth, featuring minimal dialogue that is easily overlooked. However, a few reviewers appreciated the balance of story elements with gameplay mechanics, noting that the polish and thematic consistency add some interest to the overall experience.
“So glad to see an early access game with the amount of polish this one has - just enough story, character, and theme to keep things interesting, well-polished graphics, solid mechanics, and enough variability to make me keep playing.”
“No content besides generic story mode, boring enemies, no story, simple graphics with almost no animations.”
“The story is meh and uninspired, with what little dialogue between characters and background story there is being a couple of lines that are easily missed in between runs.”
“The story is uninspired, with minimal dialogue and background details that are easily overlooked during gameplay.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable due to its addictive core mechanics and a wealth of unlockable modules and characters, despite the current limited map and enemy variety in early access. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs.
“This game is fun, it's cerebral, it's incredibly replayable, and it's worth your money!”
“The sheer number of unlockable modules and characters gives this game tons of replayability!”
“Very high replayability.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly with the cabling mechanic and board rearrangement, which often leads to accidental swaps and requires repetitive actions to achieve desired results. This detracts from the overall enjoyment, making certain tasks feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.
“The rewiring is tedious; sometimes, even though it should work, it won't connect until I cancel everything and redo it. It feels like kicking a car until it works, which is not very fun. It's not that I don't understand the game; I beat Act One on my first tutorial run.”
“Good luck making the cabling mechanic anything other than tedious.”
“Rearranging your board can be tedious due to accidental swaps.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Players praise the game's optimization aspect for its creative and engaging depth, transforming from a survival challenge into a strategic optimization puzzle as they progress. The experience evolves into a fun exploration of outrageous strategies, making optimization a key highlight of gameplay.
“Very creative and fun, with a lot of unexpected depth in strategy and optimization.”
“Lots of optimization fun!”
“As you get stronger and stronger, the game almost morphs before you; what was previously a desperate fight for survival, clawing for each point of damage dealt or avoided, becomes an optimization puzzle, where you are planning out the most outrageous plays imaginable.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is generally praised for its moodiness and immersive quality, though some users find the soundtrack lacking and uninteresting. Overall, the ambiance contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“I love the atmosphere.”
“Atmosphere is good and moody.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players feel a sense of intelligence and accomplishment while engaging with the game, highlighting its ability to evoke positive emotions related to problem-solving and critical thinking.
