Ruin of the Reckless

About

"Ruin of the Reckless" is a 2D action-packed roguelike game with fast-paced melee combat and co-operative play. Trapped souls seek to reach the tower's peak, granted one wish upon success. The game features 16-bit classic aesthetics with updated graphics, increased pace, and challenges, supporting local co-op play for up to 4 players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features fast-paced and responsive combat, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate action-oriented gameplay.
The art style and music are vibrant and engaging, contributing to an overall appealing aesthetic.
The Chaos Card system allows for a customizable difficulty experience, providing players with the ability to tailor their gameplay to their preferences.

The game suffers from a lack of polish, with bugs such as freezing during loading screens and inconsistent hit detection.
Melee combat can feel repetitive and uninteresting, as it often devolves into simply approaching enemies and attacking without much strategy.
The game has limited resolution options and fullscreen issues, which can detract from the experience, especially on higher resolution monitors.

gameplay
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
6%
The gameplay of "Ruin of the Reckless" is a fast-paced, action-oriented experience that combines melee combat with a unique card-based progression system, allowing players to modify difficulty and gameplay mechanics. While the game features a compelling loop of ascending a tower and offers a variety of powers and upgrades, some players find the overwhelming number of effects on screen can detract from the enjoyment. Overall, it provides a challenging and engaging experience, particularly for fans of roguelike games, though it may not stand out significantly among similar titles.
- “What Ruin of the Reckless does correctly is balance the game perfectly, making reckless gameplay more effective than stopping and thinking.”
- “The gameplay was most certainly enjoyable, and I will play this game again in the future.”
- “There's plenty of nifty things to unlock to tweak the gameplay, lots of difficulty options (through cards) so anyone can get the right feel, and with procedurally generated floors, there's an endless amount of content.”
- “It seems like it has a neat narrative, but I wouldn't suffer the gameplay to watch it.”
- “The melee mechanics just do not seem to work.”
- “The gameplay doesn't particularly stand out amongst the pack of similar titles, and the environments can lack variety, but it's satisfying and fun to replay.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its exceptional chiptune soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. Many players highlight the catchy main theme and the overall quality of the music, describing it as one of the best they've heard in recent years. While some may not prefer the chiptune style, the soundtrack is noted for its ability to complement the game's fast-paced action and create an engaging atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is full of awesome chiptune, and you don't need to spend ridiculously long on a play session (though if you're like me, you will end up with a dozen 'just one more try' runs after you inevitably die).”
- “It has one of the best chiptune soundtracks I've heard in years to the point where I decided to buy the soundtrack after about 5 minutes of gameplay.”
- “The music paves the way for the frenetic gameplay and really manages to pull its own weight in mixing with the simple yet heavy fighting.”
- “The soundtrack isn't really my cup of tea, but that's obviously up to everyone's own taste.”
- “Now, let me just get the soundtrack out of the way.”
- “The music/sound effects are decent.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The graphics are characterized by a unique and charming art style, with vibrant character designs that stand out, reminiscent of retro games. While the visuals are generally appealing, some backgrounds are noted as minimal, and the overall graphical quality is described as serviceable, prioritizing clarity over complexity. The combination of responsive controls and a distinct aesthetic contributes to an engaging visual experience, though opinions vary on its long-term appeal.
- “The graphics really pop, showcasing a world full of unique and interesting character designs.”
- “The graphics and sound are very charming.”
- “It’s got a unique art style, great characterization, a retro feel, and enough to keep you interested and likely coming back to the tower many times.”
- “Graphics are serviceable, but nothing special, which I assume is to avoid the game being too cluttered.”
- “The art style and animations on the characters are very nice, but the backgrounds seem very minimal and plain aside from the hub area.”
- “It has graphics and sound similar to Cave Story, only much more 'realistic'.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game's story is minimal and somewhat lackluster, revolving around a character who is dead and must climb a tower for a chance to make a wish. While the narrative is not particularly engaging, it serves its purpose to support the gameplay. Overall, the story is considered "meh" but sufficient for the game's format.
- “The story is meh, but good enough.”
- “To be honest, there isn't really a story.”
- “Locked into a tower of horrors for eternity, you have been told a story that if you can reach the tower’s peak, you will be granted one wish.”
- “You're a guy who's apparently dead climbing a tower, which is basically the maximum amount of the story the game needs to carry the gameplay format.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviews on replayability are mixed; while some players find the game offers significant depth and nearly infinite replayability, others feel disappointed, citing a lack of content that limits replay value. Overall, expectations may vary widely among players, particularly in the roguelite genre.
- “What initially seems deceptively simple is in fact incredibly deep and almost infinitely replayable.”
- “When it comes to replayability, something most people expect a lot from roguelites, I think many people could be surprised in a negative sense.”
- “Replayability is slim to none.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report significant optimization issues within the game, prompting the developer to acknowledge the problem and commit to releasing an optimization patch.
- “The developer has acknowledged this and said they are working on an optimization patch.”
- “The game currently has too many optimization issues.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences occasional glitches and crashes, particularly frustrating due to the lack of save functionality. However, aside from sound issues, players report no significant game-breaking bugs.
- “Currently, it has a few glitches and crashes to desktop in some instances, which is a bit frustrating in a game that has no saves.”
- “Sound issues aside, I've encountered no game-breaking glitches of any kind.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by witty and clever dialogue, with players particularly enjoying the comedic elements of the tutorial character. This blend of humor and informative content enhances the overall experience, making it both entertaining and educational.
- “The dialogue is funny and smart.”
- “I strongly recommend doing the tutorial, not only because the character within is hilarious, but because the game has an awful lot to explain to you, intuitive as it may seem afterward.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
While the graphics are praised for their vibrant and unique character designs, the reviews do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development within the game.
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable.”
- “The choices you make significantly impact character growth, leading to diverse and engaging storylines.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by its 16-bit sound design and chiptune soundtrack, drawing comparisons to the music of anamanaguchi, which enhances the nostalgic feel of the experience.
- “The sound design in this game creates a captivating 16-bit atmosphere, and the soundtrack can best be described as chiptune, with many tracks reminiscent of Anamanaguchi.”
- “The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
- “The combination of visuals and soundscapes creates a nostalgic yet fresh atmosphere that keeps you hooked.”