Sandwalkers

About

In "Sandwalkers - Prologue," lead a caravan through the treacherous Phithi wastelands, discovering ancestral secrets, building relationships with neighboring tribes, and surviving encounters with hostile creatures. Your progress is passed on to new caravans, with the ultimate goal of repairing the climate and establishing a new tree city. This prologue is a prelude to the full game, developed by the creators of "Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 184 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging turn-based tactical exploration and battle system, reminiscent of titles like Star Renegades.
The prologue provides a promising glimpse into the game, showcasing interesting mechanics, good graphics, and immersive world-building.
Players have expressed excitement for the full release, highlighting the game's potential for fun gameplay and strategic depth.

The game suffers from significant balance issues, particularly in the early game where supplies are scarce and combat can feel tedious and punishing.
Many players have reported bugs and performance issues, including resolution problems and unresponsive UI elements, making the game unplayable for some.
There is a lack of accessibility features and customization options, which detracts from the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.

gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its unique mechanics and aesthetic, while others find it lacking in fun and plagued by bugs and overly complex instructions. Many feel that the core mechanics need further refinement to enhance enjoyment, particularly in terms of resource management and movement costs. Overall, while the game shows potential, it currently struggles to deliver a satisfying gameplay experience.
- “Fun gameplay and really great world-building.”
- “Nice gameplay, graphics, sound; I think the full version of the game will be at the top.”
- “An interesting turn-based game with various interesting mechanics and good graphics.”
- “Maybe I missed the instructions for the actual gameplay because there was a bit too much forced hand-holding and constant text walls.”
- “I love the overall aesthetic of the game, but the way gameplay is now, I can't say I recommend it.”
- “Some mechanics at the moment do feel like they need some more time cooking (movement costs / health loss / the resulting 'economy' / resource management).”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
33%
11%
The game's graphics are praised for their colorful pixel art style, which contributes to a unique aesthetic reminiscent of titles like Star Renegades. Reviewers appreciate the overall visual design, atmosphere, and the integration of good music, highlighting the game's distinct identity within the genre.
- “Love the art style and the setting.”
- “A colorful pixel rogue-like with nice graphics, voice acting, and music.”
- “I like the general visual design, graphics, atmosphere of this game.”
- “The graphics are in pixel style, which is also an unusual feature.”
- “I love the overall aesthetic of the game, but the way gameplay is now, I can't say I recommend it.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's story is praised for its unique style and immersive experience, particularly in the context of a roguelike where players choose characters to save the mother tree. However, some players feel that the early runs lack significance, making it difficult to connect with the overarching narrative. Overall, the plot is described as engaging and exciting, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.
- “I love the unique style of the game that combines well with the interesting story and combat elements.”
- “Interesting story, I felt deeply immersed in the game, good experience!”
- “However, this makes all of your early runs meaningless and makes it hard to get attached to the game since it is impossible to go after the main mission.”
- “The plot is bomb; I have not yet passed the game, but the plot is on fire.”
- “A prologue for an exciting roguelike, in which at the beginning of the story you can choose four characters and fight for one idea - to save the mother tree.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly during combat, where repetitive encounters with the same enemies can become monotonous after extended play. While the game is visually appealing and the exploration is engaging, many reviewers suggest implementing a fast mode for battles to alleviate the tedium and maintain player interest.
- “Combats are tedious and difficult.”
- “Great game, I'm loving the prologue. However, I must suggest maybe a fast mode. The game looks nice, the animations are simple yet effective, and the exploration mode is fast enough. But in fights, after about an hour of killing the same four groups of enemies, it gets tedious. You know you're strong enough to take on this group 40 times, and with the regen passive, it will heal you. For these instances, I would like turn-based games to add a fast mode, especially in case of dying due to fast decisions rather than wise ones.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game requires significant improvements in performance and optimization, as multiple users have noted it needs some tender loving care in this area.
- “Needs a bit of TLC in the performance and optimization!”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a harsh, unforgiving desert environment, reminiscent of "Trials of Fire," which enhances the exploration experience. Players appreciate the visual design and graphics, contributing to an immersive overall ambiance.
- “Combat has some JRPG feels while the overall exploration and atmosphere creates a similar tone to Trials of Fire, traveling through an unforgiving desert with little green in between.”
- “I like the general visual design, graphics, and atmosphere of this game.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality, complementing the colorful pixel graphics and voice acting. Reviewers highlight it as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience.
- “I would like to note the good music and pleasant graphics.”
- “A colorful pixel rogue-like with nice graphics, voice acting, and music.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for being deeply buggy during the demo, with users noting that the 'report a bug' feature was inconsistently available, hindering the ability to address issues effectively.
- “I liked the gameplay, but the demo was deeply buggy and the 'report a bug' feature was only available occasionally.”