Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot

About

In Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot, play as a sentient blob of goo seeking revenge against its creator, the evil AI Despot, in a dystopian world of 3000. This roguelite action game blends elements from Vampire Survivors, AutoChess, and trading card games, allowing for strategic deckbuilding and intense combat. Navigate a path of violence, death, and pretzels to dethrone the Despot.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot screenshot

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,252 reviews

gameplay90 positive mentions

grinding73 negative mentions

Unique deck-building mechanics add depth to the gameplay, allowing for strategic planning before each run.
Charming pixel art and engaging visuals enhance the overall experience, making it visually appealing.
The game offers a fun and addictive gameplay loop, with a satisfying sense of progression as players unlock new abilities and upgrades.

The game suffers from balancing issues, particularly in later levels where enemy difficulty spikes can feel overwhelming and frustrating.
Performance issues arise when there are too many enemies on screen, leading to lag and a decrease in gameplay fluidity.
The grind for unlocking abilities and characters can be tedious, with some players feeling that the progression is too slow and not rewarding enough.

gameplay
219 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The gameplay of this title is often compared to "Vampire Survivors," featuring a blend of deck-building mechanics and bullet hell elements, which some players find refreshing while others deem it generic and uninspired. While the visuals and art direction receive praise, many reviews highlight issues such as weak weapon effectiveness, frequent interruptions during gameplay, and a lack of depth in mechanics, leading to a mixed reception overall. Despite these criticisms, some players enjoy the addictive nature of the gameplay and its potential for fun, especially for fans of the genre.
- “The visuals are insanely gorgeous, the gameplay is challenging but never really frustrating, the UI is sleek and intuitive, creating builds is fun, unlocking stuff doesn't feel grindy and padded ... I haven't been this impressed with a game's overall quality in a long time.”
- “The core gameplay is simple, nothing new, but a fun bullet hell with a deck building mechanic.”
- “Came for the slimes, stayed for the addictive gameplay.”
- “It's a time-waster that looks decent and has fine but somewhat uninspired gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is bland and boring, and the weapons feel weak and underpowered.”
- “The game rapidly devolves into moving from one full-heal pickup to another and hoping you don't die on the way; that's about as deep as the gameplay gets.”
graphics
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
48%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its charming pixel art and vibrant visuals that enhance the overall aesthetic experience. However, some players note issues with clarity and impact during gameplay, suggesting that while the art style is appealing, it can sometimes hinder the player's ability to fully engage with the action. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding balance and clarity.
- “The visuals are insanely gorgeous, the gameplay is challenging but never really frustrating, the UI is sleek and intuitive, creating builds is fun, unlocking stuff doesn't feel grindy and padded ... I haven't been this impressed with a game's overall quality in a long time.”
- “It's got charming pixel graphics, great enemy variety that you need to play around, huge amounts of enemies on screen but well optimized for it, and an interesting deck-building component that means you can't just steamroll every level by replaying and upgrading base stats.”
- “The graphics and overall aesthetics look great, with a darker industrial theme throughout the game.”
- “The graphics/art are okay but lack some clarity sometimes and, in my opinion, don't feel as nice compared to similar games.”
- “Killing enemies is not really satisfying because you can barely feel any impact from your weapon, or even see how your weapon looks in this messy graphic.”
- “These types of games are fun when you can see what's happening; I can't see anything in this game, the graphic style is meh and bland.”
music
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
46%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy and enjoyable nature, while others find it repetitive and limited, leading them to turn it off after extended play. Many appreciate the soundtrack's fit with the game's aesthetic, but there are calls for more diversity and options to customize the music experience. Overall, while the music is often described as good or great, its repetitiveness can detract from the overall enjoyment for some players.
- “The soundtrack is minimalist but still appropriate without being overwhelming.”
- “A nice time killer with excellent pixel art and an infectious soundtrack.”
- “Great game, great style, great music.”
- “Music is not the best and you quickly get tired of listening to the same few soundtracks.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and after 10 hours, you'll turn it off.”
- “The music is so horrible - please integrate a player where I can activate the songs from setup.”
grinding
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
3%
95%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and overly time-consuming, particularly due to steep difficulty spikes that necessitate repetitive farming of lower-level content. While some appreciate the grind as a relaxing element that enhances progression, others criticize it for making the game feel monotonous and frustrating, especially when rewards are poorly balanced. Overall, the consensus suggests that while grinding is a significant part of the experience, it can detract from enjoyment for many players.
- “Grindy (60 - 100 hours)”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Like many others, I've hit a wall at level 6 out of 20 that seems near impossible without hours and hours of farming in a lower level, which is a baffling design choice to me for this kind of game - who wants to grind the same boring 10-minute level over and over?”
- “It clearly shows its intent - lots of grinding to be able to actually play and enjoy the game.”
- “Boring and tedious after a while, with little incentive to try different builds because you just get swarmed by enemies.”
optimization
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
43%
35%
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with many players experiencing significant FPS drops, especially during intense moments with numerous enemies and high AoE skills. While some users noted improvements after recent patches, overall performance remains subpar compared to other titles in the genre, leading to frustration during gameplay. A few players reported decent performance on specific devices, but the consensus indicates that further optimization is needed to enhance the gaming experience.
- “The performance was very good on the whole, with a lot going on around the screen at times.”
- “No super flashy stroboscopic lighting, and the performance remains good even with a screen full of enemies.”
- “Performance is good, only lagging at the very end with a lot of monsters on my MacBook Pro.”
- “It is very poorly optimized; it really sucks to lose a run because your OP build decimates your FPS quicker than it does the enemy and makes dodging (or even seeing) their telegraphed attacks impossible.”
- “Heavily bad performance issues; the game can't deal with the many things on screen and freezes constantly.”
- “Performance issues really kill this game for me.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky and silly elements, particularly the amusing antics of the main character, a mega-slime, and the humorous design of enemies and weapons. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, enhanced by funny in-game notes and vibrant visuals, making the experience enjoyable and entertaining. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with engaging gameplay, appealing to fans of arcade-style games.
- “The dev humor where there are notes in the game about it being early access and placeholders is pretty funny.”
- “Love all the charm and personality the game has from the wacky weapons and enemies to the hilarious 'there will be cool end screen things here and there later on' post-it notes left on the completion screen.”
- “Hilarious, stupid fun.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The reviews present a mixed picture of replayability across different games, with some titles boasting high or even infinite replay value due to engaging gameplay and new ability combinations. However, others are criticized for having lower replayability, particularly after completing available content, leading to a perception of limited value. Overall, while some games offer significant replay potential, others may feel short and lacking in replay incentives.
- “Infinite replay value here.”
- “These new abilities allow new combinations for new passives, which is where most of the replay value in this game comes from.”
- “I finished the game in less than four hours in early access, and I didn't push for all the unlocks, but I can assure you that even in its current phase, slime3k offers a lot of replayability.”
- “Not a whole lot of replayability in the current state once you finish the available stages, but it's a cool little game for the price.”
- “I didn't even know that this would be such a short game without much replayability.”
- “Lower replayability than others in the genre, but I still quite enjoyed it.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
77%
14%
The game currently lacks a substantial story, with players noting only a few missions available in early access. Many reviewers express a desire for more narrative elements to enhance the gameplay experience, suggesting that the art style deserves a more concrete storyline. Overall, while the game shows potential, significant improvements in storytelling are needed as it continues to develop.
- “Of course, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done (story, tutorial, balancing, bug fixing, etc.), but I know the team has it figured out!”
- “Especially if you are into the despot story... it's funny how the first game was making puny humans work for you, the second was puny humans working against the despot, and now it seems that the wicked machine has come up with its final solution... slime 3k.”
- “No substantial story in game.”
- “It would be nice to introduce more story-based features to add more depth rather than a mindless shooter.”
- “I won’t speak much about the lack of story, since it’s still in development, but I’m hoping for small clips at the beginning of the game as well as whenever you finish a level; the art style is so good that it needs a concrete story to wrap it all!”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
85%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting frequent freezes during gameplay and in menus, particularly on Mac systems. While some players note that it is not a complete disaster and shows promise, performance issues arise when too many enemies or effects are present on screen, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is still considered buggy and in need of further optimization.
- “The game is remarkably bug-free, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game is; I haven't encountered any bugs during my playthrough.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive, making it easy to immerse myself without interruptions.”
- “Before that, I tried on an M3 Pro MacBook and it's borderline unplayable with constant freezes in the menu and gameplay, with low FPS constantly. I definitely wouldn't recommend it for Mac users.”
- “If there are too many enemies or effects on screen, the game currently freezes.”
- “Heavily bad performance issues; the game can't handle the many things on screen and freezes constantly.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game's art and atmosphere, but their enjoyment is marred by significant gameplay issues, particularly the frustrating animation lock that disrupts control. This juxtaposition of love for the game's aesthetic and disappointment in its mechanics creates a bittersweet experience for many.
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a cash grab, lacking the creativity and passion seen in previous titles like Despot's Game. While some users acknowledge the developer's interesting advertising campaign, there is a general sentiment of disappointment regarding the game's apparent lack of joy and risk in its creation.
- “I think it's a step down from Despot's Game in terms of creativity and passion, and clearly an attempt at a cash grab on bullet heavens. I don't blame them for it, but I am a bit sad for them that there's so little risk or evidence of joy in its creation.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers consistently praise the game's atmosphere, highlighting it as a standout feature that effectively enhances the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere in general is so on-point in the game.”