Slimes

About

"Slimes" is a turn-based RPG where Julius Anderson, a crusader, and a magic-infected healer must team up to destroy an alien being's dungeon. The game features floor-by-floor progression with side stories, and level ups that grant skills relevant to the player's progress. Content warnings include religious extremism, violence, and suicide. The demo is available on Steam and itch.io, with the latter always having the latest version.

Genres & Tags

Role Playing

Play Modes

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

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a deeply engaging story with well-developed characters and themes that explore complex issues such as hatred and institutional bigotry.
The combat system is creative and challenging, requiring players to strategize and adapt to different enemy encounters, which keeps the gameplay fresh.
The unique art style and atmospheric music enhance the overall experience, making it memorable despite its basic graphics.

The graphics are often described as basic and unappealing, which may deter some players from fully engaging with the game.
The user interface can be cumbersome, particularly when managing character abilities and equipment, leading to frustration during gameplay.
Some players find the turn-based combat to be lacking in depth and strategy, with a lack of meaningful upgrades or customization options.

story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The game's story is widely praised for its depth and unconventional storytelling, with players appreciating the way it intertwines side stories and character development, particularly between the two protagonists who harbor deep-seated hatred for each other. Themes of darkness, mental health, and the complexities of human emotions are explored, making it a thought-provoking experience that resonates with players. Despite some criticisms regarding graphics and combat, the narrative and music are highlighted as standout elements that elevate the overall experience.
- “While the graphics are basic and frankly ugly, the music, combat, and story bring it around, along with an excellent final boss and ending that ties the themes of the game up in a perfect conclusion.”
- “If you are wanting to dive deep into a story that deals with rough topics head-on, this is a great one to consider, as it exhibits a great sense of understanding of the subject.”
- “I love the way in which the game's world is built out through parallel stories in both the protagonists and the story content you unlock as you play; descending deeper and deeper is interesting and I'm curious to see what happens next!”
- “While the graphics are as basic and frankly ugly as they can get, the music, combat, and story bring it around, along with an excellent final boss and ending that ties the themes of the game all up in a perfect conclusion (which is something most AAA games can only dream of doing).”
- “It's hard to do a non-spoilery explanation, but here it is: the game explores the possibility that sometimes people are just so bad that they do not deserve even an attempt at forgiveness, but to prove this point it uses the least 'human' characters, which would be perfectly okay, except that [spoiler]Julius[/spoiler] absolutely has reasons for his behavior; he has a backstory, he has something there that the game could show us to tell that he is still a person.”
- “I don't want this to be seen as giving him justifications for his character though - his actions are still subhuman despite whatever story or inner demons he has, but it's just that the game never tells you them directly, instead choosing to give some subtle hints.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
79%
13%
The gameplay features a combat system that is accessible yet offers depth, allowing for various strategies in battles, though it lacks traditional stat progression and inventory utility. Players can opt for a combat-free story mode, which highlights the game's strong narrative, but some mechanics and UI elements feel underdeveloped. Overall, while the gameplay may not be the main draw, it provides a solid foundation that complements the engaging story and character dynamics.
- “The combat mechanics are easy to understand while being complex enough to facilitate several different ways of approaching each fight, and the difficulty curve is appreciable but manageable.”
- “The two party members are unique in their skillsets, which does a lot for the gameplay's longevity.”
- “Nice game, great even, but some of the characters, themes, and gameplay mechanics fall a little short.”
- “The process of killing all enemies is a mixed bag, since the entire battle system has no stat progression, instead choosing to reward the player with skills for level ups, while leaving inventory and equipment without any particular use for the gameplay.”
- “There's an option to essentially enable a combat-free story mode, though the mechanics are finely-tuned enough that fighting, while no cakewalk, doesn't require any real trial and error.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The graphics of the game are described as basic and lacking polish, often resembling a child’s artwork with a simplistic, hand-drawn aesthetic. While some find the visuals to be unique and expressive, they also note that the overall execution appears rough, particularly in the overworld where character movements seem awkward. Despite these criticisms, the game's strong narrative, music, and combat mechanics help elevate the overall experience.
- “Fantastic world-building, great writing, a distinct art style.”
- “The visuals are worth taking note of, because they have a very unique appearance.”
- “Super-pointed story that earns all its tremendous darkness, married to a gorgeous aesthetic and meticulously balanced turn-based battles.”
- “At first glance, it appears to be this laughably edgy RPG Maker game with a three-color visual gimmick and artwork that looks like it was made by a child... and truth be told, that is *technically* what this game is.”
- “Aside from the colors, however, the visuals in this game do look lacking in polish.”
- “The scribbly aesthetic actually lends itself well to the larger scale visual-novel-esque parts of the game, even if they do look like they were drawn in MS Paint, but in the overworld where there's less space to work with, entities tend to look like a first draft, with little Lego arms and legs that sort of just vertically bounce up and down like pistons in a poor attempt at emulating human movement.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised, with many reviewers highlighting its engaging and memorable soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Despite the game's basic graphics, the music, along with the story and combat, significantly elevates the gameplay, making it a standout feature that resonates well with fans of the Mother series. Overall, the soundtrack is described as "banging" and a key element that salvages the game's shortcomings.
- “While the graphics are basic and frankly ugly, the music, combat, and story bring it around, along with an excellent final boss and ending that ties the themes of the game up in a perfect conclusion.”
- “The soundtrack is above average, especially if you like the Mother series.”
- “The story and music really do save the game.”
- “While the graphics are as basic and frankly ugly as it can get, the music, combat, and story bring it around, along with an excellent final boss and ending that ties the themes of the game all up in a perfect conclusion.”
- “The story and music really do save the game though.”
- “Soundtrack is above average, if you like the Mother series.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is described as tense and dark, effectively complementing its well-crafted story and morally ambiguous themes. The relationship between the characters Julius and "healer" stands out as a particularly intriguing element within this somber setting. Despite its seemingly simplistic visuals, the atmosphere is engaging and purposeful.
- “The relationship between Julius and 'Healer' is probably the most interesting aspect of 'Slimes's' direct plot, which is filled with a dark atmosphere and morally grey themes.”
- “The relationship between Julius and the 'Healer' is probably the most interesting aspect of 'Slimes's' direct plot, which is filled with a dark atmosphere and morally grey themes.”
- “It might look a little 'scribbly' on the surface, but its atmosphere is tense, and it has a story that knows exactly what it's doing at all times.”
- “It fits the atmosphere.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be minimal, noting that it is challenging yet relatively short, which means that overcoming difficult battles relies more on skill and understanding rather than grinding for levels or resources. Overall, the lack of grinding is appreciated, as it keeps the gameplay focused and engaging.
- “For such a relatively short game, this has been one of the most challenging RPGs I've ever played, and without any kind of grinding to do, you can rest assured that if a battle is too hard, you're going to have to beat it because you understand the game.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's writing evokes strong emotional responses, drawing inspiration from titles like Drakengard and Nier, which leaves players feeling deeply affected, even to the point of discomfort. This intense engagement keeps players hooked, despite the emotional turmoil it may cause.
- “Its writing takes many cues from Drakengard and Nier in the best possible way—I could not stop playing it, and it made me feel like absolute shit for doing so.”