Sun Down Survivors
- February 24, 2023
- Pixel Sprout Studios
- 3h median play time
"Sun Down Survivors" is a defense game set in an alternate timeline of Sun Haven where Dynus, the Moon Dragon, has conquered the lands. As a hero, defend your home against quirky but dangerous monsters using a variety of weapons, spells, abilities, and pets. Upgrade your skills and abilities to wage a heroic last stand against the monsters, all while completing objectives, befriending neighbors, and even getting married.
Reviews
- The game has a cute art style and charming characters, making it visually appealing.
- It offers a unique blend of farming and action roguelike mechanics, providing a fresh take on the genre.
- The gameplay is addictive, with a variety of upgrades and abilities that encourage replayability.
- The game is plagued by bugs, including frequent crashes and black screens, making it frustrating to play.
- Many players feel the game lacks polish and content, with some features feeling unfinished or poorly implemented.
- The balance of gameplay is off, with upgrades often feeling ineffective and the difficulty curve being too steep.
- grinding25 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding elements, often leading to frustration due to lag and a lack of balance. While some players appreciate the blend of farming and action gameplay, many find the grinding tedious and not as enjoyable as traditional farming sims. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy repetitive tasks and resource gathering, but it may not satisfy players seeking a relaxing experience.
“Art assets seem oddly less detailed for half of the sprites in the game, and nasty lag/client freeze issues make this game more grindy than it should be.”
“It was released in an alpha state and while 1.1 was quickly released after, it's still incredibly unbalanced and generally just grinding - nothing really 'fun' about it.”
“If you enjoy mindless grinding and constant looping, this game is for you.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it thrilling and addictive, while others criticize the lack of meaningful upgrades and progression mechanics. Many feel that the game requires more polish and quality-of-life improvements, such as clearer tutorials and better resource management, to enhance the overall experience. Despite its fun core mechanics and unique elements, the gameplay can become repetitive and too easy once players master the systems.
“Sooo much fun to play - I love the ideas in the game, the gameplay is thrilling, enjoyable, and wildly addictive.”
“I really love the combat mechanics in this game.”
“This game has some unique mechanics that earn its time with me.”
“80% of my runs are getting worthless upgrades that do little to actually help with the core mechanic of killing enemies.”
“Gameplay and progression just feels too rough.”
“There's a lack of quality of life features, like a 'sell all' button, and gameplay features that are confusing, like entire resources becoming completely obsolete at a certain point with nothing to do with them.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game features a light and minimal story that focuses more on cute characters and companion pets rather than a deep narrative. While some players appreciate the simplicity, others note that it lacks significant plot development, making it unsuitable for those seeking a story-driven experience. Overall, the lighthearted approach to storytelling is seen as a positive aspect for the gameplay.
“The story is kept light but it's not to its detriment - I think if it were more plot-oriented, I'd get really frustrated and give up seeing as I can only make it to day 34.”
“The graphics and even the simple plot are well done.”
“Oh right, it also mentions how this is some story where the moon dragon won or something and is sending enemies at you?”
“If you're looking for a story-heavy game, this one isn't for you.”
“Don't go into this expecting an in-depth story or characters.”
“There's no story.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent freezes, crashes, and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as problems with the character selection screen and unresponsive controls. Despite its addictive nature, players report that these bugs severely impact their experience, often requiring restarts to resolve issues. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern that detracts from its enjoyment.
“It has a few glitches that need ironing out, like how some players can't get past the character selection screen, or for some reason I'll sometimes have to press a button twice: usually escape or very occasionally the S key when starting a new game.”
“The game is quite addicting; however, since one of the latest updates, the game constantly freezes, lags, and ultimately stops responding.”
“It's too buggy and lackluster; I've experienced a lot of game engine pauses like the game thinks you're in an upgrade menu but you can't do anything at all except rotate your character's facing south/north/west/east. The only solution is to close the game and restart.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their cute art style and neat design, with particular appreciation for the charming characters and whimsical elements like bunny carrot turrets. However, some users criticize the lack of polish and depth, noting that the seasonal changes are minimal and do not significantly enhance the visual experience. Overall, while the aesthetics are enjoyable, there are concerns about the game's graphical execution and consistency.
“The graphics and the pace of the game are nice.”
“Cute art style of Sun Haven plus Vampire Survivors-like play!”
“Graphics are neat; I like the bunny carrot turrets the best, and the enemies are pretty adorable.”
“I'm a person of the 'shorter games, worse graphics' persuasion, but that doesn't stop me from looking at this unfinished, unpolished mess and saying 'eight dollars?'”
“I'd hardly say your farm is ever 'thriving' in this, and the 'four changing seasons' just refers to the top right corner of the screen since there's no graphical change to the game as seasons progress (which is a shame since there's a lot of this in Sun Haven).”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, allowing players to immerse themselves in the rhythm while transitioning between activities. However, there is a noted lack of sound effects and feedback for abilities and item interactions, which detracts from the overall auditory experience.
“The music is great, the gameplay loop is solid, but all the details surrounding it are so early access without the title.”
“You definitely feel yourself zoning into the rhythm of the music and switching gears from farming to defending.”
“The music is killer, but there's not a lot of effects or feedback for the abilities that make them feel unique, or a lot of fun sound feedback for picking up items or buying them.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users find the game's optimization satisfactory, allowing for successful gameplay runs. However, there is a desire for further improvements, as some feel it hasn't been updated in a while and could benefit from additional optimization efforts.
“It's optimized, and I can actually complete a run.”
“I know they haven't worked on this one in a while, but hopefully it gets revisited and optimized a bit.”
“I know they have not worked on this one in a while, but hopefully it gets revisited and optimized a bit.”
“As it's optimized, I can actually complete a run.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to the diverse selection of perks available upon leveling up, which ensures a unique experience with each playthrough. This variability, combined with the engaging survival and resource collection elements, keeps the gameplay fresh and prevents monotony.
“It has high replayability capability due to the fact that each time you level up, you’re able to select a perk from a variety of options, and they're different each time. You never know what skills you're going to end up with as you're fighting for your survival while trying to collect resources.”
“Replayability is a factor that all games should have in some way or another (whether it's the main gameplay or DLCs) because you'll never get bored of playing, and that's the best part of a game.”
“Replayability is a factor that all games should have in some way or another, whether it's the main gameplay or DLCs, because you'll never get bored of playing, and that's the best part of a game.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again. The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel pointless.”
“The game offers very little in terms of different outcomes or experiences on subsequent playthroughs, which makes it hard to justify replaying.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting its epic quality, particularly in relation to its connection to the beloved ambiance of "Sun Haven."
“I love games like this, and the fact that it comes from Sun Haven's atmosphere is just epic.”
“The atmosphere in this game is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
“Every detail contributes to a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged and wanting to explore more.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that players feel the monetization strategy is overly aggressive and resembles a cash grab, leading to disappointment in the game's financial practices.
“Expected better than a cash grab like this.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative and overly aggressive.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game relatable, often connecting it to their own experiences, such as early critiques of the game during its early access phase. This personal touch adds to the comedic appeal, making it resonate with players.
“This is funny because it was also my first critique of Sun Haven in early access!”
“The humor in this game is spot on, making every moment enjoyable!”
“I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions!”