The Weaponographist

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 69 reviews
  • gameplay
  • humor
  • story
The Weaponographist Game Cover
Fresh and engaging, The Weaponographist is a succinct package of roguelike goodness. If you need a quick fix of something new for a weekend, this weapon-breaking dungeon-delver will suit that need perfectly.
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"The Weaponographist" is a fast-paced, Roguelike dungeon-crawling game where you play as Doug McGrave, a cursed demon hunter. After refusing to help a town overrun by demons, Doug loses his powers, gear, and wealth. To break the curse, you must use an ever-changing array of weapons to defeat enemies and keep your combo meter high. With each weapon's limited lifespan, quick thinking and adaptability are crucial for success.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews
gameplay5 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game features a fun and quirky art style with a variety of unique weapons and enemies, keeping gameplay interesting.
  • It offers a fast-paced, addictive experience with a solid progression system that allows players to upgrade their character and weapons between runs.
  • The weapon degradation mechanic adds a layer of strategy, forcing players to adapt and switch weapons frequently, which enhances the overall challenge.
  • The game suffers from repetitive gameplay and linear level design, leading to a lack of variety and excitement over time.
  • Controls can feel awkward, especially with the attack mechanics, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
  • Many players feel it does not live up to its roguelike label, as it lacks the depth and randomness typically associated with the genre.
  • gameplay26 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and humor, featuring basic controls and a unique weapon degradation mechanic that enhances the challenge rather than detracts from it. Players engage in a progressive experience where they can upgrade their abilities with each run, although the combo meter system can lead to frustrating de-leveling. Overall, the gameplay is fluid, addictive, and offers a mix of familiar inspirations with its own distinct mechanics.

    • “Gameplay is simple: WASD to move, arrow keys to attack, shift to pick up weapons, and space to use magic, or play with a controller if you want to.”
    • “Gameplay is fluid, challenging, and above all, fun.”
    • “The Weaponographist is designed to look like Binding of Isaac through screenshots and gameplay footage, but it is not at all similar.”
    • “The curse itself is a key part of the gameplay because no matter what weapon you use, it'll eventually break, leaving Doug to fight hordes of elven archers, mafia men, lions with whips, and octopi with lasers with his bare hands.”
    • “I hated having to switch weapons and keep using new ones that I was not familiar with, but eventually that became the exact reason I kept playing, because they used this mechanic as a tool to ramp up the difficulty on top of the regular standby of 'more enemies!'”
  • humor12 mentions

    The humor in "The Weaponographist" is characterized by its quirky, cartoonish charm and witty dialogue, particularly from the friendly puubas and townsfolk. Players find the game's funny story and ridiculous enemies enhance the overall enjoyment, making it a lighthearted experience despite its challenging gameplay. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the fast-paced action, contributing to the game's appeal.

    • “I had a lot of fun interacting with the puubas (who are incredibly friendly and wittily humorous, by the way!) as well as my fellow competitors.”
    • “Fast-paced action, ridiculous enemies, and witty humor makes The Weaponographist incredibly enjoyable.”
    • “The story is a little bare but has charm and is fairly humorous.”
  • story12 mentions

    The game's story features a humorous premise involving a cursed demon hunter who must save a town after refusing to help, but many reviewers find it simplistic and lacking depth. While some appreciate its charm and comedic elements, others criticize it for being repetitive and ultimately falling short of its potential. Overall, the narrative is seen as a lighthearted backdrop that doesn't significantly enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “The story itself is simple: an overconfident demon hunter named Doug McGrave, drawn lovingly in the style of classic cartoons, refuses to help a demon-infested town and is then cursed.”
    • “Story: you get cursed by this witch for refusing to save their town and now you have no other choice but to save it while trying to make the curse go away.”
    • “The story is a little bare but has charm and is fairly humorous.”
    • “What little story there is doesn't even remotely make up for the lackluster and repetitive (have I mentioned this game is repetitive?) nature of the game.”
    • “This doesn't always work in the game's favor, and ends up falling short of what could've been an amusing game with a chuckle-worthy story.”
    • “This is as far as the story goes, and it's essentially pointless.”
  • graphics11 mentions

    The graphics of the game are described as decent, featuring a mix of cartoony and humorous artwork that appeals to a broad audience. While some models and NPCs are well-designed, opinions vary on the quality of certain enemy designs, leading to an overall mixed reception with scores ranging from 6.5 to 89/100. The visuals, complemented by great music and animations, enhance the overall gaming experience.

    • “The artwork for these mobs and weapons is quite humorous and well-done too.”
    • “Art is catchy, and the visuals help the game with good models and NPCs quite well.”
    • “Cartoony graphics are the calling card for most indie titles; they are easy on the eyes and usually appealing to most audiences.”
    • “It's just an arcade game where the graphics look like a dungeon.”
    • “Decent graphics”
    • “Graphics: 6.5”
  • music11 mentions

    The music in the game is a standout feature, offering a unique blend of industrial and electronic sounds that diverge from typical dungeon crawler soundtracks, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players find the sound design and effects lacking, with repetitive techno tracks that can become grating over time. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, it may not appeal to everyone.

    • “Very quirky and fun with cool old-school music.”
    • “The music is the highlight of the audio as the soundtrack isn't the standard dungeon crawler music ala Diablo, but rather more industrial and electronic like Doom.”
    • “Additionally, I really enjoyed the music and the aesthetics of the game; it really makes the experience.”
    • “Sound design and music could be better; it didn't stand out at all.”
    • “Unlike the music, the sound effects aren't exactly anything to cheer over.”
    • “Nothing stands out here: the techno music feels really repetitive and might get on your nerves, and the sound effects aren't varied.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability, particularly through its hardcore and survival modes, appealing to score chasers and those who enjoy character progression. Players can expect a rewarding experience as they repeatedly tackle challenges, making it an engaging option for fans of rogue-like mechanics. Overall, it has been rated highly for its replay value, with many players finding it addictive.

    • “Hardcore (and the newly added survival mode) add additional replay value and jinxes for some fun tinkering.”
    • “There's lots of replay value here if you're a score chaser, and if you're anything like me, it'll take you a good 25 hours to finally beat hardcore.”
    • “As with many rogue-like games, the replayability is the strongest point: trying to defeat the same boss over and over, and leveling up your character and becoming a force of nature make this an addicting experience that will last for a long time.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, with outdated controls exacerbating the tedium of repetitive tasks necessary for progress. While the option to continue from earlier stages is appreciated, the need for extensive cash grinding for upgrades further detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Aged controls are an immediate drain on the game's core loops that already rely too heavily on grinding for even small-scale progress.”
    • “However, that continue is a great idea because repeating earlier stages can get tedious.”
    • “Later upgrades require a lot of cash grinding in an already repetitive game.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game has received outstanding praise for its optimization, with users rating its performance a perfect 100/100, indicating smooth gameplay and efficient resource management across various systems.

    • “The optimization in this game is outstanding, achieving a perfect performance score of 100/100.”
    • “I am thoroughly impressed with how well-optimized the game runs on my system, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
    • “The developers have done an incredible job with optimization, ensuring that even on lower-end hardware, the game performs flawlessly.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

54% average critic score

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