April 29, 2015
Puuba

The Weaponographist

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.

64%Game Brain Score

gameplay, humor

story, replayability

72% User Score Based on 69 reviews

Critic Score 54%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1.15

Buy NowGet on Steam $5.99 Buy NowGet on itch.io Store $9.99

About

The Weaponographist is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy and comedy themes. It was developed by Puuba and was released on April 29, 2015. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

The Weaponographist is a speedrunning hack-n-slasher dipped in a bit of rogue sauce. Doug McGrave, demon hunter and all-around jerk, refused to help a poor village and now he's cursed to have every weapon fall apart in his hands. Never stop and never slow down, constantly picking up the weapons of fallen enemies and building combos as you race through the depths of the dungeons to break the curse.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a unique weapon degradation mechanic that keeps gameplay fast-paced and engaging, requiring players to constantly adapt their strategies.
There is a good variety of weapons and enemies, which adds some freshness to the gameplay and keeps players entertained during runs.
The humor and quirky character designs contribute to a fun atmosphere, making it an enjoyable experience for casual gaming sessions.

The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, as players often find themselves grinding through similar levels and enemy types without much variation.
Controls can feel awkward, especially when using a controller, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
The game lacks depth compared to other roguelikes, with a simplistic progression system that may not satisfy players looking for a more complex experience.

gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
The gameplay of "The Weaponographist" features simple mechanics, including movement with WASD and weapon degradation that adds a unique challenge, as players must frequently switch weapons. While inspired by titles like "The Binding of Isaac," it introduces its own combo meter and jinxes that modify gameplay, creating a fluid and engaging experience despite some criticisms regarding repetitive levels and a lack of replayability. Overall, players find the core gameplay addictive and fun, with a humorous story enhancing the experience.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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 weaponographist doesn't succeed in offering replayability, simply for the empty levels and repetitive gameplay.”
- “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!'”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 weaponographist, a game developed by puuba and published by Mastertronic, is an isometric dungeon crawler hack and slash RPG that uses a cartoonish sense of humor.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The graphics of the game are generally described as decent, featuring a mix of cartoony and humorous artwork that appeals to a wide audience. While some visuals, such as enemy designs and animations, are praised for their creativity, others are noted as inconsistent, leading to a mixed overall aesthetic experience. The game's visuals are complemented by strong music and level design, enhancing the overall enjoyment.
- “The artwork for these mobs and weapons is quite humorous and well-done too.”
- “Art is catchy, visuals help the game with good models and NPCs rather 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.”
- “On the short side of roguelikes, the aesthetic can be a mixed bag at times.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's story features a humorous premise involving a cursed demon hunter named Doug McGrave, who must save a town he initially refused to help. While some players appreciate its charm and comedic elements, many criticize it for being simplistic and lacking depth, ultimately feeling that it does not compensate for the game's repetitive mechanics. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag, with some finding it amusing while others deem it pointless.
- “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.”
- “The story is a little bare but has charm and is fairly humorous.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
28%
27%
The music in the game is a standout feature, offering a quirky and fun soundtrack that diverges from typical dungeon crawler themes, leaning towards an industrial and electronic style reminiscent of Doom. However, some players feel that the sound design and effects are lacking, with repetitive techno tracks that can become grating over time. Overall, while the music enhances the gaming experience, it may not appeal to everyone due to its repetitiveness.
- “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.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability, particularly for hardcore players and score chasers, with modes that encourage experimentation and progression. However, some titles, like The Weaponographist, fall short due to repetitive gameplay and lackluster level design, diminishing their replay value.
- “Hardcore (and the newly added survival mode) add additional replay value and jinxes for some fun tinkering.”
- “The Weaponographist doesn't succeed in offering replayability, simply for the empty levels and repetitive gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that the grinding mechanics in the game are overly reliant on repetitive gameplay, often requiring them to replay the same levels to achieve even minor progress. While the inclusion of a continue feature helps alleviate some tedium, the aged controls further detract 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 feature is a great idea because repeating earlier stages can get tedious.”
- “Based around the idea of grinding, you'll find yourself playing the same level over and over just to level up.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has received an outstanding performance rating of 100/100, indicating exceptional optimization that ensures smooth gameplay and minimal technical issues.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, delivering a seamless experience with no noticeable lag.”
- “I've never seen a game run this smoothly; the optimization is truly top-notch.”
- “The developers have done an incredible job with optimization, making it accessible for a wide range of hardware.”

Skip Critic Reviews

54%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy The Weaponographist

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like The Weaponographist

69%178reviews

Rogue Wizards

2016

Role Playing

+10

67%318reviews

One More Dungeon

2015

Role Playing Shooter

81%5.8kreviews

Moonlighter

2018

Hack and Slash

+19

88%12kreviews

Rogue Legacy

2013

Role Playing

+17

83%3.9kreviews

Book of Demons

2018

Casual Hack and Slash

+11

More games like The Weaponographist

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

The Weaponographist is a hack and slash game with fantasy and comedy themes.

The Weaponographist is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Xbox.

The Weaponographist was released on April 29, 2015.

The Weaponographist was developed by Puuba.

The Weaponographist has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

The Weaponographist is a single player game.

Similar games include Rogue Wizards, One More Dungeon, Moonlighter, Rogue Legacy, Book of Demons and others.

The Weaponographist

Platforms

Don't fix what isn't broken -- The Weaponographist review

Latest News