Vagante

Vagante is a brutal roguelike game with a beautiful pixel art style and a procedurally generated world. However, it's not a game for those who don’t want to put in the hours, and you might find it more frustrating than it is fun.

75%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story, stability

90% User Score Based on 2,378 reviews

Critic Score 67%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Vagante" is a fantasy platformer game with beautiful game mechanics, impressive graphics, and fantastic music. It offers local and online co-op play for up to four players, with procedurally generated levels and a variety of character customization options. The game features a dark fantasy world filled with danger, treasure, and the lure of power, making it a highly replayable and often hilarious experience, despite some bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,386 reviews

gameplay115 positive mentions

story10 negative mentions

Challenging and rewarding gameplay that encourages learning from mistakes.
Unique classes and skill trees provide diverse playstyles and replayability.
Beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack enhance the overall experience.

Unforgiving instant-death traps can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Controls can feel clunky and unintuitive, especially for new players.
Limited healing options and a lack of permanent progression can make runs feel unrewarding.

gameplay
393 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
Vagante offers a challenging yet rewarding gameplay experience that combines elements of roguelikes and RPGs, featuring a steep learning curve and a variety of mechanics to master. Players appreciate the depth and complexity that emerge as they progress, although many express frustration with the game's punishing instant-death mechanics and occasionally clunky controls. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging combat, beautiful art, and the satisfaction derived from mastering its intricate systems, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.
- “Vagante will immediately punish you for overextending, being clumsy, and also experimenting, but it also rewards you with enough coherent mechanics that you can exploit with knowledge gained before.”
- “The gameplay feels simple, but the more you play, the deeper you realize it is.”
- “With its straightforward gameplay and well-balanced difficulty, Vagante is a hidden gem in the roguelike genre.”
- “Game runs smooth but unless you like a game with cheap one-shot deaths and explains close to zero of the mechanics in the dungeons, this game is not for you.”
- “The core gameplay and balance is way off with the mix of less than stellar controls and all the instadeath options.”
- “The gameplay is unforgiving but doesn't feel unfair.”
graphics
166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
51%
2%
The graphics of Vagante are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, which effectively creates a distinct atmosphere across various stages. Many reviewers appreciate the attention to detail, fluid animations, and cohesive aesthetic that enhance the overall gameplay experience, despite some criticism regarding the UI and occasional blandness in biome design. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, appealing particularly to fans of retro and indie aesthetics.
- “The graphics are absolutely wonderful!”
- “Vagante is a brutal roguelike game with a beautiful pixel art style and a procedurally generated world.”
- “The graphics make this game awesome.”
- “Absolute trash UI, graphics, everything about this game is terrible.”
- “Also, some of the later levels are spartan in their graphics.”
- “I can see why a lot of people like this game; it has a lot of elements of a successful game, but it has too many graphical shortfalls.”
music
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
45%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the immersive experience across various stages. Reviewers note that the soundtrack complements the gameplay beautifully, evoking feelings reminiscent of classic JRPGs while contributing to the game's distinct ambiance. Overall, the music is described as both enjoyable and fitting, with many players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack due to its high quality.
- “The soundtrack and overall artworks will give you a beautiful and distinctively different atmosphere for each stage.”
- “Its soundtrack is reminiscent of classic JRPGs and greatly enhances the sense of being a lonely warrior in search of ancient magic valuables.”
- “The music, composed by Sam English, successfully conveys the sense of treading through an unforgiving-but-bountiful dungeonscape.”
- “The soundtrack leaves something to be desired, and I have no idea how to unlock that chained chest - plus a little more starting character customization would go a long way.”
- “Not enough variety in music tracks between stages.”
- “The music isn't incredible, but is decent; it has a very good synergy with the atmosphere.”
replayability
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
38%
3%
The game is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, attributed to its diverse character classes, randomly generated levels, and challenging gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs. Many players highlight the enjoyment of co-op play and the variety of builds available, which significantly enhance the overall experience. While some note minor limitations, such as a lack of content in early access, the consensus is that the game offers nearly limitless replay value, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre.
- “So much replay value it’s insane and playing it with buddies is a lot of fun considering you will figure out who is dragging who down.”
- “The sheer amount of variety coupled with the excitement you get from the difficulty makes it a highly replayable game.”
- “Vagante has high replayability, as every single run will be a new experience.”
- “It has two big problems in my opinion: the boss difficulty scaling is way too fast, making it nearly impossible to fight late-game bosses unless you have a perfect run going. Additionally, you can't take multiple backgrounds simultaneously, which reduces replayability.”
- “Gameplay's fun, yet challenging; the community's great: there's always at least one or two parties to play with; replayability is... not really as much as I'd want it to be, but I can still play for a very long time.”
- “But with that said, the term 'lend' I used on top is very appropriate, as there are currently only 6 levels (2.5 worlds with 3 stages each), which cuts the replay value off a few inches on the yardstick.”
atmosphere
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
33%
6%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful pixel art, atmospheric music, and distinct settings that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of mystery, danger, and charm, with many noting how the oppressive yet engaging environment contributes to the game's challenging nature. Overall, the combination of art direction, sound design, and immersive gameplay creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps players invested for hours.
- “The soundtrack and overall artworks will give you a beautiful and distinctively different atmosphere for each stage.”
- “The art direction is gorgeous and contributes to an atmosphere of apocalypse, leaving you the player as just an observer making sense of a world shattered beyond saving.”
- “The game immediately sets an atmosphere of mystery, danger, and exploration with the graphics and music.”
- “Oppressive atmosphere, difficult to the point of combat being meticulous, severe spikes in environmental hostility, few mid-area respites, and does not shy away from arbitrary cruelty to the player—the wrong mistake at the wrong time means game over in a blink, and little can be done to stop the death spiral once it starts spinning out of control.”
- “However, because you have a sort of clouded atmosphere you cannot see traps or enemies ahead which forces the player to play very slowly.”
- “Vagante no longer rewards creative solutions, it's toned down its morbid atmosphere in the old shrine designs.”
story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
67%
24%
The game features a minimalistic approach to storytelling, with many players noting the absence of a coherent narrative or character development. While some appreciate the focus on gameplay and random level generation, others express a desire for more backstory and NPC interactions to enrich the experience. Overall, the consensus is that the lack of a substantial story is acceptable for a rogue-like game, but it leaves room for improvement.
- “Engaging story!”
- “I'm very excited and curious to know the story behind this game, and I cannot wait to see how the game will end up.”
- “I wouldn't hate having some story, but honestly it's not really needed.”
- “The game is 100% devoid of any direct story.”
- “This game is mostly all gameplay and there is not really a story to speak of.”
- “The combination of a short adventure, the lack of any story, arbitrary difficulty, and minimal tutorials makes for a hard recommendation.”
humor
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark comedy and absurd situations, such as unexpected deaths from spikes and boulders, which often lead to fits of laughter among players. Players enjoy the randomness of the game, from funny item sacrifices to hilarious interactions with friends during local co-op sessions. Overall, the game successfully blends challenging gameplay with entertaining moments, making it a fun experience despite its difficulties.
- “Proceed to sacrifice items at funny altars, get rewarded with gg items or cursed literally with dookie, drink all random potions and read random paper until I am poisoned, and blessed with the strength of a gorilla.”
- “There is a dark comedy in the instant deaths that has caused many stoned laughing fits with friends.”
- “Someone impaling himself on spikes with the particular 'fssst' sound effect never stops being funny.”
stability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Overall, the game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players noting it as "buggy" or "glitchy," particularly in online modes and during specific gameplay scenarios. While some improvements have been made, such as better online play and reduced bugs, issues like freezing and graphical glitches persist, especially on certain platforms like macOS. Despite these challenges, players appreciate the game's potential and engaging systems, though they express frustration with its current polish level.
- “It's very well optimized, not buggy at all, and has more content than any similarly priced games.”
- “This game has a lot of cool systems and you can play it very slow and methodical similar to Spelunky or Caveblazers, but unlike those games it feels extremely unpolished and buggy.”
- “I saw videos of gameplay on YouTube, at this point you should get the option to choose your class, but it just freezes. Do not buy if you have macOS.”
- “I've found there to be glitches sometimes where the boss will despawn!”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is often perceived as tedious and frustrating, with players frequently facing repetitive challenges and instant deaths that detract from enjoyment. While some appreciate the learning curve and strategic elements that emerge from repeated attempts, many find the overall experience to be more about endurance than engaging gameplay. The difficulty level is noted to be high, leading to a mix of discouragement and a sense of gradual improvement through persistence.
- “Hours of fun, and there is no grinding in the sense of leveling.”
- “That doesn't make the game challenging as much as it makes the game tedious.”
- “It becomes tedious replaying the first 2 zones over and over just to die within 3 minutes of entering the 3rd.”
- “I like the music and some of the gameplay is solid, but the difficulty is tuned to be tediously hard.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, often returning to it when they feel emotionally ready. The experience elicits a range of feelings, from laughter to frustration, with many highlighting moments that made them cry from laughter or joy. Overall, the game successfully engages players on an emotional level, creating memorable and impactful experiences.
- “I keep coming back to this when I have the emotional energy.”
- “Made my friend angry; I laughed until I cried. Good game!”
- “Best run ever! I had so much fun and laughed so hard at all the nonsense that I cried.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for its stability and content richness, making it enjoyable for multiplayer sessions. However, some users have reported performance issues, particularly with melee weapon mechanics and hitbox inconsistencies.
- “It's really optimized for playing with your buddies and having a good time.”
- “It's very well optimized, not buggy at all, and has more content than any similarly priced games.”
- “There are inconsistencies in melee weapon performance and hitboxes.”
- “I've been having performance issues with the multiplayer.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players praise the game for its strong character development, highlighting well-crafted arcs and depth that enhance the overall narrative experience.
- “The character development in this game is exceptional, allowing players to truly connect with the characters and their journeys.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their growth feel authentic and impactful.”
- “The depth of character development adds layers to the narrative, making every decision feel meaningful.”