Yōdanji: The Roguelike

About

"Yōdanji: The Roguelike" is a coffee-break game with Japanese folklore themes, where you can summon and trap yōkai using your phone. The game features spooky cute pixel-art graphics, a huge variety of playable characters, and a traditional roguelike experience with touch controls. Note that it has a steeper learning curve and is more challenging than other KEMCO RPGs, but mastering it can open up a whole new world of games.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

replayability3 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers a charming art style and immersive gameplay, making it a fun and satisfying experience once players get the hang of it.
It features a challenging roguelike experience with a variety of characters and unique abilities, providing a rewarding sense of progression.
The game has interesting lore and a retro aesthetic that sets it apart from other roguelikes, appealing to fans of Japanese folklore.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including freezing on startup and overlapping UI elements on modern devices, which detracts from the overall experience.
Many players find the difficulty level to be excessively punishing, with a heavy reliance on RNG that can lead to frustrating gameplay moments.
There is a lack of updates and new content, leading to concerns about the game's long-term viability and player engagement.

graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the charming art style and retro aesthetic reminiscent of NES and Apple II eras, while others criticize the visuals as dull or primitive. Despite some technical issues on certain devices, many players appreciate the unique graphics that complement the gameplay and lore. Overall, the graphics are seen as a blend of nostalgic appeal and varying quality.
- “The art style is so charming, too!”
- “Graphics and sound as gameplay are fresh and unique.”
- “The graphics are nice and the music is enjoyable, and I really like the additional art and lore for each character.”
- “I upgraded to an LG V40 and the graphics scaling is all messed up!”
- “👎 Primitive controls, horrible music, very poor graphics.”
- “Simple roguelike with hardcore difficulty and Apple II era graphics.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of experiences, with some players frustrated by excessive RNG mechanics that detract from the overall experience, while others appreciate the depth, challenge, and unique integration of graphics and sound. Titles like "Shattered Pixel Dungeon" are praised for their refreshing lore and engaging gameplay, whereas "Yodanji" is criticized for its weaker mechanics and visuals. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a significant factor in the enjoyment of these games, with updates contributing positively to player engagement.
- “Incredibly deep gameplay!”
- “Tough gameplay and cute and interesting art.”
- “Game has refreshing lore for a rogue-like, challenging gameplay and we are getting updates now and then!”
- “It's like the RNG mechanics are applied outside of the game in order to play it.”
- “If this were an isolated example, then it could be forgiven, but it happens to the point of ruining gameplay.”
- “(e.g. Shattered Pixel Dungeon) Yodanji has weaker mechanics, visuals, and overall gameplay.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; some players find it repetitive and lacking depth, while others appreciate its enjoyment and connection to the game's art and lore. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant flaw by some, contrasting with positive remarks from others who find it fitting.
- “The graphics are nice and the music is enjoyable, and I really like the additional art and lore for each character.”
- “The only flaw, and it's glaring, is the hyper short loop of music.”
- “The procedural dungeon generation needs to be expanded and improved; there needs to be more enemies other than other yokai, the tile set is ugly, the music is lame and repetitive, and the game just doesn't stand up to other roguelikes like Spelunky or Doom RL.”
- “Primitive controls, horrible music, very poor graphics.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Players find the game highly rewarding and replayable due to its diverse characters and customization options, which encourage multiple playthroughs. The unique gameplay mechanics of each yokai further enhance the replay value, making the experience engaging and varied.
- “That's what makes it so rewarding and replayable.”
- “Each character has great replayability and offers customization for every playthrough.”
- “The theme is interesting, and all the yokai play differently, providing a lot of replay value.”
- “Make each character have more replayability and customization for each play.”
- “The theme is interesting, and all the yokai play differently, so there is a lot of replay value.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, with the game frequently freezing on startup, particularly after the initial loading screen. Many players experience a blank white screen or complete freezes, especially on specific devices like the Note 10.
- “Loads past the Kemco screen then freezes on a blank white screen.”
- “Game freezes when starting on Note 10.”
- “Every time I start the program, it freezes.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is perceived as somewhat heavy-handed in its themes, but players find it easy to overlook this due to engaging updates that introduce additional content, such as side quests and main story enhancements.
- “The assigned motive from the story feels a bit too heavy-handed, but that's easy to forget.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious yet addictive, often spending many hours engaged in it, which contributes to their overall enjoyment and immersion in the gameplay.
- “Tedious but can't ever stop playing it; amazing game!”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the game's humor, noting that it effectively complements the engaging concept of yokai, enhancing the overall experience.
- “I love the concept and learning about yokai; plus, the game has a great sense of humor.”
- “The witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions kept me laughing throughout the game.”
- “The humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making even the most challenging moments enjoyable.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the game's rich lore and unique character designs, highlighting that these elements contribute significantly to the overall character development experience.
- “I love the lore and character designs for this game.”
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form genuine connections with each character.”
- “Each character's backstory is rich and adds layers to the overall narrative, making every interaction meaningful.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model of the game is criticized for being less favorable compared to other free roguelikes that offer an ad-free experience and rely solely on optional donations, suggesting that players may find better alternatives without financial barriers.

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