oh nice, I guess I haven't got that far. looking forward to it

duckov also has a very high level of polish, which is something you rarely see in more experimental games (no shade, just this is clearly an iteration/refinement of a design.) playing a run of my own game after, I was annoyed how small some text is, how clunky some interactions are, etc 😅

do wish there were random spawns/extracts though, because as runs are so short you might end up taking the same route 10+ times in an hour which can get a bit stale. otherwise only gripe is I find scope-overlays in these games quite strange, feels off so I avoid using them (personal preference)

have a bunch more I modelled a few months back, then shelved (as obviously not a main priority.) maybe I'll steadily drop them in when I need an easy mental break. they need to be textured/rigged but it's pretty fast

(I think personally I also find most gamble-likes a bit too dry. STS is my all-time favourite roguelite, and although it is light on story, it still has great atmosphere, weird creatures and environment art, and a sense of adventure. number-go-up is maybe not enough for me for whatever reason

another way to look at them is a distillation of buildcraft: the careful collection of gear/relics/cards/etc to improve your odds of winning. normally build construction is paired with some type of 'piloting': card order, action combat, etc. but, when the piloting is rolling a RNG, the build is king

recently been trying persona 4, and I have to say, the story and characters are the main draw for me there. the dungeons and combat are a bit weak (to me), but the small town vibe and character drama is compelling. (I found the dojima cutscenes in particular very moving)

I once had the makings of a memory-vignette system: as you progressed you'd unlock cutscenes or playable scenes to show backstory, a bit like edith finch. quite heavy scope though, and seemed a bit out of place. there are more subtle and efficient ways to add drama though, so I'll have to experiment

kind of funny to consider wandering across an austere tundra only to be greeted with a screen congratulating you on your Frags and Headshots

(this is spurred by my realizing I mostly stealth my way through my 'daily challenge' runs, as the only objective is to escape. in the campaign you have quests and a persistent stash, so have several reasons to pick fights. but, in the dailies I can't help but rat, the incentives are just too clear🤷‍♂️