Undergrave Reviews

I'm not too big into strategy games, but this is pretty cool, after a few deaths you get the hang of it, the ways you can kill your enemies are thoughtful methinks and what i like the most is how you can snowball your way trough the... dungeons? Also the replayability with the [spoiler]New Game and New Game+[/spoiler] it's really nice its fun

This game is quite fun but some mechanics are hard to understand. For example, when I stun enemies, sometimes they move on the next round sometimes they don't move. Am I missing something or is this a bug? Which skills stuns the enemies? We need more variety of upgrades. Life steal, shield, magic, calling your sword back like Thor/Kratos, etc. I know it will be hard to balance but making a overpowered build against merciless enemies would be fun. I am at the second place rn. I am going to keep playing to unlock new things. I hope there are some. IMPORTANT: Please change the poster. Your game has cool art style but that poster is just bad. You can do better. I almost didn't buy this game because of that poster.

it's hoplite meets hyper light drifter and I am down for it. not sure why the music feels like you're in an elevator but it's catchy all the same. I should warn that as of 7/25/22 there are still some run-spoiling bugs in this, but the (solo?) dev is actively working to address them. Definitely worth supporting.

Great, addicting gameplay. Like a much simpler, purer version of fire emblem, in the best way possible. There's a lot of room for QOL improvements that could push this up a few points, like some kind of autosave feature. My game crashed at one point after completing two zones with no damage and after restarting the game, all my upgrades disappeared. There are also some small bugs like new enemies appearing in older zones or inputs sometimes being delayed. Would rate a solid 8/10.

The game feels slow and clunky (UI), repetitive (worlds are a bit too long), upgrades aren't compelling. It's no Hoplite.

Quick Description: -Undergrave is a minimalist tactics strategy game from the team that brought us Red Ronin. It's smart, strategic, and offers quite the challenge. There is no tutorial whatsoever, so the learning curve can be a tad steep. The upside is that seeing improvement is really rewarding, but it can be very frustrating to die to a boss simply b/c you don't understand why basic mechanics that damage all enemies do no damage to this specific boss. I do think that fans of the genre will find a fun and rewarding game, but I probably wouldn't recommend this to newcomers to the genre b/c of the steep learning curve. What's Good: -This game is quite challenging, but is very skill based. Every run is different, but no upgrade feels overpowered imo. Some upgrades are clearly better, and any time you can avoid wasting an upgrade on recovering health, it's a big advantage. You are thrown right into the deep end right away, so being able to improve is extremely rewarding. -I really like the simple, clean, minimalistic art design. I think it's a great choice for a tactics game developed by one person. Being able to see all of the tiles, knowing exactly when you are in danger of taking damage is far more important than an elaborate art design that distracts from the game fundamentals. -This game is a true roguelike which is a major distinction from Red Ronin. I think it's a great choice, and adds tons of replayability and variety to the overall experience. I really like Red Ronin too, but some of the puzzles in that game had only one solution to the problem. In this game, you will be given far more freedom to be creative and be successful on your own terms. Could Use Some Changes: -Although every run is unique, most of the runs will play out in a very similar manner. You will never RNG your way to a victory w/ an overpowered build. This is more common in bullet hell games, so most prospective players probably won't expect that in a tactics game, but I thought it was worth mentioning. -The basics of this game are pretty easy to understand, but you will go in blind on your first few runs. There is no tutorial, and you are expected to learn as you go. I think there is a certain charm to this kind of style, but not everyone will love this choice. Some may feel a bit lost over the first 30 minutes to hr before you start gaining some confidence. My biggest gripe w/ this choice is that you are pretty guaranteed to lose on your first attempt w/ each boss b/c it isn't always obvious how to approach the boss battles. -The more I played this game, the more I noticed very small issues here and there. This game as a whole feels a little rough around the edges compared to top of the food chain games in the tactics genre. Consensus: -Middle of the Road Game (Tier 4 and makes up 25% of my reviews). Undergave is a fun addition to the roguelike tactics genre. This dev continues to put out consistent high quality games that won't hurt your wallet. I do wish that Undergrave had some form of tutorial and at least would give basic information on dealing w/ the bosses. While there is a certain charm to this very minimal approach to the genre, it does feel like it's lacking a few accessibility options that would make the game more approachable to a larger audience. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of the genre, Undergrave should be a fun addition to your library.

A unic take on the tactical turn style, close to what was done in Red Ronin but this time with a roguelike twist. This game is awesome whether you are dashing as fast as possible through the enemies or carefully planing every throw and jump while in your last HP point. The upgrades give a nice bit of variety to every playthrough but the random obstacle style of level design gives a little space to be inproved upon. 10/10 would trow my sword to run away and fight another day again

I hated this game but I won't say it's not recommended because I know it will be right for some people. If you've played "Into The Breach" before, I think that will make for a pretty excellent indicator as to whether or not you will like this game. I, for one, can't stand it, but this genre of "puzzle games disguised as roguelikes" definitely scratches an itch for certain gamers. Give it a go, and see if it's one for you.

Undergrave is yet another 'slam-dunk of a game' by Wired Dreams Studio! I had a great time playing through this game and recommend it to anyone who enjoys turn-based, tactical, puzzle-like experiences. Initially, I found Undergrave to be far more challenging (frustrating) than the other games I've played by this developer (Red Ronin, Upaon: A Snake's Journey). Not to say that these other games weren't uniquely difficult in their own ways but, in contrast, Undergrave has a bit more complexity and nuance to its gameplay mechanics while giving the player very little information on how to play. Much of the early gameplay is trial and error - learning the quirks of enemy movements/attacks, the introduction of new enemy types, and experimenting with the all creative ways you can dispatch them. The real genius of Undergrave's gameplay is that, despite its deceptively simplistic combat, you are very much limited by the cost of your movements/attacks (AP) and careless usage can find you inadvertently positioned to receive damage. Though difficult by design, Undergrave is still quite fair and approachable. After a few hours of failed runs and after finagling a personal 'meta' for perk selections [spoiler]iron knuckles/jumping supremacy[/spoiler], it all clicked together and I was then able to expertly complete each level with creativity and panache for all subsequent playthroughs.

Wired Dreams really outdid themselves on this one. This game provides a great variety of strategies and approaches, every run you learn a new thing or two and when you think you mastered the level, your greed become your demise. It's a hard game, a true roguelike experience, no handholding. If you liked Red Ronin or if you enjoy Turn-based strategy, get this game. Even if It's not on sale, it's cheaper than a fancy coffee, hahaha.