Equin: The Lantern Reviews

First impression: lovely little jewel, it seems to be just the pocket dungeon crawler you always wanted. Impressive graphics :D - seriously, those crisp big and blocky pixels and palettes are just perfectly fitting, and those monsters are so expressively humorous in just so few rows of dots it's a joy to see. Now I just need some more time to play with it, and/or a mobile version to play while in the bus/train/work/school (:DD)

A solid roguelike with lots of replay value. Game is minimalistic, like all true roguelikes. Definitely worth for seasoned roguelike players, and not too big of an investment for people who have no idea what they are dealing with. My only gripe with the game is that you can't move items in your backpack; a slight inconvenience.

A great dungeon-perma-crawler-death featuring Bunnies of various traditional rabbit professions. It constantly reminds me of the white frock wearing ones who are at your door annoying you and handing out pamphlets, or the sword totting ones you see in spring(their usual 'grailing season), or the dagger wielding ones mugging you for carrots. Even those annoying Mage ones who keep you up at night chanting invocations to the Elder Gods, are represented in this lovely game. But Seriously its well worth the small price of admission. Trust me you could do alot worse for five times the cost.

Hi fellow gamers. So I've been thinking about reviewing this game for a while now and since the Steam Award Nominations are here, I guess it might be the right time. TL;DR: Minimalistic yet fun and randomized indie roguelike dungeon crawler which is still getting updates since its inception in 2016. Setting/General: "Equin: The Lantern" is a kind of minimalist roguelike game in which you're playing the role of a brave rabbit which ventures deep below the surface to find - a magical lantern. The introduction to the game is kinda brief so don't expect to know everything anytime soon. Character generation - like most of the game - is pretty minimalistic; you can choose between five different classes (Warrior, Thief, Wizard, Cleric and the secret class which I won't spoiler here). That's about it. The differrent classes of course feature different stats and ways to do combat. The thief of course is a very handy chap which will have few problems picking the locks of chests, while the warrior of course has the best chances in close combat. There's different merits and weaknesses which will be assigend automatically. You can view those in the "Special"-Tab while in game; warriors for example usually have "butterfingers" meaning they'll suffer more damage from trapped chests. Setting/Level design: The dungeon is randomized every time and you'll encounter some changes in scenery the deeper you get. You'll see the first few floors a lot because the game really isn't too easy. Those feature a dirty, earthy look, like what you'd expect from a typical medieval or fantasy dungeon. Brick walls, a few tufts of grass and the likes. Since I've yet to finish the game, I haven't seen the deepest floors, but I know that there are icy floors for example. Each level can contain different types of enemies (you got the usual bats, goblins, snakes, rats but also stronger foes like evil sorcerer-types) including bosses. Bosses usually are a variation of a common monster, being much stronger and 'outlined' a bit so you can recognize them. Aaaand... each floor has different loot, usually placed in chests or found in shops. Some chests are locked and as such the locks need to be picked, which will most likely succeed if you're playing a char with high dexterity and most likely will fail if you're playing a big oaf (the warrior). There's different items that can help picking aforementioned locks, there's stuff that can help you heal or recover stamina (food, potions), of course there's weapons & armor and more. Regarding the shops: There's different types of locations. You can enter a bar and pay for something to drink or some information, there could be cultists which will grant you different bonuses in exchange for some of your lifeforce, there might be the good old peddler of weapons and other items. Graphics: Really pixelish minimalistic but somehow charming (at least to me, but I'm old, I've played the Atari 2600 back then haha). I'd recommend playing it in windowed mode, since fullscreen seems overwhelming with pixel-styled games. Don't expect any special effects (can I still talk about 3D accelerated FX?); this game keeps it really simple. If you can't handle retro style graphics, you might not want to play the game. But if you do, be my guest. Sound & Music: The game usually resorts to "retro-styled" sound effects; bleeps and bloops, whooshs, some short "innuendo mini-melodies". No problem for me; it fits the retro atmosphere. When it comes to the music, it's catchy but there's not too many tracks. The beginning of the first battle theme bugs me a bit, because those bleeps seem weirdly placed. However, when playing the game I sometimes find myself humming along to the melodies. Still, some people might mute the music after hearing the tracks a few times. Controls: Simple stuff. You are using the arrow keys to move or navigate the menu(s), space the confirm or attempt an action and TAB to open the in-game menu. The steam store page also promises full controller support, but I haven't tested that yet. Story: Hmm. I don't know what to write here. I guess there isn't too much story; however since I haven't finished the game yet there might be a lot I'm missing. There's bits of information to find especially in the taverns but other than that, it seems to be kept rather straightforward. For example: The magical lantern has differently colored "phases" which feature different effects, but you'll only know that once you've got that part of information. Mechanics ("special bonuses"): Your character can choose one of five bonuses once you're almost done with the creation. Take a pick between finding 25% more gold, having 2% more attack power, gathering 15% more experience, gaining +3 magic defense from the get-go or having all stats increased by one point. Additionally there's the Xtoli-points which have only been added recently (this review is from the 22nd november of 2018 - take that into consideration). You gain those after you've finished a run; so most of the time once you've died in an earlier attempt at beating the game. With those points you are able to influence your stats and starting equipment, hence giving you a better chance towards making it to the end of the dungeon. Special (holi)days also grant specific bonuses. Mechanics ("the lantern"): The lantern has differently colored "phases" which grant you OR the enemies different kinds of boosts. So there's a bit of strategy involved. Would you rather attack that enemy now or try to wait for a bit until it's weaker again? Fighting: The fighting is turn based; you complete an action, the enemy completes a type of action. No "isometric strategic board game"-type of fight; it's reminiscent of the classic (J)RPGs of the 'olden times'. Are you acquainted with the basic RPG Maker 2000 fighting style? It's pretty much like that. Depending on your weapons (or spells) you have different attacks, but you also can try to flee or even tackle a monster (which isn't really the way to go and only should be used in emergency situations). Your stamina will deplete faster or slower depending on the type of attack you choose. Enemies also have their own stamina bar. Updates: Even though the game originally was released onto Steam in 2016, the game is still getting updates and changes. It seems the Dev is really fond of his creation and is nurturing it every now and then. That sentence is weird. Gotta take english classes again; I guess you get the meaning. The Dev: The developer is active in the games forum and to me is a nice guy who likes to have a chat with the players of his game. My subjective opinion: I like the game. It's fun to pick it up every now and then and try a new run. Once I've got one of those super rare armors and made it pretty far down the dungeon - but still, some monster caught me during a weak moment and that's that. I'll gladly fire it up from time to time and try my best at beating it once again. So there's a good deal of motivation I guess. There's also some players who share the logs (and stories) of their runs in the forum if you want to see what's going on for other gamers. DFX Games managed to put out a sweet little gem that feels like a short trip back to the past which still doesn't feel like it's aimed at hardcore gamers exclusively. Thanks for reading! - Osselpi -

A super fun, thoroughly charming & bite-sized roguelike! It's quite addictive and feels very complete, there's a surprising amount of depth that's only going to reveal itself through multiple runs. While the viewing area is rather tiny (you only see two tiles ahead in any direction), the game received a most welcome "widescreen" update awhile ago which afforded more space for displaying text. The dev's attention to detail shows, this game is an obvious labour of love like the rest of the DFX Games catalog. It continues to receive substantial updates, one of the most recent being the addition of calendar-specific special events. Definitely recommended! :)

I really enjoy this game, it is my current favorite "quickplay" game. With recent updates it seems the difficulty balance is slightly better. I'm allergic to patch notes so that may be untrue, I may be delusional. The developer is still updating enthusiastically, it meets conventional rogue gameplay traits. I play it regularly

An excellent roguelike that is deceptively deep. Don't let the cute graphics fool you, this game requires patience, knowledge, and good decision making skills. I have a few dozen runs so far in this game and feel all 3 classes (Warrior, Thief, and Wizard) are distinct, balanced, and fun. And make no mistake, while this game has a unique take on roguelike mechanics, it's very much a true roguelike; it's turn based, has intense resource management, and every run is totally different. For example, I just lost a good run as a Warrior because I fished too much. Yes, seriously. You can fish if you have the fishing pole item, which is a great and extremely reliable source of, well, fish, which heal you and replenish your stamina (which you need to do virtually everything aside from moving,) but I carelessly fished over, and over, and over, until my stamina was very low.... when suddenly I fished up a fucking dragon. Well, I probably could've handled it, if it weren't for the fact that I had a whopping 8 stamina going into the fight (this is a very low number for a fight against a tougher enemy.) Moments like these are very special and are what make roguelikes so fun. This game is chock full of them. And look at the price! It's a steal at $3.

[h1] Overview [/h1] Equin: The Lantern is a retro style roguelike game that puts you on a quest to obtain a mysterious lantern of unknown origin and design. You’ll be tasked with conquering 50 levels of a seemingly never-ending dungeon, delving deeper and deeper, amassing fortune and cheating death the entire time in turn-based combat. With its pixelated graphics that are feel reminiscent of old Dragon Warrior titles, Equin: The Lantern provides an interesting experience into the unforgiving realm of old-styled games and with a healthy dose of modern day twists and turns. Solve the mystery of the lantern phases and discover what it all means, or die horribly trying. This review will cover a range of emotions, as they changed drastically the more I played. In the beginning, Equin: The Lantern didn’t strike me as something I found all that interesting. I’m not sure what drew me to it initially, but on my first few playthroughs I didn’t know what I was doing and found myself frustrated with the difficulty of the game. With no tutorial and no real help outside of tips you buy at taverns [pending you have the gold, of course], the game largely leaves you dazed and confused, wandering aimlessly about fighting monsters, collecting treasure and trying to figure out the mechanics. For a while, if I’m honest, I didn’t find it fun. I found the lack of help annoying, the monsters overpowered and the gameplay mediocre. I’m not sure when that changed, but my perception of the game has transformed tremendously. Perhaps I’ve just become too complacent with tutorials, games that guide you through what to do, when to do it and explanations on how to win. There’s no gimmicks here, no QTEs, no monster “weak points” or anything of the sort. You're thrown into a dangerous world with a randomly generated assortment of items and basically left to figure it out for yourself. There is no handholding here and quite honestly, the game is there to make you fail, but also there to help you win. I found myself writing down my own hints, memorizing the tips in the beginning and finding my own ways to make each run more successful than the last. That mixture is a fine craft that makes this game so much more than it appears on the surface; let me explain. You’re given the option between three classes, a warrior [melee], a wizard [magic] and a thief. Each game starts you with three random items and you start your adventure. There’s a lot of thought here and it is easily overlooked. You could start with a pickax to mine gold and gems for cash, a campfire to heal, potions to sustain hard-fought battles, weapons, armor, a fishing pole to find fish to replenish health, a membership card to reduce pricing at shops and so much more. When you see the vast amount of items that you can earn, the possibilities really start to spider out and the uniqueness of each playthough becomes more evident. With a limited inventory, you’re forced to determine what is worth keeping and what is expendable. Do you use your healing potion now, or try to level up to replenish your health and stamina? Do you wield a two-handed sword for the damage, or stick to defense with a sturdy shield? Do you spend your gold to sleep, or learn a helpful tip, or save it for what could be? There’s so many ways each playthrough could play out, it starts to feel a little bit like a “choose your own adventure” book. Couple all this with randomly generated levels, enemies, loot and specialized floors [darkness, rain, infestations, exploding floors and optional boss levels] make each playthrough truly interesting and the amount of work put in by the developer shows. It doesn’t hurt to have a developer that cares so much for their game and those that play it. [h1] Pros [/h1] [list] [*] Unpredictability – The game keeps you on your toes and makes every situation important. [*] Inexpensive cost for how much the game offers. [*] The pacing of the game can either be quick or slow and methodical. There are no penalties for taking your time through each level. [/list] [h1] Cons [/h1] [list] [*] Text Style – Sometimes I find the pixelated text difficult to read. [*] Anti-Magic Zones are often difficult to see what’s going on. The concept is fine, but the density and slightly opaque color scheme makes me have to really focus my eyes. [*]No full screen or ability to zoom out due to the game’s design. [/list] Overall, I feel like Equin: The Lantern might not be for everyone. For those that have played old RPGs like Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest, you’ll find some solid inspiration in this game, however I feel like some people will glance over it without hesitation and I find that unfair. It really deserves a chance and for those that try it, I think you’ll enjoy it. Give it time and you’ll really start to notice there’s much more to the game than you think.

Man, I suck with sales pitches. It's not given me buyer's remorse like most of my steam library? That's gotta count for something. --- If you don't mind the GBC-esque pixel art and chiptunes (pretty much what sold me on it), you get a solid roguelike/dungeon-crawler that's easy to pick up and play with a good amount of content for the price. --- Game's got an itchy page with a demo if you'd rather take a look yourself. Check it out: https://del-duio.itch.io/equin-the-lantern-demo

[b][i]Equin: The Lantern[/i] is a strange game from the quite underappreciated indie dev Del Duio.[/b] Now, straight off the bat I will say that I 100% highly recommend [i]Equin[/i] to anyone that likes roguelikes proper. Don't confuse this with roguelites - we are talking turn-based gameplay of delving into a dungeon with permadeath. The difference between a veteran and a novice player is knowledge of the system, [i]NetHack[/i]-style. [b]Now with this recommendation comes the caveat that there are many [i]many[/i] rough edges in here.[/b] So many that it can be a bit frustrating at times. Perhaps the rough edges are holding this title back from more universal praise and greatness. I'll list it all below for the potential customer, as well as Del Duio. [i]Essentially, this has all the underpinnings of a classic roguelike.[/i] There are several character builds you can choose from. The usual suspects are all here; the tank, the wizard, the thief, etc. You have hit points, stamina (used to take actions or fight), 20 inventory slots, gold to buy stuff at shops, and experience points to gain levels. The goal is to try to get down to dungeon level 50 (I believe). The shtick of this title is the lantern colors. They change every so many turns. The colors alter the mechanics to a certain degree. It doesn't feel as potent as it should, to be honest. Figuring out what these colors actually do is a bit frustrating. The game has nice artwork, animation, and perhaps best of all - the humor. Finally, the actual combat system is an interesting hybrid of turn-based (think early [i]Final Fantasy[/i]) and bump-to-kill. Basically, low level monsters can just be bumped, while higher level go into the full battle system. [b]Pros:[/b] +As with any roguelike, after you choke down a few hours of learning the system - the whole thing is dangerously addicting. +Let me tell you that the humor in this game is just fantastic. +Controller support is always a welcome touch with roguelikes. +The system has complexity, but it never felt overwhelming like in other classic roguelikes; I never needed a Wiki or anything. +Price point is wayyyy too cheap [b]On the fence:[/b] -When first loading it up, it instantly smacks you in the face with how zoomed in you are to the character. It just feels wrong, BUT, after playing a few hours I don't even notice it anymore. So, what I'm saying is that this is initially off-putting, and takes some getting used to. [b]Cons:[/b] -The resolution options. This is debatably the worst part of this game. You either play in a window, a large window, or a stretched fullscreen that makes my eyes bleed. I wish there was fullscreen with black bars - but the bars have nice artwork on them (heck, make unlockable art to change it up over time; or even better, the bars could change with dungeon level). -[strike]The digital pad on the controller doesn't work, which is quite annoying.[/strike] Fixed! -Once you start playing the game (in the dungeon part) you cannot change any options. You have to save, quit (exit the game), and load it back up to change options (like volume or window size). -You cannot exit out of the game during the first few loading screens. Why? -For the game being about how the lanterns alter the gameplay - even after 5 hours I really don't have a fundamental understanding of how it all works. I do buy all the tips from the shops. So as of now, my conclusion is that the lantern changes are just not potent enough to force me to care. [b]Overall, I have a lot of love for [i]Equin[/i].[/b] With all it's rough edges comes a metric ton of charm. The game is [i]seriously fun[/i] once you get into it and start learning things. A must-have for fans of the genre.