Join the fruit bat cult, it's strictly better than smeltery!
Anyway, a great game with a great idea of balancing ore vs score! I especially enjoyed how it is player-centered and focuses on building a good deckbuilding rather than steering the attention to other factors. The music is beautiful, some of the only pieces that I actually listened to instead of muting it immediately.
The only downside is that it feels like you are pretty much forced to play a lot of draw/energy action cards with some payoff, of which wrench is just too good at any point in the game (it is just too op with the only downside being that you have to get it).
It would also be really nice to add some variety like relics/card upgrades or maybe some challenges or pathing choices like in Slay the Spire. Honestly, I can see the game go in so many directions that it's hard to pick what I would like to see the most and I can see it really pop off if you release it to Steam.
Anyway, here's the run, got wrench on level 6 or so and didn't need to use it for score even once (I did end up using it for score just to speed up the process though)
I really like the game and graphics it reminds me of dominion but kinda more fun. I think it can blow up if you ever release it to steam! But idk if it's just me or only viable strategy is action cards with some payoff.
I would really love if there are different ways to find the game like scaling resources infinitely or similar. Mby adding artifacts or easier ways to remove cards (even if in game) or upgrading cards.
It's a great game and I'm enjoying playing it, but I feel like it has a chance to be really popular if there is more strategies to win
(3.01v) Very addicting game. Love the gameplay loop! I would love to see more!
Game feel is good. I like the balatro style card movement, CRT screen effect and level intro and outro. I would like more pizzazz/partical/card visual effects that tie into the mining/pixel theme if your sticking with it. The overworld is cute, but I would like some backgrounds while playing to reflect the location I'm in. I wish the location had some effect on the gameplay.
Game play wise, I wish you could have branching paths for different locations or events (I thought it was initially, based on the navigation in the overworld) but as I said in the beginning: very fun finding synergies, combos, and managing priorities. I would also like seeing more card modifications other than upgrading resources. Maybe adding equipment/events that modifies actions/tools? (Can you tell I like Slay the Spire?) But just things that would make it more fun/replayable.
Game balance wise, it feels like that the optimal strategy is the only strategy to win (ie no build variety to win the game). I was stuck on the level that required 90 scorium for a while until I realized what cards I needed to win. And that combo of cards depended on the RNG of the early shops. (The combo was early goldmine/0 cost resource generation into walkie talkie to duplicate resource cards to 7 value, into salamder, campsite, draw/energy cards, wrench) And it took a while. So, personally I want more build variety and maybe some other gameplay modes for replayability.
Overall, great game and I would love to see more. Good luck!
I found this quite fun, but very difficult. I'm feeling that I lack agency, as I know a few combination of cards that can let me win (mostly, combining the campfire and the salamander), but I don't feel that most runs have a pathway to victory - I find myself having most runs end at the stage where you need 90 score, but the two runs that won were super easy because of the available upgrades. I think it would feel better if it were a little bit less random (possibly with some additional difficulty to balance more choice).
It's very easy to lose in the first few stages if you are aggressively trying to spec towards a winning strategy - seemingly if you don't do this your runs almost never end in success. Once I got the snowball going (usually, gold mine > walky talky > salamander & campsite > 0 cost pips > wrench) it was quite easy to win.
This leads to a high level of difficulty that is driven more by randomness and less by player choices. If you had a more certain path to a given build it might feel better for players, even if the game were made more difficult numbers-wise.
Heyo! The new update is pretty awesome! I like the new strategies introduced, such as how cards like Gold mine encourage the usage of more resource cards, and Wrench encouraging more action cards. And while the new creature is definitely a downgrade from the original, it's new mechanics are pretty fun too, plus the original was definitely overpowered.
My only complaint would be the nerf to the Prospect card. Using it was one of the most fun parts of early game, but now it's rendered entirely useless. I'm honestly curious as to why it's price was raised, since cards like Aquifer and Corkscrew now directly outclass it, giving a +2 or a +1 to all resources for the exact same cost.
I think that the entire point was to encourage buying cards from shops rather than sticking to your original deck? On top of that, playing Prospect used to be just strictly better than playing a small ore/score so I think it also encouraged more choice gameplay-wise
Not always. Once you start racking up higher value cards, it becomes a choice between, for example, 5 ore now or +1 ore for the rest of the game. It naturally becomes less useful towards late game anyway.
hi - so sorry you had this bug! only one other person has actually seen this bug as far as i'm aware, so if you do manage to replicate it, please let me know so i can get it fixed for the next version <3
so - i think the action that is causing this is essentially the double click on the "GO" button after beating a round is causing the issue - possibly reopening the shop scene and causing cards to not be removed from the scene properly?
sorry to hear that - please let me know if you can have further details or can find a reliable way to replicate this bug and i'll have it patched right quick <3
from what I can tell, it only does it after the first time you lose or win, and i think it's keeping the previous cost underneath or it's pressing the button twice in the same moment. best I can do
I did eventually end up winning regardless, the fix to the bug is uninstall, reinstall. the way to beat the game is prioritize boosting one scorium as high as possible while getting energy and positive card draw from minecart and the creature
Neat thing! Beat it in two. The two separate resources make for fun multi-dimensional decisionmaking. Always fun to see what happens to the deckbuilder design space when a different mechanic becomes central - in this case, meta-scaling.
On that front, the non-scaling payload cards (i.e. axolotl, map, mole) feel like a trap to me. Maybe they help you out at the start, but they only bog you down near the end of the game. May some sort of action-card-specific synergies are in order? "The next action card you play is played twice"? "Action cards are free this turn"?
More broadly, I think the game could use some more diversity of viable strategies. Right now I suspect all winning decks are roughly the same-- one or two big, pumped-up scoriums that you try to play as often as possible. There's decent flexibility even within that, but it'd be nice to have some other win conditions. Something with action cards? Lots of smaller scoriums?
Anywho, fun game! Looking forward to see where you go with it!
ty for the feedback - totally get what you're saying. i'm simmering on a card & content update right now and i could totally use some ideas like this for some secondary archetypes that would make the game more interesting!
I do have a minor comment though - any idea why the game is so resource intensive? I've noticed quite a bit of fan activity, not quite sure why as nothing too fancy seems to be going on.
so sorry you're having trouble! i haven't been able to replicate this on my machine but i'll look into it, thanks so much for keeping up with the project <3
Just dropping by to say it is so nice to see a great little jam game continue to be supported and lots of people mentioning they played it at a game jam.
My girlfriend and I had so much fun playing this game at PRGE!! I definitely can see the Dominion inspiration in it, I'm excited for any updates you make to it!
Love the game! My 7 y.o. daughter and I met you at Portland Retro Game Expo and enjoyed the demo there! I'm happy to say I the first thing I did upon getting home was download the demo and play full run of my own. I completed a run and really the enjoyed getting some amazing synergy of Smelter + Minecart. I love it! Best of luck!
I didn't like the fact that I must play exactly as intended, otherwise would die. Every time I play a room I can just die no matter the tactic. The only thing that matters is my card loadout, that is filled randomly. I would really like for the cards to shuffle in a way, so that there will always be a way to clear the room, and the only thing that will be punished is my choice of what resource/action I have picked(activated, not bought).
Also, just a nitpick, but could you change the yellow resource to something else or explain its value? Because now it looks like the character is so greedy, they can't get out of the collapsing cave because they still want some gold.
Other than that, the game is really good. I was flown away with the addictiveness of this gameplay(but unfair punishments pulled me out)
really like this game. Super clean interface, easy-to-understand rule set that unfolds into a fairly deep decision tree. I <3 the graphics and graphic design! I could see myself playing this on steamdeck for exteded play sessions or on my phone while waiting for a train or something. (I think it could use a hyper-geometric probabilities analysis? ) Not sure if the intent is to force me to lose on some runs. In any case, I don’t believe there is a fundamental flaw in the design or anything like that. I think we just need to fine tune the distribution curve a bit to push the player in an intentional direction – at least in the beginning. I don’t know though. I find it quite enjoyable as is. (awesome cantrips btw!!)
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Join the fruit bat cult, it's strictly better than smeltery!
Anyway, a great game with a great idea of balancing ore vs score! I especially enjoyed how it is player-centered and focuses on building a good deckbuilding rather than steering the attention to other factors. The music is beautiful, some of the only pieces that I actually listened to instead of muting it immediately.
The only downside is that it feels like you are pretty much forced to play a lot of draw/energy action cards with some payoff, of which wrench is just too good at any point in the game (it is just too op with the only downside being that you have to get it).
It would also be really nice to add some variety like relics/card upgrades or maybe some challenges or pathing choices like in Slay the Spire. Honestly, I can see the game go in so many directions that it's hard to pick what I would like to see the most and I can see it really pop off if you release it to Steam.
Anyway, here's the run, got wrench on level 6 or so and didn't need to use it for score even once (I did end up using it for score just to speed up the process though)
there is a gltch with the cards
sorry you had this bug! please let me know if you figure out how to replicate this and i'll patch it!
Excellent game
I really like the game and graphics it reminds me of dominion but kinda more fun.
I think it can blow up if you ever release it to steam! But idk if it's just me or only viable strategy is action cards with some payoff.
I would really love if there are different ways to find the game like scaling resources infinitely or similar. Mby adding artifacts or easier ways to remove cards (even if in game) or upgrading cards.
It's a great game and I'm enjoying playing it, but I feel like it has a chance to be really popular if there is more strategies to win
Loving it! Very fun and addicting
With 'Wrench' + cheap draw 2/3 cards actions + Energy cards you can pretty much go infinite. Got 260 ore each turn. Fun game!
Edit: Got a even crazier run! over 14000 ore mined and found a bug: when you have over 9999 ore the numbers doesn't fit in the box
(3.01v) Very addicting game. Love the gameplay loop! I would love to see more!
Game feel is good. I like the balatro style card movement, CRT screen effect and level intro and outro. I would like more pizzazz/partical/card visual effects that tie into the mining/pixel theme if your sticking with it. The overworld is cute, but I would like some backgrounds while playing to reflect the location I'm in. I wish the location had some effect on the gameplay.
Game play wise, I wish you could have branching paths for different locations or events (I thought it was initially, based on the navigation in the overworld) but as I said in the beginning: very fun finding synergies, combos, and managing priorities. I would also like seeing more card modifications other than upgrading resources. Maybe adding equipment/events that modifies actions/tools? (Can you tell I like Slay the Spire?) But just things that would make it more fun/replayable.
Game balance wise, it feels like that the optimal strategy is the only strategy to win (ie no build variety to win the game). I was stuck on the level that required 90 scorium for a while until I realized what cards I needed to win. And that combo of cards depended on the RNG of the early shops. (The combo was early goldmine/0 cost resource generation into walkie talkie to duplicate resource cards to 7 value, into salamder, campsite, draw/energy cards, wrench) And it took a while. So, personally I want more build variety and maybe some other gameplay modes for replayability.
Overall, great game and I would love to see more. Good luck!
I found this quite fun, but very difficult. I'm feeling that I lack agency, as I know a few combination of cards that can let me win (mostly, combining the campfire and the salamander), but I don't feel that most runs have a pathway to victory - I find myself having most runs end at the stage where you need 90 score, but the two runs that won were super easy because of the available upgrades. I think it would feel better if it were a little bit less random (possibly with some additional difficulty to balance more choice).
After a bunch more plays:
It's very easy to lose in the first few stages if you are aggressively trying to spec towards a winning strategy - seemingly if you don't do this your runs almost never end in success. Once I got the snowball going (usually, gold mine > walky talky > salamander & campsite > 0 cost pips > wrench) it was quite easy to win.
This leads to a high level of difficulty that is driven more by randomness and less by player choices. If you had a more certain path to a given build it might feel better for players, even if the game were made more difficult numbers-wise.
Heyo! The new update is pretty awesome! I like the new strategies introduced, such as how cards like Gold mine encourage the usage of more resource cards, and Wrench encouraging more action cards. And while the new creature is definitely a downgrade from the original, it's new mechanics are pretty fun too, plus the original was definitely overpowered.
My only complaint would be the nerf to the Prospect card. Using it was one of the most fun parts of early game, but now it's rendered entirely useless. I'm honestly curious as to why it's price was raised, since cards like Aquifer and Corkscrew now directly outclass it, giving a +2 or a +1 to all resources for the exact same cost.
I think that the entire point was to encourage buying cards from shops rather than sticking to your original deck? On top of that, playing Prospect used to be just strictly better than playing a small ore/score so I think it also encouraged more choice gameplay-wise
Not always. Once you start racking up higher value cards, it becomes a choice between, for example, 5 ore now or +1 ore for the rest of the game. It naturally becomes less useful towards late game anyway.
sometimes this happens and i cannot progress to the next round?
i will follow up if i can replicate reliably
hi - so sorry you had this bug! only one other person has actually seen this bug as far as i'm aware, so if you do manage to replicate it, please let me know so i can get it fixed for the next version <3
so - i think the action that is causing this is essentially the double click on the "GO" button after beating a round is causing the issue - possibly reopening the shop scene and causing cards to not be removed from the scene properly?
ty so much janeware! i was already able to replicate and patch the bug, this will be fixed in the next update <3
nice!!!
I'm really loving the update and it's an amazing game, but I want to play it more, so I'd love to see an endless mode
first time breaking the 1000 ore mined mark! this game is so fun!
with the minecarts i got to draw my whole deck every turn
I have encountered a bug that causes things to sometimes cost way more than the listed ore and leave you with negative ore.
sorry to hear that - please let me know if you can have further details or can find a reliable way to replicate this bug and i'll have it patched right quick <3
from what I can tell, it only does it after the first time you lose or win, and i think it's keeping the previous cost underneath or it's pressing the button twice in the same moment. best I can do
I did eventually end up winning regardless, the fix to the bug is uninstall, reinstall. the way to beat the game is prioritize boosting one scorium as high as possible while getting energy and positive card draw from minecart and the creature
This game is so addicting and fun!! The new card system looks absolutely amazing! My fave card is the creature <3
omg finally did it with a single big beefy scorium!
so good, awesome game : ) i love the polish on the cards, music, sfx, overall mood.
Neat thing! Beat it in two. The two separate resources make for fun multi-dimensional decisionmaking. Always fun to see what happens to the deckbuilder design space when a different mechanic becomes central - in this case, meta-scaling.
On that front, the non-scaling payload cards (i.e. axolotl, map, mole) feel like a trap to me. Maybe they help you out at the start, but they only bog you down near the end of the game. May some sort of action-card-specific synergies are in order? "The next action card you play is played twice"? "Action cards are free this turn"?
More broadly, I think the game could use some more diversity of viable strategies. Right now I suspect all winning decks are roughly the same-- one or two big, pumped-up scoriums that you try to play as often as possible. There's decent flexibility even within that, but it'd be nice to have some other win conditions. Something with action cards? Lots of smaller scoriums?
Anywho, fun game! Looking forward to see where you go with it!
ty for the feedback - totally get what you're saying. i'm simmering on a card & content update right now and i could totally use some ideas like this for some secondary archetypes that would make the game more interesting!
Cool! I'll do some pondering and see what I can come up with.
Lot's of fun :)
Super Fun!
Nah I'd win
Congrats, such an awesome game! Got to the end with a very thin deck and big multiplying score and ore-ium! Great work!
What a fantastic little game, had me hooked nearly the whole morning trying to figure out how to beat it. Super cool :)
Almost bizarrely delightful and extremely satisfying. Well done!
Awe, I wanted to continue playing with my broken deck
I do have a minor comment though - any idea why the game is so resource intensive? I've noticed quite a bit of fan activity, not quite sure why as nothing too fancy seems to be going on.
so sorry you're having trouble! i haven't been able to replicate this on my machine but i'll look into it, thanks so much for keeping up with the project <3
Just dropping by to say it is so nice to see a great little jam game continue to be supported and lots of people mentioning they played it at a game jam.
Keep up the great work!
My friends and i absolutely loved playing the demo at PRGE! It was great to meet you and I hope you'll keep developing this :)
My girlfriend and I had so much fun playing this game at PRGE!! I definitely can see the Dominion inspiration in it, I'm excited for any updates you make to it!
Love the game! My 7 y.o. daughter and I met you at Portland Retro Game Expo and enjoyed the demo there! I'm happy to say I the first thing I did upon getting home was download the demo and play full run of my own. I completed a run and really the enjoyed getting some amazing synergy of Smelter + Minecart. I love it! Best of luck!
had the best time meeting you two, you and your daughter were so cute!! thanks for playing + supporting!!
I like the game, but it would be nice if there was an endless mode
I didn't like the fact that I must play exactly as intended, otherwise would die. Every time I play a room I can just die no matter the tactic. The only thing that matters is my card loadout, that is filled randomly. I would really like for the cards to shuffle in a way, so that there will always be a way to clear the room, and the only thing that will be punished is my choice of what resource/action I have picked(activated, not bought).
Also, just a nitpick, but could you change the yellow resource to something else or explain its value? Because now it looks like the character is so greedy, they can't get out of the collapsing cave because they still want some gold.
Other than that, the game is really good. I was flown away with the addictiveness of this gameplay(but unfair punishments pulled me out)
Amazing game so far! I can't wait for updates!
I love how its actually hard to win
Very good game, that has a lot of space for further improvement. Solid foundation! Please keep the mac builds coming =)
really like this game. Super clean interface, easy-to-understand rule set that unfolds into a fairly deep decision tree. I <3 the graphics and graphic design! I could see myself playing this on steamdeck for exteded play sessions or on my phone while waiting for a train or something. (I think it could use a hyper-geometric probabilities analysis? ) Not sure if the intent is to force me to lose on some runs. In any case, I don’t believe there is a fundamental flaw in the design or anything like that. I think we just need to fine tune the distribution curve a bit to push the player in an intentional direction – at least in the beginning. I don’t know though. I find it quite enjoyable as is. (awesome cantrips btw!!)
Oh, this has potential to be very addicting