Rollin' the Dice on Dicey Dungeons

I have found that I enjoy deckbuilding games and was on the fence about snapping up Slay the Spire in the Steam Summer sale.  Thanks to a special promotion where I had Origin Access for a brief period of time and my semi-brief stint with Xbox Game Pass, I had experience playing the excellent (but challenging) deckbuilding roguelike.  I decided to pop it into my cart and think about it overnight--eventually I decided that I would rather play something fresh, but still sort of similar, and settled on Dicey Dungeons.

Dicey Dungeons isn't exactly a deckbuilder, but it does have roguelike elements that remind me of Slay the Spire.  The major difference is that the game is dice based, which is a unique spin on the deckbuilding genre that seems to have blossomed largely thanks to StS.  The game starts off introducing you to the main characters--a group of people who were playing a D&D style campaign and are transformed into dice and thrust into a fictional gameshow-like world.  When you first start the game you can only play as the warrior, but after you've beaten then first "episode" other classes unlock, beating subsequent episodes with unlocked classes will further unlock more characters.  Each dice character has its own special abilities and talents--for example, the warrior has the ability to re-roll three times; the inventor can create its own special gear which grants special attacks, and there are many other characters!

The game is played on boardgame-like levels--there are spaces where you can choose to move; some spaces have enemies on them which means that you will have to fight them to access the spaces they are blocking.  Generally, these enemies are strategically positioned to be blocking things you want--like treasure chests which can contain gear (which gives your character special abilities), merchant carts where you can use gold that you gain from winning battles to buy gear, other powerups, or, most importantly the exit to the next level.

The Robot in combat with a magician.

Combat in Dicey Dungeons is based on using dice to carry out the attacks unique to your character--at the start of each turn you roll your dice and then you place the dice on the ability that corresponds with the number you've rolled (some abilities require specific numbers and others might require a minimum or maximum number).  Each opponent you face has their own unique attacks--some might use fire based attacks which will burn your dice which means that in order to use them you will take health damage.  These opponents also might have special resistance to certain kinds of attacks.  Upon defeating an opponent, your character gains XP which can be used to level up your character.  Leveling up is important because it increases your health and can also grant additional dice (for some characters).

After navigating 5 different, increasingly complex levels, you will face a "boss" on the final level.  The boss is randomized, so you won't face the same one every time.  The "boss" fight will require you to use all the abilities you have accumulated through the previous levels.  Once you've defeated the boss you unlock new episodes which throw in special circumstances that make replaying the levels different and more challenging.  You also unlock new characters.

Pros:

+ Deceptively simple gameplay.  Rolling dice isn't the same or as complicated as deckbuilding, but you still have to strategize to figure out which abilities to use or which equipment to pick.

+ Multiple dicey characters.  As you unlock new characters it throws some variety into the gameplay--each character has their own abilities and it's fun to learn a new character and their abilities.  Some characters are more complicated to learn than others.

+ Various abilities sprinkled throughout the game which are customizable.  Characters have a backpack where they can carry a certain amount of equipment.  You can swap out equipment as much as you want before fights--some enemies have specific weaknesses so it can be beneficial to prioritize gear that will grant you an advantage.

+ Beating one episode will unlock new episodes.  Each episode has different rules/requirements which adds to the replay value.  There are multiple episodes for each character, so there's plenty to play.

+ The type of game you can casually hop into and play a round.  If you're looking for something where you can play short sessions, Dicey Dungeons is a good option.  I would warn though that this can be deceptive--it has the ability to suck you in and then you don't realize how long you've been playing.

Cons:

- For some reason I find the soundtrack and music to grate on my nerves a bit.  It's very fast-paced music and I should just turn it off once it starts annoying me...but I never do.

- Some players might find the gameplay too simplistic--it's not as complicated as a deckbuilder, but there are still degrees of challenge.

Recommendation:

Dicey Dungeons is a simpler, but still fun version of a roguelike, semi-deckbuilding game.  If you get frustrated at more complicated deckbuilders, it is a good option.  I've had a lot of fun unlocking the various characters and learning how they work and mostly failing at unlocking episodes.  

Food Trucks of the Future--Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3 (Early Access Review)

Another of my Steam sale purchases was the third entry in one of my favorite cooking game franchises--Cook, Serve, Delicious!  CSD 3 is currently in Early Access, but is very polished and has been a stable and enjoyable experience thus far.  I was a little bit on the fence about grabbing it because I didn't absolutely love CSD 2, but certain aspects of the third game have been changed to make it more enjoyable than the second game.

Unlike the previous two games where you build a restaurant and then work to improve it, CSD 3 moves your restaurant to the road in the form of a food truck travelling across the weird, futuristic world of fake America (complete with robots, Texas walling itself off from the rest of the country--which seems plausible--and a sort of post-apocalyptic vibe).  The "story" starts off with your beloved restaurant, located in the shiny, Terragon Towers; unceremoniously getting leveled by a meteor.  Fortunately, some passing robot/androids pull Chef from the ruins and offer to let them convert their truck into a food truck.  The robots want to travel to the Iron Chef challenge in Nashville, but that means travelling across the ruins of the U.S.

The gameplay is almost identical to the previous games with a few changes--the core of the game, following recipes and filling orders quickly is exactly the same.  The big difference though is the routes your food truck travels--as you enter new states on your journey a map of multiple routes pops up.  Each route has specific stops with certain menu requirements that are often themed--a "Just the B's" menu might only feature foods that start with the letter B--you get to pick your menu around that theme with certain requirements (like the number of holding stations or prep stations).  A new feature to CSD 3 is a point system for foods--the more complicated a food is to make, the more points the food is worth--and certain routes have point requirements when choosing foods.  Higher point foods are also worth more cash.

Chef with his new, robotic companions Whisk and Cleaver

After you've picked your menu, you embark on your route--each route has a certain number of stops where customers will order food.  Another of the major differences between previous games is the fact that customers can only order prep station foods (now known as "special orders") while your truck is travelling between locations.  When your truck is stopped at a location, customers will only order holding station foods.  It's a balancing act of trying to fill all your special orders and also making sure you're keeping your holding stations stocked.

I haven't finished all the content yet, but I've played a fairly good sized chunk and feel positive about what I've played so far.

Pros:

+ There's a story.  One of my big gripes about the second game was the fact that, for me, I didn't feel drawn toward the concept of improving my restaurant.  At least in the first game there was an underlying concept of building up your restaurant and moving up the tower that felt engaging.  The third game introduces two robot companions--Whisk and Cleaver--who are determined to make it to Nashville for the Iron Chef challenges.  They provide some light banter and at the end of each area there's a short cutscene that reveals more of the story as pertains to the history of Whisk and Cleaver (and/or weird post-apocalyptic America).  The story gives a reason to move gameplay that is largely very same-y forward.

+ Themed menu challenges on each route provide variety.  At the beginning of the route you get to pick your menu within the parameters of the theme.  Sometimes there are points requirements.  Picking a good menu is a very strategic decision.

+ Added challenge.  On certain routes your truck can be attacked by other food trucks (in this version of post-apocalyptic America the food trucks battle for supremacy on the roads!) which impose various negative effects--some trucks will take out one (or more...) of your holding stations, other types will force you to change routes and throw a bunch of new orders at you, and there are even more!  Once you've reached a certain point in the game new types of customers are added--impatient customers and crazy customers.  Impatient customers want to be served RIGHT AWAY--their orders must be satisfied quickly or they will be angry.  Crazy customers must be served IMMEDIATELY or they will be angry.  These new customer types make picking the correct menu absolutely vital.

+ Collectibles.  At the end of each route you get paid for the number of dishes that you were able to serve--each state has its own currency that is converted (based on varying exchange rates) into crypto-cooking currency.  Higher point dishes are worth more money (5 point dishes are very complicated to make).  Cryptocurrency can be used to purchase new foods or to buy decorations for your truck.  You can purchase and unlock tons of decorations that you can place in your truck.  It's fun!

+ System of upgrades.  Earning money also gives you experience in the form of Yum levels.  Upon gaining enough experience to raise your Yum level, you are rewarded with upgrade kits which can be used to add in prep stations, holding stations, or, the best part, special upgrades.  The special upgrades are tiered and can do things like extend the freshness of your holding station foods.  The higher the tier you purchase (which require more upgrade kits) the better the perks become.

+ Robot helpers.  One of my favorite new features is having the ability to hit CTRL which allows your robot friends to serve items.  This alleviates the need for you to balance filling orders, maintain holding stations, and hit the correct number button to serve orders.

+ Tons of gorgeous, hunger-inducing foods.  Foods from the first two games are featured, but there are also a ton of new foods that come from cultures all around the world.  Each food has a silly, made up backstory that is fun to read.  It's interesting learning about foods that you've never heard of before.

+ Different gameplay modes.  Standard mode rewards medals based on the number of perfect orders and follows the rules of customer patience, etc.  Zen mode is for relaxing and customer patience is disabled (you can only get a silver medal though).

Cons

- Even faster paced than previous games.  You fill special orders while you travel and then you have to work frantically to fill holding station orders at stops.  Having a robot companion to help you serve orders is very helpful, but it is especially demanding when you get to the point where you face impatient or crazy customers.  Earning golds on every map is tough.  I've been mostly enjoying the challenge, but some people might not enjoy how frantic it is.

- There's not a ton of variety in gameplay (which is the norm for the franchise).  The core is very much the same (and can occasionally feel a bit grindy), but I think the added story elements and menu variety have made the third game feel much less grindy than previous games.

That's really my only semi-negative feedback.  The game has run great and been really fun so far--very polished for Early Access.

If you want to frantically mash buttons with amazing accuracy, serve tons of beautiful, delicious foods, and roll your fictional food truck across post-apocalyptic America, check out Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3.

Playground of Puzzles--Supraland Review

Summer has arrived and with it another seasonal Steam sale designed to lighten our wallets and reduce the size of our wishlists.  Until the current pandemic trapped me inside, I hadn't done much mass purchasing in Steam sales, but now that I'm primarily indoors for the duration, I decided to fully immerse myself into eliminating entries on my wishlist.  I feel like I've spent a bit too much on games recently, but hey, you gotta have something to do when you're generally avoiding leaving the house.  So what exactly did I purchase and have I played?  I decided to stick with moderately to lower-priced entries and decided not to go with any more recent games (Doom Eternal was 50% off....and I do love punching demons).  I picked up Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3, Prey (it was $8, which is a bargain), Dicey Dungeons, Supraland, and Hades.  Thanks to the sale, all five games ran me about $40 (with a $5 off coupon...it's not quite as good as Epic's $10 off, but I'll take it).  I've been intermittently playing four of the five games and have found that it's an interesting mix.

In Supraland you play as a red plastic toy.

The first game from my sale purchases that I decided to check out was Supraland.  In Supraland you play as a red, plastic toy who is part of an active community that exists within the sandbox of a child.  This might sound a bit underwhelming, but in fact there's an entire functioning toy society within the world of the fictional sandbox.  The story starts with the discovery by your father (the red king) that the other denizens of the sandbox world, the blue plastic figurines, have shut off the water to the red town!  He assigns you to seek out the blue king and figure out why they have shut off the water and threatened the livelihood of the red settlement--he hands you your fist weapon, a wooden sword, and sends you on your way to the blue kingdom.  Unfortunately, reaching the blue kingdom is no easy task and the path is blocked by numerous puzzles and obstacles that require the discovery and use of special gear.  Your journey takes you to the far flung reaches of the sandbox world and requires puzzle solving mettle.

My playtime stats/info--I played through the main storyline and basically discovered what I could in the general vicinity of the story missions.  I did some side exploring, but definitely didn't get close to unlocking everything or finding every hidden object/chest.  I finished up the main story in 16 hours.  There are still tons of things to find, but so far I haven't felt any real calling to go back and find them.

Pros:

+ The sandbox and toys setting is fun and unique.  The dev (which, I think was just one person) has created a really fun little world in an unconventional game setting.  The puzzles are centered around objects you would expect to find in an actual sandbox--building bricks, tools, etc.

+ Puzzles are the right balance of difficulty and require you to figure out the best way to use the numerous tools that you discover.  Most of them are solvable through experimentation, but there are a few that stumped me (I looked up a couple).  The mechanic to solve the puzzles are fun to figure out--creating colored key cards by changing paint colors or using special beams to guide hungry bugs to eat things--very unique.

+ Lots of hidden powerups and collectibles.  There are numerous chests hidden throughout the game world--some are in plain sight but might require finding special gear to reach and others are tucked away in the multitude of hidden nooks and crannies of the sandbox world.  You could spend hours and hours trying to find them all.

+A bit of light humor sprinkled throughout.  There are numerous Easter Eggs that relate to other nerdy movies/games scattered about as collectibles--occasionally you will stumble across a dead, plastic figurine that looks a bit familiar...like famous characters from other franchises (thanks to copyright laws these characters are just similar but have different names).  You can collect their hair/hats (I hadn't figured out if you could wear them in some form, but it's first person so you couldn't see it anyway).

+ Lots of tools to collect and help you traverse the sandbox obstacles.  There is a special beam that can be used 1.) pull you up onto objects, 2.) swing between objects, or 3.) create a sort of laser pathway that you can walk across; a special magnetic belt that can be used to pull you up metallic objects; and stomp shoes that can stomp enemies or special stomp pads connected to puzzle parts and, of course the handy, dandy force cube.  Part of the fun is discovering a new tool and travelling to previous areas to find hidden objects and areas that were previously inaccessible.

+ Kid friendly.  It's a cute story that's mostly about solving puzzles.  There is violence (you fight enemies) but it's not graphic.  It would be a good choice for older kids who won't get overly frustrated by the puzzles.

+ Ran really well.  No crashes, saved fine, no problems.

Cons:

- Combat isn't great.  There are enemies scattered throughout the world and they respawn so you'll find yourself killing them a lot.  You have access to a sword for melee and a beam weapon for ranged attacks.  There are a couple of boss style fights that are partially puzzle based but also have an element of combat.  Mostly you just attack as fast as you can or use your beam weapon with its combo attack to blast enemies.

- Game world is large but there's no map.  I wish the game had some sort of map so that you could know which areas you haven't reached.  There are ways to quickly travel between areas (special jump pads that you can power up) but you have to sort of remember how you got somewhere or where it was located.  Eventually you find a sort of "chest locator" tool that emits a beep when you're close to a chest, but it's not terribly helpful.

Recommendation:

Supraland is a cute puzzler/adventure game that frequently appears on sale (in fact, it's on sale right now--at the time of this post--for $8.99).  It's definitely worth the sale price and is a family/kid friendly game.  I enjoyed solving the puzzles, the light humor, and the unique sandbox world that have been created by this solo dev.  A new DLC was just recently released, so if you enjoy the base game, consider purchasing the new content (I haven't played it).  The trailer is below if you want to see a sample of gameplay.