Tiny Rogues has an addictive loop. Although, it could just be that an "addictive loop" is a common feature of a rogue-like (very little experience). Still, Tiny Rogues definitely has me feeling more open to rogue-likes. For novices, it might serve as a good rogue-like entry point. Tiny Rogues certainly did for me. My playtime speaks for itself — 12 hours in 2 days.

What stood out to me was how much build variety there was in Tiny Rogues. Depending on who you are, it could be too much. Tiny Rogues has everything: classes to unlock and choose from, a skill tree, many weapons (countless), lots of strategies which can be employed, different stats to invest into, different room rewards and rooms, and many mechanics and effects to consider.

Despite the complexity, Tiny Rogues was easy to get into. My progress by hour 2 was beating 'Death' on floor 10 while feeling comfortable with the mechanics. However, progression in the game from then on felt slow. After beating Death, my newest objective was to beat Death 5 more times. Each run takes about 20-40 minutes, which is a lot of repetition. The progress with the skill tree and new classes did not feel very noticeable either. The repetition continued with each remaining objective. Strangely enough, despite the repetition, Tiny Rogues remained quite addictive.

Why is it so addictive? Defeating enemies with neat weapons on new builds is inherently satisfying in Tiny Rogues. The sound effects and neat visuals of attacks make vanquishing enemies feel 'crunchy.' The simple design of the game brings attention to what is colorful (attacks, enemies, items). Adding to this, lengthier runs — but not so lengthy that one is enough — kept me playing.

While the design of Tiny Rogues is intelligent and functional, it is not extraordinary. The design is appealing for the retro-gamer, as it features SNES-like graphics and 8-bit music. However, neither is particularly impressive in my eyes. The music in particular feels 'okay,' while being outright grating at some points. Yes, it is overall decent, but it could be better.

Tiny Rogues was a nice, all-consuming game. Really, a decent introduction to rogue-likes. This game is currently in early access and with more to be added, so my review could change in the future.
6.75/10 (Decent+++)

Tiny Rogues has an addictive loop. Although, it could just be that an "addictive loop" is a common feature of a rogue-like (very little experience). Still, Tiny Rogues definitely has me feeling more open to rogue-likes. For novices, it might serve as a good rogue-like entry point. Tiny Rogues certainly did for me. My playtime speaks for itself — 12 hours in 2 days. What stood out to me was how much build variety there was in Tiny Rogues. Depending on who you are, it could be too much. Tiny Rogues has everything: classes to unlock and choose from, a skill tree, many weapons (countless), lots of strategies which can be employed, different stats to invest into, different room rewards and rooms, and many mechanics and effects to consider. Despite the complexity, Tiny Rogues was easy to get into. My progress by hour 2 was beating 'Death' on floor 10 while feeling comfortable with the mechanics. However, progression in the game from then on felt slow. After beating Death, my newest objective was to beat Death 5 more times. Each run takes about 20-40 minutes, which is a lot of repetition. The progress with the skill tree and new classes did not feel very noticeable either. The repetition continued with each remaining objective. Strangely enough, despite the repetition, Tiny Rogues remained quite addictive. Why is it so addictive? Defeating enemies with neat weapons on new builds is inherently satisfying in Tiny Rogues. The sound effects and neat visuals of attacks make vanquishing enemies feel 'crunchy.' The simple design of the game brings attention to what is colorful (attacks, enemies, items). Adding to this, lengthier runs — but not so lengthy that one is enough — kept me playing. While the design of Tiny Rogues is intelligent and functional, it is not extraordinary. The design is appealing for the retro-gamer, as it features SNES-like graphics and 8-bit music. However, neither is particularly impressive in my eyes. The music in particular feels 'okay,' while being outright grating at some points. Yes, it is overall decent, but it could be better. Tiny Rogues was a nice, all-consuming game. Really, a decent introduction to rogue-likes. This game is currently in early access and with more to be added, so my review could change in the future. 6.75/10 (Decent+++)