Interesting concept, I really like it!
There's only a minor change I would add: having to click on the bottom left image to level up serves little purpose and distracts the player from the game. I think automatic levelling would improve the experience. In case of any spare HPs before levelling, I would simply add them as temporary HP to the next level. It would also be cool If the player could store healing items, this way the player can see the number underneath the item without consuming it straight away.
Thanks for playing! Auto-leveling is something I can explore. Giving temporary over-health is already in the game, technically, but automatically doing so might change the dynamics since it means you could "up trade" earlier than anticipated. Leveling from 7->8 with 2 overhealth would mean you could immediately kill the Lich on level 8. While this gives more potential plays, I do wonder if it is too strong! Perhaps this can be a new class item :)
You are right about the overheal, after playing for a little more I understand what you're saying and you are totally right. I was thinking about autoleveling only when you're HPs are 0, but that would also not be 100% ok since the player could decide to consume a full life restore instead, even if in some cases is suboptimal. Another idea I was thinking about is "character unlock". For example, the player can pick the bard from the get go. What if the character is locked until you defeat him during game? This way you create curiosity in the player when he checks out all available characters and sees that some are locked away. This will make them want to explore and replay the game over and over in order to unlock everthing, and each character will allow them to add a different flavour to the experience. Like it's done in Vampire Survivor: it's the same game, but each character gives you a new experience and makes you want to replay the game over and over
The game is balanced pretty well, which on the one hand is great because it means you tested it pretty well, and the game functions "as is" without anything being added. On the other hand it's hard to add new content, if one wanted to, without disrupting the game balance.
You have equippable items, it could be interesting to let the player find new equippable items in chests. Or swap an already equipped item. Finding a new item might completely change how the player interacts with the dungeon, making an impassable passage feasable. Or, one time use items, like an item that allows you to destroy a single bomb, or an item that reveals a single tile, or an item that reduces an non-dragon enemy damage/exp, etc... A common encounter in mine sweeper is the unavoidable 50/50 mine choice, the one-time use items could fix that.
Another Idea. You could also explore levels with different shapes, moving out from the traditional rectacle, making it look like a proper doungeon with halls and corridors and secret rooms (maybe behind cracked walls?). Hell, you can even make the level be so big the player has to scroll with its mouse to move from side to side.
Another thing, then i shut up xD
You're providing the player a list of monsters and the amount of each monster in the dungeon, which is hreat. I think, it would be useful to also know how many there are currently left. For example, If i know there's a 5 monster, but I also know i've killed all slimes, it has to be the piper. I would add such list of "alive monsters/initial amount" in the side of the screen at all times, for the player to check whenever he wants
I just added one-time use items, actually! You can buy a health potion that you use from your inventory, but I am looking to add a lot more. Adding an item-chest is a good idea!! Perhaps each level of the dungeon could upgrade the chest too so you can get more out of it. I lament that the shop occurs after you win a dungeon because you might not even get to play with the extra items. Adding a chest to discover could whet the appetite for it!
Different shaped dungeon layouts is also on my todo list -- I want to also add biomes so that maybe the monster variety could change with the map/biome. I can see a monster that only lives in dead-ends, or only appears in certain biomes.
I saw the health potion, it's a must buy!
Upgrading the chest seams a great idea and would allow the player to specialize its gameplay towards what he likes the most. One could specialize in rats while playing the piper class by buying all rats related upgrades. The same goes for chests, the player strategy could circle around the concept of upgrading chests and finding them as soon as possible via tarot cards and the such.
You are right about the shop. There's no hint to it and most player might not even experience it, which is a shame. Chests could give the player an anticipation for what's to come, thus motivating the player and keep them engaged, but I feel like this is not enough. A possible Idea, enter the gungeon approach: you let the player know beforehand that more items can be unlocked via the shop or after each game spending some kind of acquired currency. This way you build curiosity in them. So, initially, chests provide only a small catalogue of possible drops, but after reaching the shop you can not only buy an item, but that item might spawn from a chest in later levels/games. This is more of a roguelite approach, while your game is more roguelike oriented, so it might not be the direction you want to take.
The different biomes idea sounds interesting. This gives me another idea. You know when in games there are entities that not only damage the player but other enemies as well? Like carnivorous plants that eat whatever comes close to them? It makes you feel like you are part of something bigger. It might be that it is actually beneficial to keep an enemy alive for some time (eg. you have a poisonous fly enemy 3, and a carivorous plant 5. While the carnivorous plant is alive, nearby poisonous fly enemies have their exp/life reduced by 2) Enemies interact with each other in an antagonistic way. Food for toughts
I feel like you're in my head, hah. I do have some items about enemies that interact with other enemies in mind. I did the first one last night (in the latest upload) with the Gorgon. She spawns surrounded by bricks, she is 25 power, which is impossible to kill. When all surrounding bricks are destroyed she gets reduced to 0. But I like the idea of other interactions like you described. I can see "aura" effects on enemies, both positive and negative. I want to add more enemies in the next big update so shoot over any ideas you have like that! :)
I love designing so it would be a pleasure to give you some extra ideas to cherry pick! I already know Unity pretty well, but recently I started studying Unreal and as exercise I wanted to prototype a game inspired by your concept/take on mine sweeper since your idea is so clever and I love mine sweeper <3...
I can pitch the idea to you If you're interested and share your opinion. Anyway...
I've not had the time to try the last update yet, I'll give you my feedback asap. In the meantime:
I like the concept of the Gorgon. Making it impossible to kill forces the player to find another way by experimentation. It's a puzzle in itself, within a puzzle game. When the player figures out how to kill the gorgon, he'll actually feel smart for finding a solution by himself.
I like to concept of the lovers where their position actually hints about the position of another monster in the same row. It's similar to what one would do when playing Sudoku. Having said that, how about an enemy which power is the sum of nearby enemies? Although, I fear it's too similar to the gorgon...
New concept, enemies that should be killed in a specific order: for example, an enemy A protected by an energy shield that makes him inefficient to attack right on. You first have to find the enemy B who's casting the shield. Killing B removed the shield from A, now that A is weaker you can attack it.
An helpful building that's disabled while at least one enemy is nearby. Once all enemies surrounding it have been defeated, the building activates, helping the player in some way (revealing tiles in a X radius, weakening enemies in a X radius, etc...). On the other hand, one could destroy the building once it's no longer useful. A destroied building could drop an item or give some money for the shop.
Another helpful tile, the cook/alchemist NPC. By itself is useless, but if you bring him a list of ingredient he can cook for you a meal/potion that provides buffs/heals/exp to the player. Once a tile near him has been revealed, he's revealed as well. Once revealed, enemies killed count towards ingreadient being brought to him. The list of ingredients is displayed somewhere on the UI. eg: "Bring me a slice of pizza, some slime juice and some minotaur meat" or wathever
I'll think about other enemies later on, for the time being I hopes this are good enough
Actually, after playing it a bit more I do still find it more difficult at times, but overall I personally percive it as an improvement and it's not impossible to win. Having a quicker to solve first level is better in my opinion, but for some reason I do feel like it has gotten harder that it was previously. It feels like it got more difficult, but this doesn't mean it's difficult per se. Again, this is only my personal opinion and does not represent reality as a whole
I do think the first map should be a bit easier still... I will try to rebalance a bit. I think it feels harder because there's less "free" spaces, or easy to deduce spaces. My problem is that reducing enemies doesn't always mean easier, because ultimately that's how you get the XP needed. I do think less higher tier monsters and more 1-2-3's will make it more manageable for beginners