Judge feedback

Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.

• I enjoyed this game quite a bit. It focuses on stealth mechanics in a way that is reminiscent of Harmonist. The concept is simple but well executed, with just (but only just) enough mechanics and options for the player to complete the task. I think there is elegance in that balance. Visuals, especially the tiles in the post-7DRL release, are simple, readable, and clear. Some mechanics are not clear at first, but can be learned aftter some experimentation. The mechanics support the theme, so that you feel like a kid running around, trying to evade adults. The only real issue that I came across was that storing my treasure stash in the hideout didn't work, which is an important part of the game for getting a high score.
• This is a stealth roguelike, which is cool. Unfortunately, not only does the game currently have a very limited scope, but several baffling decisions make it a lot less fun than it could have been. First and foremost, this is a stealth game where the player character is unable to wait in place, for no clear reason. This means that while you can theoretically hide under the tables and in crumbling walls, there's only ever a practical benefit to this if several tables have spawned next to each other and you can keep crawling from one to another to pass time: otherwise, you are better off just running to the next relic, or the exit, depending on your current position. On the other hand, while the Kid is unable to fight Vikings, and can only throw pebbles at them, he is ridiculously tanky for a stealth game character - in a genre where it's often customary for a single hit to result in game over, the Kid has to get stabbed TEN times by the Vikings to actually die. The "encumbrance" system that slows the Kid down the more treasure they carry feels almost pointless in the face of this: yes, you become more likely to receive a couple more hits even if you stop to toss pebbles at the pursuers, but so what? Then, stealth is often about discovery and the unknown - which is why all the treasures being visible on the map from the start is a strange choice. I guess it implies the kid already knows locations of everything by heart, but along with the other two factors, it ultimately means that the player can plan out the optimal route to the treasures before making any moves, and then adjust it as needed depending on when and how they run into enemies. Player's ability to receive high scores often feels less dependent on their skill and more on how the monastery layout is generated - if you are lucky, the most valuable relics are the closest ones to the hatch, while the Vikings are relatively far away. If you are unlucky, you might get spotted after taking three steps, or be in a room with few treasures or connections. 4-directional movement further exacerbates some of the game's flaws. The crumbling walls that allow the Kid (but not the Vikings) to pass through can end up generated in the corners, or with a pillar on one side, which renders them completely useless. While the game does not crash, it is possible to get soft-locked. If, say, The Kid has a wall on one side, a pillar on the other, and two already aware and hostile Vikings on the remaining directions, then this is an unwinnable position, since not even staggering the Vikings with pebbles will allow the kid to squeeze past them. However, you cannot even die to restart: once The Kid runs out of pebbles, the game prevents you from doing anything at all in that position. Moreover, since the game auto-saves when you close the window, and places you in the same position once you open it again, the best solution at this point is to delete the entire folder and re-extract it from downloads. I played both the Tiles and the ASCII version, and in both cases, the visuals are about what you would expect from a 7DRL, while sound is completely missing from the game. I mainly wish that the control scheme was listed in-game: both versions ultimately contain more than enough "dead" UI space to do so, but instead the player has to refer to the pdf attached. Altogether, this game is a promising concept that appears to have gone wrong somewhere down the line.
• A roguelike stealth game I was surprised to see that a PDF manual was provided! I really enjoy the feeling of hiding from enemies, guiding them around, and collecting treasures. I'm sure it was hard to adjust the balance of the game, but it's well thought out and not too difficult. The score display is also a nice touch. Overall, I thought this was an excellent and exemplary 7DRL that was carefully crafted.
• The stealth mechanic is great, the changing of the kids color while he's hidden works extremely well. The only issue is that you end up hidden in a corner watching the Vikings walk around . The mechanics support the story, the visuals support the mechanics, this is a good game. If the Vikings weren't always chasing me out the exit, I'd go right back in every time.