Indemon Tales

I don't normally write reviews, but found this game to be a hidden gem. The combat is suprisingly fun with some pretty challenging bossfights. The story and characters were actually really good too, with a killer soundtrack to boot

The best way to describe Indemon Tales is that it is the gameplay loop of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (clear dungeon sometimes with boss to progress story loop) with the dungeon gameplay being a significantly expanded version of the Stardew Valley dungeons/mines. While it does heavily expand on Stardew Valley dungeon combat (like omnidirectional melee aim and much more interesting build choices) its Pokemon Mystery Dungeon related functions are much more watered down or left without (some examples being no IQ system or way to have party members do certain things more often as well as the quest board being significantly less developed). However it does introduce a lot of other features that makes the game more interesting like equipment crafting and somewhat expanded endgame activities/story. TLDR: overall enjoyed the game and it feels criminal that the game hasn't sold more looking at the amount of reviews the game has. Definitely Worth probably 1.5-2x the base asking price to be honest and getting it on sale for like 2 dollars feels criminal. It truly feels like a "diamond in the rough" and somehow the developer still supports the game occasionally?

Beat the game, now, take two on review. I enjoy the story for its simplicity, the characters for their uniqueness, and the gameplay for being like candy that I'm shoving down my mouth in fistfuls. This gameplay loop is incredibly simple. Mining and fighting both level you up and unlock new gear. Enemies drop gear, deeper floors have more loot. The loot could be gear, or materials to make new gear. The game is like an infinite cycle of improvement euphoria. Much of the gear has unique properties (the artifacts, mostly) and can change the way you play entirely. There was a sword called "Riptide" which changed the mana usage of a special attack from 30 to 0, meaning every 15 or so seconds you could use that special attack for free. The weapon was easily outclassed by many in damage, yet had its own niche for the stun that specific special move applied. The story is something that can be followed, or not. The game doesn't have many stray paths you take that affect much at all. Your character decides meaningful things on their own, and the other main characters progress the plot individually. Despite that, the story is meaningful because of the characters that make it up. It's very easy to grow attached to these characters. I've laughed at many lines of dialogue playing this game, and some characters feel real, to an extent. Most of the dialogue feels natural, barring a few instances where it felt forced, and flows well through your companions' conversations. Much of this dialogue has a bit of a furry or internet feeling to it, but I'm in those groups so... yeah. Yeah, I like it.