Cthulhu's Reach: Devil Reef

I am aware this is an Alpha however: I cannot recommend this game in its current state. On my first try, I beat the entire game in under 50 minutes. The gameplay is overly simple, and the enemies lack depth. Most enemies are simple, and heres a list of all of them (believe I didnt miss any): Slimes that mindlessly charge at you. Zombies that slowly walk toward you. A worm that forces you to switch to melee (a mechanic I actually liked). A wraith that appears when you get close, giving you a brief window to kill it before it unleashes an AoE attack. Two types of Lovecraftian sea creatures that look intimidating but are just bullet sponges with basic ranged attacks basically the same enemy with a different sprite, ones ranged attacks slow you the others burn you. A cultist/demon that lights the ground in a line, which I appreciated since it finally made me use my dodge roll. The game rarely demands any thought. I spent most of it on autopilot. The upgrades are too simple, offering no real choices. Instead of meaningful weapon specific upgrades, you just pick which weapon to improve (which usually means upgrading the revolver). Ammo is never an issue since breakable objects and slimes (easily killed with melee) provide too much ammo. Aside from the deep-sea creatures and maybe the cultist, the enemies don’t feel very Lovecraftian. The bosses, look impressive, but are disappointingly boring to fight, they just spawn adds, spam projectiles, and act as damage sponges rather than actual threats. Suggestions for Improvement: Increase the difficulty. Make combat more engaging/add more enemy variety and or attack patterns or give the player additional abilities. Introduce meaningful upgrade paths with real choices. The foundation is here, but the game needs significant work and maybe some redesign in order to be worth a recommendation.

Its like Diablo meets Vampire Survivors or something. Mildly entertaining

(впечатление от 14 минут игры) [h3]Коротко[/h3] изометрический простецкий экшен, эксплуатирующий-паразитирующий на произведениях Г. Ф. Лавкрафта. На данный момент игра пустая, однообразная. [h3]Чутка побольше[/h3] Как заготовка игра или раннейший билд она подходит и по цене в 50-100 деревянных, вполне будет соответствовать содержимому. [b]Атмосфера[/b] - нарочито задроченное представление о вселенной Лавкрафта, которое сводится к экшену и об него же разбивается. Сам по себе экшен подразумевает возможность преодолеть чаще всего насилием любые преграды, проблемы, противников... тогда к чему эти ужасы и иные проблемы? Просто для антуража и галочки. Экшен не приговор для вселенной Лавкрафта, но его нужно интегрировать, как например Lovecraft's Untold Stories, Forgive Me Father (не лучшие примеры, но куда более консистентные по геймплею и уверенно использующие экшен в своих проектах). В данной игре оно плоско и прямо подается - вот ужас, вот оружие - вперед. [b]Игровой процесс[/b] - однообразный, скучный. Да иногда можно зацепить чутка "рогалика", выбирая бонусы и покупая улучшения. Как бы он сам по себе отсылает к играм с 90тых начала 2к, где всё аркадненько, незамысловато и главное сам процесс. Последний слишком однообразен и должен быть разбавлен. [b]Дизайн Уровней[/b]- примитивные арены с нагромождением ловушек, не понятно на кого рассчитанные и кучи врагов, с вшитым режимом берсерка, они просто идут и атакую (причем скучно и однообразно)

[h3] Dungeon Keeper Looks, Diablo Tunes, Cthulhu Vibes![/h3] [b]Cthulhu's Reach:[/b] Devil Reef is a retro-style top-down shooter that's got all the best Dungeon Keeper nostalgia in its graphics and a spooky Lovecraftian vibe. The Diablo-inspired soundtrack cranks up the tension, but the game itself is refreshingly laid-back compared to other twin-stick shooters. [i]Smooth gameplay, punchy weapons, and clever monsters keep things fun without feeling overwhelming. The ALPHA serves up two episodes with easy but enjoyable boss battles, giving a peek into its promising future.[/i]

Surprised by this one! An old story with a new and interesting coat of paint on it as a very satisfying rouguelike shooter/fighter. Only played about an hour and a half at the time of writing the review, but had a great time and got to see the first boss. Will update more as I play if I find it necessary but I think I've seen enough to at least say it's worth your time. Game HAS controller support, but I will say that sometimes the firing reticle would be pointed one way and the character would turn the other way. It didn't always happen but it was often enough that I felt I should comment on it in my review with hopes that it gets patched. I would also personally love to see no stamina depletion when you're out of combat. It's never fun sitting there just staring at a box because you don't have enough stamina to just hit it and then walk out of the room. I totally understand stamina but when out of combat it just feels annoying. Other than those two VERY minor things I really did have a lot of fun. I found the upgrades to be satisfying and I really loved that; once you bought a weapon, even if you died it stayed unlocked and then you could find them throughout the levels. It also made the combat more interesting as you could switch between weapons throughout the floor to deal with each enemy accordingly. Also really appreciate the ability to combo the guns and the melee; it made for a crazy fun experience and mixed up the feeling of the combat from other games way more than I realized it would. *Not 100% sure how it is on Steam Deck but I'll play it in the next week or so and update the review to let people know if it's good on there or not.* I'd recommend this one if you're looking for something fun and engaging as far as gameplay goes. This isn't, as far as I've seen, plot heavy by any means. Something great to space out from reality and really lock in to the combat.

The game has its charm and when I first began playing it, the glitches were odd. But the game was playable. Now? The recent "Balancing" cut my health in half. Enemies are bullet sponges. Upgrades do little to nothing. Now it feels like it's being artificially padded. This isn't fun anymore. Will update review if next updates FIX the game.

Cthulhu’s Reach: Devil Reef is a fast-paced action roguelike that reinterprets Lovecraftian horror through constant motion, pressure, and repetition rather than slow-burn psychological dread. Developed by The Fine Arc and published by First Break Labs, the game places players in a pulpy 1920s-inspired world where desperation, debt, and forbidden knowledge collide beneath the waves of a cursed coastal region. Instead of asking players to fear the unknown, it challenges them to survive it through sharp reflexes, careful resource management, and the willingness to dive again and again into an ever-shifting labyrinth of danger. At the heart of Cthulhu’s Reach: Devil Reef is a classic roguelike loop built around risk and loss. Each run sends the player into procedurally generated dungeon spaces beneath Devil Reef, where layouts, enemies, and rewards change with every attempt. Death is inevitable and frequent, stripping away unspent resources and forcing players to decide how much to risk before pushing deeper. This structure reinforces a constant tension between greed and survival, a fitting mechanical echo of the game’s Lovecraftian themes. Combat is immediate and kinetic, leaning closer to twin-stick shooters and arcade roguelikes than traditional dungeon crawlers. Players dash through cramped corridors, weave between projectile patterns, and balance melee and ranged options as enemies swarm from multiple angles. Early encounters rely heavily on basic tools like axes and limited firearms, but as runs progress, players unlock more powerful weapons and upgrades that dramatically alter combat flow. Movement and positioning are critical, as enemy contact and environmental hazards can overwhelm careless play in seconds. Progression is split between in-run gains and long-term unlocks. Gold collected during expeditions can be spent on weapons and upgrades, but any unused currency is lost upon death, reinforcing the roguelike emphasis on commitment and consequence. Over time, persistent unlocks expand the available arsenal and improve starting conditions, making future runs more flexible without removing the threat of failure. This balance keeps the game challenging while still offering a sense of forward momentum. One of the game’s most notable features is its cooperative multiplayer. Supporting up to four players, Devil Reef becomes a chaotic, cooperative descent where coordination matters as much as individual skill. Sharing space with other players amplifies both the intensity and unpredictability of encounters, as enemy patterns overlap and friendly positioning becomes part of the challenge. Co-op transforms the experience from a solitary test of endurance into a frantic group survival effort, especially during boss encounters and high-density rooms. Visually, the game embraces a retro pixel-art style that prioritizes clarity and atmosphere over detail. The art direction evokes classic dungeon crawlers while layering in grotesque Lovecraftian creatures and unsettling environments. While not graphically elaborate, the visuals communicate threat effectively, ensuring enemies, hazards, and projectiles remain readable even during hectic combat. Sound design reinforces this intensity with sharp effects, grim ambience, and music that keeps tension high without overpowering gameplay. Because Devil Reef is still in early access, its rough edges are noticeable. Content variety, particularly in enemy types and upgrade paths, can feel limited over extended sessions, and balance issues occasionally surface where certain weapons or builds outperform others. Health and ammo scarcity can make later stages feel punishing, especially for solo players, and bugs or inconsistencies are part of the current experience. However, active development and frequent patches suggest a willingness to refine systems based on player feedback. The game’s take on Lovecraftian horror is more thematic than emotional. Rather than cultivating fear through atmosphere and narrative, it uses cosmic horror as a backdrop for relentless action. The sense of insignificance comes not from story beats, but from the repeated cycle of death and descent, where the world remains hostile and uncaring regardless of player progress. This approach will appeal strongly to players who enjoy the aesthetic and mythology of Lovecraft but prefer mechanical intensity over psychological tension. Ultimately, Cthulhu’s Reach: Devil Reef succeeds as a focused and energetic action roguelike with a strong thematic identity. Its strengths lie in responsive combat, satisfying risk-reward progression, and the added chaos of cooperative play. While it does not yet offer the depth or polish of more mature roguelikes, its core loop is engaging and its foundation solid. For players drawn to fast-paced dungeon crawling, procedural challenge, and Lovecraftian settings interpreted through action rather than fear, Devil Reef offers a compelling descent into madness that promises even greater potential as development continues. Rating: 7/10

Pretty good, even while in early access

This game is easy to get into and hard to master. The controls are tight and the music is on point. It’s one of those games that I just can’t stop playing 💯 If you like roguelike games definitely try this one!

This is a great game, it's not a clone of anything, just its own thing which is refreshing. It needs a more comprehensive ingame tutorial though. It took me about 4 runs to even have a basic understanding of how sanity works, and that it's also a currency, and I still have no idea how to restore it, but it's a blast either way, AND it works phenomenally on the Steam Deck. Way better with a controller than on my kb/m on my main machine. Looking forward to seeing where updates take it!