Dicey Bugs

First off, if this game looks at all interesting to you, go ahead and download the demo. It has a huge amount of content on its own, and if you enjoy it then you'll also enjoy the full game. I could spend a solid chunk of this review praising the mechanics, the UI, the polish, whatever, but I think the demo speaks for itself. So for those who've played the demo, here's what's new: [list] [*] Runs now end after three worlds instead of one [*] Roughly three times (?) as many bugs [*] New die faces, consumables, equipment etc. [*] Rare stage hazards that significantly affect the gameplay on both sides, but also guarantee a shiny [*] Enemies can spawn with equipment, adding an additional layer of complexity to some fights [*] [spoiler]Expert mode[/spoiler] after beating the game for the first time [*] Twitch integration [*] and Steam achievements, of course [/list] There's a lot of new stuff here! I'm far from having seen everything right now, but I'm already very happy with what I have seen and I'm excited to see the rest of it.

Hey all! Ive been a playtester for these developers for over a year now, and when I tell you they put in the work - boy howdy do they. This new installment to their game catelogue is no exception. Much like their previous game, this one starts with a simple and easy to grasp concept and concentrates on executing it flawlessly. The art is adorable, the chance to collect them all (and their variants) is addictive, and the strategy involved in winning battles is surprisingly complex. As always, the art is friggn adorable and makes this game appropriate for children and adults alike. This game also came equipped with a customizable Twitch integration feature - allowing streamers to turn on and off redeemable events that can help or hinder their progress, giving their chat the ability to support or cause chaos as they see fit. This game can be played easily for hours at a time and players can make it as easy or hard for themselves as they like. The devs are also very receptive to feedback and suggestions, and immediately work to fix any bugs that may occur (which is a rarity in itself) I highly recommend this game for gamers of all ages and skill levels. Five shiny pill bugs out of five. (Cross posting this review from the demo as well)

What a fun game. I really enjoy the family friendly art, playful music and easy controls. But don't let that fool you. This game has a lot of depth and strategy to it. The rouge lite plus bug collecting combination make it fun and engaging. A great game for gamers of all ages to play.

I like the art style and menu/UI transition decisions designed for this game. An interesting concept to control both sides of the battle not really like other games that I have played. The capture bug mechanism is interesting and allows for strategic planning when approaching battles. A younger audience would definitely enjoy, but also players of all ages who enjoy the art and combat mechanics that this game provides.

This game is fun. I was able to start it up and with very little instruction I could play and have fun. It has a very unique play style with the dice. I additionally like the strategy that you have to have by controlling your enemies dice attack order. At first, I was thinking it would be nice for the enemy to auto attack. After playing a few battles, I realized so many games have that as a main feature. Allowing the player to decide for the enemy just kicks it up a notch. Finally, one of the the last things I really like is how you can play two or three battles, save & quit and come back. If you only have 10 or 20 minutes you can pick the game up, battle a little, save it and quit. Then when you have time you can come back and pick up where you left off. This is one of those kind of games that is good for any players new to experiences, casual to hard core. I really like the way I am able to play a game and still engage my brain without really noticing it. I highly recommend this for families with kids. It's got battles, it's got strategy and critical thinking skills, and it's got BUGS!!!!

Dicey Bugs is endless, replayable fun. The creativity is commendable, the art is adorable, the collectible bugs are a dopamine trigger, and the game play will make time absolutely fly by. Combine all of this with the strategy required to solve the puzzle of winning each battle (controlling the dice of both your team AND the enemy's is such a fun twist), and you've got a game that checks all the boxes! Dicey Bugs soared to the top of my favorites list within the first five minutes of playing. You cannot go wrong with this one!!!!

Dicey Bugs is great. I've been playing it since the beta and it's still a blast. The game play is super simple but there's so many combinations that each run is different. The bugs are super cute (the shiny Goliath beetle is my favorite) and I like that they wear little bottle caps sometimes. The achievements are all doable with a lot of them being challenging if you're into achievement hunting. I get a little giddy every time I get an unexpected achievement. There's also a *lot* of bugs to capture including shiny variants and a whole section of dice faces to unlock if you're into the collection aspect of the game. The game is perfect for either playing for hours on end or if you only have like 10 minutes before the uber gets there. Looking forward to seeing what the devs have in mind for the future.

This game completely took me by surprise, I downloaded the demo on a whim expecting a cute little bug game. While it certainly is that, it is also a game with an unreasonable amount of interesting team compositions and interactions that I find calling to me in the deep recesses of my mind like a cursed weapon that hungers for the blood of the unworthy. I have been trying out new builds quite often, and even still after actual days of playtime (demo, beta, and full release combined) I'm still thinking up new combinations of little guys. Just to address base game stuff, you run teams of three bugs that you collect with bottles from the wild bugs you fight. When you collect them you can use them right then and there and they can be put in your starting line-up whenever you want, so long as your whole team isn't defeated. In between encounters your bugs heal, but if you are defeated, you lose the bugs in that team and you need to collect them again. You throw three dice with faces representing different action, and your opponent throws 1 to 3 depending on how many are on the field. You may activate whichever of your dice you'd like, but all of the enemy's dice must be used (if the dice face in question would do something). Having full control of the order of the randomness of the die makes me forget the game is random sometimes, which is a huge plus. There are some fairly standard bugs: attack up bugs, healer bugs, *insert status* bugs. Though ordinary, there are several conditions that make these interesting. Bugs can apply their effect on either team's movement, attack, on using all dice and even on ally or self defeat. Using the standard healer, the caterpillar, for reference. It heals 25% of it's health to the ally with the lowest health, if it's not in the lead, and if you have used all your dice this turn. Both conditions must be met, but one of your three die is wholly dedicated to movement. So you may find yourself in a situation where the caterpillar cannot heal- that is if you don't customize your dice. You can change the die faces! Either from the store or going to dedicated locations. This allows for a surprising degree of control for a game that is about throwing dice to determine what your bugs do. There are faces for attacking (either the leader, choosing the target, choosing the attacker, or a clash between both leaders), applying every status, and moving in whichever way (including moving the opponents bugs). I tend to play teams with very strict placement, so I'll try to replace the movement faces as soon as I'm able, allowing the back two members of my team to work their magic. This does also mean that you can get some high output rounds if you manage your dice well, allowing for three attacks in a single turn if your dice are managed well. SHINY BUGS! Shiny bugs are the greatest lure to keep playing, and they keep me coming back to nab 'em. Of course, defeat in a team with a shiny bug holds the same consequence, so there's the constant threat of losing the bug, but you are also better off using shiny bugs, this is because they are stronger than their standard counterpart. Take the caterpillar for instance. It has the same health, same damage, but it doesn't retain the positional requirement to heal. This is a trend among most shinies, and only widens the possibilities of the already huge options. There are those that break the norm, but they often don't have a positional requirement to begin with. Some will apply their buff to more people, others will increase the potency. Some still will actually change the base requirement altogether, switching from being attacked to attacking for example. The creators of the game, given I have had the luxury of speaking with them, have been nothing but pleasant to speak with. They tend to be quite open to allowing stronger stuff, so long as it isn't detrimental to the health of the game's balance. They were glad to have me playtest in the beta and were even kind enough to give me a copy free of charge! Likely because I repeatedly broke the game, whoops. I think I've said everything I need to say without making this too much longer than I should, as I'd like this to be readable. If this review has been even a little bit compelling, download the demo! It's free! tl;dr Many fun bugs with great freedom in dice customization. Download the demo and give it a try, I can't recommend it enough!

I absolutely love this game. I got into it because it reminded me of Dicefolk (which I really enjoyed), but this one takes things to the next level. One of the biggest frustrations I had with games like this was getting wrecked by bad RNG and ending up with a party that just didn’t work. But here? The devs totally nailed it. You get full control from the start, capture the units you want, tweak your dice however you need, and the shop is always there to help you round out your build. It’s just so satisfying. Finding a build that completely steamrolls the competition is hilarious and super rewarding. The bugs are adorable, unlocking new starter dice keeps things fresh, and the pacing is spot-on for me, never too slow, never too chaotic. I’m hooked and can’t wait to unlock everything and try some even wilder builds. P.S. I’ve jumped into a few streams with Twitch integration and it’s an absolute blast. If you’re a streamer, please give it a shot with chat enabled. Your viewers will go nuts for it.

I can't believe this game is not more popular. Stumbled across it while browsing the Steam store and could not be happier that I did. An awesome roguelike that stands on it's own in a sea of roguelikes. I personally love how the shiny variants actually have slightly better abilities than their base variant counterparts. Makes finding them that much more satisfying. 10/10 for me.