Sol Cesto

Amazing game! Nice and chill and also really interesting at the same time.

A surprisingly well made game with deep mechanics, unique art style and sound design, as well as some interesting worldbuilding and lore in the background. Core mechanics are very simple and easy to understand, with UI doing a great job at showing the player what is going on and what they are about to do with any given action. There are also some mechanics and interactions that aren't explicitly explained to the player (for example how different items may interact with certain abilities), so there are still ways to experiment with the game and it often pays off. The outcome of combat/exploration is largely luck based, but the game gives you many tools (items, abilities, modifiers, etc.) to sway the odds in your favor. Choices you make feel impactful and often need careful consideration and planning to give player the best chance of a favorable outcome. However, even the most optimal strategies often don't guarantee safety, but understanding the game and planning ahead allow you to deal with consequences of random failures... most of the time. You can always loose to shear bad luck, with minimal mistakes made in the run, which is an intended part of Sol Cesto experience. The game feels generally well balanced - different items all have their uses, each modifier can be helpful in some way (or detrimental, if chosen poorly) and heroes all have some strengths that make them viable. I do however think, that difficulty of different stages (or bioms) of the journey isn't scaled too well. Monsters and other hazards do get stronger as you progress, but the begging is still the most difficult and luck dependent part, where most runs die. With no modifiers and little money you are at the mercy of game's level generation, without strategies you usually depend on once you get some upgrades to help you. I really wish the early floors were a bit more forgiving, especially for the characters with lower hp. The art style is cartoony, with creatures ranging from cute to grotesque and simple objects like chests or spikes. Playable characters and few NPCs you may encounter all have unique designs, which establish their identities and roles in a world where dialogue and other information about them is scarce. The setting is based on dark ages and dark phantasy, which gives Sol Cesto a feeling and aesthetic similar to Dark Souls. Most elements of the world are bizzare end grotesque (like inserting new teeth into your jaw for modifiers), but there are some more whimsical scenes (like stumbling upon a calm water fountain in the forest and fishing out powerful upgrades). All in all nothing feels out of place, every detail of the art is polished to perfection and it is easily one of the most appealing aspects of the game. I recommend Sol Cesto to literally anyone who likes roguelike games and can handle some luck based gameplay.