Overall, I have a very positive opinion of MOUND. I love the concept, the Mythos, and the overall playstyle. The game feels intuitive, creative, and most importantly, fun. Good PvE-focused games are becoming increasingly rare, so having something like MOUND to play genuinely feels like a gift. The foundation is already here. I just think the game needs more depth and long-term progression to keep players invested.
5 things I believe would push MOUND from a game I enjoy into one I would fully endorse:**
1. Let Players Keep Something From Each Run
Allow players to keep 1–2 items after completing a Quest or Exploration. This could be tied to a special slot on the wheel, a storage space in the cart, or another limited carry-over system. You don't need to let players hoard everything. Even being able to preserve one treasured weapon, artifact, or useful item would give successful runs more meaning and make players feel like they are slowly building something.
2. Level-Ups Need to Matter
Right now, leveling up feels almost meaningless. Levels should unlock new gear, equipment upgrades, additional HP or Stamina, weapon improvements, passive bonuses, or other small progression rewards. It does not need to become an enormous RPG skill tree. Keep it simple. The point is that gaining a level should make me excited because something has changed. That progression would create longevity and give players another reason to continue playing beyond simply starting another run.
3. Maps and Monsters Need More Personality
Maps should become more distinct from one another, but I think the bigger issue is the monsters.
Monsters need presence.They should feel memorable, unsettling, strange, or dangerous instead of simply:
BLAH! I GET YOU!
or
GRR! I leap toward you!
Give them behaviors, audio cues, environmental interactions, stalking patterns, unique animations, strange habits, and personality. One idea I would especially love involves **Corrupted Players**. Have them repeat distorted versions of voice lines that players previously said during the match. Imagine hearing your friend's voice somewhere in the darkness repeating something they said twenty minutes earlier. That is the kind of thing players remember.
4. Give Tokens More Purpose
More items and equipment should be purchasable with tokens. Add new weapons, armor, tools, cosmetics, equipment upgrades, or alternative versions of existing gear. Currencies are much more satisfying when players are constantly thinking: "What am I saving for next?" Instead of simply accumulating tokens without many meaningful ways to spend them.
5. Variety Will Save This Game
MOUND already has an identity. Do not abandon it. The core concept, atmosphere, Mythos, and PvE structure are what make the game interesting. But variety is what will give that concept longevity. More monsters. More map variations. More equipment. More encounters. More objectives. More strange events. More discoveries. More progression. Keep the ideology of the game intact, but continuously give players new reasons to return.
Final Thoughts
I genuinely love MOUND. That is also why I am critical of it. I have spent years playing games and creating games myself, and I have seen this pattern before: a fantastic concept launches with a strong foundation, players love the idea, but eventually the lack of progression and variety causes the player base to fall away. MOUND does not need to become something completely different. It just needs the developers to **push what is already good further**.
Give exploration lasting rewards. Make progression meaningful. Make monsters unforgettable. Give players things worth earning. Keep expanding the variety. The bones are already there. Now give them some meat.
That version keeps your original argument intact, but makes each criticism feel tied to player retention, progression, and replayability, which gives the devs something concrete to work with.
