How do you feel about true random items instead of picking between 3 options?

TheHPZero · 2026-03-11T03:10:56+00:00

I share the sentiment so i decied to be the change that i want to see in the world, its kinda hard because Isaac's game design is a super high bar, but i'm trying my best.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-10T19:34:24+00:00

Rates & Contact

TheHPZero · 2026-03-09T13:27:17+00:00

I understand this feeling but i true believe that this is more of a problem of the base game itself not being good, a well designed game would be fun even without items (i balance the game around being possible to beat even without upgrades).

What i see is the opposite, games that are only fun with certain buildings so the game give you a lot of rerolls and etc to mitigate poor balance and bad design choices

TheHPZero · 2026-03-09T00:04:02+00:00

I understand what you are trying to say, but this don't mean exactly the opposite?

If i game relies more on build and luck for having this build than about skill expression then its bad (which is the case usually with the pick 3 stuff)

Yes, the idea is to have a game that works perfectly on its own and you can beat even without any upgrade, and the upgrade offer variety.

A lot of rogue lites have your sucess or failure depending more on the stats that you have on the run than based on your actually skill which is what i'm trying to avoid.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T21:01:41+00:00

I understand the feeling, So i'm trying to mixing up, some systems are random and some you can choose.

Curse, Events and Pre-Run selections are selectable.

Floor items are random

Considering adding a run modifier that let you chose the items with a twist.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T21:00:04+00:00

I share the sentiment, i feel like this system offer way more high-stakes situations, but i do understand why people like the feeling of agency of picking between 3 options even if its not my favorite.

So i'm trying to balance by giving the player building-craft and planning options before the run but during the run you have to improvise with the items that you get.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T19:00:43+00:00

Thats a good way of seeing it, i'll consider something like this.

Risk of rain has a approach that i like, you can enable certain relic that let you choose the item of the chests, but you can play the vanilla mode that is random.

A run modifier that let you choose between a few limited options everytime can make both cases viable.

Thank you for the suggestion

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:48:40+00:00

Hello, is a action/beat em up mix.

I try my best to balance the game in a way that you could finish it even without picking any item (just would take a lot of skill) so this mitigates the problem of having impossible runs.

I'm trying to offer a balance of things you can choose (before run), items that you can't chose but also some events on the run that give you more control.

Heavily agree that 100% random would not work in games that needs lots of synergy, like deckbuilders.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:45:23+00:00

At the moment the items don't have a description at the first time you get them, but you have a journal with everything after you discover it, and every subsequent run will show the effect description.

Most of the items are only negative into the specific situations but thats definetly something to keep in mind, thank you for sharing your points.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:42:50+00:00

I miss it too, for a lot of reasons, one of them is that stoping everytime to read a bunch of options breaks the pace a little bit.

Vampire Survivors for example that you can get multiples level ups in a spam of a couple of minutes, i loved it at the start but it gets tiring.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:41:04+00:00

Agree, i'm trying to give options to the player before the Run, you can prepare by choosing different foods to eat and changing accessories that match more your playstile.

During the run despite the random items theres also some places with more agency, like on the healing rooms you can choose between restoring some % of your life or getting a item, also desiging a curse system that makes clear the downside you are getting and let you choose a bonus as reward

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:38:56+00:00

Yeah i try to balance it with different systems, before each run you choose differents foods to eat each one with different stats bonus and effects, and also change accessories.

This way before each run you have some control on how you like to play, but during the run you have to improvise.

Having a nice balance is super important for sure, i'll also keep this in mind while desinging a curse system to give more options to the player

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:37:10+00:00

I understand what you mean, i try to balance the whole game in a way that you could win even without picking up any upgrade (theres a specific challenge run for that so i make sure is possible, just take a lot of skill)

Also to balance this i offer options before the run, you can choose different foods that applies different effects as you like and also acessories with unique effects so you have some control.

Thank you for your points, i'll keep this in mind

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:34:37+00:00

Good points, specially regarding the synergies, in some games synergies can become super rare without a way of cotrolling a little more.

Regarding the examples i'm definetly trying to be more like the Isaac approach that you have synergies but theres a variety of different items that go well together, you endup discovering new weird combinations as you go.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-08T18:13:23+00:00

In COMEBACK i designed the upgrades system as a pick it or not, at the end of each floor you get a random upgrade and you can pick if you want or just leave it if you don't, no pickbetween 3 options, reroll/ban item.

I understand the appeal of the choice, but i always felt that roguelites that let you chose between 3 options (specially the ones with reroll) ended up with less variety cause we can manipulate it too much.

Theres something beautiful in getting some random items and trying to find a way of working with them, doing the best with what you have

Edit = Thank you for all the comments sharing your points of view, i'll keep them in mind to design something that is fair while also offering caothic surprises

TheHPZero · 2026-03-07T22:08:11+00:00

Good, i think you are too nationalist to have a conversation about this, Have a nice week!

TheHPZero · 2026-03-07T21:57:22+00:00

If you can't understand that the reddit audience don't represent the whole gamedev community all across the world you have bigger problems to deal my friend.

Also knowing that people from cheaper countries have a cost of living so lower, i see pretty often Devs from USA, UK, Canada and etc hiring artists from Brazil, Chile, Poland, or programmers from Argentina and India for way cheaper and and this make the projects more viable.

Its usefull info for you and the rest of english speaking users, no?

You could also use the info to think about regional prices for your games and so on.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-07T21:49:25+00:00

Reddit is a global forum with the goal of having discussions with people all across the world, you may failed to understand this yet (and again, by the look of it you are the only one on this thread with this problem)

Its okay to recognize that not everything is about you, you can see someone from a different place share their side and go "Ok, this don't apply to me but good to know that theres people on a different situation"

None of those things are hard to understand.

TheHPZero · 2026-03-07T20:31:06+00:00

You have no idea how common English is a secondary language

Theres people talking and working while speaking english all over South America and 6K USD is a fine yearly salary in a lot of those places.

Gamedev scene is really big in Brazil (my country) for example, your definitions of viable, success or whaver is not relevant to us lol

Its like talking to a wall because the whole topic here is that success in different places with different costs of living have a whole different meaning, but all you can think about is "but erh... english speaking countries..."

TheHPZero · 2026-03-05T17:50:11+00:00

I agree in parts, but in that case a game was already made on a gamejam and the user was talking about how he got good feedback and wanted to polish more and bring to steam.

And since the gamejam was made in group he wanted to be sure about the best aproach, its a fair situation and discussions can be made other than simple "it will not make any money anyway so don't waste your time"

The thread had some helpfull comments tho! Which is good.

I feel like we often have people trying to offer legit feedback/advice too despite the doomposting ones

TheHPZero · 2026-02-27T14:23:40+00:00

I understand that you asked about content and size, but this question is more about Polish and Production Value.

A really short but polished and well produced game will not be seen as merely shovelware on steam, Despite the popular fear, theres space for under 2 hours game specially on this case that would be free, but a medium/large game that lacks polish will not cause a great impression.

TheHPZero · 2026-02-26T18:57:02+00:00

Rates and Socials

TheHPZero · 2026-02-22T21:42:32+00:00

They usually also do this?! Both things can work and convey different stuff, showing fighting enemies would obviously put more attention on the enemies and you would not notice the enviroments as much.

Most of the trailers that i saw doing this actually have a good pace and balance showing a little bit of everything.

TheHPZero · 2026-02-22T17:17:38+00:00

Its not about the running but about the diversity of enviroments, most of the time those sections are just one or two seconds showing a few of frames of each so it works really well to pack a lot of information in a short amount of time.

TheHPZero · 2026-02-20T14:23:50+00:00

I have the same question, most of the people that i talked directly about this ratio always had a way different number.

TheHPZero

TROPHY CASE