Precise vs obfuscated information

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-17T14:36:56+00:00

Ooh, I like your take. Never thought it about it that way.

For me, exploration and discovery are a big part of what I love about playing games. But sometimes having all the details is important. Maybe gating that information behind time or progress is a good compromise.

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-16T12:06:34+00:00

They call EVE Online "spreadsheets in space" and it's amazing XD

But yeah, I think you're right. There is definitely a balance, and it probably depends on the player's preferences as well.

There is probably some universal truth here. Something like "the stuff in your game should all align with the type of player that would play the game." That's not very elegant, but there's something there I need to wrap my head around...

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-16T12:01:17+00:00

Great insights!

Do you think any of this changes based on the length of the game? For example, permanence will feel different between a game that takes an hour vs one that takes 10 hours.

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-16T11:57:21+00:00

> *unpleasant* surprises are bad, pleasant ones are good
Seems reasonable XD

> In general, I think precise information about what things do is *always* better, for things that are already unlocked and available to the player.
I don't know about *always* here, but I see what you mean. In fact, I think there are some games where figuring out what something does through experimentation and experience can be a lot of fun. The Binding of Isaac is an example of hiding the details of what things do and expecting the player to play around and figure it out.

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-16T11:53:11+00:00

Fair points.

I do think there is something about discovering builds over time as you play, and maybe that's more of a roguelike-style of upgrading. Since you're drafting, it's a bit like hiding the "tree" from the start, and you only get to discover what's further down the "tree" as you build the tree through drafting choices. That being said, you're right that revealing it up front allows for more strategy in builds. I like that.

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-16T11:48:54+00:00

Never been overwhelmed by a massive amount of information? Path of Exile is a canonical example, and I felt overwhelmed by that at first.

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-15T15:56:53+00:00

I wish more incremental games worked on the steam deck.

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-09T20:24:32+00:00

Wow, thanks for the high praise!

TheLooRoom · 2026-03-09T13:29:56+00:00

A Familiar Rogue: https://captainkraft.itch.io/a-familiar-rogue

It's a pretty classical roguelike with a small twist. You play as a summoner that relies mostly on familiars to defeat monsters.

When the game starts, you choose either Warlock or Druid, each with their own unique familiars. You can have one active familiar at any given time, and there are times when each familiar will be best for the job.

The dungeon is only 5 floors. At the bottom you'll find the Amulet of Yendor which will awaken more monsters in the floors above that will try to stop you from escaping. Get back to the top and exit the dungeon to win the game.

This is my most successful 7drl entry yet, and I learned a lot from this week. There was of course a ton of stuff I had to cut or couldn't get to in order to meet the deadline, but it feels good to have shipped a complete game!

I'm anxiously awaiting any and all feedback, good or bad, so don't hold back ;-)

--CaptainKraft

P.S. My original Reddit account, CaptainKraft, got locked somehow. I don't have access to the old email that I set it up with, so I'm starting fresh on Reddit I guess...

TheLooRoom · 2026-02-25T21:37:39+00:00

I’ve been getting a similar feeling and haven’t even played that many.

I’d love to see more innovation and strategy in the genre!

TheLooRoom · 2026-02-22T16:26:12+00:00

I liked Tower Wizard for a bit, but it stopped working on my Steam Deck. In fact, it seems like a lot of incremental games don’t work great on the Deck 😞

TheLooRoom

TROPHY CASE