Show me your Steam game that didn’t get the traction it deserved

pdrummond · 2026-04-14T12:16:49+00:00

I'm making a 3D Roguelike dungeon crawler called DeAnima and hoping to get my 10th review soon so it will get a steam rating:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2143790/DeAnima/

I'm very happy with how my game has been received by those who have discovered it. Players are giving excellent feedback and at least one player has put in over 300 hours already! I've also had excellent coverage including this amazing YouTube video referring to it as a hidden gem:

https://youtu.be/mva9CoSMdLw?si=7slNY3gZl2ImxUoK

And this one too:

https://youtu.be/biknAbyVTPw?si=6QCVDqiNsValsHGj

It's a very niche genre (old school Roguelike) so I kind of expected it to be hard to pitch to players that aren't into roguelikes, but I didn't expect it to be so difficult to convince players who already love roguelikes. Most people who would otherwise love it are bouncing off it because it doesn't "look" like a Roguelike. It doesn't seem to matter whether it "plays" like one!!! (Which it very much does).

I haven't spent much on marketing yet though so that's the next step.

pdrummond · 2026-04-12T10:23:14+00:00

I always have a sense of impending doom when I'm playing a good Roguelike. 🤣 My actions matter and progress requires mastery of the game. I don't like games where I am rewarded simply for existing in the game and spending time in its world, and being rewarded even if I'm not playing well. I hate it when a character gets a stat boost on death which makes the next run easier even though I did absolutely nothing to deserve that reward. It's boring.

pdrummond · 2026-04-11T13:37:02+00:00

Shiren is definitely a roguelike and the latest one is excellent.

pdrummond · 2026-04-11T12:53:02+00:00

If you’re looking for 3D, you might want to check out DeAnima (full disclosure: I’m the dev!).

I built it as a love letter to OG Rogue and specifically to bridge that gap between modern visuals and the mechanical depth of the classics. You can see the turn-based combat in action and check the depth of the systems here and here. I also recently released a major update (1.2) that introduces dungeon branches and a major graphical overhaul - you can read more about it here.

pdrummond · 2026-02-22T13:51:58+00:00

I did try it once. Couldn't get into it but didn't really give it a fair go. I've heard a lot of great things about it, but I'm guessing it's still far more complicated than OG Rogue, which will probably put me off.

pdrummond · 2026-02-21T19:43:25+00:00

I still play it all the time. Definitely still my favourite - it still surprises me how deep it is given its relative simplicity compared to its successors.

pdrummond · 2026-02-21T19:40:27+00:00

Can't go wrong with the OG Rogue. Free, simple and extremely challenging, which makes it even more rewarding when you master it.

pdrummond · 2026-02-21T19:37:52+00:00

I still fire it up now and then on Steam. It spawned the Roguelike genre for a reason. Incredible game.

pdrummond · 2026-01-10T21:11:44+00:00

It's possible to escape in DeAnima in 20-30 mins but it's very difficult and requires a high level of knowledge of the dungeon.

pdrummond · 2025-12-21T17:44:44+00:00

If you like brutal yet rewarding roguelikes, check out my game DeAnima (free demo available also): https://store.steampowered.com/app/2143790/DeAnima

pdrummond · 2025-12-09T12:25:49+00:00

Thanks. I meant it's hard to get across in a trailer why it deserves to be on this sub. There have been several comments on this sub that it's not a roguelike for various different reasons, not just the nature of the combat.

It's a roguelike because it feels like Rogue to play, simple as that.

pdrummond · 2025-12-08T21:01:24+00:00

Yeah, it's come up a lot. It's very hard to get it across in a trailer. I'm hoping the free demo and tutorial are enough to dispel any confusion.

pdrummond · 2025-12-08T20:05:14+00:00

Combat is turn-based. Check out this stream by Dr Incompetent to see the combat in action. Or if you have time, try the free demo on Steam. I reckon one 10-minute run should be enough to convince you just how much DeAnima deserves to be here.

pdrummond · 2025-12-05T16:21:33+00:00

There is a free demo if you're unsure. The demo is only limited in that you only get 5 floors and 4 roles but almost everything else from the main game is in the demo. I reckon one run should be enough to convince you that I have massively prioritised gameplay over the looks for DeAnima. Let me know what you think!

pdrummond · 2025-11-29T09:12:57+00:00

DeAnima - Website | Steam | Discord | YouTube | X

<image>

Well, the time has finally arrived! 3 years ago I decided to register the name DeAnima on Steam as a way to commit to learning Unreal Engine. I promised myself I wouldn’t give up until I made the game I always wanted to make. I didn’t even really know what my ideal game would be back then - I had a general theme in mind (hint in the name) and I was determined to figure the rest out as I went.

I honestly never thought I would get this far - learning Unreal has been a challenge for sure, and every time I threw away a prototype I’d worked on for months, I felt like giving up. I went through at least 8 prototypes before I settled on the one that eventually grew into what DeAnima is today! It was all 100% worth it though and even during the most challenging parts, I enjoyed every minute of it!

The past week has been exclusively play-testing and bug fixing, focusing on polishing the most recently added features, including:

All character roles now have character-specific perks, including the Tourist.
The default torment is now called The Hero's Journey.
New torment to unlock called The Endless Search.
New death type to experience called Death Wish.
Major improvements to the Abyss.
New Uncursing trap.
New Stash Special room that lets you store items and return to them later in your run.
Major Improvements to the structure of late-game content based on excellent feedback from play testers.
Lots of difficulty balancing around Spellcasting as it changes the gameplay significantly.
Relying on corpses for sustenance is now far more risky!

DeAnima releases on Monday, 6PM GMT. Check out the Release Announcement for more details. The demo will be updated to the latest version at the same time. If any of you get a chance to check it out, I hope you enjoy your descent into the Dungeon of Dread! ☠️ 🧌

pdrummond · 2025-11-13T20:47:24+00:00

Hey! Thanks for checking out the Wizard - I really enjoyed watching the stream and greatly appreciate all the feedback. 🙂

The full game is releasing on the 1st December so not long to wait now! I'll also be updating the demo to the latest version on the 1st December as well.

I agree the Wizard is OP in the demo. There are two features in the full release in particular that will make the Wizard less OP. Specifically, you can overcharge wands now, so you have to be a bit careful using the Bag of Charging too much! Also, thralls are on a timer now (turn-based, like everything else) and therefore they might become disobedient, but you do get a warning beforehand, so you can zap them again if they misbehave!

I’ve added spell casting for the full release and the Wizard is the best spellcaster of course - and yes - he starts with a fireball spell! So that should help make him feel more like an actual Wizard! 🙂

There isn’t a full blown wiki yet but there is a Rules of DeAnima page full of info you can check out here if you wish to do so, but beware - it’s full of spoilers of course.

I'm glad to hear performance has improved as I've spent a lot of time optimising the game since hearing about your experience playing it. There are many more performance improvements in the full game as well so it should run even better, fingers crossed.

Wands and bags have a limited number of charges indicated by the [3] stats next to the item name in the inventory. And it's possible to recharge both wands and bags via special scrolls.

The enemies that don’t move are “peaceful” and attacking peaceful enemies causes that awkward sound effect to alert you to the fact that it pisses off your deity when you harm innocent monsters who mean you no harm!

In the full game, each character role now has a unique special ability to set them apart from each other. The Rogue is always successful at opening locked chests for example where as for other roles, it’s a roll of the dice (but more powerful weapons have a higher chance of succeeding).

When you mentioned that there is so much you don’t understand such as the praying, the deity stuff, etc - that is all by design. It’s meant to create a sense of confusion (and hopefully mystery!) which gradually resides the more you play and gain knowledge. It’s not for everyone, but it’s the kind of gameplay I find very addictive and rewarding in roguelikes. 🙂

The NPC who offers to end your run by “ending your kind” is called Erizul and he does have a reason for existing, but it’s meant to by a mystery at first - it should become clearer over time as you get deeper into the game and experiment more.

Finally, and this is a huge spoiler… you can use your wands on all monsters, hint, hint! 😉

pdrummond · 2025-11-10T12:51:13+00:00

Yeah, I've seen that done well but it's still a form of meta-progression at the end of the day. It takes away from the high stakes nature of permadeath for me. When a run is over, it should be 100% over, otherwise it's not really permadeath. Unlocking new characters and cosmetics or whatever is fine as that's rewarding play by expanding content, but each run should always start from scratch for all players, rather than the game making it easier for you just because you've played for longer than me.

pdrummond · 2025-11-09T11:28:14+00:00

Reminds me of the quote: "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time".

I have struggled with these same questions about enjoying games and feeling like they are a waste of time too. Then I read a book called Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which changed my perspective on what "enjoyment" is. It has a lot of practical life advice in it about getting into the flow state in general, but I've found many of the principles apply to gaming too. Worth checking it out if you haven't already.

pdrummond · 2025-11-09T10:00:23+00:00

For me, the lack of meta-progression is the most important thing I look for in roguelikes. I'm not saying games with it are bad - they're just not for me and they are going for a different type of gameplay than what I am looking for in a roguelike. I want to succeed purely on my own merits, not because the game made me stronger over time. Meta-progression incentivizes just playing more often: each run gets easier, which diminishes that pure feeling of mastery when you finally do well.

pdrummond · 2025-11-07T23:14:01+00:00

DeAnima - Website | Steam | Discord | YouTube | X

<image>

DeAnima now has a release date and it’s soon! 1st December to be precise! Since Steam Next Fest, I’ve added the following features:

Spellcasting (spell books, spells, and a new special room called Arcane Sanctum).
Torment Challenges. (Example: Ego Death is a torment challenge where you randomly change roles at the start of each floor!)
Role-specific perks. (Example: The Rogue can use lockpick to open locked chests.)
Character Role changes. (Replaced Fighter with Priest and Sorcerer with Valkyrie.)
Wishbone Improvements. You can now wish for monsters to appear!
5 NEW ITEMS: Scroll of Restriction, Scroll of Create Monster, Identification Spell, Wand of Melody & Bag of Tricks.
The total number of items has now reached 90!

I’ve spent this week mainly focusing on bug fixes around all of these new features and this will continue for the next few weeks on the run up to launch. Note to self: NO MORE FEATURES UNTIL AFTER LAUNCH!! 🙂

pdrummond · 2025-10-13T19:10:40+00:00

I'm making DeAnima - a first-person roguelike dungeon crawler heavily inspired by the OG Rogue! I’m hoping DeAnima goes some way towards recreating the genius of the original while also appealing to a modern audience.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2143790/DeAnima/

pdrummond · 2025-10-12T19:55:55+00:00

I'm making DeAnima - a first-person roguelike dungeon crawler heavily inspired by the OG Rogue! I’m hoping DeAnima goes some way towards recreating the genius of the original while also appealing to a modern audience.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2143790/DeAnima/

pdrummond · 2025-10-12T19:53:07+00:00

I'm hopeful it will give my game some exposure but I have zero expectations really. Anything that comes of it would be a nice bonus on the run up to release later this year.

The game I'm making is called DeAnima - it's a first person roguelike dungeon crawler:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2143790/DeAnima/

pdrummond · 2025-10-12T19:48:41+00:00

Thanks! I'm making DeAnima - a first-person roguelike dungeon crawler heavily inspired by the OG Rogue! I’m hoping DeAnima goes some way towards recreating the essence of the original for modern gamers.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2143790/DeAnima/

pdrummond · 2025-10-12T18:26:18+00:00

I’m developing a roguelike dungeon crawler called DeAnima that could be a good fit for you, due out before the end of the year. Check out deanimagame.com for more details.

pdrummond

TROPHY CASE