Gamestonk Simulator: Gone Rogue
" Addictive roguelite shop simulator with rewarding progression but frustrating bugs "
Gamestonk Simulator: Gone Rogue Review
Gamestonk Simulator: Gone Rogue is a unique blend of shop simulation and roguelike mechanics that has captured players' attention with its addictive gameplay and nostalgic charm. Players manage a retro game store, balancing inventory, customer service, and defending against thieves using creative mechanics like a trusty baseball bat. The game features an engaging leveling system, upgrades, and a variety of modes, including a more enjoyable Endless Mode and a challenging Career Mode.
Despite being in early access, the developers are praised for their active community engagement and frequent updates. The game’s humor, retro aesthetic, and strategic depth are standout elements. However, some players report frustrating bugs, unbalanced difficulty spikes, and issues with certain mechanics like the robbery system. Overall, Gamestonk Simulator offers a fresh take on the genre with solid foundations and promising future content, making it a recommended pick for fans of simulation and roguelike games.
Highlights
Players highly praise the game's addictive and rewarding gameplay loop, especially the roguelike elements that add tension and replayability.
The retro store atmosphere, humor, and charming parody game titles enrich the experience.
The baseball bat mechanic for dealing with thieves adds a fun and unique twist.
Developers' responsiveness and frequent updates foster a positive community environment.
The game's visuals are simple yet cohesive, complementing the nostalgic vibe.
Endless Mode is noted as particularly enjoyable and less stressful than Career Mode.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include frustrating bugs, such as save file corruption and crashes, which detract from the experience.
The robbery mechanic and Career Mode difficulty are seen as punishing and sometimes unfair, leading some players to avoid that mode.
Some players desire more quality-of-life improvements like better queue management, additional store equipment, and customization options.
The absence of multiplayer in the current release disappointed some who expected it from earlier demos.
Visual brightness and minor UI feedback issues were also noted as areas for improvement.
Pros
- • Addictive gameplay with rewarding roguelike progression and upgrades.
- • Unique blend of shop simulation and roguelike elements.
- • Fun and satisfying thief combat using a baseball bat.
- • Charming retro game store atmosphere with nostalgic humor.
- • Developers actively engage with and update the community.
- • Well-balanced scaling and challenging but fair difficulty curve.
- • Multiple game modes including an enjoyable Endless Mode.
Cons
- • Frustrating bugs including save file corruption and game crashes.
- • Robbery mechanics and Career Mode difficulty can feel punishing.
- • Lack of multiplayer in current release disappoints some players.
- • Quality-of-life features like queue management need improvement.
- • Visual brightness lacks adjustment options, causing eye strain.
- • Some mechanics like employee AI require further polish.
- • Occasional imbalance in price scaling and game progression.
Rating Criteria
Gamestonk is the first roguelite shop simulator. Manage the last videogame store in town, keep up with the latest releases, trade smuggled retros, select your modifiers strategically, hire workers, and deal with pesky shoplifters.