Vellum
" Innovative action-adventure roguelike with unique tome mechanics but occasional visual clarity issues "
Vellum Review
Vellum is a highly praised roguelike action game that combines unique gameplay mechanics with a charming storybook aesthetic. Players enjoy the depth of build variety, allowing customization of attacks, movement, and signature inks, which create diverse and viable playstyles. The game features multiple levels (Tomes) with distinct rulesets, adding freshness and replayability. Raids offer challenging boss fights that work well solo or in co-op, and the game supports smooth multiplayer experiences. The progression system includes permanent upgrades and cosmetics, enhancing long-term engagement. While the game is lauded for its polish and creativity, some players note issues with visual clarity, occasional bugs, and a somewhat short main content duration. The developers are active in updating the game, promising more content and improvements. Overall, Vellum is considered a great value for its $20 price, especially for fans of roguelikes and cooperative gameplay, with a strong community recommendation and ongoing support from its indie studio.
Highlights
Players praise Vellum’s rich build customization, offering meaningful choices across attacks, movement, and signature inks that impact gameplay significantly. The distinct mechanics of each Tome and the engaging raids with well-designed bosses stand out. The art style and thematic writing create an immersive storybook atmosphere. Multiplayer co-op is highlighted as a key strength, with smooth online play and enjoyable team dynamics. The game’s progression system, including permanent upgrades and cosmetics, adds depth and replay value. Many reviewers appreciate the developers’ responsiveness and continuous content updates, making Vellum a fresh and compelling entry in the roguelike genre.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include occasional visual clarity issues, making it hard to distinguish enemies or understand death causes, which can feel frustrating. Some players find the difficulty spikes rely on reduced screen contrast rather than engaging mechanics. Build and playstyle variety, while generally praised, are viewed by some as limited or unbalanced, with certain inks or abilities dominating. The endgame content can feel repetitive or short, with progression systems like Prestiges offering mainly cosmetic rewards without significant gameplay incentives. Performance issues such as lag and bugs appear in late-game or endless modes, impacting smoothness. Additionally, matchmaking and rejoin features are requested to improve multiplayer experience.
Pros
- • Highly customizable builds with viable attack, movement, and signature ink options.
- • Unique Tome mechanics add fresh challenges and diverse gameplay experiences.
- • Engaging and well-designed raids with challenging boss encounters.
- • Charming storybook art style and immersive thematic writing.
- • Smooth and enjoyable multiplayer co-op supporting up to four players.
- • Meaningful progression system with permanent upgrades and cosmetic rewards.
- • Frequent developer updates and responsiveness to player feedback.
Cons
- • Visual clarity issues make it difficult to identify enemies and understand deaths.
- • Difficulty spikes sometimes rely on reduced screen contrast rather than skill.
- • Certain inks and abilities feel overpowered, limiting build variety.
- • Endgame content can feel repetitive with limited gameplay rewards for grinding.
- • Performance issues such as lag and frame drops in late or endless modes.
- • Lack of matchmaking improvements and no rejoin feature frustrate multiplayer.
- • Platforming mechanics occasionally feel clunky and unintuitive.
Rating Criteria
Write on! Defend the books in Vellum, a co-op, literary roguelike! Harness class-defining colors, master an inspired spellbook, and influence the growth of your enemy! As a group or solo, you'll craft plot-twisting builds to rewrite the rules in Ink!