Hack, Slash, Loot

Steam sale. Impulse buy. No research. Big mistake.

I find minimalism aesthetically juicy. Breaking down a system to it's more fundamental elements yet retaining it's functionality appeals to me big time. Hack Slash Loot should be my kind of game for that reason alone. The UI is so direct that you can completely understand it in less than a minute, there are no menus to open, and you have no inventory. Only what you carry. What a bold design!

I approached Hack Slash Loot with my full attention, prepared to work my brain against a challenging low-bit dungeon, which was a mistake. This game is only meant to be played when you're half-asleep, drunk, and a monkey. Hack, slash, and loot, (and move) are literally the only verbs you'll be exercising during play. Once you understand the basics, you've mastered the game. There's no higher tier of play. The only dynamic element of the game that you have control over is your loot, which you can mix and match as you go to better optimize yourself for battle.

Roguelikes have shallow combat almost as a point of pride, but anything would be better than one attack that only varies if you have a different weapon equipped. A special move with a timer. A one-off item. Different combat modes. A fucking dress-sphere. Anything!

There's minimalism, and then there's amputation.