Just wanted to share this game that just released a few days ago and that I havenāt seen anyone mention yet (I have zero affiliation with it, to be clear): Mika: Dungeon Backpacker
I like backpack management games like Backpack Brawl (which I enjoy but dislike the monetization of) or Backpack Battles (no portrait, no go for me), so I was curious to check this out since it plays in portrait and has (so far at least) less annoying monetization. Plus I like the art style a lot more.
Iāve only been playing for a couple days, but so far Iāve been enjoying it a lot.
The game uses a āworld - stageā system, each stage is a dungeon with a number of floors, with each new floor opening with a shop where you can buy items to add to your backpack (different weapons, potions, runes, extra slots, etc). You can combine the same items to level them up, and you get access to more and more powerful items as you progress.
Each floor is broken into tiles with random events (combat, chests, buffs, traps, etc), once you find the exit you have to fight a floor boss, a bigger boss on the last floor, and the biggest boss on the last floor of the last stage of each world.
Beat a stage, get rewards, use them to permanently buff your team, repeat.
Combat is automatic, same as every backpack management game - put items in the backpack and they trigger on a cooldown - plus you get special abilities from your team members (up to 4). Each team member can also be leveled up/evolved to unlock stronger abilities, and they have buffs that are activated by having specific items in your backpack (wands, armor, etc).
You also get AFK rewards and additional buffs you can unlock and level up to make your team more powerful.
Itās a pretty simple game, but Iām enjoying it more than Backpack Brawl so far. If you like these types of games definitely give it a try.
A few extra disclaimers/thoughts:
- it is a gacha, which I know is going to be enough to get this post downvoted to hell, BUT you get a good amount of pulls + it doesnāt seem like having the S tier characters or āweaponsā matters much. I got a couple theyāre fine, but my starting characters seem about as strong. Maybe the late game will change things, but for a more casual player I donāt think it would be an issue.
- it has ads, but you can buy a one time (bless) ad removal pack thatāll get rid of the few forced ads (I only saw them after world 1, and only when resting) and give you a few extra goodies youād get by watching ads. Just donāt be dumb like me and spend $10 on it, turns out you can buy a $5 gem pack from their online store - outside of the app - and use that instead š¤¦āāļø
- it has the usual gacha passes and other IAP (if youāve played Sword X Staff, theyāre similar to that), but so far theyāre all for extra pull currency. I think there is a PvP arena mode, but the core gameplay loop and most of the game seems to be PvE, so.. I always see these as something you can get if you want to progress faster, but not something you need to buy to play and enjoy the game.
- itās voice acted! Iām not sure if itās AI voice acted, but if it is, it doesnāt feel like it. But my god I wish they gave the shop fairy more than a singular āStill alive?ā voice line.
- one review mentioned āobviously AI artā, but as an artist myself who also happens to be very familiar with the kind of art AI can generate, Iām pretty confident this isnāt AI art. Maybe some of the icons, but everything else is too āorganicā to be AI imo. Again, if it is AI, itās not the in-your-face, sloppy kind of AI. I like it, personally.
