Judge feedback

Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.

• Has a good length for a 7DRL, just enough to learn the basic mechanics and figure out some accompanying strategies without dragging out too long before winning. Deducing the various spell interactions with the environment and finding the best approaches to reach the next level (to heal) without taking too much damage was fun, although the levels themselves were somewhat large considering the low enemy density overall. But that's a polish issue, and each of the spells was useful in its own way. Didn't figure out what the totem one does though! Better spell descriptions would probably help there. Also most roguelikes would normally have a way to identify and learn about objects in the world (including creatures), rather than guessing or reading the log when something related to the object happens.
• Ray Wizard puts you in the robes of a wizard with a set of spells at your disposal to progress through the levels. The spells can be used as much as desired and are tied to a cooldown system rather than the mana/spellcasting power system commonly found in roguelikes. Some of the spells are unique for the genre, in particular I enjoyed the Create Scout spell which sends out a drone to survey the areas around you, this leads to nice stealth elements (along with Earth Vision which allows the player to see through adjacent walls). The spells are also heavily interactive with the environment, with bombs destroying walls, or ice and fire spells capable of freezing and melting water and ice. Each level had a distinct theme to it which required different strategies and spell usage. All of these are great qualities that I enjoyed very much. Beyond that, the game is very simple and I would love to see it expanded to take further advantage of the spell system and to add more depth to the interactions and strategy. Ray Wizard didn't feel extremely polished but it's aesthetic has a certain charm to it. The 7DRL release isn't very long (but long enough to showcase the various spells and environtments), consists of a few levels, and can be beaten. The game fits my criteria for a traditional roguelike.
• Overview Quite unforgiving traditional roguelike with cooldown-based combat mechanics. Completeness A quite complete game, but with some rough edges. Aesthetics I really like that classic look and feel, but the UI is not easy on the eyes. It's hard to tell on the first glance how many HP player has, which skills are ready to use and which are on cooldown. Fun It's both fun and tedious. Fun, because it is tactical, and the available spells are diverse. Tedious, because the safest way to progress seems to be spamming scouts and following already discovered routes. Innovation Roguelike focused solely on ranged, cooldown-based combat is an uncommon thing. Scope Fits the 7DRL. Traditional Roguelikeness Yup, definitely.