Update 0.8311 is now live. It contains only a new warning on the leaderboard and achievement panels to stress that the results only represent a tiny percentage of the game's user base. Only 1% of players have replayed the game since the last update so only 1% of players have completed any achievements. This update was necessary due to the recent negative review trend warning that the game was too difficult based on the assumption that only 1% of players had unlocked any achievements. It also likely explains why we've had a recent flurry of negative reviews complaining about various difficulty related topics when this was never a problem in the past. Please update your reviews if you made this incorrect assumption because it's hurting the game. If you personally find the game too difficult then please share your thoughts in this feedback thread dedicated to discussing the game's difficulty. Negative reviews dramatically effect whether other players buy and support the game. If you enjoy the game, and want others to play and support it, but you also want to share feedback, writing a negative review is not the best place to do that. Please share your thoughts in the discussion area instead. I read and seriously consider everything posted there. Thanks. NOTE: This update is 10Mb because it also contains some new planets that are not yet enabled. The next 'main update' will include these new planets and many more.

[ 2018-06-30 11:10:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Space Bob vs. The Replicons is a light hearted yet challenging physics-based planetary exploration, survival, rogue-lite in the final stages of development for PC (Mac & Linux soon). Expect to die in a dozen different ways before you figure out how to survive for an hour.

Combining hand crafted planets with procedurally placed resources and hazards, you must help Bob to solve the mystery of what is keeping him trapped in a never ending time loop while experiencing elements of survival, platforming, adventure and space exploration along with his companion AI.

Gameplay

Explore dozens of planets, collect resources, salvage what you find to craft upgrades, and fight for your life while trying to uncover the time-bending mysteries of Bob's universe.


At first, something as simple as landing on a planet and recovering some salvage will be a challenge. If the planetary hazards don't kill Bob first he will likely be overrun by Replicons before learning that many things are not worth his time to collect. Managing resources while learning how to maneuver valuable loot around obstacles, and out of deep winding caves, is what the game is all about.

The first objective is to escape through the jump gate and this may feel like the end of the game but nothing could be further from the truth. To truly escape Bob will need to explore further, master his skills and ultimately take the battle to the Replicons directly over three story acts.

Whether you live or die, an average play session is designed to take 30-90 minutes. At first you'll die frequently and struggle to do seemingly simple tasks but with patience, careful resource management, time and practice you'll learn to survive long enough to discover that death is not as permanent as it seems. Dig even deeper and you'll find yourself working with mysterious forces to save mankind from alien obliteration over multiple consecutive games.

This game features a type of permadeath. Death doesn't reset the story but it does rewind time. Collected resources and upgrades will be lost so it's best not to try and do too much before learning how to survive first. Also, contrary to some of the early reviews, the game now allows saving at any time but as is typical with rogue-lites your save point will be lost after death.

Technology

Although the game may initially appear to use traditional 2D sprites, it instead uses polygons. This allows for improved performance but also the ability to seamlessly zoom from viewing an entire planet down to having Bob fill the screen, and all without any pixelation.


All objects are physics enabled creating the corner-stone for much of the gameplay. You'll need to figure out how to efficiently connect objects together and return them to your refinery ship in orbit while managing their weight as they swing around the game's environments. Oh, and don't forget that you'll need to do it while trying to survive an alien invasion. Good luck!