Name
Math: The Roguelike
Author
KKairos 
Category
Game
Release Date
2009-11-16
Rating
(3.5/5)
Tags
Version
Requires MegaZeux 2.92 or newer.
Downloads
Math: The Roguelike
MATHEMATICS is the weapon.

Not really a 2.0 yet, but definitely not a 7drl version anymore. In any case, now that I'm working on this again and finally sussed out the source of that stairway gen bug creating non-traversable levels, people might want a StairFix version to play.
Wervyn  said:
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NOTE: This review was written for version Fix 2 and may be outdated.
A fun diversion, if a little on the easy side and lacking in variety. But it's a 7drl entry, meaning I can't fault it too much for lacking scope. The math gimmick is clever, and tends to reward players who understand basic algebra over those who are swayed by weapon titles. For instance, the "unreliable sword" and "unreliable axe" are actually extremely probabilistically reliable; and the "Failure Function" is so powerful as to be almost broken when you first get it, immediately giving you access to a 1000x damage modifier as long as you understand how to use it. By the time that becomes 4000x at the end, you're one-hit killing stuff for hundreds of thousands of damage that even the cubic "Holy snap" function can't touch. Still, there's a satisfaction in figuring out how to use the tools, even when they're rather obviously laid out; and in knowing which functions are immediately inferior (such as the doubling and quadrupling functions) even though they're introduced much later than the quadratic function that renders them all but useless.

Anyway, it was fun, I didn't lose my time.
Ryan  said:
Link
Posted date unknown
NOTE: This review was written for version Fix 2 and may be outdated.
Amazing. I wasn't expecting anything nearly so awesome when I downloaded this, thinking 1) it was made in a week in 2) MZX, no less. Boy was I wrong...

I'd seen a random map generator in MZX before, but nothing like this. The UI is easy to use and nicely done. The maps are easily explorable and interesting. The various objects you can pick up have fun names. And as Wervyn said, figuring out how to use the tools given to do the max damage is its own reward.

If I had to pick one beef, it's extremely easy until you get sandwiched between two baddies on a lower level. I could've just sat a level higher and grinded my turns to 1800+ so I could double my health every turn, but I didn't just want to sit there and grind. So, I artificially added difficulty to the game and died for it. : P

If this turns into a longer project, more gameplay balance would be nice. However, for what it is, it's highly enjoyable, and I'll most likely play it again.
duvel  said:
Link
Posted date unknown
NOTE: This review was written for version Fix 2 and may be outdated.
It's an extremely easy game, but very fun for anyone with a passing knowledge of math. My biggest complaints are that most of the weapons are very linear in how much they are worth (if you go by the order on the equipment screen, they're ordered exactly by average output). Also, the game becomes very broken with the Critical Failure/the damage*-100 combo, but that wouldn't be available until much later on. The equipment is all standard with no variation, which is unfortunate because math based weaponry would provide countless opportunities for randomization; the same goes with the enemies, who are all the same but grow in difficulty as you go down the floors.

I would like to make special mention of the randomizer: it's good when it works, but I unfortunately became the unlucky winner of a randomized layout that had no access to a way down to the next floor on my first play-through. A serious bug, to be sure, but I don't think it would be a common one.

My suggestion is to play through once regularly then break the game with cheat mode; it's worth at least a try.
hseiken  said:
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Last modified 2020-04-10 03:44:08
Very clever take on the Roguelike genre. I've played it a couple of times and found a lot of fun in combining items equipped to get wicked effects.

Definitely give it a shot if you're looking for a fresh, lighthearted spin the RL genre (is it really a genre? I feel like Rogue-like as a genre would be like calling an martial arts flick 'Bruce-like' or something...) That's neither here nor there, but I think if you like games of this sort, it'll provide a fun diversion for a bit, though some may find the gimmick less appealing than a proper 'theme' like D&D, space robots or whatever.