Pleasantly surprised by Planet Zoldath

[benjymlewis]

At first glance, I was expecting an inscrutable adventure game with weird hints and cryptic solutions, but what I actually got was something completely different - a cool randomizer game where nearly everything is randomised, way more than I was expecting. Map layouts, item placement, sure that's normal for a randomizer, but even enemy behaviour (friendly, easy enemy, tough enemy, etc), death effects (explosion or leaving poison tiles), item drops - basically everything about the enemies is randomised except for the snails lol. The value and purpose of each of the four resources are random too.

So it's a game where figuring out the order of operations for the progression _is_ the whole game. You gotta come up with the most efficient way of solving things _while_ you're learning where everything is in the first place. And that's really unique. I was impressed with how engaging it was to keep track of all of these things, and every time I die, all my mental notes immediately have to go out the window and I gotta start keeping track of everything afresh. It's kinda funny lol.
The only annoyance is the limited inventory slots, but I guess remembering where you left things is also part of the overall efficiency puzzle.

What are others' thoughts on Planet Zoldath?

[Nothing]

I liked the discovery of planet Zoldath, but after knowing everything it's just tedious to me, and the enemies being randomised is the opposite of novelty to me, I don't see a "one-eye snake monster", I see a "shoot in all 4 directions and explode on death monster". I did like the game though and thankfully got the cherry pretty quickly before getting really bored.

[Adoru]

Yeah, it's one of my favourites here. I just wonder, if it can generate a planet impossible to finish. Seems like it can.

[Ninethousand]

Is the bugged snail still bugged?
Afaik the game can put the snail in a place where you can't get past it, but i finished without having to get past it for some reason.

[fakename]

I love Zoldath. It's like a mini-simulation of exploring an alien planet.

[Adeon]

Escrito originalmente por Adoru:

Yeah, it's one of my favourites here. I just wonder, if it can generate a planet impossible to finish. Seems like it can.

Yes it can. I got one where I was trapped on these first two screens: https://imgur.com/a/Q0N8tIJ

The only option was to try and walk across the path without the boots, and die.

[Power_Bert]

It reminded me of Toejam&Earl in a way. I liked it for the hour it took me to beat it, but i absolutely dread the day im trying to get that cherry...

[Adoru]

Escrito originalmente por Adeon:

Yes it can. I got one where I was trapped on these first two screens: https://imgur.com/a/Q0N8tIJ

The only option was to try and walk across the path without the boots, and die.

Oh, even that early! Never happened to me.

[M<3rry]

Escrito originalmente por Ninethousand:

Is the bugged snail still bugged?
Afaik the game can put the snail in a place where you can't get past it, but i finished without having to get past it for some reason.

Solution: You need to use the meat generator to lure it away.

[Adeon]

Escrito originalmente por Adoru:

Escrito originalmente por Adeon:

Yes it can. I got one where I was trapped on these first two screens: https://imgur.com/a/Q0N8tIJ

The only option was to try and walk across the path without the boots, and die.

Oh, even that early! Never happened to me.

Unsolvable generations seem to always be like this (stuck on the first or second screen)

As soon as you are able to move around, it's seems garunteed to be solvable.

Any time I've had a unsolvable generation, you're always stuck INSTANTLY.

I've never had a case where you can explore the game and get stuck later.

The game does seem to only make solvable solutions, and just fail at this one specific "stuck INSTANTLY" scenario. The rest of the world out there was likely solvable, because you're always "Trapped in" with stuff you'd never need to access if only your UFO landed somewhere else.