unplayable on steam deck.

this game scratches an itch in me so here's a few things i really enjoy:

1. tight micromanaging on classic and capitalism difficulties: when i mean tight, i mean i have spreadsheets and notepads open when i play this game. i plan out what i want to do and i follow it, with some leeway in case things dont go as planned (and they rarely do!) but i think thats where most of the exhilaration comes from. i know many people don't enjoy depending on rng for progress and its frustrating when youre running against the clock but i think that just comes with learning what you need to look for in the game.
2. the characters: i genuinely like every single character in this game (quinn <3). barring the antagonists you dont get to befriend, the character development is satisfying and heartwarming. yeah, sure, they're like exaggerated tropes but i think it's done in a fun way. i do think they couldve gone full moth with luna and that muktuk couldve been less man, more walrus (also boss finn but the design notes on him does make sense) but i think thats just the furry in me
3. the soundtrack: listen i actually put game music on low in order to hear audio cues and voice acting better but... i genuinely love the music in this game and it somehow doesnt detract from the other audio sources? its not overwhelming to me on top of having some real bangers in there (sylvia vs anubia!). greg nicolett you mad lad
4. aesthetics: i like it when my game is pretty. ui design is easy on the eyes and the 2d art is cute! platonic ideal of a micromanaging game for me (sorry timberborn but you still need some work on the design side of things)

here's something that i found could be improved:
1. controller movement: it's garbage like flat out lol. i played this game on pc (with controller) and the switch and let me tell you, a 2-minute activity becomes a 10-minute activity in some cases. there's a weird bug that moves your cursor to an ingredient after clicking on a filter during brewing and it ruins the momentum on an already clunky action. this bug is also prominent in the switch, but rather it just resets to the first item on the list and it extends to all npc store interactions. this is an accessibility issue i wish they'll address but im not holding my breath on it
2. filtering: i believe the filtering system has already been worked on three times? but the filtering in the brewing gameplay is could still be improved on. i wish the filtering available at quinn's shop is also available for your brews and that there was a filter for most/least # of ingredients.
3. expeditions: i dont mind that during the 50-day hurdle, baptiste only offers expeditions for the newly unlocked locations. thats completely fine. what i wish was different is for post-game. he should cycle through the expeditions of older locations during endless mode. i STILL havent found the jelly blossom item on my main save and i spent 80+ days funding my heroes to the ocean coast to find it without any kind of luck but my switch save got it from the 10% rare item chance via expeditions! so i would really love to stop making my heroes dive down for it. i shouldnt have 300 dwarf krakens im ruining the population

more of a funny complaint (not to be taken too seriously):
1. visiting roxanne: why do i need one time slot to go down my basement. why is sylvia getting distracted going to her basement. this executive dysfunction is only exclusive to going to the basement I Guess.
2. i should get harangued by some freaks while my shop is open. chef dravyyn or fedora jones gives me a buff/debuff or increases/decreases my stress. i should get pranked by quinn or mint gives me a cookie. something. make me insane. smack my gob
3. i wish they extended some voice acting to small greetings and goodbyes. i miss hearing quinn's voice on my main save. cant a girl keep spamming visits to hear quinn say something like "heya blightroach" in that gravelly voice of theirs.

all in all i looooove this game, it genuinely makes me happy for all the things listed above (except the improvements i wish they added, and the funny complains i have that have no bearing on my experience with the game but rather for the benefit of my soul). i know that as a deckbuilding game, its pretty mid compared to others (slay the spire & inscryption comes to mind) and for a management game, theres two learning curves (low for the minmaxers, high for the uninitiated) so experiences are varied and often conflicting.

anyways, i hope this was funny to read at least. heart emoji

A game about crippling debt and arguing with people. 10/10 experience.