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Tumbleseed Discussion (Nintendo Switch) [game]
 
  Anand R  
Tumbleseed on the Switch
7/10 from one rating

Welcome to the official discussion thread for Tumbleseed on the Switch!

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After Secret_Tunnel and Zero recommended this game (knowing my love of Roguelikes), I checked out Giant Bomb's Quick Look (see below), and I was pretty much sold. I've played it for a couple of hours now, and I've made to the second stage a couple of times. The controls are incredibly unique, so it feels very novel. It even messed around with my brain when I tried to use the mousepad afterward. I almost felt like I had to to balance out my finger swipes. Tetris Syndrome!

The presentation is really nice. The HD Rumble effect is subtle, but... effective. The music is kind of soothing and maddening, just like the game itself. Although the graphical style didn't seem like my bag at first, it's kind of growing on me. It's clean and sharp, and the framerate is super-smooth, which is always the top priority for me. Tumbleseed is also available on Steam and PS4, but the developers seemed to have ensured that the Switch version wasn't inferior.

Quick summary of the gameplay: You progress upwards through a randomly generated 'mountain' by rolling your seed around with a freely moveable platform. You can drop or raise the two ends of the platform with the left and right analog sticks. The indirect control method is what really gives the game its own identity. There are holes all over the place, various (nasty!) enemies crawling around, and various powers and gadgets that you can use to attempt to survive. And it's more like Spelunky than Rogue Legacy, in that not much seems to carry over from session to session. So the only way you can significantly improve your performance is by actually getting better at the game.

The game design is very clever, with the different powers and the main economy of crystals which you can collect and/or farm. It has a tight, fun risk/reward/strategy loop. Most importantly, since it plays like a classic arcade-style game, Tumbleseed is perfect for killing time in portable mode. And the idiosyncratic controls make it a game that you can genuinely feel yourself getting better at. There's so much headroom for finessing the seed.

It's still hard as balls, though. (And I still want the option to try tilt control.)



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05/03/17, 20:54    Edited: 05/03/17, 21:11
 
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  Zero  
@VofEscaflowne I temporarily had something in my game that (for only one stage) would randomly make like 1 out of every 10 collectibles a dark version that would take away health if you hit it... but it was just way too hard to consistently avoid them because collectibles fly all over the damn place in my game so I removed that.
08/03/17, 07:53   
  Secret_Tunnel  
I've been waiting for this update! Will eventually go back to the game and give it another shot. I'm in the 8% of players who made it to the third world and even I kinda trailed off after a while, so I'm curious to see what I missed!
08/03/17, 08:42   
  Anand  
Secret_Tunnel said:
I've been waiting for this update! Will eventually go back to the game and give it another shot. I'm in the 8% of players who made it to the third world and even I kinda trailed off after a while, so I'm curious to see what I missed!
08/03/17, 15:31   
  VofEscaflowne  
Game definitely feels a lot more friendly so far. The new Auras are a welcome addition and for once makes you feel strong in a game that has everything stacked against you. Looking forward to unlocking the rest of them.
08/03/17, 18:07   
  VofEscaflowne  
Apparently there's a surprise sale for the game which is now 9.99$! Great to see that and both the update hit.

EDIT: Oh and they added a 2 player mode exclusive to the Switch version. It can be played with a single joycon each so it's easy to set up a match.
08/03/17, 19:14   
Edited: 08/03/17, 19:23
  Anand  
@VofEscaflowne
Crazy! Did they change up the mechanics for that mode?

Actually, why don't I just play it and find out!
08/04/17, 04:04   
Edited: 08/04/17, 04:05
  canonj  
@VofEscaflowne

I checked the Canadian eShop this evening and it's listed as $19 and change. Maybe the sale hasn't started yet, or maybe it's a US only deal? (By the way, is there an easy way to see what's on sale on the Switch eShop? I really miss the layout of the Wii U eShop!)
08/04/17, 06:22   
  Anand  
Wow, the devs really went the extra mile with this update, from QoL improvements like variable stick sensitivity to the new static areas to train the player for each section of the mountain, each with their own little quests. And the revised, friendlier power-up set makes the whole game much smoother and less... mean.

It would be kind of neat if they kept the old version as a hard mode of sorts, though. But maybe they did!

And the two-player mode seems like a neat King of the Hill thing, with plenty of opportunity for screwing over your opponent. For single Joy Con mode, they kept the controls the same, but used the top and bottom face buttons in place of the right analog stick. Crazy!

@canonj
The store will get there, I think.

Maybe.
08/06/17, 03:54   
Edited: 08/06/17, 03:55
  Anand  
One more bump. I really like the way that the devs confined the quests to the static training areas, and used them to unlock auras to choose from. It took me a while just to complete all 12 of those quests, so they've essentially given the game a 'campaign mode'.

I kind of like playing with a really high stick sensitivity. Small adjustments take more care, but it's much faster and more slippery, and you can react very quickly.

It's on sale for $10 this week. Give it a shot, perhaps!
08/08/17, 22:33   
  Secret_Tunnel  
I played through the first mountain a few days ago. Cleared it on my first run, so I'm not sure if I'll move on to the next one or try to finish the quests on the first one!
08/08/17, 22:59   
  Anand  
@Secret_Tunnel
I also cleared the first static area on my first run. That did not become a trend!
08/08/17, 23:48   
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