>>58682054I heard Red Hook was inspired by Slay the Spire, which speaking as someone who loves roguelites but despises SoS on both a gameplay and an aesthetic level, that's an absolutely terrible thing to be inspired by if you ask me. Even when it was first revealed, the move to 3D reminded me WAY too much of Majesty 2 - just had a sinking feeling from the start.
Honestly, if you want more Darkest Dungeon, I recommend either going modded with Sunward Isles (and maybe Vermintide if you're feeling exceptionally brave) and classes like Claimants, Snake Charmer, Cataphract, Lamia, Sisters, Yet Another Musketeer Rework, Practitioner, and Thrall (can give more recommendations if you want them), or firing up Black Reliquary. It's a shame the BR guys got lost in the "we need modding tools NOW!" sauce, and thus by the looks of it are never actually going to finish the game, but what IS there offers some of the most sublime DD gameplay you'll ever have.
>>58682228I'll give my Val feedback later, but Tyrian 2000 is a good game to look at if you want shmup inspiration, as it does a number of things to elevate the concept beyond simply "shoot and avoid bullets". Ross Scott has a good review on the game.
As for roguelites, I'd very highly recommend Cobalt Core. The game is adorable and puts a much heavier emphasis on story and characters rather than on ball-busting challenge, making it a great roguelite for beginners. Keep Driving is also fairly easy as roguelites go, owing to the chill vibes it's aiming for. Dungeon Inn isn't a roguelite, but does have a roguelite mode, and is one of the best wholesome vibes chill games I've ever played (I have the same disdain for farming games that I have for SoS, y'see, so I'm VERY picky when it comes to chill games). On the SLIGHTLY harder end, Cloverpit and Raccoin both do a lot to make losing fun (moreso even than most roguelites), and Backpack Hero can be surprisingly accessible due to how its meta progression works. Hope that helps.
