Разработчик: Zeno Rogue
Описание
You are facing a nine-headed hydra. Your flaming longsword cuts five heads in each swipe (no more, no less), which will kill a five-headed hydra, but a larger one will regrow two heads after each swipe. Your storm scythe cuts exactly seven heads, but it makes ten heads grow back if the hydra is not dead. Is it possible to kill the hydra? What if you also had a silver dagger, which cuts just one head, but makes five heads grow back?
Solution: [spoiler]It is impossible without the silver dagger (the number of heads always stays divisible by 3), but possible with the silver dagger, for example: 9 -> longsword -> 6 -> longsword -> 3 -> dagger -> 7 -> scythe -> 0.[/spoiler]
If you liked this puzzle, and you also like dungeon crawling, Hydra Slayer is for you!
The unique combat mechanics of Hydra Slayer are based on the puzzle above. It is challenging both at a short term tactical level (each hydra is a unique challenge, bumping into it with your weapon almost never works), and at a long term strategy level (you have to build a set of weapons which slays hydras effectively). While the early levels could be used to teach arithmetic and tactical planning in a fun way, building an effective set of weapons for late levels is a challenge even for expert number theorists!
Hydra Slayer predates the "roguelike deckbuilder" phenomenon by focusing less on traditional roguelike grid-tactics and more on constructing complex synergies inside a limited inventory of weapons. Not really a deckbuilder, but still fully a roguelike, so this tag is more accurate than usual!
Hydra Slayer currently features a tutorial, 5 player character races with distinct characteristics, 28 enemy types (10 common hydras, each in two varieties, and 8 special enemies), 28 types of equipment including rare artifact weapons with special properties (not counting material and size variations), 15 weapon materials, 18 types of magical items which help you in your quests, three game geometries to choose from, 8 level topologies on very deep levels (including the Möbius strip and Klein bottle), 11 level generators, two endings (a small victory for quick challenges and more casual players, and a big victory for those who want more challenge), and millions of heads to cut!
The Steam version of Hydra Slayer includes online achievements and leaderboards, a "challenge" mode for short but very interesting games (much more unpredictable than the normal play), traps to lead hydras on, and Orbs which provide a powder/potion effect many times at the cost of a weapon slot!
Поддерживаемые языки: english
Системные требования
Windows
- OS *: Windows XP
- Processor: 0.5 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Storage: 200 MB available space
- OS *: Windows XP
- Processor: 1.5 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Storage: 250 MB available space
Mac
- OS: OSX 10.7 64-bit
- Processor: 1.5 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Storage: 200 MB available space
- OS: OSX 10.7 64-bit
- Processor: 1.5 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Storage: 250 MB available space
Linux
- OS: any
- Processor: 0.5 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Storage: 200 MB available space
- OS: any
- Processor: 1.5 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Storage: 250 MB available space
Отзывы пользователей
Match the number of heads on the hydra with your weapons to kill them. Quite interesting and difficult at the same time. I recommend this roguelike for someone looking for a small amount of puzzle solving in their roguelikes.
this feels like the kind of game I'd find myself playing at 3:00 AM for absolutely no reason
It was surprisingly good!
This math-based roguelike is pretty tense. You're rarely sure of how well a fight will go, and vanquishing a big hydra feels truly epic.
Like Hyperrogue, Hydra Slayer is very well balanced and the weapons and consumables you encounter open interesting possibilities. Like Hyperrogue, the downside is a lack of streamlining in the effect of consumables: you often have to read a page of text, then make calculations to foresee what a consumable will do. Sometimes, crucial information is not mentioned, and you'll have to try it out to find out.
All in all. Hydra Slayer is a hidden gem full of epic moments.
Even though I like Hydra Slayer's core gameplay loop and how Zeno Rogue managed to keep the gameplay both simple and deep, I cannot recommend it due to
UI being irritatingly buggy.
(At least on Windows 10?)
- Default window size is too small, but maximizing the window somehow... offsets every tile's mouseover area? So when you want to get description of, say, a hydra, you can't simply right click on it, you need to right click on a 1/5th tile-wide strip on its right.
- In one game, I couldn't even do that - the game would identify me trying to hover over a hydra as either "an empty tile" or "Powder of Growth". Later it turned out that the hydra was, indeed, standing over Powder of Growth, but I genuinely can't tell whether that's an odd design decision (show info card of an object that's completely obscured by an enemy, instead of far more pressing info about the enemy, like in virtually all other roguelikes), or yet another bug.
[*]In another game, right clicking stopped working - it would bring up description screen, and then immediately close it. That is game-breaking in a roguelike.
All small things, but together they were so disruptive, they gradually overwhelmed my threshold for annoyance. I'm extremely surprised how a game by the celebrated Zeno Rogue could be in such a poor state.
Hydra Slayer is one of those games that you end up either loving or hating. That's not a knock against the game in any way; Hydra Slayer is incredible. Zeno Rogue clearly designed for a very specific audience, and Hydra Slayer so good because it is designed for that audience.
If, like me, you like traditional roguelikes and you're a math nerd, you will love this game. This game is catnip. It's incredibly addicting, and enormously fun. It's a gigantic math problem that changes and mutates over time, which asks you to plan in both the long and the short term. It's simple on the surface, but the surface-level simplicity belies a frightening amount of complexity. I adore it.
The one negative thing I will say is that even for a traditional roguelike, the UI is fairly unwieldy. I'm very comfortable with the genre, so it wasn't that hard to pick up, but it definitely gave me pause at first.
If you're reading this, Zeno, thank you so much. Hydra Slayer scratches an itch I didn't know I had, and I can tell that I'm going to be playing it for a long time.
Suppose you are given the following:
Write an algorithm which calculates the fewest number of blows required to reduce the hydra to exactly zero heads.
This is the point in the review where I would laughingly reassure the reader that the above gobbledegook is a misrepresentation of Hydra Slayer and that it does not require a calculator to play. But that would be a lie -- there's math here, full stop. If you don't like arithmetic, I recommend running away (and perhaps check out the developer's also-very-good and less overtly mathy HyperRogue).
I'm astonished that this game even exists. Traditional roguelikes are already a niche genre, then top that with raw calculations burdening the player. I didn't even think I would like it until I downloaded it to see if it worked on macOS Monterey (it does!) and somehow got stuck for hours. It helps that it is very easy to play: there are tiles by default and optional (very good) ASCII, you can play with keyboard (with vi keys!) or mouse, and there's a whole lot of available customization.
I've had a lot of small moments of joy playing Hydra Slayer, like deciding not to use a scroll which enhances a weapon because then it would be too strong and therefore worse(??), or finding a weapon called a Decimator, realizing that that literally just means division by 10, then unironically getting excited about the implications. If it's the kind of thing you think you'd like, then it's a full recommendation from me.
What a weirdly brilliant game. As others have said, it's aimed at a very specific audience. You'll probably know if that audience is you, just by reading the store page. I love it. Brilliant.
✓ acquire extra limbs through the power of alchemy
✓ hold many mighty weapons with which you plan to slay hydras
✓ realise you left the weapon you *actually* needed on the previous level
✓ accidentally make seven additional heads grow back after swiping a hydra
✓ P A N I C
✗ keep calm and remember mathematics got you into this problem, and can theoretically get you out
✓ die anyway.
10/10 Roguelike
Grab your sword, your shield and your calculator for this roguelike where every encounter is different!
Hydras, the mythical many-headed beasts, come in 10 elementary and some special variants and so does the arsenal of weapons that our hydra-slaying hero encounters during his descent into the depths. Elements affect one another differently, a weapon forged in one of the elements will have a varying impact depending on what kind of hydra you face. Striking a hydra with weapons made of favorable elements for the monster might even be beneficial for it, that is, causing excessive growth of additional heads. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2978703917
Each encounter is a mathematical puzzle: how to beat the hydra with weapons currently at your disposal. You can only strike a hydra with a weapon if conditions for its use are met, which commonly means that the amount of damage the weapon does must be equal or lesser to the number of remaining heads. Or, in the case of specialized weapons, if the number of heads is divisible with it, rootable with it, and so on. For better understanding of how combat works I recommend skimming through the comprehensive guide written by Ibid and before you know it you will be decimating, quasisecting and whatnot those heads to oblivion:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=891556800
Approaches to combat vary considerably depending on what race (out of 6) you choose for your hero. As you delve deeper in their lair the hydras grow bigger and tend to specialize more. Drinking the blood of slain hydras reinvigorates our hero and causes him to grow a little (both replenishing and increasing HP), which is the key mechanic of the game making the combat strategic. In the long run, you have to dispose of individual hydras effectively enough to weigh the benefits from their blood over the damage their heads deal when you engage them.
If mathematical theme has you on the fence, I recommend trying it for originality. Which is what I did, and it grew on me.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2366065757
This game is pretty difficult, but it's great fun. If the description "Math-focused pure roguelike" sounds like your jam, get in there. That said, if you aren't big on math, look elsewhere; this game will tax your mathmatical skills.
This developer makes games on unique mechanics you have never seen before. Even if you will not play this game -- buy this game just to understand how it works. It's really amazing!
I had a shorter review before, but since replaying it for a while I have a newfound appreciation for how brilliant this game is. It takes this neat concept of counting heads and flips it in every way possible, and it's extremely satisfying and fun to find a way to win in what seems like impossible odds with careful planning. Definitely a game that takes tons and tons of time to master. The amount of playable races and possible approaches makes the depth something you wouldn't expect with a concept that seems relatively simple. Even the aesthetic and soundtrack create an atmosphere that is uncanny in its own special way. Plus, this game (at least the non-steam release, I believe) is Free Software (licensed under GPLv2), so it is doubly worth supporting. Excellent game.
I bought this game along with Hyper Rogue (same developer, great game as well). I wasn't sure what to expect, only knowing that it was a traiditional roguelike but with combat essentially being mathematical puzzles.
Your enemies (all of them), are Hydras, and you have to find the right weapon to cut off all of their heads before they grow back. There's a basic elemental damage system, and using the wrong element tends to make your enemy stronger.
Equipment is fairly simple, there is no armor so you really only have to deal with weapons (and with the nature of combat, weapons rarely feel outdated), and you also have potions and powders (powders add an effect, such as stun, to a weapon for one turn).
Combat is mentally engaging, and defeating a difficult opponent feels like an accompishment. Also, despite the focus on mathematics, the game does a great job of telling you how the numbers add up. On the right side of the screen, you can see the elemental properties and number of heads each hydra has, and it will also tell you what results to expect your weapon to have on a hydra in terms of heads cut off and grown.
Don't buy this game unless you already know you will like it from the description. If you're not sure, you probably won't like it. BUT! If you are a fan of math and oldest-school roguelikes, and you have a few dollars to spare, I highly recommend Hydra Slayer as well as its companion, HyperRogue. It's worth noting that the game is free (minus a little content) from the author's website so buying it here is more a way to show your support.
This is a game about optimizing numbers. There's very little room for mistakes. It will bring you back to old games like NetHack and Angband; not nearly so complex, but equally hard and rewarding.
The description of this game does not do it justice. Roguelike based on mathematical puzzles sounds like an arithmetic quiz program or someone packaging puzzles in a mediocre framework. One of the reviews even said it would be ok without the math. I envisioned puzzles where there was a correct solution every time.
This is first a roguelike (oldschool roguelike), and the 'puzzles' are, like a game play in awell designed roguelike, emergent - naturally arising from the procedurally generated world. There are often many good solutions to the puzzles, and the game play revolves around finding good enough solutions, and using your resources wisely.
This also sounded like it would be novelty alone. It isn't - at least for me. The weird way the weapons work makes it so every level there are interesting decisions about which to keep - there aren't any that stand alone, you are judging the effectiveness of your weapons by the combinations you choose. This contrasts with most role playing games where you find a good weapon, use it for a while, then replace it with a better one - one which is obviously better.
The arithmatic in it won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind it, and like old school roguelikes, then I would bet you will like this game. Make sure to use the potions of knowledge - they will teach you how to think about the puzzles. Also make sure to use the auto explore ('o'), it speeds the boring bits along.
Definitely worth 3 euros. Where else can you meet a 33565-headed hydra and have to decide with which sword you need to strike first?
(My playtime also includes several hours of the free version prior to it being on Steam.)
A lot of people complain that games are getting too dumbed down. Hydra Slayer is here to remind you that actually, you only want a game as smart as you are, and you ain't all that smart, sunshine. Hydra Slayer is a game that literally has a powerup that tells you exactly how you can optimally fight everything on screen, and you're still going to lose a lot.
It's a great game in small spurts before the crushing despair gets to you. It's not for everyone, but if you want a hardcore game, Dark Souls is a god damn ice cream cone next to Hydra Slayer.
A unique, mathematics based tactical and strategical roguelike where every battle and choice matters and several layers of math puzzles have to be solved at every point in the game. Will get your brain churning in a way no other roguelike will. 5 races and a huge amount of weapon variety await - if you can keep your brain in gear and make it further than your last run.
I picked up Hydra Slayer during the 2016 Summer Sale, because I really dig roguelikes. Due to its mathematical nature, I wasn't 100% sure that I would gel with it, but I gave it a shot. I'm very glad I did.
Hydra Slayer is one of the strangest roguelikes I've played -- and I mean that in the best way possible. At the core, it's a mathematics-orientated game, where you have to use basic maths functions in order to defeat hydras. Your weapons come with a power rating, which dictates how many heads it chops off a hydra in one attack. When a hydra loses all of its heads, it dies. The downside is, you can't make an attack with a weapon with a stronger power rating than the heads on a specific hydra. If you had a sword that did 8 damage, you can't use it to kill off a hydra with, say, 6 heads.
The idea is that you equip yourself in a way that you can cleanly kill the hydras you come across. If there's a 14-headed hydra and you had two swords, one doing 8 damage and the other doing 3, you can attack once with the 8 (14-8=6) and then twice with the 3 (6-(3*2)=0) to kill it. It seems simple enough, until you learn that both hydras and weapons carry an element to them, and they react with each other in set ways. A flame dagger (power rating 1) against a 2-headed ice hydra will take off one of its heads without any regrowing; a bone dagger, however, will cut off one but regrow two more!
More heads means more attacks and more wounds, but sometimes allowing a hydra to populate heads puts it 'in range' of a bigger weapon, allowing it to perform a clean kill. There's even an item in game that makes a hydra grow more heads and become more powerful, with the benefit that the amount of heads that grow makes the hydra more optimal to slay than before the item was used. Other items include a potion that tells you the optimal weapon usage for killing a specific hydra, a potion that gives you another weapons slot to play with, and even a scroll that turns a hydra into mushrooms (should they prove to be totally unhandleable).
It's important to note that newcomers shouldn't stick with the Human player race, assuming it's the easiest to play. While its the easiest to start learning the game with, it's not the easiest to progress with -- even the game tells you that. Once you get a grasp of the game and want to progress big time, try Echidnas. They have the permanent power to attack with any number of weapons they like, so their strategy is all about one-shotting hydras. When playing Echidnas, you want to set yourself up so you can insta-kill any hydra you come across with the weapons you have. When you begin, you'll have a strength 1 and 2 weapon, which means that any hydra with 1-3 heads can be removed instantly. When you get a third weapon, you can raise the 'ceiling' on the hydras you can one-shot. Equipping a second strength 2 weapon will allow you to murder 4 (2+2) and 5 (2+2+1) headed hydras. Keep raising the 'ceiling' without losing the ability to slay every hydra below said ceiling, and you should get pretty far. There's an optimal loadout in the Guides section that you can use -- see if you can work it out for yourself, though!
And if you're not very mathematically minded and a little intimidated by the nature of this game, realise that I'm terrible at maths and, at time of writing, currently 16th in the world for Human playthroughs. If I can get that far, so can you!
To finalise, Hydra Slayer is the perfect addition to a roguelike enthusiast's library. If you love maths, a good puzzle, or just sick of mashing your numpad keys to repeatedly bump into enemies until they die, give this little gem a shot.
Подробная русскоязычная рецензия здесь:
https://habrahabr.ru/post/282383/
Very cool, but very specific game. If you are a mathematician, programmer, roguelike fan or just a nerd, most likely, this game is for you. Otherwise... Anyway, if you're not outright scared with the concept of killing ancient beasts with the power of math, you should give it a try.
You can start with the free version. Keep in mind, though, that free version lacks some recent and/or steam-specific features.
P.S. Sorry for my poor, google-powered English.
P.P.S. This is my very first review. Yes, that game is awesome enough to make me do it.
I did not receive a review key and this review is my own opinion.
While Hydra Slayer easily qualifies as a "proper"/"traditional" roguelike, having turn-based, grid-based combat, dungeons, levels, weapons, potions and monsters, the combat is non-traditional as it involves calculating how to kill hydras based on how many heads they have, how many they will regrow and how many each of your different weapons will slice off, while also adding game mechanic-changing items into the mix.
This was originally a 7DRL (7 day roguelike) and is a perfect example of one as it has one central bizarre twist on top of traditional roguelike elements.
There are currently some rough edges: music on the game over screen glitches, isometric mode has way lower fps than it should have (30ish using opengl and 10-12 on my machine using sdl2 (which could be using dx or opengl)) and there are some grammar errors (mainly the "fewer" / "less" thing which comes up a lot becuase of the heads mechanic).
Graphics are not very good but functional and there's the option for ASCII which is great. Different race options provide new interesting ways to play and there's a daily challenge mode. All in all there seems to be enough longevity here and the price is good.
Дополнительная информация
| Разработчик | Zeno Rogue |
| Платформы | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Ограничение возраста | Нет |
| Дата релиза | 23.01.2025 |
| Отзывы пользователей | 91% положительных (35) |