Cogmind

buy this if you like testicular torsion and hate having fun

this game hooked me immediately.

Cogmind didn’t click right away, but once I gave it a real shot, I found one of the most rewarding and mysterious games I’ve ever played. It’s brutal, deep, and weird in the best way.

In terms of Traditional Roguelikes, Cogmind is one of the best I've ever played, alongside Caves of Qud and Path of Achra. The gameplay of managing health, power, heat, and matter, is very reminiscent of Battletech's combat systems, which translate remarkably well to a roguelike. It's difficult, but incredibly rewarding to learn how to play the game well. Listing the positives, we have:

- Amazing atmosphere and environments. Not usually a focus for roguelikes, but Cogmind is tense and cold. You feel very alone when you don't have allies with you, and even when you do, the oppressive atmosphere keeps you alert.
- Versatility and viability. There are several methods for approaching the game's challenges, all of which are viable for completing the game. You can focus on stealth and hacking, you can fight every bot you see, or you can do a mix of both.
- Strong gameplay loop. The mix of shooting, hiding, hacking, and configuring is very satisfying. The branches off of the main path allow for players to make runs unique, going to different places and meeting different robots that help you out.

I do have one problem with the game. It doesn't provide much help for the moment to moment gameplay. Most of the incredibly useful hacks are expected to be learned by picking up data found randomly in runs, or talking to robots- also found randomly in runs. You can go for several dozens of hours without knowing anything about hacking (I suppose unless you read the manual?) and just avoid doing it, which kneecaps your gameplay *hard*. The game is brutal for good reasons and for bad reasons- there are some things you just won't know until way later, despite the information being critical to your survival.

With that said, the game is a masterfully made roguelike by a very passionate developer. If you enjoy roguelikes, it's worth a try. If you enjoy Battletech, it's worth a try. I wouldn't recommend it as your first roguelike, but if you've played something like Caves of Qud, this is an escalation that you'll enjoy.

I haven't gotten very far into it but the game is obviously extremely dynamic and systems driven with a lot of interesting possibilities for routes, builds, and skill expression. The atmosphere is absolutely brilliant and the sound design is sublime. I had never played a traditional-roguelike before but you can use your mouse and after an hour or two I think it will start becoming very comprehensible to you.

Great game, have died wayy too much.

This game stinks. This is a roguelike made by someone who doesn't like roguelikes. Still recommending it because it's an indie game, but 25 dollars is an absurdly high cost when you can literally get any other roguelike for free and have a much better time!

Cogmind is an interesting game to play, especially blind. You slowly explore the world, one death at a time, as you slowly make sense of how different robots act in response to you, and in response to other stimuli. You learn to seek out specific types of robots in order to harvest their unique parts to add to your mass. Escalation is the name of the game; will you harvest new, stronger parts fast enough to overpower those seeking you out, will you take a different approach and assemble a vast hacking suite and turn the facility against your opponents, or will you fly by your adversaries giving them little chance to even attempt to stop you in your pursuit of on of the many endings.

Cogmind is a modern evolution of the rogue-like genre, with both incredible depth and width of mechanics to invest into and learn how to use and exploit to your advantage. Will you be able to piece together the shattered, splintered lore hidden in the many computer terminals, are you a robotic combat aficionado, or do both strike your fancy? What path will you take in Cogmind's difficult, expansive world?

Kind of a crime I'm doing a review this late but yeah, this game is good, very good.
The way it looks its cool, the sound design is amazing, guns actually sound powerful, the explosions are music to my ears and the sound my enemies make dying to those are my favourite in the game. So you can imagine I'm very pleased because you can blow up hundreds of robots per run, probably get to a thousand or two once good enough.

And there's many other ways to rack up your kill count if explosives are not your thing, go equip a stupid amount of guns, if they are lasers, enemies will melt down. Use electromagnetic weapons and they will begin to corrupt from the inside. Wack them or slice them cause we use melee weapons too.
But hear this, you don't even have to kill enemies, this game has deep stealth system and it's just as fun!

I adore how dynamic gameplay is, most of parts found are temporary, they will inevitably get destroyed or swapped for another. And that's the best part of the game, you are not stuck to one build or playstyle, you have the freedom to use and combine anything you find.
However, If you do want to force a certain playstyle or use certain items, there are many tools and tricks to do that too, so you are not at the mercy of random luck.

There's many different ways to play this, so many that with almost 300 hours I'm still doing new things and finding new places, and it will take me much longer to master any of them.
While it's hard to get good at Cogmind, it's deceptively easy to get into. The game gives you so much information about the items and enemies you find every time you examine them. And if you put some hours and still feel lost there's great manual in the options.

Last thing I want add is that Cogmind doesn't waste your time, you will always be 10 steps away from finding an item, a machine, maybe your next fight. Never a dull moment, this game keeps you focus and it will never let go.
So if you think this game might be for you, please get it, It's worth it.

Honestly not that Hard if you're just smart

Did you wish the plot of the movie "hardware" was a video game? This is it Assemble and Rampage.

got my first win at 100 hours so now i can recommend for anyone willing to put in that kind of time into a game like this

Honestly, and absolute treat for the senses, you will be consistently surprised by how many choices there are, from where to go, what kind of build you're going to be, how to tackle the levels, load up and become a tank, or you could go for a super fast in and out build.

It's quite difficult with a reasonable learning curve, but if you persist you will get a winning run and you will feel vindicated for putting in a couple of hundred hours to get it! Then you will feel dreadful, realising there are many more endings to get!

Absolutely worth the time, and worth checking out this guys Patreon too!

I really like this game. The main issue is going to be how impenetrable it is mechanically. I'd recommend watching some videos before playing to keep you grounded but once your over that first hump you're looking at one of the most polished classic rogue-like experiences. While the game can be difficult to learn, no other game in this genre comes close to the accessibility this game gives you. It also looks great and sounds great.

This game is the best traditional rogue-like I've found so far.

It's got so much depth but it's not too-complicated. So many neat secrets to come across.

The dev obviously loves this game. My only complaint is that I waited this long to pick it up.

multiple railguns available

i was holding back on this review because I wanted to do this game justice but just trust me when I say this is a really good game, the ascii graphics are done beautifully, the world feels alive with worker/non-hostile robots doing tasks around you, surprisingly it has a story with well written dialog?! sometimes with different scenarios playing out per run, customisation feels fun, it really feels like i'm hulking around this rickety old robot. the game definitely has this sort of early 80s retro-futuristic vibe to it that I personally really enjoy. actually worth every penny

Pretty good stuff.

awesome

The bot must grow.

To be honest, this game with no graphics has the best atmosphere of anything I've ever played. Playing this game without headphones is criminal. The ascii and pixel art is phenomenal, and the difficulty and depth are on point. My only qualm is that it is difficult for a new player to get the hang of it quickly without reading every lore paragraph they can find or watching a youtube video.

good game, but crashes way too much.

Despite its minimalist graphics the outstanding sound design and unique art direction still make it surprisingly immersive
One time I was holding a choke point against a massive swarm and the sound of my kinetic guns roaring, my system alerts for critical heat levels and component shutdowns, walls getting destroyed and collapsing really makes you feel like you are in a brutal firefight.

+Lots of build options that feel very organic and free flowing, constant improvisation and an intriguing world to explore. You can really tell its a labor of love
as another reviewer said "dosh sent me W game"

A high quality traditional roguelike, with immense replayability value, interesting lore, and fun gameplay. It's exceedingly challenging but overcoming the difficulties is quite fun.

.

I'm dominating

then all of a sudden my reactor blows up and I get dominated

10/10

A traditional roguelike with juice. You constantly upgrade yourself with new robot parts as you progress through the game. I suck at the game, but I still enjoy playing it. This feels like a glimpse into the future of the traditional roguelike genre.

This game is easier than Nethack to pick up and harder than many other games I've played. I'm just learning, and it's an incredible game. I hope you get a lot out of playing it!

I'm really impressed with Cogmind so far.

As a traditional roguelike, obviously it'll be a while before I can get really far and explore the world and its story. But this game is robust. I like that it's taken a traditional-ish approach to roguelikes, but with some unique twists on the genre. Namely, how weapons and parts are seen as disposable. It's almost got a looter-shooter vibe to it when it comes to parts and upgrades (in a good way). This makes new runs and even new combinations in the same run easily accessible and pretty much how the game seems to play.

It's technically very sound: I've not experienced any bugs or crashes. Granted, it's been in development for over a decade now. It seems that the dev(s) made a custom game engine, rather than using Unity or whatever, and it shines through. The game loads super quick and really light on system resources.

The various game mechanics are all really interesting. There doesn't seem to be any fluff or wasting of a player's time, which I love. The aesthetic is super cool, too. If I had any complaints, it's maybe that the music is a little light (not quite lacking ... but kind of close). And that's me being super picky to find something to complain about. The game's that good, I think.

I feel like the price is very reasonable and fair. There's a ton of freedom within the game's structure to play how you want. If you're into turn-based games or roguelikes in general, absolutely I'd recommend looking into Cogmind.

I made the critical error of buying this game right around the beginning of my exams. The idea being I'm not the biggest roguelike fan so I'll be playing it a bit here and there... and then I proceeded to clock in some 50+ hours in span of like two weeks. If risking one's academic progress due to how great this game is, isn't an endorsement, I dont know what is.

But to elaborate further, I have to say, I dont think im qualified to review this game in it's entired given my lack of experience in the genre as a whole, but between all the possbile builds, unique setting, easter eggs, paths, hidden bits lore, etc. this is at the bare minimum one of the most unique game/roguelike I've had the priviledge to play.

I dont think I even have anything to complain about gameplay-wise, game is fun and surprisingly approachable to new players allowing you to do quick saves (on lower difficulties) to help you understand the complexities of this game.

One thing that could be improved (in my unqualified opinion) is the option for demo version, as I think it's bit of an hard sell to new people who never even heard of this game to shell out 25 bucks, although I cant stress this enough the game is fully worth it.

kept my mind on the cog, would recommend

He said cog. Heh heh heh…

Frequent crashing, freezing, screen flashing

dosh sent me W game

Ye

Good

Always remember:
- The best defense is never getting spotted in the first place.
- Staying away from the center means staying away from things that can spot you.
- If you need to fight, try and force a one-on-one.
- Always have a launcher, for the situations where you can't.
- The only HP that matters is the last.
- Conversely, know when it's time to make a tactical retreat.
- A retreat isn't very tactical if you don't know where you're going.
- If there isn't a way to get where you want to go, make one.
- An empty slot is a wasted slot. Find something.
- Always Read Everything.
- Always keep your Mind on the Cog :D

bleep bloop I am a robot

I stole some robots katana after cutting it from them and while being overwhelmed in all sides, I then moved into a corner of a room that had a tanker in the middle so the enemies would come only from 2 directions instead, got out alive with every part destroyed except the katana I taken

11/10

The ascii art is awesome and the beginning of the game has been very fun

Seriously awesome game! I have played many rogue-likes over the years and I was hesitating on Cogmind because of the slightly higher price tag, but totally worth it. I know it says early access, but don't let that fool you, the game could be released as a final product right now. Also love how involved the Dev is, he responds to so many questions, posts updates and streams playthroughs. There are a lot tools to make the game accessible to a new player, but if it interests you learning how to use just the keyboard or ascii view is fun all in itself. Definitely worth a go.

The best roguelike ever. I'm in love with it. A pure labor of love, with so much thought put into every mechanic and interaction. I wish for it to get the recognition and praise it deserves one day.

Get scraped nerd

Context: My fondness for low graphic roguelikes started when I was 16 and my newly bought Xbox 360 got the red ring of death right as I caught mono. I had no internet in my new apartment, and nothing but a copy of the original ASCII (free, at the time) ADOM.exe, The UnReal World and Tales of Maj'Eyal. I couldn't get the console fixed for a very long time and had to contend with learning to enjoy those experiences.

If you don't like reading, can't get over the abstract representations or simply can't deal with the repetitiveness of constantly dying and going through the same randomly layed out maze for crumbs of context, this game may not be for you, although if you think you can stomach the concept, but haven't played that kind of game, this might be a good introduction to it, it's playable by mouse and doesn't require erudite levels of prior knowledge to survive 5 min. Finding gear is exhilarating, and getting hunted by the enemies can pit you against laughably impossible odds, I rarely ever get upset at the game over screen and I learn something new every run.

How the #&@% have I not heard of this game until today. Compliments to the chef.

Yeah this game is so fun, you basically build up your robot how you wish and take on the various levels. Super fun and customizable! Want to fire 5 miniguns at once? You can do that B)

Great already and only going to keep getting better

fun

This is the first traditional Roguelike I've played and I'm having a blast! The game is extremely well polished (no surprise, the dev has been working on the game for 11 years now!). Everything from the sound design, ASCII art, accessibility and gameplay is just great. I've rarely played a game with such interesting and integrated lore. It's very carefully sprinkled into the gameplay and I always get excited when uncovering more about the worlds, factions, NPCs etc. There's just soo much content in Cogmind. I haven't even gotten my first win and there are nine different endings with a 10th one coming out in the future.
The dev even has his own website, where he writes blog posts (love reading through them) and participates in discussions. It's just good to see a dev who actually spends time with the community and who takes feedback.

Though, the game is not for everyone, as stated in the game description. The runs of Cogming are long, so long that my average runs last 72 minutes, but I might be a slow player too. Long runs have many positive sides, but it makes it discouraging to take risks. It also means, that you usually don't just die after one wrong decision. It's a rather long process, where you 1) raise the alert level to high or the enemie severes your parts 2) you run around and try to recover 3) you either make a strong recovery, which does happen, or the enemy slowly tickles away your core integrity while you desperately try to find an exit.

But I don't think this process is necessarily bad. The durability system actually makes the game a lot more skill based, because you can't just get one good synergy and you're good to go. You'll have to be adapting constantly, which makes the game difficult, but in a good, skill-based way.

But I understand if players are turned off by this mechanic. Even I wanted to leave a negative review somewhere after 20 hours of playtime, just because I got frustrated with the durability system. But I had this "git gud" mentality and decided to keep going. You get used to it eventually.

I also have to admit, that I refuse to play on an easier mode, other than the intended difficulty, which in Cogmind's case is also the hardest mode. I also try to play 100% blind, so I don't take any tips from outside the game or from the in-game manual. If you don't bother to play on an easier mode, you even get arbitrary save files in runs, but I don't know exactly how they work, because like I said, I only play on Rogue mode.

So in conclusion, it is totally possible to play the game on Rogue without any guides. But you do have to be dedicated and it can get frustrating at times. But once you get the flow of the game (which I have not fully achieved yet) you will be rewarded.

An excellent rougelike. Mouse controls make it easy to get into.