A new roguelike invites you to do some terrifying and claustrophobic diving in caves beneath the sea, which is either the least appealing thing you’ve ever heard of or an exciting premise for a spooky game with probably very little space in between. In Feed the Deep you go diving beneath the waves to find resources that you use to keep the cosmic horrors slumbering beneath the world doing just that: Slumbering. As opposed to rising from the depths and devouring mankind and all that.
Though it starts a bit slow, Feed the Deep is an interesting exercise in game design. You’re consistently making risk-or-reward choices as you explore and backtrack in winding cave systems on a limited tank of oxygen, all with the goal of maximizing the resources you pull out and avoiding hostile wildlife. Keep up the correct pace for the current level of danger and you keep yourself alive, upgraded, and prosperous longer.
Feed the Deep’s developer says it’s “an atmospheric deep sea adventure with lovecraftian vibes” that’s “inspired by the likes of Dome Keeper and Spelunky,” which is a pretty succinct pitch for a game.
Besides the interesting premise, Feed the Deep is notable because it’s made by a high-profile game designer that you may not have heard of: Luke Muscat, who was the creator of major iOS successes Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride. Since going solo, Muscat has been documenting his progress with occasional YouTube videos.
You can find Feed the Deep on Steam.