Feed the Deep

by Aethyna Sep 2, 2024 | 1 Votes | 29 Played | 0 Reviews

9 rate

Genres:

Adventure

Graphics:

Labels:

Exploration , Underwater

Platforms:

Fulfill your duty to the city by feeding the Lovecraftian monster that threatens it in this Dave the Diver-inspired roguelite, Feed the Deep! Collect and sell precious resources to gain the funds you need to upgrade your gear so you can dive even deeper in search of the elusive Chum that only the Deep wants. Play Now Similar Games

People Also Played

Blast Brigade vs the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread

Summary Plotline Gameplay Graphics/ Sound Conclusion

Summary

Inspired by games like Dave the Diver, Feed the Deep is a Lovecraftian-themed game where you play as the “chosen” diver. Your duty to the city you’re protecting from a monstrous creature called the Deep is to feed it. However, you don’t have the gear to reach the depths needed just yet. Collect valuable crystals and bring them up to the surface to purchase better equipment and helpful boosts as you descend further than you’ve ever been! Will you be able to feed the Deep?

Plotline

Feed the Deep doesn’t provide a whole lot of exposition as to why the you need to feed the Deep. Instead, the game expects you to learn about the story simply by finding, collecting, and reading the journals you find.

Gameplay

As evident in the title, the goal of the game is for you to feed the monstrous creature the lurk in the depths, called the Deep! However, it’s not as straightforward as you’d expect. The “food” a.k.a. Chum that the Deep wants isn’t something you can just bring from the surface – you must find it first! You’ll encounter cave entrances in your exploration, which usually lead you to instanced areas where not only will you get a glimpse of submerged facilities

That’s not all, you’ll also start with fairly poor diving equipment which meant you can’t reach the depths you need to without running out of oxygen first and dying. This is where the main gameplay loop comes in!

The gameplay loop in Feed the Deep involves making your way through the maze that is the ocean to gather precious gems and then bring them up to the shop to exchange for better gear and equipment, as well as helpful boosters, including Guide lines that can speed you up if you’re swimming along it, in addition to showing you a path to wherever is it you’ve set the line to; and glowsticks with changeable colors.

There are even useful items that you can only get by opening mystery chests with the key you can buy at the shop, including the Defense Knife and Shop Compass. With these at hand, you should be able to easily go deeper than you have ever been before, allowing you to eventually find the Deep itself as well as the food you need to bring to it.

Of course, there are many challenges along the way aside from the limited oxygen in your tank. You may, for instance, encounter creatures that can harm you – thankfully, you have your trusty flare to take care of any that decide to attack you. The flares you have are limited, though, so you might want to use them sparingly. Occasionally, you may encounter environmental hazards like silt that can cause a plume that obscures vision if disturbed.

In later levels, you can even get bombs that can help you drastically change up the landscape underwater, opening up access to previously blocked areas, though due to design purposes, there are still hard limits on what walls you can destroy. There are also instanced, puzzle-like “dungeons” or areas where you can typically find something interesting, aside from a whole bunch of resources, of course. This includes the precious Chum you’ll need to feed the Deep.

In terms of content, the game has plenty to offer as well. You get to play three of the six expeditions right from the get-go, with subsequent, more challenging expeditions being unlocked after you’ve completed enough of the previous expeditions. The final expedition, however, requires all five previous expeditions to be completed before you can take on the Deep one last time. All these expeditions are completely replayable, thanks to its roguelite design and uniquely-generated maps. You’ll unlikely encounter the same maps as you attempt to collect all the journals to finally get a clearer picture of the story.

As if that isn’t enough, each expedition also contains a mini-game you can find and play on the side. It’s part of the Challenges for all expeditions where you’ll need to achieve a certain high score.

Feed the Deep isn’t an all-too-complex game, which is why the game is very accessible. Its gameplay is incredibly addictive as well, much in the same way that Dave the Diver is. The game can be played in a fairly casual/mid-core way, but if you crave a challenge, there are always extra Challenges that you can attempt to complete during your run. These Challenges include completing an expedition within a set time limit, collecting no gold, and even accessing the shop only once in the entire playthrough, which frankly speaking, is pretty insane.

Graphics/ Sound

Feed the Deep features simple, clean-cut visuals that are more functional than aesthetic, but that’s not to say there’s no beauty in minimalism here. The game also has a really nice (and realistic) lighting effect, which is crucial in a game set in the dark ocean depths. In terms of sound, the game features a blend of synth tunes interspersed with ambiance and sound effects, including the sound of breathing using a mouthpiece and the splash of water when you surface to give you that underwater feeling.

Conclusion

All in all, if you’re a fan of Dave the Diver minus the restaurant management part, then you’ll absolutely love playing Feed the Deep. It nailed that additive gameplay loop of “dive, surface and repeat” and presents a well-varied range of challenges to keep you on your toes. Considering the replayability it can offer, the price tag is incredibly affordable as well… comparable to Vampire Survivors to some extent.