Dome Keeper and PathandTarot

I have been playing the Binding of Isaac more frequently for this channel, and I had an interesting thought during a play-through. I thought what would happen if I used my tarot deck to inform the play-through? I drew a tarot card to inquire about the run, and there was an uncanny synchronicity between the tarot and what happened during my play-through. The tarot cards I drew seem to realize themselves in the game.

I thought what would happen if I attempted to interject the tarot into a play-through of a game that has nothing to do with the tarot? Dome Keeper just came out, it looked great, I wanted to play it, and here we are looking at my first impression of the game while prompting with my tarot deck. I was alarmed at how well the tarot aligned with my play-through of Dome Keeper.

Here is my first impression about Dome Keeper.

This is an outstanding game. The genre of roguelike games has come a long way to achieve a clear sense of hybridization in the game design. Dome Keepers feels like it is born from two classic games, Missile Command and Dig Dug. Both are excellent games, and when combined the balancing act the player must go through is very exciting. You will easily get lost in the exploration of the mine while you try to acquire more resources to upgrade your dome. This balancing act is well thought out and the player is tasked with dividing their attention to ensure they keep an eye on their dome.

I appreciate the pixel graphics. In the contemporary world of video games, the developer can create whatever they want in terms of graphics. The game developer is no longer restricted by technology to create gaming graphics. What ends up happening is that the pixel style is now an aesthetic choice.

Personally, I love pixel graphics because it reminds me of the golden age of 8-bit and 16-bit video game graphics. You had to use your imagination to fill in the blanks. Game developers had barriers with technology so the game’s graphics represented the available technology. Because of this the game developers also had to pay attention to the game mechanics, controls, and sound design to make sure the game reached its full potential.

When I see games that have a pixel art style I know they will have been able to develop the game in other areas. Everything but the graphics is where the game either makes it or not. I pay attention to the sound design and controls. Does the game feel good? Dome Keeper feels good to play. For me, that’s all it takes to put the game into a winning class of video games.

Watch the initial play through here from the Dome Keeper play list.