Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2017
Brut@l
Developer Stormcloud Games Limited
A modern re-imagining of the classic ASCII dungeon crawler. Choose your hero and descend into a procedurally generated world constructed entirely from ASCII letters. Can you survive? From the Steam store page
88 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Sep 12, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
66
Fresh
57 positive · 30 negative
95% range 55–75%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 57 | 30 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
1 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
130 of 172 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 88 · most liked firstMMMMM, I missed you ASCII First let me start out by saying this game is rogue-like, why there is no tag? who knows (There's a tag now). This is a game that takes inspiration from old ASCII dungeon-crawlers. There's crafting (things such as potions, weapons, talismans), enchanting of weapons, local and internet co-op, a wide variety of baddies to square up against. Now for the actual review: This game was built around the controller, playing it with M&Kb is almost impossible (it just feels…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Brut@l looks great, however many other features of the game don't compare. The game has a few misleadingly simple mechanics that appear interesting at first, but cause the game to get dull very quickly. To build weapons you must find letters, but letters are not used up in the process presenting a player with no opertunity cost in doing so. Potions are randomized each run, however there are only 8 kinds of potions avalible. "Secret rooms" are just rooms locked by an element that have to be…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The art style is cool, and the brawling has weighty but responsive animations which make it feel fun to fight the enemies. But so much of the game isn't about the pretty nice but not exactly special brawling mechanics, the majority of it is instead about repeatedly hitting barrels for the XP, and suddenly dying to instant kill pits that fade into view as you enter a new hallway. Instant kill pits are the biggest threat in the game, and by golly it sure is annoying for there to be one…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty standard Binding of Isaac style game. I refunded it because of some design decisions that annoyed me, and also because there's nothing it does that I can't find done better in other games. It's supposed to be a love letter to old Roguelikes but it doesn't do anything to emulate them other than having unidentified potions, permadeath and the floor texture you see in the screenshots. Doesn't seem to have a real understanding of what makes engaging gameplay, a lot of your playtime is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you are an action game fan, disregard this "not recommended" and check other reviews to see if Brut@l might suit you. If you are looking at Brut@l because you like proper roguelikes (Rogue, Nethack, Dungeonmans, Caves of Qud, ADOM, that sort of thing) and are tempted by the ASCII-inspired graphics, move on. There is nothing remotely proper-roguelike about it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This will become a cult classic for ARPG/Roguelite fans The Good -- ASCII aesthetic extremely reminiscent of the warez and .nf0 days of early internet piracy and cracking -- Near-fully destructible environments (destroying environmental items gives experience and has the potential to drop phat lewts) -- Lock system that requires weapon enchants to open doors. A new twist on an old mechanic (door keys) -- Interesting and varied weapon selection -- Simplistic yet effective weapon…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a Roguelike https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_(video_game) https://forums.roguetemple.com/index.php Roguelikes are turn based games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Brut@l is an action game that makes use of an aesthetic drawn straight out of the old ASCII roguelikes. Make no mistake though - it has basically nothing in common with those. There's randomly generated dungeons (and potions), and there's permadeath. That's it. Other than that, it plays like a basic kind of Dark Souls-ish game, or if you've played that, think the combat sections of Hand of Fate. Swing sword, toss potion, dodge, jump, parry, throw shield. It's meant to be played with a gamepad,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Taking its inspiration from old-school ASCII-based dungeon crawlers, BRUT@L features both single-player and cooperative modes of play in its procedurally generated dungeons (rooms are scripted but arranged randomly) with permedeath. A dungeon editor is also included for more customized death traps. The interface is designed for a gamepad (consoles are clearly the priority here), which makes navigating the game more limited than necessary on the PC. The protagonist can be moved around each…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →for a hack and slash RPG game, 1 shot kill just because down into a pit is way too much!!! they also make no leeway for the jump, you need almost perfect jump for it unless dev resolve this this game is not reccomended!!! other than that is pretty standart, should be a good game WITHOUT the 1 shot pit
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First off, this game "looks" simply amazing but damn does the gameplay ruin it. It's kind of a mindless brawler that has you punching more of the environment than actual enemies. Destroy chests, candles, coffins and all kind of things for 1 XP each... *snore* Enemies are decent but if they are not a color (from having different attributes) then they can sometimes blend into the background depending on the angle. It's a lot like that Tron game that came out around the time Tron Legacy was…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun and beautiful rogue like game until you get platforming parts and you throw away all founded wepons, enchants, full armor, crafts everything couse you insta die if you fall. Very bad design decision.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Clever stylistic fun. Feels a bit like the Hand of Fate combat in a Tron Fantasy world. My 1 whine so far, I would far prefer a leaderboard that recorded my best run in the game rather than just my career kills between all runs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty fun game - or would have been if not for the platforming sections leading to insta-death falls. Who though the pits were a good idea in a permadeath roguelikelike??? At first I thought they were an annoyance, but after the umpteenth death to the things, I'm switching my rating to Negative.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Uggghhh...permadeath...I still don't like it and still don't understand the appeal. There are some cool mechanics in this game and the art-style is pretty cool, but like many other games of the genre, permadeath just ruins it for me. It's not so bad starting over from the beginning if you've only made it a few levels in, but since you start with pretty much nothing in this game, and everything is completely randomized...starting over is just too frustrating. And some design decisions baffle…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So although I am actually enjoying this game as a time waster, there are too many design decisions that make me say do not buy. The first issue is the obvious, the controlling scheme. The character feels 'floaty' and is too unresponsive at the best of time, meaning that most falls will be to the game over-steering and not to any actual skill and thus not the players' fault Secondly, the lackluster combat. The fact that's a simple three hit combo is fine, the button presses are reasonably…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first look, Brut@l appears to have a strong sense of style and focus. Harkening back to the age of ASCII dungeon crawlers, including the infamous Rogue, it tries to merge those virtues with modern gameplay. Featuring 26 levels of randomness, two-player co-op, and a fully featured dungeon maker, the goal seems clear. However, after the gimmick wears off the result is a by-the-numbers roguelike action game in a sea of similar titles. Gameplay Brut@l is a fairly simple roguelike dungeon…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What was the one thing -everybody- hated in Ultima VIII? The jumping. What was the one thing -everybody- hated in Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance I? The jumping. What's something that has never been seen in Rogue & Co.? Jumping. And now take an educated guess why I mention this here in this review... It makes no sense to have the jumping passages in this game. It adds nothing except frustration and another chance to die. And on the other side: The game is hard. But not the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →no sound options --> refunded
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Compressed version of my review of Brut@l for TechSocket.net: Brut@l pays homage to the days when heroes and villains in video games were defined by little more than text symbols navigating dungeons constructed of dashes and dots. Brut@l’s shining moments in gameplay come from this stunning stylization. But it doesn’t just sit high on its own assurance of nostalgia for graphics of the past to carry the design. It runs with the roots of dungeon crawlers while incorporating modern capabilities…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →5/10 really liked the game at first. no reason for this game to have places where you can fall of the edge and instantly die.... 1st run didnt make the 1st jump i ran into.... F... that run is done 2nd run jump and slide right off the edge of a map...whats this? im not done for yet? i earned a revive from the gods, YEAAAHH! fell off the map later in the level to a jump that it looked like i could make but i dont think you can..... why would you put stuff on the other side? 3rd run fell off the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The core idea of a 3D hack 'n' slash rogue-lite is a good one, but the execution here leaves much to be desired. Controlling your character feels clunky, even with using a controller as recommended. The art style is a nice nod to the roguelikes of yesteryear, and the developers did a great job translating the ASCII style into 3D. That said, it doesn't suit the gameplay well, and makes navigating around difficult. Especially when the floor is black, and insta-kill pitfalls blend in. I want to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This wants to be a good game. It's a roguelike in the most literal sense of the term. All progression is lost on death. There are no upgrades to be received outside of runs. I found the lack of progression to be jarring, especially with terrible platforming sections that can easily kill a run with an instant death. The gameplay is decent, but I'd really like some sense of progression over time even if it were really minor unlocks. The platforming should have been removed before release.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For the price(wait for sale i got for 99c) its a supremely good game... true rouge-like dungeon creation... cant complain at all for the price, collect letters to craft items. Basic game play. Lava = restart Falling = restart Extra lives Things to smash with loot 4 hereos A few weapons 8 potions hours of fun Blood Neat idea for a game world/art style. instantly dying is annoying i wish there was a mode where it was a percentage of hp. 7/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →you have to find random letters, to make weapons better than a fist and a torch. zombies dont stay dead unless you find a source of fire and burn them, and you'll spend a lot of time smashing the scenery for xp, than smashing bad guys, till you forge a weapon.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm surprised about the low amount of feedback for this game. The complains are relatable. Jumps that can instantly end a good run. And the runs oftentimes last for 90 or more minutes even with low game experience. Quite frustrating. There is a ton of RNG. The suffering is real. BUT this game is addictive. The randomization of the level layouts lets them feel fresh and interesting every time. I learn something new with every run. There is not too much depth on the survace, but there are so…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Imagine a traditional CRPG Roguelike (as in, like the game rogue, not whatever people think it means nowadays) but turned into a real time action RPG. This is awesome, and I would love to see a sequel.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall game is great. Personally I like the Roguelike kind of games and this game touches the deepest strings of my ♥♥♥♥♥♥ soul. It has almost all things that I loved in Roguelike games but made simplier. Pros: + game is super stylish if you like minimalistic design of roguelikes + main mechanics of rogulikes are here: starving, health, enchanting and FIGURE-OUR-WHAT-IT-IS + crafting/enchanting from ASCII letters is super cool + you can use potions in any way you want - you can drink vampire…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well what can I say! This is a gem! The graphics are interesting and fun! The animations are fantastic! The combat is simple but has its quirks and is entertaining! Also seems to have quite alot of replayability. The classes are different, yet manage to use each others native skills in the skill tree. Definitely worth a purchase! Great game with a fantastic concept! I look forward to trying Brut@l in co-op!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Could do with far fewer instant-death pits though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I hate being That Guy, but I really wanted to like this. It has so much charm and is quite fun to play, despite just being a simple Diablo clone in a Nethack themed world. And the theme is GREAT, all the ASCII art, all the time. But then... they added instakill pits. Which they don't warn you about. But they're introduced early enough that you don't lose too much progress. But then... there are more. Like, quite a few broken up hallways with instakill pits. Which might not be soooo bad, but…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Interesting visual concept and good overall gameplay. Feels like playing Rogue with the same old graphics but on 3D. My only complain is the jumping: It's not only horrible but one fall and you're dead, so any great run can be over as soon as you come across a gap.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There was a lot of potential in this idea but they're all ruined by the modernizations. I played three runs, and every single one ended with me plunging down a bottomless pit because the jumping is delayed and the controls randomly send the player in zigzag directions. The shield throwing mechanic could have been awesome if it was even remotely useful, as it stands it's really just there to let the Ranger do distance-target puzzles (another botched modernization). The block/parry/dodge combat…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It needs Online Multiplayer coop
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Man I fell in love with this game really quickly. We need mods for this game to create more indepth classes and more weapons though!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beyond the unique visual style (which is what drew my interest in this game) there was nothing that could grab and keep my interest for more than a few minutes. I found the gameplay a little clunky and overall uninspired. I guess I'd describe it as a casual action game with no substance. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will like this well enough, but it just wasn't for me
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Probably the game that I was shocked the most actually worked was Brut@l, a game from 2016 I happened to have a physical release of. The box literally states that it requires Windows 7, at minimum, yet it installed onto XP just fine & even runs decently well on the Shuttle!
unlabelledView post →Brut@l is an unusual and visually striking roguelike that attempts to bridge the gap between the earliest text-based dungeon crawlers and modern action-driven gameplay. Developed by Stormcloud Games Limited and published by Rising Star Games, it revolves around a bold idea: take the ASCII symbols that formed the architecture, enemies, and weapons of classic roguelikes and recreate them as three-dimensional objects in a fully animated dungeon. This concept immediately gives the game its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm a few years late to this party... I mostly find games on sale so it's a bit harder to say no to a game listed at $15 being $1 (If it isn't an obvious scam game) This game draws major inspiration from Gauntlet and mixes it up with a bit of Necropolis (If anyone gets that reference) Pros - The art concept is amazing! - There's CO-OP - The Characters start different, but the game lets you build skills however you like - Comfortable responsive controller support (Apparently using kb&m is a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am 32 years old. My ex-wife and I have a daughter together, and we adopted our son together. Both are now 4 years old. When we were going through our separation, I felt lost and unhappy. I was self-destructive. One day, I was so angry with everything spiraling out of control that I punched a concrete wall in a moment of overwhelming emotion. This resulted in breaking my fifth metacarpal in my right hand—the hand I worked with, played games with, and used to carry my children to bed—the hand…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is always my go to casual game, and the further you get the cooler it looks. you should check it out. :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good Game. Don't fall into bottomless pits.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →lol @ bottomless pit You can be on any level and kicking ass, and then you accidentally move off a ledge and the game ends immediately. No doubt this will be patched, but stay away until then.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I f**king love this game, and I've yet to beat it- Though I do love beating my head at this wall over and over again and learning new things each time. When/If I beat the game and if remember to update my review, I will. At time of writing I have less than 10 hours, BUT I have a handful of hours on the PS4 version as well. Most of my hours were/are there still. Things of note: - You need to play w/ controller, preferably one w/ rumble vibrations like a dual shock PS4 controller honestly.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smacked keyboard with head it became axe. Wife saw now demands renovation. I said lets go basement treasure and beer await. She bonked me but kept weapon.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So if you like the whole "lose everything when you die" formula then this is a must buy. I don't have time for that BS so I used the trick to officially save your progress. The boss at level 26 is way too easy but that's honestly refreshing from all the crap you had gone through up until then. I just wish each part of the 3 stage end fight were varied.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun rogue-like based on luck like every others games but the graphic style are very original. You can get some life if you offer money to god (?) and will or not give you a life. So if you die you have as many life as you can have to retry the dungeon. There's many trap and type of enemy so be careful. Its hard when you first try it and dont know about what enemy and trap there is, but its fun anyways. I got it for less then 3€ and i dont regret it !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The ia of the enemies is ridiculously easy, repetitive maps, the mage is the only class that maybe is not boring to start, broken weapons system, too much grinding to get the enchantments of each weapon, the altars are bastards that I will never understand, most of the deaths will be by the damn platforms, some types of enemys are literally a joke (rats,spiders,centipides, omg i cant bellieve it, next time put some bats), sometimes a bunch of skeletons make you stunlock and drain 2/3 of your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic game! Super fun to play coop with you GF or BF. We need an expansion with more weapons, skills and monsters!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fun game to play with your bud
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing aesthetics + tight gameplay = tons of fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq8jzO-KMCw Beefed up, got some really cool weapons, then fell down a hole... I'm loving this game so far, though. The ASCII style is great and the game feels very slick and polished. There are so many rogue-like titles out there but I think this one will stand out. You have to discover crafting recipes and potion ingredients as you explore, while you have to take risks with the latter as you don't know what effect they'll have on you. There's definitely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's pretty Brut@l.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →很好玩，很有特色。动作感很强。就是视角不能转有点蛋疼。 Nice game~ We need Chinese!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a fun game at first, but I have to change my review. It's very.. shallow. I like how you tried to do a roguelike, but it falls short. It's without a full inventory system. No cursed items. Why can't I find magical armor, amulets, etc? Where is the depth? Sorry, but, if you're going to do a roguelike like Angband, then do it. Don't half-ass it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Letters form the dark Twenty-six floors test the blade The crown waits below
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Es un beat'em up excesivamente simple. Quizás sea que me esperaba un ARPG, pero no hay apenas complejidad, y el gameplay no es lo suficientemente divertido.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the few rogue-likes I would genuinely consider actually like Rogue. This game has the potential of greatness, and is hella fun, but is dragged down by some significant pitfalls. -elements are of very little usefulness. Beyond magic door openers, elemental enchantments on weapons are just mild DoTs or semi-common immobilize status effects. For enemies and hazards is not much different, and any hazard floors are just a slight annoyance, chipping health away while you walk over them.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun little dungeon crawler, I paid about a dollar for it on sale and got my fun's worth out of it. Any higher and I would of probably ignored it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tried this game on PS4 when I was younger and yeah, thus game will kick your butt until you figure out what you are doing. This is a rougelike, dying and permadeath are to be expected. This game also runs incredibly well on the Deck, and needs no adjustment to run.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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