METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN
METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN
Game
Game2025Published by indie.io
Don't Die, Collect Loot
Developer Dan Marchand
It's time to become ridiculously powerful in an arcade roguelite RPG with no limits on your power! Guide your hero through infinite retro fantasy worlds, get loot, gain upgrades, and keep growing their power as you rip through hordes of enemies in the ultimate power fantasy! From the Steam store page
191 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 2, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
90
LovedLoved
130 positive · 15 negative
95% range 84–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 130 | 15 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
46 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
167 of 184 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Most players love this addictive ARPG-loot mashup, despite bugs and early access roughness.
Players overwhelmingly praise the game for its addictive 'one more run' loop and deep ARPG-style loot and crafting systems. Many describe it as a perfect mix of Path of Exile and Vampire Survivors, with surprising depth that rewards both casual and marathon sessions. [1][5][18][30]
However, some players criticize the game for visual clarity issues, bugs, and lack of content in early access. A few find the gameplay boring or the crafting system convoluted, and one player reported unhelpful community responses on Discord. [14][26][33][34][35]
Praised addictive gameplay loop · deep loot and crafting · responsive developer
Criticised visual clarity issues · bugs and early access roughness · lack of content
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 7, 2026. Method
Reactions
60 of 191 · most liked firstPOE/Chronicon meets incremental games. Great for scratching that ARPG loot itch. The more I played, the more I uncovered a surprisingly deep crafting system that lets you make some truly crazy items. Is the game perfect? Nope. Will there be bugs? Yep. Will you stay up hours past your bedtime doing “just one more run”? Definitely. And you know who will also be awake to keep you company? Dan, the developer, who's always in the Discord working on bugs and chatting with players. If you're…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I guess it's time to move over here full time. I'm Dan, an indie gamedev working on a wacky Diablo-style Action RPG + Bullet Hell hybrid called Don't Die, Collect Loot! store.steampowered.com/app/2052160/... #screenshotsaturday #gamedev
unlabelledView post →No real substance. Boring. Dont feel like running the same content of 5 bosses 250+ times to get to a nightmare level that can actually challenge me. Convoluted and unfun crafting system for what the game is.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Infinite monsters, absurd diablo-style craftable loot, massive skill trees all combined with simple gameplay! What more could you want? Don't Die, Collect Loot comes out on September 19th! #gamedev #solodev #indiedev #pixelart
unlabelledView post →Fantastic game. Playing on Deck. Only issue so far is that hovering over an icon (of which there are many) does not really highlight it well, so it’s near impossible to properly navigate the skill tree and equipment with a gamepad. Hoping for a quick fix so I can jump back in! ***issue fixed with a hotfix in less than a day - great game, great dev!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ever want to try a game with #PathOfExile 's crazy loot and trees, but with a simple, fast, quick gameplay loop? Don't Die, Collect Loot might have you covered, and it's participating in the #shortgamesfestival as we speak! PS: Your wolves can shoot bees. #gamedev #indiedev #pixelart
unlabelledView post →One heck of a launch weekend for Don't Die, Collect Loot! Saving this video half for myself, in case I need a reminder that sometimes #solodev is worth the hard work. Thanks everyone for your love and support! #gamedev #pixelart #indiegaming #steam
unlabelledView post →One of my favorite parts of working on Don't Die Collect Loot is making the unique items. There's nothing wrong with making them silly, overpowered, or both! The only thing that matters is that they're weird and fun to use. #gamedev #pixelart #shortgamesfestival #arpg
unlabelledView post →This game just doesn't live up to the hype. I've seen people compare it to an ARPG and it's NOTHING like that. It's more like a really REALLY basic survivor game that ends one of two ways: You keep going until you get bored and quit because your build is too good and everything melts under your waves of infinite damage, meaning there's zero challenge and bosses are onscreen for like 3 frames before dying. OR Your damage is not high enough, a stray bullet hits you and deals 15 times your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excited to announce that Don't Die, Collect Loot is participating in the Short Games Showcase on Steam! Come check us out if you have a moment: store.steampowered.com/developer/og... #gamedev #indiedev #pixelart #shortgamesshowcase
unlabelledView post →I've been super stressed of late, so much that I haven't even had the mental or emotional energy to play games. Then, I saw this game, and it spoke to my soul, so I bought it on the spot. Holy cats, y'all. This is EXACTLY the game I needed in this moment. It doesn't ask much, but it DELIVERS IN SPADES. Right now, the Huntress class is the one I've glommed onto because of the traps. Holy heck, the traps are so great. I just cannot stop playing this, because right now? It's a balm for my…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not bad for the Don't Die, Collect Loot launch so far! Hit "positive" reviews as well! If you haven't tried it yet and you love simple gameplay with super deep loot and crafting, check it out! #pixelart #gamedev #solodev
unlabelledView post →Giant bubbles, airships, pet dinosaurs, meteors, and mountains of items! Just another day in the world of Don't Die, Collect Loot! #indiegamedev #pixelart
unlabelledView post →Ever wish you could kill thousands of enemies for mountains of ridiculous loot for like 200+ hours for only $7 USD? Well, today Don't Die Collect Loot is on sale and you can do exactly that! store.steampowered.com/app/2052160/... #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #pixelart
unlabelledView post →Don't Die, Collect Loot will be live on Next Fest today! This special demo includes a new leaderboard event, a unique boss fight, and lots of special items. Come check it out if you haven't yet! #indiedev #gamedev #nextfest
unlabelledView post →Hello person checking out my profile! I'm an #indiegamedev who also enjoys playing video games. If you're interested in my current project, Don't Die, Collect Loot: Check it out and wishlist it here: store.steampowered.com/app/2052160/... Things I like: 💜ARPGs 💜Shmups 💜Retro games 💜JRPGs 💜VGM
unlabelledView post →i've liked it so far even if i hoped it would be more shmup-focussed instead of being a scrolling survivors-like the loot system is good, all that's really lacking is content that would make you want to do multiple runs and try and better your gear for. i would suggest trying to nail that down first rather than adding new classes with a decent base and this year's roadmap outlined, this game is at least worth keeping an eye on for now
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's an RPG Bullet Hell that's mostly straight forward. Lot's of RNG. I find it mostly boring because the visuals are lacking, even with ability graphics 25% opaque it can be hard to see incoming projectiles and most of the time, like with most RPGs stuff dies, instantly under your level until you get to the spot they can take a couple hits, then it's not long until they start one shotting you. There's only two areas so far and it's not that different mechanically, avoid obstacles and monsters,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't Die, Collect Loot is now in early access! Slay enemies, collect ridiculous Diablo-style loot, and grow various wacky characters! If you enjoy it, please remember to leave a review, it helps me out a ton as a #solodev store.steampowered.com/app/2052160/... #pixelart #gamedev #actionrpg
unlabelledView post →One of my favorite things in gamedev is watching independent systems combining together and creating something absurd and unexpected. I ended up making Don't Die, Collect Loot to showcase this absurdity, and it really shows! #gamedev #indiegamedev #pixelart
unlabelledView post →I love making Don't Die, Collect Loot mods that go beyond just basic stats. This new weapon enchant causes you to have a chance to vacuum up all on-screen enemies when you hit them! Talk about the ultimate clear speed boost! #screenshotsaturday #indiegamedev #pixelart
unlabelledView post →Don't Die, Collect Loot is an awesome roguelite that launched recently, and the first hotfix fixes a tooltip issue that plagued the #SteamDeck: steamdeckhq.com/dont-die-col...
unlabelledView post →Don't Die, Collect Loot made it into popular upcoming! Nobody is ready for the sheer influx of absurd loot that awaits! #pixelart #gamedev #solodev
unlabelledView post →Krakens, bubbles, and laser beams! You never know what you're going to find in the wacky dungeons of Don't Die, Collect Loot #gamedev #indiedev #pixelart #actionrpg
unlabelledView post →Holy crap, Don't Die, Collect Loot hit 225 concurrent players during the Steam Sale! Big thanks to everyone who gave it a try and wrote a review! #gamedev #pixelart #solodev
unlabelledView post →Is this a perfect game ? No, it is not. There are numerous bugs, my eyes hurt looking at it, the Crafter is sometimes bugged, there's random slowdowns when entering anomalous areas, classes are not balanced and the list goes on. Now why should you play it ? It is just a fantastic PoE-like, Chronicon-like game. Builds are fun, classes are distinct, grinding is FUN. It has the "one-more run" syndrome. I can't stop playing despite the negatives. The best part ? The Discord server is full of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Alethia is so excited about some upcoming Don't Die, Collect Loot news that she's agreed to provide some...entertainment. #indiegamedev #gamedev #bullethell #pixelart #actionrpg
unlabelledView post →Ever play bat pinball before? In Don't Die, Collect Loot you can, assuming you can find the Pinball Wizard unique item! #indiegamedev #pixelart #solodev
unlabelledView post →Wacky endless loot. Absurd unique items. Silly abilities with even sillier skill trees. Endless fourth wall-breaking levels. 40+ hours of content, even in a demo. If this appeals to you, check out Don't Die, Collect Loot this #wishlistwednesday! store.steampowered.com/app/2052160/...
unlabelledView post →Nails the "numbers go up, loot goes brrr" formular. Dev is incredbily responsive, fixing most bugs just hours after the report.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This guy doesn't seem too happy... Are you strong enough to overcome the very will of the forest itself? Give it a shot on September 19th, when Don't Die, Collect Loot goes into early access! #indiedev #solodev #pixelart #actionrpg #loot #crafting
unlabelledView post →Very disappointing. I play and love many rogue-likes, survivor-likes, arpgs, and even 'number go up' incremental/idle games. Based on the game description and many reviews, the game should be a great mashup of my favourite game mechanics. In reality the gameplay is somehow less engaging than even a basic idle game. There is only one direction of travel, all of the skills feel basically the same. The survivors-type leveling upgrades are minor stat boosts that make no difference to the gameplay.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolutely lovely! Permanent Path of Exile style loot mixed with auto-scrolling rougelike gameplay and Diablo 2 style skill trees. Just ticks all the right boxes for me and is clearly made by someone who cares about these gameplay elements and understands what makes them fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game lacks in tutorial department so much that I don't even know what I don't know about the core features of the game. Every time I open any screen or any menu, I just black out.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →tl;dr: If you like roguelikes, loot and modifier collectors, and maybe some bullet hell elements — support the dev and buy it. You won’t regret it. Beware: It’s still in early access, has bugs (the dev is very open about that; more on it later in the detailed review), isn’t finished yet, but gets updated regularly and is already fun. The concept really delivers, in my opinion! --- I don’t normally write many reviews, but I think this one has to be done: I really enjoy playing roguelikes and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I DON'T min-max. I DON'T pay attention to my resistances. I DON'T plan my build. I auto-cast Whirlwind and Be The Lion and if it doesn't work I DIE.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Looked interesting on screenshots, thought "lets give this game a try probably will take 1-2 hours to finish"... So far i'm 7 hours in and i feel like i bearly scratched a surface, every run i discover something new, some new modifier, some new mechanic. Even though it's early access i feel like you can spend a lot of time not even perfecting your build but just discovering how far you can push until you can't discover something new. For this kind of money this game is a steal, so you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The deeper you dive, the more you will find. I have a few small issues, such as enemy projectiles being hard to track forcing you to turn down your skill transparency which defeats the purpose of these "unlimited power" type games. Still overall its a banger. If you're on the fence but you like ARPG's this is the essence of the genera distilled into small bite sized runs without sacrificing one bit of the flavor.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like absurd unique items, crafting, and endless character progression, "Don't Die, Collect Loot" might be the game for you! #screenshotsaturday #pixelart #art #rpg
unlabelledView post →If you like the idea of complex action RPG loot and skill trees combined with wild bullet hell battles, Don't Die, Collect Loot might be for you! Check out the limited time Next Fest-exclusive event for just a few more days on Steam! #nextfest #pixelart #indiegamedev
unlabelledView post →Didn't find it particularly fun and feels like there's too much going on almost right away.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I quite like this game. It's simple, repetitive but overall a good time. I do look forward to future content in this game, as there's not too much at the moment besides climbing levels and getting loot. Pros: Four characters each with 3 unique skill trees enables a lot of build variety and replayability. Interesting and powerful unique items to further your build and power fantasy. Simple but fun gameplay. Nice graphics, nothing insane but nice to look at. Game was made by one person,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Got one of those visceral "what garbage am I playing" reaction and asked a refund. The UI and the gameplay are terribly bad imho.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game Review: Don’t Die, Collect Loot If you’re searching for a game that can devour entire weekends—and then some—*Don’t Die, Collect Loot* is a no-brainer. This endlessly replayable title rewards both casual sessions and marathon runs with an addictive loop of survival, exploration, and, of course, mountains of loot. What really sets the game apart, though, is its creator. Dan, the solo developer, might just be the most dedicated dev in the business. He listens to feedback, responds quickly,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't Die, Collect Loot skills capturing the current general mood #indiegamedev #pixelart
unlabelledView post →I've always wanted unique items to be more modifiable in ARPGs. In Don't Die, Collect Loot, I've made it so uniques can both drop with sockets, and their stats scale to the monster level! #indiegamedev #arpg #pixelart
unlabelledView post →Been having fun designing socketable Memory Crystals for the items in Don't Die, Collect Loot. Each memory has a theme which determines the modifier pool it can pull from! #screenshotsaturday #indiegamedev #gamedev #arpg
unlabelledView post →Don’t Die, Collect Loot is my wacky loot-focused degenerate action rpg! I’m announcing today that a free demo will be going live on Steam on May 12th! Don't Die, Collect Loot - Demo Announce Trailer youtu.be/8eMhNmy8GYA
unlabelledView post →Gonna keep it simple, this is Vampire Survivors + POE(lite edition)!! If either of those games are fun to you, or you've been intimidated by POE but want to try it, give this game a try! I love love LOVE it, and everyone that I've recommended it to has loved it too! This game deserves a LOT more attention, and I hope that it gets it soon. :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arpg that isn't scared to let you actually get OP. Yeah it breaks some stuff and has some bugs, but that's the nature of infinite scaling, unpredictable things happen with very large numbers. If you wanna play something with massive scaling potential where you can sit back and chill for a few hours, sweat your ass off, or sit in your stash or the combat dummy perfecting your build, this is your game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simple but addicting gameplay loop. Poe/Diablo-like loot system that makes you do just one more run for another upgrade. There is enough content even in EA to justify the pretty cheap price point, especially on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't Die, Collect Loot is a fast-paced action roguelite developed by Dan Marchand and published by indie.io. Released in Early Access, it embraces a straightforward philosophy that is perfectly summarized by its title: survive relentless enemy waves and gather as much loot as possible. Beneath that simple directive lies a surprisingly deep loop of build crafting, procedural chaos, and meta progression that keeps each run feeling distinct and rewarding. At its core, the game blends bullet-hell…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Play Time: 27hours Achievements: 79 of 84 Date/Version: 11/02/2025 Rating: 6.8 out of 10 Don't die, Collect Loot is an auto scroller, semi auto battler, bullet hell. This game isn't a full auto-battler for several reasons 1) at particular points in the auto scrolling you may end up getting crushed, or 1 hit by an attack. 2) you'll have to move around, you can make it so your skills auto-attak, but you'll stil have to move around. In the beginning you may struggle a little bit, this has to do…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Never expected this. Looks like a mobile game (it aint) and is a lot of fun!! From positive to very negative. Poor explained stuff and when you go discord the wise guys tell you its your mistake. I feel Poe1 forum people all over the place. Not helpful. Asked for help a couple a times. All they answer...its you....you're goofy was the answer. So yeah PoE1 forum. @Dan like i said on discord stupid questions don't exist only stupid answers. I asked these question for days on discord. No1 cared…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →to be honest i didnt expect to like this game as much as i do, its a weird mix between very simple, easy to get into runs and surprisingly deep meta / build progression. hope this keeps getting updated for quiet some time because its weirdly addicting so far. so especially for the price i would say give it a try!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're not playing this game, what are you even doing with your life? Insane scaling, insane crafting possibilities. What's not to love!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just picked this up thinking like oh fun little roguelite , kill things, collect loot. But wow, that barely touches the surface. There's so much here if you want to engage in it or you really could just do what the name says to do and still have a blast.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Time to get back to work on Don't Die, Collect Loot in earnest! Need to just bury my head in the sand about the outside world for a bit, I think. Next up, re-working the Hero tree a bit. Check out this new Warcry effect! #indiegamedev #actionrpg
unlabelledView post →Has potential but needs a lot of work. Assets are hopefully placeholders, because the art style is very inconsistent.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very simple and and fun to pick up, surprisingly deep and entertaining to break
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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