Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2023
LONE RUIN
Developer Cuddle Monster Games
Venture into an old, magical ruin to seek an ancient power in this highly replayable roguelike twin-stick shooter. Optimise spells and build ultimate combos to defeat twisted monstrosities and delve deeper into the Lone Ruin. From the Steam store page
119 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon) · newest Apr 22, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
69
Fresh
77 positive · 35 negative
95% range 60–77%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 77 | 35 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
7 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mixed
128 of 199 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 119 · most liked firstAfter 38 minutes with the game and just two runs (on Medium difficulty) I'd seen the end Credits... I don't know how this game was playtested (or if it was even tested at all), but it's disturbingly easy to trivialise the game due to several poor design choices. As soon as I figured out you could damage things before they'd spawned in completely, I just focused on making boomerang and blizzard as strong as possible, and was able to kill the first boss in about 6 seconds after struggling with…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I honestly really hate to say this, as I've been excited for this game since before it was even named Lone Ruin, back when it was a small arena shooter named Robes over on itch.io. That game was really fun. This game just... isn't that game. Sure, it's got some of the same/similar spells, but that's really where the similarities end. This game takes a very easy-to-dodge-but-highly-punishing approach to enemies which can be done very well (case in point: Scourgebringer) but unfortunately fails…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →what seems like a really polished game is actually pretty devoid of content. an hour of play and you will see all the game has to offer. the replay value just isn't there as the spell, upgrade, and blessing variety are all lacking. maybe get it on sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finished medium difficulty first try and i gotta say... I think i prefer the demo you guys released a while back to the finished product. Its just kinda bland man. Specially that last boss, kinda weak. Still a pretty fun experience but definitely prefered the endless survival with upgrades kind of vibe over the hades lite-lite-lite kinda vibe you guys got going here. The spells are alright but more interesting upgrades can probably be added. The combat feels good. The ennemies are alright. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unfortunately for now my review will be a thumbs down for Lone Ruin. Game is polished, combat feels great, music is good and also graphics looks really nice. Why the downvote then you ask? Well as of now game is barebones. It lacks so much content that there are demos on Steam with more to do in them compared to this. I don't know why devs decided to rush the release. To put it to context I finished the game in 50m (this time includes my 2 failed runs). What should have been a demo (or…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i have it on the switch and steam. its... a good game.... but... it really lacks content, and didn't really grow. The base game itself is a great game. Wouldn't buy it full price atm if you have other choices of games to buy. The basic spells, how to kill, do runs, its fun. chain lighting works in a nice way, blackhole and boomerang or ice storm, etc. This game gets many spells done right, and many many things work. What does suck is that it doesn't progress in any way, fix weird…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a simple but solid "spell-based roguelike twin-stick shooter" that offers a decent challenge and some good replay value. Gameplay Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UKtnY9eEMI EDIT: After the recent update, they removed the easy difficulty, so the game only has normal and hard for both the campaign and survival modes. LONE RUIN is a roguelike twin-stick shooter, where you kill various enemies in a room by casting different spells and move on to the next one. The campaign (which is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This review is based off of playing on a Steam Deck. Introduction Lone Ruin is a spell-based roguelike twin-stick shooter that aesthetically looks great while offering a thrilling and challenging experience, albeit short. Explore the ruins of an ancient city consumed by magic, and fight through waves of corrupted enemies and bosses. Customize your magical arsenal with different spells, blessings, and upgrades to fit your play style and overpower the dangers that await you.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game with a colossal amount of untapped potential. Seems it will stay that way, because it appears to be completely abandoned
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, I have to agree with what many reviewers said about how short and lacking in content the game is. The combat is okay (the isometric view can be confusing and it doesn't really feel snappy or fluid) and the game is pretty (nice sprites, colors, etc), but there's so little variety in items, weapons, enemies and levels, it'll feel like you're playing the same run over and over again. The only 'replayability' comes from unlocking harder difficulty levels, but that's it - no new powers,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lone Ruin is a super stylish action roguelite and one of the first great new indie games of 2023. The pixel-art and neon colour palette really pop on screen, with an isometric perspective akin to Hades and Dandy Ace. In fact, I'd say, due to the flexible spell system, combat in Lone Ruin plays a lot like the latter. With a number of short and ranged weapons, the player is able to choose a load-out to suit their play style. Gameplay is fast and fluid, with runs lasting from 5 - 20 mins. Like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to like this one, I really did. As it has a great look and vibe, but the the game itself just ain't there. For one, it has a single character, and absolutely ZERO meta progression. You technically get cloaks, but with the way the it works its more like selecting a flavor of difficulty. And it seems like the dev is no longer looking on the game so it is what is at this point. I can't recommend unless you just want to add a roguelike game to your collection.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very cool visuals, a decent soundtrack, and a nice overall base for a game. However in terms of gameplay this is just severely undercooked and underdeveloped. It is lacking in the content department massively. There are 3 very simplistic bosses, approximately 5-6 enemy types, 1 biome that is repeated 3 times, and a handful of upgrades you can get on a run that are either just basic spell upgrades or completely useless. You have 3 spell slots, however because of the way the spell cooldowns…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It has a lot of potential, no doubt about it. This is one of the games that needs a good game director, because it seems it doesn't know where to go, it has a good foundation but it lacks direction into something complete. It is easy to see the flaws in design, gameplay and progression systems we currently have, so in the meantime its a no for me, maybe in the future I change this review who knows. Also there's a lot of lag input when I play with mouse and keyboard and need to spam 3 skill…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is very close to a do NOT recommend FYI. The price does not really reflect the amount of content the game has at the time of review. You have to judge it relative to other games in the genre: most other roguelikes give you a LOT more content for less money. The art is actually quite nice, UI is sleek and intuitive, I like the pixel art mixed with 3d elements. It can be hard to make out enemy bullets at times and it will often feel like you're a bit too zoomed in though. Music is great…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too short, lacks variety (you find the same low level minion from 1st stage to last boss chamber), nothing really new here. It looks great, but that's just it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really want to like this game, since it's visuals look intriguing at first. That being said, the shallow colour-space makes purple/white projectiles really hard to spot among other purple and white particle effects. The pacing feels really slow since the dash CD is too high without upgrades. Until now i wasnt offered any permanent upgrades, which resulted in me dying over and over at low levels. The soundtrack is really nice, easily the best part of this game. I will wait for some updates…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game, but between the color palette being so difficult on the eyes, the awkward isometric viewpoint creating a weird, skewed perspective while you try to dodge, and no meta progression, this game just isn't worth the price.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A well polished and snappy roguelite with satisfying controls. Works great on Steam Deck. Love the soundtrack too, we need more drum'n'bass in games!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The least 'readable' roguelite. If you are colorblind you will not have a good time. I loved the look of this game and got on sale and unfortunately I can't see myself picking this up again unless a colorblind mode is added.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lone Ruin is a solid but stripped-down Hades clone wrapped in the look and feel of Hyper Light Drifter (from Heart Machine). "Ruin Run" seems to be the "main" game mode with branching path/upgrade choices and encounters (a la Hades,) and the "Survival" mode's arena is exactly what one may expect. The small selection of upgradeable spells/abilities are generally well-done and fun to use, though the contact damage, visual design, and restrictive view lead to combat feeling far less precise than…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's an ok game that's overly difficult due to poorly telegraphed enemy attacks and barely any audiovisual feedback when taking damage. This makes it so you sometimes die to an enemy before noticing it and by then it's often too late. As even on the lowest difficulty i died within a matter of seconds. I tried 6 runs and only got to act 2 out of 3 once. I also already saw some repetition in upgrades by that point so i knew variety wasn't quite there. Same goes for enemies of which there's only…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its demo was fun but not this. I will check this game out later in the future. For now, I cannot play this game any more because it's soooo boring.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →LONE RUIN – Smooth and Stylish (But Too Short) | Complete Review Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLnNaGugetk LONE RUIN is a short and stylish spell-casting rogue-lite that’s light on story and heavy on action. You’ll play as a no-name, no-words blue-haired elf chick who took a wrong turn at the rave and wound up in a descending neon temple of doom that’s undoubtedly seen better days. But this lone ruin is anything but lonely, as on each floor you’ll encounter a slew of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wouldn't outright call Lone Ruin a bad game, just set your standard really low and get this at a very high discount. This is made for people who like repetition and the challenge of being right up in the leaderboard. The main core issue it suffers from is the cost and it being a roguelite rather sticking to being survivor game. Also, the lack of story and soundtrack doesn't help, but it doesn't mean you can't have some fun with it, but it is short-lived for about an hour or so. Better than…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was looking forward to this game for a very long time. The demo was so fun to play. I have to give this game a thumbs down simply for how bad the campaign is. It's very clear very little effort or thought was put into the campaign. The cap for how much gold you can carry, the UI/UE for selling spells, the lack of ability to hover over your passive items to see what they do, the way you can stroll into the final boss without being given a chance to spend your gold, the way the final boss has a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lacks variety, I played twice and had almost the exact selection of perks etc. show up. Weapons are unbalanced in that some are just clearly better than the others, enemies lack variety and aren't fun to fight... it's just sort of like a bad Hades. A shame. Music cool tho.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⠤⠖⠈⠉⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠢⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⣠⠞⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠞⠋⢙⣦⡈⣷⡄⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⣀⠶⠁⠀⠀⣀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡴⠁⠀⠀⠿⢿⡟⣌⢿⠀⠀⠀ ⣠⡿⠀⢠⣜⠉⠀⠀⠙⢷⢄⠀⠀⠀⢧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡆⢧⡀⠀ ⣯⠃⠀⢾⣿⠗⠀⠀⠀⠀⡽⠀⠀⠀⠈⠳⢄⣀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠃⠘⣵⡄ ⡏⠀⠀⠘⡄⠀⠀⠀⣠⠞⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⢱⡇ ⡅⠀⠀⠀⠙⠒⠔⠚⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇ ⣧⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡗ ⡿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣇ ⠹⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠷⣤⣤⣤⣤⠞⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸ ⠀⠸⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⠇ ⠀⠀⢇⠳⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡏⠀ ⠀⠀⠈⠀⠀⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Target Audience: Top Down Shooter Fans Looking For Simplicity Summary: This is a weird one, and if there was a thumb to the middle, I definitely would be giving the game that. Lone Ruin is one of those games that is solid in its implementation: has layers of depth in the simple gameplay and does good in giving a good first impression. There's some elements of replayability when it comes to weapons and accessories, and each weapon does feel relatively balanced with small differences in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had initially thought this was a good game while on the easiest difficulty. well, if you go anywhere above the absolute lowest difficulty, the dev's "git gud" mentality is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ pervasive. Like seriously, this game instantly becomes hard in a way that's straight up unfair. It's not even the enemies that are hard. it's the bosses, of which the first is a hellish bullhell, the second is 3 extremely fast melee attackers and the third is a combination of the two like, you could beat this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fool's Errand Update Decided to give the game another shot after this most recent update. I like that some more rouge-lite features have been added. The extra health from the first cloak makes the game survivable now. Some weapons are still too crap to be useful; mainly the melee ones because almost every enemy is a ranged enemy. This game plays horribly on controller. When I switched to KB/M, I found it a much better exp. The tower enemies need to be nerfed. If you have a melee weapon,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far i'm really digging this game. 5-6 hr into it so far. What is Great - Control, The feeling of control is spot on. I play with KBM. - It's Difficult enough to be a challenge, but also for me to keep coming back. - Upgrades for the most part are satisfying and will usually result in a noticeable difference in game play. - Dashing basically allows you to jump up raised areas to get away from trouble. - Visuals are nice, and I love the retro CGA color graphics feel(more on that in a moment)…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1-) The game is super short for its price. You can finish the game within 15 minutes if you want. I know there is replayability but even then its too short. 2-) The game isnt that smooth and runs kinda bad on pc. The requirement section should be adjusted in my opinion. I even tried to turn off all settings. 3-) The game is superrrr fast pased. Its not a chill game to play in my opinion. Its much faster then a shooter game. I wish it was a bit more chill to play. 4-) You can hardly see…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bad Hades clone. Cool music, flashing colors, unbalanced weapons, repeating levels...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What I like: - Cool neon 9bit vibe - Great music - Casting spells sometimes feels impactful and satisfying What I dislike: - Lack of spell balance - some of them are great from the get go, others need a bunch of upgrades before they even come close to being useful, let alone strong - No plot or any context at all - Unoriginal - Gameplay loop is too repetitive and boring - Small variety of enemies, spells and blessings - Barebones, basic level design with little to catch the eye at all - Camera…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just wanted to leave a positive review here, because the game deserves it. I find the gameplay loop to be super fun, the mix of spells and blessings make each run feel fresh, and it doesn't need as much time investment for a single go like others of the genre. Put this together with some great presentation, and different game modes, as well as some super long term unlockables, and you've got yourself a game that's a cozy yet exciting mix of rogue and survivor combined.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Actually bought this game because buying it in a bundle made another one cheaper than buying it on its own. And for the price of less than nothing is extremely good. Would not have paid because of lack of content.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're into pure action, this game is for you. Lone Ruin mixes frenzied pacing, stylish audio and visuals, and twin-stick shooter gameplay into an addictive roguelite package. A pumping electronic soundtrack sets the pace as you tackle the titular ruin, and, while there's not a ton of lore or story, the style is intriguing enough to give the game a unique ambiance. Plus, that's not really the 'point' of Lone Ruin -- this game is all about collecting spells and items as you blast your way…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun for 5 minutes but overall a very shallow experience! No meta-progression is available.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really enjoyed playing this game! Fun challenge and lots of replayability. Looking forward to seeing more from this game, would be nice to see some more levels/bosses added down the road
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is a decent game, but not worth the price. There is no depth and it has not been tested well enough before release.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Im not understanding the down voting for this game, Its a really well made game. Sure there is no progression when you die to make your character stronger and more tanky when you go to try again. Which seemed like a bit of a missed opportunity to me for another game mode but... There game is all about chasing the leader boards which is good. its different from most of roguelikes. Each run never feels the same. Also the games £10.. its really damn cheap. i thought this was going to be another…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game looks great, but the weapons are all terrible and are actively not fun to use (they all have some annoyance like ♥♥♥♥ range or ♥♥♥♥ cooldowns that ruin them), the enemies can shoot at higher and lower terrain but you can't (which is not fun or fair design), and hitboxes feel wonky. oh yeah, and salt in the wound: the music is bland. what a bummer. edit to add: the first boss is also shockingly badly designed. the scythe weapon and any others which are effectively melee due to their…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I get hit a lot cuz I just cannot see the projectiles/bullets. I was attracted to the game due to its color scheme, but... I didn't expect it to also mean it is really hard to see what in the seven hell's is going on. Makes for not all that much fun playing it. A nope from me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It desperately cries for more content, but what's here is a neon soaked action shooter. Aesthetics and simple gameplay make it easy to get lost in.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I started a new roguelike called Lone Ruin on the Switch today. The music and aesthetic are right up my alley! I'm not far along in the game, but I'm having fun with it. #gaming #indiegame #LoneRuin #roguelike #nintendoswitch #gaymer
unlabelledView post →You can read my other reviews [url=https://www.indiecornergames.com/] here! Video Review: https://youtu.be/kHeyjQse-fY LONE RUIN is yet another case of new action rogue like titles that the industry has been offering us in recent times. Set on a group of magical ruins with a color palette that mixes between shades of pink, purple and blue, the main premise of this title is to find an ancient power, while you go exploring arenas full of enemies. In fact, the narrative is practically…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This has been a fun little game to play. Definitely something I will continue to enjoy even after having completed it. The pacing felt good, and there was a genuine sense of accomplishment even during the slower moments. Well done. Anyone looking for a good lil difficult and fun time with a bit of magic, I'll have nothing but good things for this one.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As you see I beat it in a little more than half an hour. Not much of content, but nice artstyle and fluid action. Get it on cheap bundle or big sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've never seen a game like this with basically zero unlocks or meta progression... It's kinda bizarre. The potential is huge but why play if you don't unlock anything besides cloaks and increases in difficulty? Am I missing something here?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game. Update is good too, adds lots of replayability
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great roguelike bullet hell shooter. A little light on content, but the gameplay and aesthetic are solid despite a couple bugs. Looking forward to future development. My favorite combo is either shards+rail gun, or black hole+boomerang. Post-Fool's Errand update: game is better now with a good sense of progression and more replayability, still a few bugs/nits. Best combo: lightning+blizzard Post-beating-Fool's-Errand 15: wow, the feeling of being so OP on the last few errand modifiers is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game currently has a lot of bugs. The most annoying I've found is that for some reason, dodging becomes very unresponsive on bossfights, like a 0.5secs before actually dashing (and no, it's not a cooldown issue). I've also found a way to become completely immortal and cheese the game. There's also ways to get infinite money, that may or may not be intented. Anyways, despite it's flaws, the game is REALLY fun, so I hope after some patches and updates I can really get to enjoy it. I'll update…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game its like trans Hades
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game It's very basic so don't buy it if you wanna cry about it in the reviews, these developers don't deserve your buIIshit. The gameplay is extremely smooth and the power-ups are fun (they need to add more however and i'm sure they will). It's challenging or casual, play how you want. I can see this game getting much better, you can tell this team cares and I bought it knowing its very basic; but that's a good thing sometimes. I have a bunch of really good ideas for these guys if…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is Lone Ruin fun? yes. I don't wish to discount the hard work of the devs. It has slick presentation to boot. However, it's also sort of 'here for a good time not a long time'. You'll very quickly see all the game has to offer with its current content - upgrades, passives, bosses, dungeon layouts can become samey surprisingly quick for a roguelike. Hopefully a few updates can add more variety and be more substantial for the asking price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lone Ruin is an intense Action Roguelike where you play as a mercenary with mage powers and delve into dungeons filled with dangers and secrets. The game offers 3 main zones each ending with a big boss battle, you go through waves of enemies in each area leading up the zone boss and get reward with your choice of picks on door area selection. The game is really tight and really fast paced, there are no meta progressions pre run, you can only get stronger during the run itself either from…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Everything is purple, which makes it very hard to see the enemies. A colorblind mode is necessary for this game. When choosing a path, it would be helpful if the item showed what it does underneath it, since you don’t know what the items do at first. You also can’t see which chapter or stage you are currently in. The game is very short and doesn’t really give a sense of progression; some form of meta-progression would have been nice. Still, it’s a good game if you’re paying around $1-2.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought it for 3 bucks and at that price it's definitely worth it. A very responsive rogue-like that can be beat in an evening. The soundtrack is lovely too, so I'll be picking that up as well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thought they art style was cool at first but it becomes sort of a nightmare to focus on. The game play is okay but it feels like it is missing meat/substance to the game. Maybe if you pick it up for a couple bucks as a time killer but honestly Hades I/II are so much more bang for your $. Disliked it after 8 minutes of playtime and Steam won't allow a refund because some of us have lives and can't play our games right away.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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