[xigency]

This is a great and well-constructed game but the difficulty scaling is almost comically bad, like, incredibly frustrating. I would recommend adding a tutorial level and some easier difficulty settings. Then the game would at least have the appearance that it is winnable.

Edit: Final score 195 in about a thousand tries. It was the catchy soundtrack that kept me going.

[sampullman]

After playing a few rounds (or studying the board after dieing) there are a few patterns you can notice, like how the 8s are placed, where the slime revealer guy is, where the wizard thing is, etc.

It seems solvable for me (303 score) without risk about a third of the time. You can also cheat a little by clicking randomly a few times and restarting until you get a good start.

[prawn]

The music develops a bit after you win and is worth waiting to hear, IMO.

Took me 3-4 attempts to work out a strategy and then a couple more to get the first win. Have since had a few more wins. Great little game.

Amusingly, if you get a 16th (and 17th) heart, the Monsternomicon slides across to the left side of the interface to accommodate it.

[deaddodo]

It's more difficult if you try to tackle the monsters head on. If you instead focus on finding clear spaces to unlock the scrolls, and maximize your HP usage (kill 5hp worth when you have 5hp, immediately level up at zero, repeat) it's relatively moderate in difficulty.

[xigency]

The comparison with the original minesweeper is a little bit unfavorable. That's a game that you can win more consistently with skill rather than luck until you crank up the number of mines to an excessive level. This game is punishingly difficult without near perfect play and extreme luck, while containing almost no instructions.