The Black Pool
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About the Game
The Black Pool has taken you to a remote and unknown galactic system. Make your way across a number of diverse and randomized worlds to try and make it back home.
Throughout your journey, you will learn to master supernatural elemental abilities. Carefully select powers from a large pool of possibilities, complimenting existing abilities and those of your friends. Strategically upgrade these abilities to maximize your potential. There are thousands of possibilities, can you become powerful enough to face what lies ahead?
The Black Pool is a 3d action roguelike to be played solo or preferably with up to 3 of your friends. Each attempt to make it back home will take you through a gauntlet of different worlds. You will discover different elements, abilities, and upgrades. Striking visuals, an electrifying soundtrack, and high pace / skilled action will plunge you into each attempt to battle your way out.
THE JOURNEY HOME
In each attempt to return home, you will traverse across a random sequence of highly diverse worlds. Throughout the journey, you will unlock supernatural abilities from randomly selected sets of elements, and upgrade these selected abilities from a set of randomly offered options. This procedural sequence of worlds and offerings of abilities and upgrades yields a highly replayable roguelike sequence. Each playthrough presents a randomized set of choices that ensures that every session is completely unique. Committing to decisions and improvising an effective build is core to the game.
IMPROVE WITH EACH ATTEMPT
With each attempt you will learn how enemies behave and what their weaknesses are. You will learn how each of these supernatural abilities work and synergistic ways to use abilities together. In addition, you unlock enhancements that are permanent and persist across playthrough attempts.
BRING A FRIEND
While you can try and make it on your own, it may be more fun to bring a friend or three. The Black Pool has been designed to maximize the cooperative multiplayer experience. Many of the abilities contain game mechanics that deliver fun and rewarding interactions between players. Redirect friendly attacks, amplify team spells, coordinate stuns and team buffs, create barriers, and much more. In The Black Pool, co-op play can be much more than simply playing the same game together— you are rewarded for actually working together to be successful.
Game Discussion
Steam User 6
UPDATED: Developer responded to my issues within a day and was able to use some information provided to find a specific engine error that was happening. They patched it hours after and it runs great now. 10/10 Smug Marmot for customer service and care.
Game was unplayable for me. System is a 9800xt, 9070 and 32 gb ram but using any dark or decay ability caused 400ms frame times and shader issues that were blindingly green. My friend had a similar system with a 4070 and had no issues at all.
Steam User 3
A fun iteration of the rogue-like formula focusing on elemental powers. Core game loop involves clearing battle maps to secure an upgrade to your current suite of abilities, with each element causing different buffs to the player and debuffs to the enemies. Otherworldly setting serves the game-play well, with flying islands making for serviceable arenas.
Definitely better if you have a friend or three to tag along in the experience with you, but would still be a good time solo. Reasonably priced for the experience and time you can expect to get out of it.
Steam User 4
This is a really sick game made with heart. Offers some of the trippiest most unique visual experiences I've ever had in a game. Returnal vibes
Steam User 3
This game is really fun with friends. There are tons of engaging ways to build your character and support your group, which keeps every session feeling fresh and cooperative. I’m genuinely surprised it hasn’t gotten more attention — it’s one of those undiscovered gems that you can easily lose hours in.
Sure, it could use a bit of polish and optimization, and the single-player experience isn’t nearly as strong. Sometimes your build doesn’t quite come together, and it takes a bit of time to experiment with what you like and what combinations actually work — but that’s part of the fun, right? Finding that perfect synergy with your team feels super rewarding once it clicks.
When you jump into multiplayer — whether with friends or random players — it’s pure, chaotic magic. The group play is absolute chaos in the best way possible, and it’s honestly what makes the game shine.
The only real downside is the small player base. It’s next to impossible to find a lobby unless you’ve got your own group ready to go, which is a shame for something that can be so fun. Hopefully it catches on one day, because it truly deserves a bigger audience.
Steam User 0
Dope music. Crazy ability combos. Requires a lot of experimenting initially to learn the abilities.
Steam User 0
Really cool game, makes use of a lot of cool graphics if your rig is good enough.
Kinda short though. Enjoyed it for a single player experience.
Not much to do after you complete it once. Wish there were more established difficulties above normal.
Steam User 0
A great co-op experience, if a little short and lacking in enemy variety.