Vivid World Review: Auto-battler Roguelike Party-building With Strategy Depth

The new auto-battler indie game Vivid World is the full-fledged follow-up to Vivid Knight,
developed by the indie gamedev Asobism.Co.,Ltd, promising a richer party-building roguelike experience. The game’s setting is the underworld (“a land ruled by demons”) where your characters—transformed into jewels—must be collected, enhanced, and deployed to conquer strange dungeons. With its release scheduled for November 5, 2025 on Steam, it’s shaping up to be an interesting title for fans of indie games in the strategy/roguelike genre.

Core Gameplay & Loop

At its core, Vivid World revolves around:

Party-building: You assemble a team of characters (jewels) each having unique abilities and traits.
Jewel mechanics: Characters are treated like jewels – you can buy, sell, merge duplicates to strengthen a single jewel. As the store text puts it: “The characters … are only jewels. That means you can ‘buy and sell’ them.”
Orb/Support system: New to this sequel is the “Orbs” system – equips to each character to expand build freedom and strategic options.
Auto-battler/roguelike combat: Battles play out automatically (you aren’t micromanaging every attack). You support the fight via “Gems” which you combine or deploy to influence the outcome.
Resource management & risk: You make strategic decisions about which jewels to invest in, when to expand, and when to push deeper into dungeons—because greed might lead to being “sucked into a dungeon” you can’t escape.

So the loop is: collect/upgrade jewels → equip orbs/gems → tackle dungeons → earn rewards → repeat with deeper strategy.

What Works Well

1. Strong Strategy & Build Depth
For indie games fans who like to tinker with synergies, Vivid World provides a layered system. The ability to merge jewels, equip orbs, support with gems means your build choices matter. The move beyond “just collect characters” to meaningful combinations is promising.

2. Unique Theme & Presentation
The idea of characters turned into jewels in an underworld setting is a fresh twist. The visual style is colourful yet the concept has a dark edge (“Underworld, land ruled by demons”). That gives it character and helps it stand out among indie roguelikes.

3. Accessible Yet Potentially Deep
For players new to the genre, the auto-battle system lowers the barrier: less micromanagement, more build design. Meanwhile, the systems underneath give enough for advanced players to dig into.

4. Developer Confidence & Continuation of Previous Title
Since Vivid World is described as “the follow-up to the hit game Vivid Knight” and from the same indie gamedev Asobism.Co.,Ltd , there’s built-in trust and expectation that the design is refined rather than experimental.

Areas for Improvement & Things to Watch

1. Replay Value & Variety
While the build systems are strong, any roguelike must maintain long-term variety in dungeons, enemies, and build possibilities. If levels become repetitive or synergies narrow, the game may lose momentum.

2. Dependence on Merge/Upgrade Systems
The “jewels as characters” and merging mechanics are fun—however if merging becomes too grind-heavy, or if duplicate acquisition is slow, some players may feel progression is stalled.

3. Auto-Combat Depth vs Engagement
While auto-battle allows accessibility, some players may miss direct control or nuanced combat. The key will be that the “Gems” support system, or active decisions, deliver meaningful engagement rather than passive watching.

4. Onboarding & Clarity
Given the number of systems (jewels, merging, orbs, gems, dungeons, risk mechanics) the tutorial and UI need to be crisp. If players feel lost early, they may drop out before the depth reveals itself.

Final Thoughts

Vivid World is a compelling addition to the world of indie roguelike/auto-battler hybrids. It offers enough novelty (jewels, merging, orbs) to stand out, while maintaining strategic depth and accessibility. For fans of party-building roguelikes and indie games with thoughtful design, this is one to watch.

To us at Indie Games Tavern, If you’re ready to forge your team of shining jewels and dive into the Underworld’s dungeons, Vivid World is worth adding to your Steam wishlist now.

Vivid World Review by Indie Games Tavern.

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