Million Depth: Time-Freezing Roguelike Descends a Million Floors Underground

Cyber Space Biotope launched Million Depth on November 11, 2025, via PLAYISM, delivering a roguelike that earned "Very Positive" Steam reviews (89% of 145 players) through its unique time-freezing combat and branching narrative structure. The game positions players as Moma, a young protagonist descending through a million-floor underground world searching for someone named "Kimi"—whose identity shifts depending on which narrative branch you follow. With over 60,000 Steam wishlists pre-launch and a comprehensive demo that covered one complete story route, Million Depth proved its concept before asking for the full purchase.

The elevator pitch sounds simple: descend deeper, fight strategic battles, craft weapons from pixel blocks, and uncover mysteries. The execution layers time-manipulation mechanics, bartering economics, and multi-ending storytelling into a roguelike that rewards experimentation and careful decision-making over pure reflexes.

Biotope Jammer Freezes Time When You Stop Moving

Million Depth's signature mechanic centers on the Biotope Jammer device, which stops time around Moma whenever she remains motionless. Enemies freeze mid-attack, projectiles hang in the air, and environmental hazards pause—giving players unlimited time to assess threats and plan movements. The moment Moma moves, time resumes and enemies react, creating a turn-based rhythm within real-time action combat.

This time-stop system transforms traditional roguelike combat into spatial puzzles. Surrounded by three enemies with overlapping attack patterns? Stop moving, analyze their positions and attack timing, plot a path that dodges all incoming damage, then execute the plan one step at a time. Each movement advances the game state by one "turn," meaning precise positioning matters more than quick reflexes.

The Biotope Jammer eliminates the panic that kills many roguelike runs. You're never overwhelmed by enemy spam or surprised by off-screen threats—every death results from poor planning or miscalculated risk rather than insufficient reaction speed. This accessibility doesn't reduce difficulty; it shifts challenge from execution to strategy, rewarding players who think three moves ahead.

Pixel Block Weapon Crafting Builds Custom Arsenal

Million Depth's weapon and shield crafting uses a pixel art grid system where players combine different block types to create custom equipment. Each block contributes stats, abilities, and visual characteristics—arranging them strategically produces weapons optimized for specific playstyles. Placing matching blocks adjacent upgrades their effectiveness, encouraging compact designs that maximize synergy over sprawling layouts.

The crafting system feels like designing sprites in a pixel art editor, except your creation determines combat viability for the next several floors. A sword built wide with heavy attack blocks trades swing speed for damage per hit, while a narrow design focused on speed blocks enables rapid multi-hit combos. Shields follow similar logic: large defensive grids block more attacks but slow movement, compact shields preserve mobility at the cost of coverage.

Components drop from enemies and environmental sources, creating the typical roguelike loop of evaluating loot quality against current build direction. Finding rare upgrade blocks mid-run lets you pivot strategies or double down on existing strengths, but committing too heavily to one approach leaves you vulnerable when enemy types counter your build. The pixel grid makes build planning tactile and visual rather than menu-driven stat optimization.

Bartering Economy Replaces Traditional Currency

Million Depth abandons gold and vendor prices for a bartering system where negotiation determines value. Shopkeepers evaluate items based on fluctuating demand tracked through a resource called Stockinum, which rises and falls based on market conditions Moma can't fully predict. Successfully trading rare items and ability-modifying relics requires reading merchant disposition, assessing regional demand, and timing offers when Stockinum favors your inventory.

This economic system adds social strategy to the roguelike formula. Sometimes the best progression path involves hoarding junk items to offload during high-demand periods, turning trash into critical upgrades. Other runs reward aggressive bartering early to secure core equipment before Stockinum crashes. The unpredictability means optimal trading strategies vary per run, preventing rote memorization of ideal shop routes.

Bartering also creates meaningful decisions around consumable management. Do you trade healing items for permanent stat upgrades, gambling on perfect play to avoid damage? Or preserve emergency resources at the cost of slower progression? The answer changes based on current health, remaining floors to the next safe zone, and confidence in your combat execution.

Branching Narrative Reveals Multiple Truths About "Kimi"

Million Depth's multi-ending structure hinges on choices and conditions that determine which story branch activates. The central mystery—Moma's search for "Kimi"—shifts meaning across different world lines. In one timeline, Kimi might be a childhood friend. In another, a family member. A third branch could reveal Kimi as something entirely unexpected, recontextualizing earlier events.

The game explicitly describes these variations as "different world lines reveal different truths about Kimi's identity," suggesting parallel universe logic rather than simple branching paths. Decisions made early influence which reality Moma experiences, with narrative consequences echoing across multiple runs. This structure encourages replays to piece together the complete picture, as each ending provides fragments of the larger mystery.

The 100-layer underground world called "Million Depths" serves as both literal dungeon and metaphorical descent into Moma's psyche. Environmental storytelling through remnants of lost human civilization hints at why this underground exists and what Moma's true purpose might be beyond finding Kimi. The roguelike structure—repeated attempts with incremental progress—mirrors the narrative's themes of persistence and uncovering buried truths.

Launch Reception and Platform Details

Million Depth's 89% positive Steam rating from 145 reviews indicates strong niche appeal, though the sample size suggests modest commercial performance relative to blockbuster roguelikes. The 60,000+ wishlist count demonstrates pre-launch interest, and the comprehensive demo strategy—offering one complete narrative route for free—let players validate whether the time-stop mechanics clicked before committing to purchase.

PLAYISM's current 10% launch discount (£12.86 from £14.29 through November 25) positions Million Depth at indie budget pricing. The game supports Windows fully, with partial macOS and Linux compatibility through Steam. 51 achievements provide long-term completion goals, and Steam Cloud saves enable cross-device progression.

The 72-track official soundtrack available separately suggests Cyber Space Biotope invested in audio atmosphere, likely using music to differentiate the underground world's distinct regions and emotional beats. For a solo developer project (Cyber Space Biotope operates as @twt_paul on Twitter), Million Depth demonstrates ambitious scope executed with focused design principles.

For purchasing, system requirements, and community discussions, visit the official Steam page.

Game Information