I initially overlooked this game seeing it as an Etrian Odyssey game with worse gameplay. However, after learning how to like mystery dungeon games, I came back to this title and really enjoyed playing it. Etrian Odyssey games have a fundemental amount of chill baked into them, and the mystery dungeon formula complements this well.

Then, a good ways into one of the game's dungeons, my party died. I did the only natural thing to do and restarted the game to load my previous save. I then learned how cruel/punishing the game is with its autosaves. Upon loading my game, I found that the game had removed all my items, money, and equipment that I had worked so hard to obtain. It was at this point that I realized the game's chill was a mere facade.

This was actually a terrifyingly, threateningly cruel game that I should be afraid of playing. The difficulty crept as optimized movement and party awareness became a requirement. Previous dungeons were farmed and re-farmed to replenish my supply of consumables that can only be obtained in dungeons which I desperately needed to survive wave upon wave of monster houses, large explosion traps, teleport traps, cursed items, and ailment after ailment.

...Then I learned how to break the game and it became chill again.