I first bought Qud a few months before it left early access on PC. At the time, I just didn't understand the game and I struggled to play it without a numpad. I always thought it looked like a game I'd enjoy, but often lacked the attentional resources to spare after work to really learn how to play. With news of the Switch launch, I cautiously double-dipped because I felt it would be easier to learn on a portable device. I also had a few friends interested, so we formed a small discord channel where we shared tips and secrets.
What a game! This is absolutely something that benefits from having some friends to play with. We would share silly stories, help each other learn new mechanics, and commiserate over unexpected deaths. It was thrilling learning new tactics or discovering such obvious little treats that were hidden in plain sight all along!
It took about 15 hours for me to feel fairly comfortable with the game's rules. Eventually, I realised that a lot of what happens in the game makes sense, it just doesn't play like other games. Once you learn Qud's language, much of the gameplay just "clicks" and you can start experimenting with all the incredible ways to break open the world and sup on its rich nectar.
The build that got me to the end was a Truekin. I started with pistols and...honestly, stayed with pistols. Rapid release finger flexors, gun rack, tank treads, etc. I spent a lot of time in the midgame struggling to deal with high AV targets, but once I got a high-voltage arcwinder and modded it with a beamsplitter, I was tearing up the game!
I just love this game, and I'm so glad it is available on Switch. The later areas definitely slow down a bit too much, and I had quite a few crashes, but those are small problems when everything else is just so good. I play a lot of games, I've had a rock-solid "top 5" for a long time, but Caves of Qud easily takes the top spot. It's the best game I've ever played. After 130 hours, I still want to play more, read more, and talk about it more.