Imagine endless hours of gameplay….
Lately, my busy work schedule has made it difficult to find free time for video games. Consequently, I’ve been steering clear of RPGs or strategy games that demand too much commitment, or story-driven games for which I simply don’t have enough time.
This has led me, over the last few years, to develop a significant appreciation for roguelites. I love the freedom to dive into a game for just a few hours and feel like an integral part of the experience. These games leave much to the imagination, and there’s a real thrill in overcoming challenges to unlock new content—elements I’ve grown to value, which I might not have fully appreciated before.
Now, consider a Steam festival (one of many throughout the year) where the spotlight is on roguelites, deckbuilders, and other games built around a lose-and-restart formula. Welcome to the Endlessly Replayable Festival.
Imagine the hours of gameplay available in these games, which often feature unique mechanics and charming pixel graphics. The selection is overwhelmingly vast, with plenty of demos to try until May 20th.
Today, I’m doing what I do best—offering recommendations on games to try. I’ve personally played or plan to play these games in the coming days. Making these choices is tough, and inevitably some equally intriguing titles didn’t make the list.
Sandwalkers
Sandwalkers is a roguelite, turn-based exploration game developed by Goblinz Studio and published by Goblinz Publishing alongside H2 Interactive Co., Ltd. Scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2024, the game immerses players in a post-apocalyptic world where they must lead a caravan of specialists through dangerous and unpredictable environments.
The objective is to revive the Mother Tree Umama, navigating through challenges such as harsh weather conditions and hostile territories. Players start by recruiting a team of four characters, each possessing unique skills that significantly influence the gameplay, such as exploring ruins as an archaeologist or tracking creatures as a hunter. An amazing pixel-art graphic style and a cast of unique characters are the things i love the most about Sandwalkers.
Guncho
GUNCHO is a compact, turn-based tactics game poised for release on June 25, 2024. Developed and published by the collaborative efforts of Arnold Rauers, Terri Vellmann, and Sam Webster, this game offers a unique spin on tactical gameplay by utilizing a revolver cylinder mechanic where players align bullets to target enemies effectively.
Set in a randomly generated environment of Wild West shootouts, players ride along with the protagonist Guncho and his trusty donkey, enhancing their tactical skills through bullet upgrades and utilizing the environment to their advantage, such as explosive barrels and dangerous terrain.
The game’s core appeal lies in its innovative shooting mechanism, which requires players to manage the rotation of Guncho’s revolver cylinder strategically to line up shots against foes on a hex-based grid. This mechanic not only makes “GUNCHO” stand out in the strategy genre but also adds a layer of depth to each encounter.
Untraveled Lands: Chantico
Untraveled Lands: Chantico is an innovative card-based survival management game blended with roguelike features, scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2024. Developed by Tall Troll Games and published by IndieArk, this game entices players to explore the untamed depths of jungles teeming with mysteries and time-lost secrets.
Players are tasked with building a village, managing survivors, crafting essential items, and navigating through an environment inspired by Mesoamerican cultures and legends. The game is designed to offer a unique survival experience where each decision can significantly impact the success of the village and the survival of its inhabitants.
At the heart of Untraveled Lands: Chantico is a card-driven gameplay system that facilitates everything from crafting to combat. Players must use cards to build shelters, craft tools, and engage with the environment or other characters.
This system also drives exploration, with each card drawn revealing new paths, challenges, or resources, deepening the strategic elements of the game. The dynamic encounters with wild creatures and other mysterious entities add to the complexity, requiring careful planning and tactical execution. With its rich visuals and 1930s retro ambiance, the game promises a blend of nostalgia and adventure, ensuring a varied and immersive experience with each playthrough due to its procedurally generated maps and scenarios.
Enter The Chronosphere
Now let’s talk about a unique roguelike, I mean, traditional roguelike, Enter the Chronosphere, developed by Effort Star and published by Joystick Ventures, blending elements of action, adventure and RPG genres into a unique roguelike experience. This game sets itself apart by integrating real-time action with turn-based tactics, allowing players to transition fluidly between dynamic combat and tactical planning.
Players assume the roles of alien misfits, navigating through various biomes within colossal structures known as chronospheres, which distort time and reality. The game features a robust crafting system that enables players to combine hundreds of different weapons, items, and abilities to tailor their playstyles.
A standout feature of Enter the Chronosphere is its innovative use of the game’s chronospheres, which are not only central to the narrative but also deeply integrated into the gameplay mechanics. These chronospheres consume reality itself, creating a dynamic gameplay environment where the rules of physics are subject to change. Players must adapt to these distortions and mutations, making decisions whether to stabilize their characters’ wounds or the reality around them. This is a unique game worth checking out.
I am the Law
Set in a dystopian future where megacities are overrun by violence and corporate dominance, I Am the Law challenges players to take on the role of an executioner—a relentless enforcer of the law. The game introduces a highly tactical gameplay system where players must choose their gear and abilities wisely to suit their playing style.
Combat is enhanced by the use of special stimulants and various bullet types, such as incendiary or paralyzing, to control and defeat enemies. Its roguelite nature means that each playthrough presents new challenges with randomized level layouts and enemy placements, demanding players to assess the battlefield and manipulate enemy positions tactically. Each successful enemy kill provides the player the opportunity to reuse abilities, allowing for complex and strategic multi-enemy takedowns within a single turn.
Dead Weight
Introduced a month ago, Dead Weight is a game being developed and published by Klukva Games and set to launch in Q4 2024. It immerses players in a steampunk world where they captain a flying pirate ship. The game blends RPG and tactical elements, offering players the opportunity to explore floating islands in search of treasure, engage in turn-based tactical combat, and challenge ancient gods. Players can choose from various classes or create their own, customizing their approach to combat and exploration.
Combat takes place on compact battlefields, demanding careful consideration of each move. Players will manage their ship, crew, and resources while navigating through a dynamically changing world, facing late-game crises and decisions that could alter their path. The extensive skill tree, 15 classes, and a multiclassing system allow for deep customization, enabling players to tailor their tactics and team composition to their preferred playstyle.
Yield!
The next game I will introduce you sets players in the aftermath of Rome’s decline, challenging them to forge a new kingdom from the remnants of the fallen empire. As a 4X strategy game, Yield! combines exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination, offering dynamically generated campaigns to ensure no two playthroughs are identical. It supports various modes, including single-player, online PvP, and co-op, all while boasting cross-platform capabilities. Players will engage in turn-based combat, taking strategic decisions to conquer provinces and expand their territory amidst a procedurally generated map that promises endless replayability.
Yield! emphasizes strategic depth and meaningful choices. Players can choose from one of eight unique factions, each with distinctive abilities and strategies. The game’s design encourages thinking critically about every move, as each decision impacts the empire’s trajectory. Whether through direct conquest or diplomatic maneuvering, players are tasked with building an empire in a world that evolves with every play session.
Lost In The Open
Slated for release in 2024, Lost In The Open is a tactical RPG by Black Voyage Games that plunges players into a harsh, low-fantasy world shaped by roguelite elements and intricate turn-based tactics. In the game, players assume the role of Nrvesk, a king who narrowly survives an assassination attempt and must navigate treacherous no man’s land to ensure his survival.
The gameplay of Lost In The Open is designed to be challenging and engaging, requiring players to think strategically about every move. Combat tactics involve positioning units to protect the king while also managing resources, upgrading equipment, and utilizing unique abilities to gain an advantage over a variety of enemies such as bandits, royal guards, and mythical creatures.
Each decision in the game—from choosing battles to aiding strangers—can have lasting impacts, offering a mix of risk and reward that can alter the course of the player’s journey. The game’s world is filled with narrative choices and dynamically generated challenges, ensuring that each playthrough provides a fresh experience with its procedurally generated campaigns.
Dreadstone Keep
Conquering an entire castle is not an easy task, but it is the kind of task Dreadstone Keep asks for. Currently in development by Tavern Tale Studio, the game is an RPG with traditional roguelikes elements. Players are tasked with conquering an ancient castle ruled by two formidable entities, using character upgrades and combat against a variety of pixel art enemies.
In Dreadstone Keep, players must carefully plan each move, as the game does not rush them but instead challenges them with a host of dangerous creatures, including skeletons, vampires, and necromancers. Players can customize their character’s abilities through various upgrades, such as allying with a Rogue Demilich or wielding the Orb of Unstable Teleportation. One of my favorites so far.
Beat The Humans
In films, video games, and books, a hypothetical alien invasion of planet Earth is often depicted, but in Beat the Humans, the invasion is carried out by the human race against aliens who must defend themselves with all necessary weapons. Beat the Humans, is a turn-based tactical role-playing game developed by Dochungryest. This game flips the traditional narrative by casting players as the leaders of an alien army defending against human invaders. Players must manage their squad, protect planets, and ally with other galactic races to repel the human threat.
Beat the Humans focuses on direct control over alien squads in detailed turn-based combat scenarios. Players can utilize a range of abilities, weapons, and tactical gadgets to overcome their opponents. The game also incorporates a strategic layer, where players must make decisions on a space map, capturing and defending planets and engaging in various mission types, such as rescuing civilians or fighting monsters on asteroids. Upgrading squads and collecting powerful artifacts are key to gaining an advantage in battles, making Beat the Humans a game you must absolutely try. I forgot to tell you, the graphics are awesome.
