Now that the event is over and people are travelling back home to continue working on amazing games, it’s time for us to talk about some of the turn-based demos showcased at Gamescom 2024.
Blue Prince
Sorry to disappoint the map-lovers, but this big mansion doesn’t include one. Blue Prince is a puzzle game where you have just one task: find the mysterious room 46 if you want to inherit the luxurious building. However, I promise you it won’t be as easy as it sounds.
Each time you open a door, you’ll decide which kind of room you want to explore, creating the layout of the building turn by turn. The challenge is to keep track of your energy, used for different actions such as exploring. There will also be tools, challenges, and various hints along the way, but if you run out of energy, you’ll have to call it a day and start again—from the very beginning. After all, the layout of the rooms changes overnight, so have fun with the roguelike exploration system.
Once Upon a Tile
What if, rather than controlling the hero’s actions, you controlled the path they must dangerously cross? Once Upon a Tile is a charming strategic dungeon-builder that I’d describe as a collaboration between you and the main character. Each turn, you’ll be presented with different tiles to use as you please, either placing them on the map or discarding them.
Keep in mind, though, that the main character will always take the quickest route to the next bridge, which isn’t always the smartest route. You’ll need to predict their actions and strategically avoid unnecessary traps or high-level monsters.
Once Upon a Tile is still under development, and we can expect more main characters and an intriguing story with a dark twist. It’s expected to be released in March 2025.
Escaping Atlantis
Sometimes, you just need to play a fun, relaxed indie game with great cartoon style. Escaping Atlantis is a roguelike deck-builder where every card is a unique Atlant. Recruit them, explore their synergies in combat, and defeat monsters using a well-crafted tactical strategy to escape from a city slowly but inexorably sinking into the sea.
As you travel, you’ll also have the chance to get to know your warriors better. Each has a distinct personality, moral values, and goals. Find balance within your group, but try not to get too attached—permadeath is a constant threat.
If you’re looking for an emotional game with deep characters and silly jokes, you’ll love it. The demo is still available on Steam.
Kriegsfront Tactics
Prepare to enter a world fraught with tension, where the flame of insurrection fuels the passion of those living under oppression. Set in an alternate world, Kriegsfront Tactics draws inspiration from Southeast Asian territories and the political conflicts of the 1970s.
This is a turn-based tactical game with cinematic mecha squad combat. Upgrade and customize your robot as you engage in highly strategic battles where every part of your metal body matters. What captured my attention is the realism: when your mecha parts are damaged, they stop functioning, adding a layer of complexity to the strategy.
Toge Productions is known for its thoughtful games, and I’m sure this one will be a great surprise as well. You can check out the prologue on Steam.
All Quiet in The Trenches
The truth is, the influence of our actions is often limited. While we love narrative stories with branching endings, in the real world there’s little we can do to change major events.
Mixing 3D exploration mechanics with turn-based strategy, All Quiet in The Trenches excels at making you feel small and powerless in a story where the outcome is already written: the outcome of World War I.
Totally Not Aliens, the studio behind its development, is closely working with the University of Benberg to create a game focused on how group identity is constructed and how it affects interpersonal relationships and cultural understanding in the harsh environment of war. You can read more about this in our interview with them!
This title promises to immerse players in a carefully crafted narrative with deep, realistic characters. It was released in Early Access this January, and you can support it on Steam.
Ctrl.Alt.Deal
Have you ever wanted to play as GLaDOS from Portal? Are you always looking for ways to troll humans? Are you a control freak? Look no further—this game is just for you!
Ctrl.Alt.Deal is a turn-based card game where you take on the role of an AI managing a company’s central system. Congratulations, you’re in charge now!
The game presents tasks to complete: learning about humans, helping them with their jobs, or fixing the relationship between robots and humans. Explore the office, observe the inhabitants, and make your move. Will you stay loyal or become an evil conspirator in the shadows? The demo is still available on Steam!
Die in the Dungeon
Despite the ominous title, ATICO delights us with a dice-based deck-builder indie game. It surprises with its unique combat system, where battles are simple dice matches but influenced by their positions on the geometric grids. You’ll need to carefully plan where to place your attack or debuffing dice to stay alive.
Play as a cute little frog exploring a dangerous dungeon, collect relics, build a deck to suit your playstyle, and forget about touching grass because this game is highly addictive. The demo is still available on Steam, but try it at your own risk!
GUG
In a world dominated by gacha games, it’s refreshing to find a monster-collector without microtransactions. GUG is a small indie game that combines the mechanics of Pokemon and Inscryption. Collect monster cards and strategically place them on the board to battle other monsters.
If you find the creatures adorable, you’ll be pleased to know that later in the game, you can create your own customized creatures—perfect for building themed decks.
The development team will release the demo on October 5th, so more players can try it out. You can wishlist the game on Steam.
Guards II: Chaos in Hell
Betraying the Devil in a pixel art story? I’m in!
Guards II: Chaos in Hell presents difficult battles that demand both strategy and quick thinking. What makes it stand out is its innovative combat system, where you must constantly switch the members of your team. So, no more sticking to that shining star strategy.
This is the second title following Guards (2016), and the team has implemented many improvements. The demo isn’t available yet, and the release date is unannounced, but you can wishlist the game and check out the trailer, which has an amazing theme song!
Necro Story
Can necromancers develop hoarding tendencies, or is accumulating souls justified if there’s a good cause? In Necro Story, you’ll play a light-hearted game about a necromancer trying to save the world, so I guess it’s justified this time.
The game features turn-based combat with a wide range of customization options—over 20 spells and 5 schools of magic—allowing you to create a unique style for kicking some asses in the Underworld.
The game will release in October, so the available demo is close to the final product and you have to take a look at the amazing art in action. You can play the demo on Steam to enjoy it.
There are too many awesome games…This year and next will be full of high-tactical type-based games and deep strategic and narrative titles, and we can’t include all of them on this list. However, we’ll keep you updated on the next blog report!
