The world of indie games is truly wonderful, always ready to offer innovative and original experiences. Today’s overview is about a strategy game that’s hard to categorize under just one tag. It’s called EcoGnomix, developed by the indie studio Irox Games and published by Untold Games.
The core formula has a bit of that roguelite vibe. Players embark on expeditions, in this case, deep underground, where players must choose the path, cave by cave. These caves can contain treasure rooms, food-focused areas, wood-gathering spots, and others filled with creatures to battle. The main goal is to collect food and wood, the two primary resources in the game. Players need food to feed the bats that invade the caves, ensuring they don’t become their next meal. Wood, on the other hand, is used to level up the various gnomes employed in these expeditions and to build new structures on the surface.
Each cave is structured differently, and the player must wisely choose how and where to place a particular gnome class. Once the turn is confirmed, the gnome will perform seven actions (or more, depending on upgrades) within its area of influence, collecting resources, attacking enemies, and so on. As players progress, they’ll unlock new gnome classes that must be strategically used to maximize material collection. For instance, placing a cook between a hunter and a woodcutter will boost food production.
Players must watch out for unstable terrain that can harm their units and be especially wary of the enemies lurking in these caves. The boss fights are particularly impressive. Once they return to the surface, they’ll need to unlock buildings and new gnome classes, allowing even more effective explorations.
In short, EcoGnomix is a colorful, fun, and innovative turn-based roguelite that I highly recommend you try, especially since the demo is available on Steam. Below, you’ll find some screenshots and the trailer.
About This Game
A quirky combination of roguelite rpg and city builder mixed into one! Sitting atop a vast network of mystical caves is your little gnome village. Send out your team of gnomes on rogue-lite runs to bring back resources so you can expand your team and tiny kingdom. As you grow your village of little prospectors, you’ll unlock new abilities for your gnomes, uncover new biomes, and take on bizarre creatures and extraordinary vegetation lurking underground.
Above the caves is where you’ll build your thriving little gnome village. Unlock new buildings, upgrades and abilities, establish production chains for valuable resources, and build up a tiny economy to help your team of gnomes venture further on their adventures for riches.
Every level needs you to think and play strategically. Pick from a variety of gnomes to deploy, each with their own specialty. Place them at the start of your turn and send them to work gathering resources and supplies while fighting off foes. At the end of your turn, reposition your entire team, add more gnomes if needed, and gather again!
But be warned with each turn, the cave becomes more and more unstable and ravenous bats pick at your supplies. So decide when it’s time move on and choose your path down the caves. The deeper you go, the more supplies you’ll need.
Every run lets you adapt, change, and upgrade your team at various points, making each expedition into the caves unique. Modify your team and playstyle to what you need out of the run, mixing it up when a change in tactics is required. Pick and swap from a variety of gnomes to get the job done, assign game-changing upgrades that combine in unexpected ways, and discover hidden special abilities for certain gnomes.
Venture into the caves knowing each run gets you resources no matter how they end. The deeper you go, the more valuable resources you can gather but no matter the outcome, you won’t return empty-handed.
