Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing have released some more details about the upcoming space RTS Homeworld 3. The newest installment in the Homeworld series will feature a new roguelike-inspired multiplayer mode called War Games. Unveiled at GamesCom, the new mode creates a strategic co-op experience mixed with elements of roguelike gameplay.

War Games can be played solo or cooperatively with up to two others, meaning three players in total. Plays will select a starting fleet and command it through a series of three randomized combat challenges, hence the roguelike mechanics. Those who successfully manage their fleets through the objectives obtain Artifacts that can augment their ships.

Also, players will earn experience for progressing through War Games which unlocks additional Artifacts and starting fleets. Blackbird plans to continue evolving War Games even after launch with optional premium content expansions.

At a glance, this mode reminds me somewhat of the StarCraft 2 co-op mode. I was already looking forward to Homeworld 3, so a continuously replayable roguelike mode sounds like a great addition to the RTS. Typically there's not much reason to replay a campaign in this sort of title, so a mode like this is a perfect fit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmQ56YpYaAA

Additional campaign details and mod support

During Gamescom Opening Night Live we also got some campaign details in the Homeworld 3 Story Trailer. The all-new original story takes place decades after Homeworld 2 and focuses on the looming threat to the Hiigaran fleet.

A sudden brutal attack by a new enemy known only as the Incarnate forces the Hiigarans to cross into the Anomaly, and face new dangers inside.

We also got some details regarding planned mod support with Homeworld 3. Modders will be able to create their own content and share it easily with other players using mod.io. At launch players will also have the tools to customize ships and build their own levels for Skirmish mode within an Unreal game editor. Players will be able to place megaliths, resources, and other objects to create completely unique battlefields and maps.

By partnering with mod.io, Homeworld 3 mods will be available on both Epic Games Store and Steam when the RTS releases.

The sci-fi space RTS recently suffered a delay moving it out of the first half of 2023. Homeworld 3 now launches in February 2024 on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

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Indie studio Universal Happymaker announced their management adventure Astronaut: The Best will release for PC via Steam on August 15. In Astronaut, players have the task of managing an occult space academy in an uncanny world.

"Our team spent over eight years working to make a bizarre moral laboratory of a game, that feels truly unlike anything you've played before," said Mike Sennott, Lead Developer on Astronaut: The Best. "We hope you'll be deeply and delightedly surprised by what you find inside, and that makes all those years worth it."

Sennott was the Narrative Designer on the popular indie tactical RPG Wintermoor Tactics Club. The team also released a new launch date announcement trailer showing off Astronaut's weirdness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbkPomZBxyE

Running a culty space academy doesn't look easy

In Astronaut: The Best, it's literally your job to guide procedurally generated misfit recruits through a roguelite hodgepodge of scandals and challenges. You can guide your Astronaut team via a variety of methods including lies, witchcraft, and of course some good ole classic hard work. New recruits can be former serial killers, part-time pirates, or even members of the royal family. The team at Universal Happymaker notes that choices will actually have an impact on each recruit as well as their likelihood to succeed.

This game is definitely very weird looking, which has really piqued my interest. It's weird looking in an intriguing way. The visuals are uncanny for sure and in some aspects eerily creepy. It's sort of giving me Cultist Simulator vibes with a bit of Homestar Runner between the graphic and comedic style. I'm interested to see just how strange the game can get.

Astronaut: The Best releases on PC via Steam on August 15. It is also Steam Deck compatible.

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The world's most dangerous carriage ride sets off

A new tour of the Darkest Dungeon around is officially setting off today. Red Hook Studios' Darkest Dungeon II officially launches into 1.0 today, May 8, and heads to Steam.

The follow-up to 2016's Darkest Dungeon, this new entry makes a number of changes to the formula. Four heroes set off on a whirlwind stagecoach ride, hurtling into a decrepit and dangerous world to hold back the apocalypse. Different vehicle, but much of the same dread and despair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq53pdxY-0U

Though it seems like it leaves some of the management aspects behind, it's replaced with some run-over-run boons to help stem the tide of darkness. The Affinity system also ties heroes closer together, leading to synergies or dysfunction between them.

Darkest Dungeon II has already been in an Early Access state on the Epic Games Store for a little while. With the full launch, Red Hook locks in 12 playable characters and a complete, five-act narrative arc. The final two acts, as well as the Flagellant character, are specifically new to the 1.0 release. Corpse art, hero palettes, weapon kits, radiant and infernal flames, and achievements are also on deck for the launch today.

Further on down the road

Red Hook Studios is planning long-term support for Darkest Dungeon II as well. The team draws comparisons to its long-term support for Darkest Dungeon, which added town events, radiant mode, and more. There are already some new monsters on the way for Darkest Dungeon II, as well as playable hero origin skins and balance tuning.

Specifically, it sounds like mods are also in the works. Much like modding eventually came to Darkest Dungeon, Red Hook says it also plans to develop modding tools for Darkest Dungeon II after the 1.0 release.

We haven't had time to put official words up yet on this new entry, but reviews seem varied. I'm curious what this sequel's legacy will look like down the road, compared to its despair-inducing predecessor. If you want to find out yourself, Darkest Dungeon II is now available in full today.

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Welcome to the Jungle

Epic Games has revealed the next title that it will be offering up to all Epic Games Store users — From March 30, EGS customers will be able to bag themselves the charming and challenging brawler roguelike, Tunche, completely free of charge.

Released in the fall of 2021 and developed by Peruvian indie outfit LEAP Game Studios, Tunche is a unique blend of screen-based brawler action, married to a challenging roguelike format. It is the tale of an Amazonian tribe who must venture through the rainforest on a pilgrimage to meet the titular jungle god and learn the truth behind a strange and overwhelming aggression that has become part of the flora and fauna of the green labyrinth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAn7fPiyrZA&ab_channel=ID%40Xbox

Choosing from one of five unique characters, including the sorcerer, Rumi; the balladeer, Pancho; scrappy bird-boy Quayru; and the beautiful warrior, Nayru — alongside a suspiciously quiet Kid wearing a large Hat — the player must complete run after run through the undergrowth, taking on armies of wild animals, bizarre creatures, and boss characters while progressing their chosen character's inate abilities. Tunche features beautiful hand-drawn animation, a distinct art style, and an evocative soundtrack, all while posing a meaty challenge for even hardened brawler fans. If you want the full lowdown, then be sure to check out my full review for Tunche right here.

Tunche will be available to download free from Epic Games Store from March 30-April 6. Until then, you still have time to pick up current freebiesChess Ultra and the WoW: Ishizuchi DLC.

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Have fun storming the castle!

Dead Cells never disappoints when it comes to DLC, but there's probably more hype leading into the game's crossover with Castlevania than we've ever seen before. The collaboration was announced at the 2022 Game Awards, and the reveal alone left us wondering why it took them so long to team up in the first place -- and certainly left us wanting more. Motion Twin and Evil Empire have finally dropped a new trailer for the DLC, officially titled Return to Castlevania, and this first look shows off some classic Castlevania weapons and enemies in style.

This update will include all kinds of new Castlevania-themed content, including two new biomes, three bosses, 20 outfits, and 14 weapons, including classics like the Vampire Killer, Throwing Axe, and Holy Water. There will also be a new story to play through as well, with Castlevania protagonist Richard Belmont recruiting Dead Cells protagonist The Beheaded to join forces and take on Dracula himself. Players who like a challenge should also be pleased, because Return to Castlevania is also supposed to be a pretty difficult DLC, especially when it comes to the boss fights (I mean, how much harder can it get than facing off against Death himself?).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q10fKa_MkW0

As if that wasn't already cool enough, Motion Twin made sure to include 51 tracks of the musical score from the original Castlevania games, in addition to 12 Dead Cells-style remixes of some of the series' most beloved tracks. Castlevania is known to have some of the most iconic music in games history, so it's cool to see this DLC honor it like this.

We don't know when to expect Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania quite yet other than sometime in 2023, so we'll be looking forward to its release for PC and consoles in the coming months. The game's Steam page calls this their "biggest DLC yet," so I'm sure they're taking their time to make sure every detail is perfect before it ships.

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Why do you build me up?

The satisfaction that comes from doing well in a deckbuilding game is like nothing else. Whether you're playing a physical game like the excellent (if dryly titled) DC Deck-Building Game or a video game like the infinite time-suck that is Slay the Spire, it just feels good to build and unleash your own slate of moves. But recently, I've found myself bored by straight up-and-down deckbuilders. A lot of them feel very similar, and while there are plenty of good games playing with the same ideas, I've started actively seeking out deckbuilders with slightly bigger ideas.

And if it's big ideas you want, Backpack Hero is your new best friend. This early-access roguelike is one of the most inventive deckbuilders I've ever played.

What are ya buyin', stranger?

Backpack Hero wears its Resident Evil 4 DNA proudly on its sleeve. The game is entirely built around fitting weapons and consumables into a limited space, and the eponymous backpack bears a suspicious resemblance to RE4's legendary attache case. But Backpack Hero's survival horror cousin treats inventory management as a neat diversion from a larger game. In Backpack Hero, it is the game.

[caption id="attachment_357593" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Every item in Backpack Hero takes up a certain number of squares in your backpack. A certain shield will eat up a 2x2 square, while another will only occupy a 2x1 rectangle, so choosing which one to bring along is of maximum importance. But it's not just about what you take with you - it's also about where it goes. Most of the items in the game will be buffed in some way if they're placed in specific slots relative to other items. A helmet, for example, will only function if it's at the top of your bag, and a breastplate will buff adjacent pieces of armor. You might randomly happen across a really sick sword, but to take it, you'll need to sacrifice a defensive build that you've carefully fostered.

Tough choices like that are central to Backpack Hero. Getting married to any one build early in the game can spell defeat, and you have to be willing to let go of something that's working now if you want to plan for the future. Actual combat is pretty bland and repetitive, but that's not the draw. Backpack Hero is a game about inventory management, and it may feature the best inventory management system ever. Where new cards are simply added to the deck in more traditional deckbuilders, Backpack Hero makes every pickup feel like a little puzzle.

Incredible depth

Most of what I've described here is true of the game's first playable character, Purse. But Backpack Hero has a few other fellows to choose from as well, and they each play dramatically differently. You could also play as a mystic frog, who pulls items at random and uses the backpack as a strategic playing field; maybe you'll end up preferring the bird bard who can tear discreet specialized pockets into his backpack. These aren't just characters with different specialties, a la Slay the Spire, they're characters that totally reinvent the game (think of something like Dicey Dungeons for a good reference point).

[caption id="attachment_357591" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Backpack Hero also has various different character-specific challenge modes that force you to come up with builds that you might otherwise ignore. In addition to providing a ton of extra content, these challenges also expose exactly how deep customization can get in Backpack Hero. Synergies that might seem totally insignificant become vital when, for example, you can't use any traditional weapons. Brute force can be handy, but what if you played music for the enemy until they joined you like a temporary Pokémon? There's a lot to uncover in this game, and it's only getting bigger and more dynamic as time goes on.

[caption id="attachment_357598" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The game is still in early access, and the developer, Jaspel, has promised significant updates in the future. Apparently, there are plans to introduce a city-building mechanic to provide some progression hooks between runs, and I'm very excited to see how that turns out. To be honest, though, Backpack Hero already feels like more than enough for me. Backpack Hero, in its incomplete state, is richer and more engaging than plenty of full games I've played. I'm excited to see how it grows and changes in the future, but I don't think there's any reason to wait and see. What's there now is excellent, and there's a pleasantly hefty demo that you can try out if you're still not sure.

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The Year of the Lamb... like it or not

Devolver Digital has announced that one of the sleeper hits of 2022, Massive Monster's Cult of the Lamb, will receive a free major content update later this year, bringing a selection of new features, options, and accessibility functions to the super-cute, super horrifying anthro roguelike.

While details are a little bit on the thin side, a tweet from the eccentric publisher notes that the update will be bringing a selection of tweaks to add more overall depth to the title, with a short clip teasing an all-new "heavy attack" mechanic. In addition, new difficulty settings will be added to the sacrificial adventure as well as several unspecified accessibility options and "quality-of-life" tweaks. Neat!

https://twitter.com/cultofthelamb/status/1608891710570106884?s=20&t=P8Tt1BpocaS1mmEYZs46xA

Released in the summer of 2022, Cult of the Lamb blends cutesy visuals and ultra-dark humor in its tale of a young lamb who, having seemingly had their life saved by a sinister deity, goes about preaching the word of this supposed savior and building an ever-growing cult around its teachings. Cult of the Lamb would itself amass a huge fan following, eventually making its way onto several Game of the Year nomination lists, (including our own), and even taking home several gongs at the Australian Game Developer Awards.

Cult of the Lamb is available now on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

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We also get a good look at the new mode

Hitman 3: Freelancer is a new mode for the assassination game, set to arrive on January 26, 2023. But ahead of that, IO Interactive is hosting a closed technical test in November.

The Hitman 3: Freelancer closed technical test will take place on November 3 through 7. The closed technical test will only be available on PC via Steam, and it will be a separate game, with a download code delivered by IO if you're chosen.

Sign-ups for the Hitman 3: Freelancer closed technical test are live here.

We also got a pretty decently sized gameplay video today, showcasing just how Hitman 3: Freelancer works. The walkthrough shows off many different aspects of the roguish new mode: picking contracts, planning, touring the home base, and then setting out for a mission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2ZZlIMdavM

Even Agent 47 is part of the gig economy

The mode will pose a bunch of new challenges and options to players, based around the maps of the Hitman World of Assassination trilogy.

For the closed technical test, only a select portion of the pool will be available. The nine available maps are: Paris, Sapienza, Hokkaido, Miami, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Dartmoor, Berlin, and Mendoza.

The full Freelancer mode will have just about every map, barring three. The ICA Facility, Hawke's Bay, and the Carpathian Mountains will be the only locales not in the full Freelancer launch.

While there is progression within the closed technical test, that mastery will not carry over to the full launch.

But this new way of playing Hitman has looked like a cool alternative for awhile now. I'm sure some players are probably eager to tinker with the possibilities in it. They'll be getting their chance in November, ahead of the full launch at the start of the new year.

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This lamb got the chops

Devolver Digital's comically unnerving roguelike, Cult of the Lamb, has ironically become something of a cult hit itself, winning over fans with its creepy-cute visuals, anarchic attitude, and engaging gameplay — In fact, Massive Monster's indie hit has already bagged its first Game of the Year award, courtesy of the Australian Game Developer Awards.

The event, which took place on the evening on October 4, recognized the best of interactive entertainment from 2022 to date, focusing mostly on the output of independent studios working within the region. Cult of the Lamb scuttled off with four well-deserved gongs, including Excellence in Art, Excellence in Music, Excellence in Gameplay, and the aforementioned Game of the Year award.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsPtUNB1z-Q

"After experiencing our success overseas, it was an amazing feeling to see our game really resonate with Australians as well," said creative director Julian Wilton of the win. "We received such strong support locally and we love that it’s being enjoyed, not just for the gameplay, but also for the art and music."

I'm not sure quite how many followers had to be sacrificed at the altar of "The One who Waits" to receive these awards, and I'm not sure I want to know.

In addition to Massive Monster's success, the Australian Game Developer Awards committee — which consists of a panel of 70 industry specialists — also rewarded Studio Drydock with the prizes for Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Mobile Games for its spellbinding farming title, Wylde Flowers. Gameloft, an industry veteran with a catalog packed full of mobile game success — was awarded Studio of the Year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68kdOBKCh04

You can check out the full list of winners below.

Game of the Year: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Art: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Gameplay: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Narrative: Wylde Flowers

Excellence in Sound Design: Heavenly Bodies

Excellence in Music: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Technical Design: Age of Darkness: Final Stand

Excellence in Accessibility (Presented by VicScreen): Lost and Hound

Excellence in Mobile Games: Wylde Flowers

Excellence in AR/VR: Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown

Excellence in Serious Games (Applied/Impactful): Kinder World

Excellence in Emerging Games (Student or Early Career): Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg

Excellence in Ongoing Games (Games as a Service): The Oregon Trail

Rising Star Award: Raymond Corrigan

Ambition Award: Ryan McMahon

Adam Lancman Award: Clara Reeves

Studio of the Year: Gameloft

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Get ready to battle some bosses

Dead Cells is widely regarded as one of the best roguelike games out there, and one of the best indie games of the past decade. It's one of those games you can play over and over again -- literally -- but for fans who are itching for something new, well, the Dead Cells dev team has you covered. The studio behind the game, Motion Twin, along with their subsidiary studio Evil Empire, announced an all-new Boss Rush mode as an add-on for the PC version of Dead Cells.

The idea is that players will have four unique stages to play through, and each stage has the player going up against bosses from the game back-to-back. The breakdown of stages goes like this: stage one has three bosses, stage two has five bosses, stage three has three enhanced bosses, and stage four has five enhanced bosses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCaZwowMm78

The enhanced bosses are new for the Boss Rush mode, and as you might expect, they have ways to make their already-intense battles even harder, like healing powers or allies that come and join them in the fight. If you've played through some of the harder heats in Hades, think of the enhanced boss stages like runs where you're only fighting Extreme Measures bosses.

Each stage also features Dead Cells bosses randomly selected from Tiers 1, 2, or 3, to which they are assigned based on how difficult they are -- so at least you won't be fighting The Queen five times in a row. The Boss Rush mode is accessible in-game through a door in the basement of the Prisoners' Quarters. Players will also win some serious loot as they defeat the different stages, with the type of prizes scaling depending on how many bosses they fight, which bosses they fight, and so on.

The Boss Rush mode is available now in Dead Cells for PC players, and will be coming to consoles later this month.

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Hell Yes

'Tis Friday, and, like clockwork, Epic Games Store has revealed the identities of the next free titles that it will be rolling out to store users over the next week — And it looks like there's something of a Very Metal theme to next week's fare, with the arrival of pixel actioners Rising Hell and Slain: Back from Hell (no relation.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-2q0rB6f-g

First released in 2019 and developed by Indonesian developer Tahoe Games, Rising Hell is a Gothic rogue-lite dungeon crawler that places a heavy emphasis on platform traversal and verticality. Players embark upon a seemingly insurmountable challenge to literally climb out of Hell, starting at the very pit of oblivion and working their upwards, battling horribly unholy demons and monsters en route.

As is to be expected from such a Devil's Horns-flinging release, Rising Hell has a very metal aesthetic, with guitar wailing scores, vulgar visual design, and a relentless, head-banging challenge. Featuring a ton of epic boss battles, several gameplay modes, and a roster of selectable characters, Rising Hell was well received by players on release, and might well be worth a weekend of redemption.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvmdRTk3B9A

Developed by Steel Mantis and released way back in 2016, Slain: Back From Hell could almost be seen as a distant cousin of Rising Hell, sporting similar pixel visuals, challenging platforming action and, of course, a hard-rockin' aesthetic. As doomed hero Bathoryn, players battle their way through another hugely Gothic world, on a mission to liberate the realms from the clutches of six malevolent overlords.

Between Rising Hell and Slain: Back from Hell, Epic Games Store fans have got a pretty unholy week ahead. But, if you dig that whole heavy metal retro vibe, then it's definitely worth keeping an eye on the calendar and ensuring that you bag next week's EGS freebies when they are made available to all on October 6.

In the meantime, be sure to pick up current EGS offerings: Runbow and The Drone Racing League.

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A game I'll be flocking to for years to come

Before I even started playing Cult of the Lamb, I knew I was going to love it. First off, we've got the cute art style going on, so that box was ticked immediately. Plus the conceit of a simulator about running your own cult is hilarious and fresh in its own way.

I think us roguelike and simulator fans can agree that both genres are having something of a renaissance right now, and Cult of the Lamb manages to hit every note in perfect harmony. Now maybe it's the antidepressants talking, but playing through it has been some of the most fun I've had with a game all year.

Part of the worry with having a game with so many different elements is that the player could start to feel overwhelmed — the base-building sim, the punchy roguelike gameplay, the fishing, Knucklebones, and all of the side quests could start to feel like a lot after a while, but they never did.

Instead, each element fed back into the core gameplay really nicely, like bringing characters items to unlock the different cloaks that gave you power-ups in combat, or powering up your followers to get greater rewards when you sacrifice them. What's more, I found that having so many different types of activities always kept things fresh while still keeping me moving towards to ultimate goal.

Hades' lasting impact

Hades has been an undeniable influence on games over the past few years, especially when it comes to the roguelike genre. The hub world in the Underworld felt so alive, because between each run you could come back and decorate, see what's up with your favorite characters, and see things gradually change over time through the story. Your cult in Cult of the Lamb feels even more alive, in my opinion.

While Cult of the Lamb's combat isn't quite as complex as Hades', it instead throws its weight behind the simulation side of things. Using the "crusades" as a means of gathering materials to then return to the main action of the cult — where you'd often have to put out metaphorical fires that ignited while you were gone — is a genius design choice.

With the different weapon and curse types, there was enough variety to keep things fresh. As much as I love Hades, I also tend to be a creature of habit, which means I stick with the one or two weapons I really like in the post-game and just run with those.

I prefer faster weapons like daggers and swords, but I appreciated that the game made me try the axes and hammers, because that's not something I would have gone out of my way to play with if I had the choice. It made me slow down and change my combat style, and it's cool that a simple change like limited weapon choice could open up that half of the game in a whole new way.

Focus on fundamentals

I think what it comes down to for me is that you can feel how much the idea of fun was at the center of Cult of the Lamb's development. There was never a moment in my whole playthrough where I was over what I was doing, and wanted to get back to what was next. I would finish one of my crusades, or catching fish to feed my followers, or earning some extra coins in Knucklebones, and then I would be excited to get to do whatever was next, every time.

That to me is what makes for a perfect gameplay loop — constant immersion because I'm not only enjoying what I'm doing in the moment, but because I also have something to look forward to.

I'm an "out of sight out of mind" kind of person, so it was literally like I was constantly re-falling in love with every aspect of the game when I remembered it existed. That feels silly to admit, but it speaks to the game's ability to scratch some kind of primal, child-like itch in my brain. That's good game design for you.

Cult of the Lamb isn't a game that's going to revolutionize the games industry, but it will stand out as one of the greats in its respective genres, and can hold its own with the best releases of 2022. It's one of those games that I'll be reaching for to replay every few years, and I look forward to trying a new build next time around.

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The never-ending story

Shiny Shoe, the studio behind deckbuilding locomotive defense game Monster Train, has already made its mark with one roguelite. Now it looks to make another in Inkbound, an isometric turn-based battler with some pretty interesting ideas.

We had a chance to get a hands-off look at the current state of Inkbound. It's going to look pretty Diablo at first. The camera takes an isometric angle on the action, following our two presenters creative director Andrew Krausnick and community manager Cami Baumann-Jaeger as they venture into the world of stories.

Right away, there are notable differences from Monster Train. While there is the allure of better runs and rewards on the horizon, there's also a quest system, where NPCs can give players tasks to complete. They're built into the entire structure, Krausnick says. The team is looking to tie more of the unlocks and rewards that happen into the quests and narrative.

"The reward you get from completing a quest might be an item that starts showing up in the run itself," said Krausnick. "And then our goals over time, or when we evolve the world, we want to have some story behind it."

Hitting the books

After standing around a bit in a social area, they set off for the Sea of Ink. The whole setup of Inkbound surrounds stories, as players fight through various fables come to life. Certain parts of it will feel familiar; the ability draft, for instance, allows the player to make selections that can add new abilities to their hotbar or augment existing ones.

In ours, Krausnick picks an option to add more damage to an ability. But there are other changes too, like applying status effects. Some higher-tier ones might be even greater evolutions. It's the same pick-one-of-three system that many, many roguelites use nowadays.

Where the familiarity falls away is the combat. Despite looking like Diablo, Inkbound is not a real-time action RPG. It is, rather, much closer to a turn-based RPG, as we see when they get into some battles in the Garden's Edge.

Krausnick and Baumann-Jaeger go about setting up their turn, using a metered amount of mana. Moving a certain distance will start to eat up mana, as will deploying abilities. Each one can change the world state too, and they can adjust in real-time.

Say a player moves one "length" (there's no grid, just distances) and knocks an enemy forward. That happens in real-time. Someone might be able to lay a trap for that knock-forward to affect, or have aggro drawn off them because of it. It feels a bit like the careful maneuvering and prodding of Transistor, or what we've seen thus far of the upcoming Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

Once the turn's over, the enemy gets to move. And they can really hurt. Health is, as always, one part of your resource pool in Inkbound. Sometimes taking calculated hits is important.

Despite the careful planning, it seems like the battle system is something the player can take at their own pace. Much like how a high-level Monster Train or Slay the Spire player can blitz through a single hand, the system seems open to quick resolution if you know what you want to do.

A real page-turner

It's an interesting twist on the formula, made even more interesting by co-op. While playable solo, Inkbound can also be played co-op with friends. From the start, Krausnick says, Shiny Shoe wanted to do turn-based and co-op.

"The simultaneous turn thing came on pretty early," said Krausnick. "We just felt like it was the best way to make it feel like you weren't waiting too long for your friends to do other things, to keep gameplay moving smoothly."

They went through several prototypes, even a hex-based build at one point. But the team went for this asynchronous turn-based scheme for Inkbound. What we saw that day is what Shiny Shoe felt was the best way to move forward.

And to the team's credit, it seems pretty interesting. The folks behind Monster Train have shown they've got some roguelite chops already, but Inkbound seems like a neat way to incorporate careful planning, tense action, deckbuilding, and co-op all into one package. Hopefully it continues to blend together well.

Inkbound is targeting an Early Access launch on Steam in 2023.

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All the singulaladies, all the singulaladies

If there is one thing my Apple Arcade subscription has taught me over the past few years, it’s that games designed around gacha mechanics don’t necessarily have to be the type of whale-hunting monstrosities that result in terrible YouTube “influencers” bragging about how they can’t play anybody online anymore because they spent $100,000 in it. Games like World of Demons and Star Trek: Legends are enjoyable gacha games in part because you don’t have menus popping up constantly goading you into dropping cash in them. With that monetary incentive removed from these titles, players are free to enjoy the actual gameplay without worrying they’ll miss out on something huge if they don’t buy a loot box or start a game-specific subscription service.

That’s the idea behind Super Bullet Break, a new deck-building RPG with roguelike elements releasing tomorrow for PS4, Switch, and PC. It has all the makings of a game Belgian politicians would trot out on the chamber floor to publicly chastise. But because it’s not free to play and everything is included with the price of purchase, you’re left with a fun and fast gacha game that won’t ask you to break the bank.

Just try not to break your controller while playing it.

Super Bullet Break (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: BeXide Inc.
Publisher: PQube
Released: August 12, 2022
MSRP: $19.99

The world of video games is in danger and it’s up to three expert gamers—Akari, Hikaru, and Sumire—to save the day. Our trio of heroines is contacted by a mysterious AI known as Nayuta who needs their help fixing some of the most popular games on the market that have become corrupted. In each of these games hides a Singulalady that is unleashing buggos on these digital worlds, changing how the characters act within them. To save the day and save these games, the girls will have to investigate, which in Super Bullet Break means working your way across a randomly generated map fighting monsters.

The combat here has its roots in the CCG genre. As you adventure through each corrupted game, you earn bullets to use in battle. These bullets are usually represented by a cute anime girl with a predetermined set of skills. Some only attack your opponents, some attack and heal in the same move, and some can have their skills altered by other bullets in your deck. Once a bullet is used in battle, it’s sent to the discard pile until your deck reshuffles. With more than 160 bullets to unlock, you can build a pretty eclectic and powerful deck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ODxiWAOluU

Don't blow in these cartridges

Collecting the right bullets for your deck is important, but you’ll also want to pay attention to the cartridges they’re attached to. Each bullet you obtain is paired with a randomly selected cartridge that has active or passive skills that can alter the bullet’s effectiveness or provide buffs for the player. Cartridges are not permanently tied to a bullet, and you’ll often encounter two of the same bullets with different cartridges attached.

The key to making it through this game is building your deck with the best bullet and cartridge combinations. But doing so has its hurdles. First, outside of a few that can be purchased in shops and those you get for defeating bosses, all of the bullets you earn in Super Bullet Break are random. Second, you can only carry a limited number in your deck. Finally, because this game is a roguelike, you lose all of your earned bullets when you either fall in battle or free one of the games from a Singulalady’s control, reverting your deck back to its original build that's determined by which of the heroines you choose to play as.

That final point really bothered me for my first few run attempts. “Monochrome Tactics,” the first game you’re trying to save from a Singulalady’s control, is shockingly tough for what is essentially the tutorial mission of the game. Looking at my log of attempts, I actually failed this map 11 times before beating it. Maybe it was my poor luck with bullet pulls, my unfamiliarity with how this all worked, or maybe my deck never shuffled in my favor, but that opening investigation nearly had me smashing my $70 controller in frustration.

Difficulty dropoff

Imagine my surprise when I beat the next three games within this game in a single go. The difficulty went straight out the window the second Super Bullet Break started introducing gimmicks to groupings of cards. These gimmicks, like the enemy-delaying ‘Heartsplosion,’ can easily turn the tide of battle in your favor. In fact, some of these gimmicks are so powerful I didn’t even have to strategize with my deck. I just played whatever bullets were in my hand and watched my enemies meet their demise. “Monochrome Tactics” is without any gimmicks, and I can’t quite figure out why the developers decided on throwing players directly into the deep end rather than sticking it later in the campaign to craft something of a logical difficulty curve.

As headache-inducing as those first 11 failed attempts were, I will say they got me to look at Super Bullet Break in a more laid-back light. It took me a while to realize this, but this is a very noncommittal game. When you’re always starting from scratch, no matter if you beat the final boss or lose to the first grunt to cross your path, the game becomes something akin to solitaire: something you play for fun or to pass the time. In fact, I wish I would have requested a Switch review code for this because, win or lose, this is the type of game I would have loved to have played in bed each night before going to sleep.

If you want to find true enjoyment in Super Bullet Break, don't go into it thinking it's going to be anything substantial. Like the free-to-play gacha games that inspired it, it's a very casual experience with a win-some/lose-some philosophy that I found to be refreshing. This won't be a game I have deep memories of in a year's time, but for now, it's a pleasant palate cleanser to the heftier games that demand a lot more of my time, energy, and concentration.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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The old indie darling is back in 3D

Desktop Dungeons, the beloved turn-based roguelike, is coming back with a new style. And while it can be tricky going from a quaint pixel art presentation to a more general modern 3D style (albeit with nice new illustrated character art), the main draw was — and should still be — the puzzle-solving gameplay. Developer QCF Design announced the 3D remake Desktop Dungeons: Rewind for Steam with an estimated Q4 2022 release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smrfXYhnKCc

According to the team, "the goal with Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is to bring a game we love to modern devices and modern audiences. For a long time we’ve felt that we’ve under-served players with the resolution choices we made for Desktop Dungeons back in 2011 (!!) and have had to stick with since. This is the perfect opportunity for us to address that, while adding new features to the game to make it smoother and more rewarding to play."

You can, in fact, rewind

One of the main new features in Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is the ability to rewind your turns when you die, in order to take better steps in the run-up to the boss.

Success comes down to knowing when to poke around the darkness, when to pick fights, and when to double down — you'll regain health and mana by exploring shrouded dungeon tiles, so it pays to move deliberately. If you play it right, your hero will accumulate lots of XP on lowly creeps and become powerful enough to outlast the boss.

Of course, with different classes, gods, status effects, and other "oh huh...interesting" mechanics in the mix, it's never quite that straightforward. Over time, you pick up a play style and learn to factor in all of the little considerations that add up to a successful run.

[caption id="attachment_338360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Scoping out a dungeon as a human thief.}[/caption]

Nowadays, roguelikes and roguelites mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, and plenty of folks are tired of all but the best of 'em. I still have a soft spot for Desktop Dungeons. In my mind, it's a puzzle game at its heart, especially now with rewinds.

The original game lives on to this day (out of curiosity, I checked to see the last time I played it; 2015), so Rewind isn't replacing anything. It's still up on Steam.

Interestingly, old game saves will be "fully compatible" with Desktop Dungeons: Rewind.

QCF Design says to expect "hundreds of hours of content, daily online challenges, the amazing soundtrack by Danny Baranowsky and Grant Kirkhope, all the DLC, and more."

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Dealt a winning hand

Inscryption was one of the more bizarre and compelling games to come out of last year. And next month, Daniel Mullins Games' creepy deckbuilder will hit consoles.

Publisher Devolver Digital confirms today that Inscryption arrives for PlayStation on August 30, 2022. The store listing is up now for the PS5 version, and Devolver has said it's also coming to PS4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAn7OxLub9Y

As for what's coming for the PlayStation version? Well, it wouldn't be Inscryption if things didn't get weird. And some of the new features that PlayStation players will get sound downright unnerving.

Cabin in the woods

When it was highlighted in a recent indie roundup for PlayStation, Daniel Mullins teased that Inscryption would use some of the PlayStation's haptics in particular.

"But what about those exclusive features I mentioned earlier? Well, for starters your faithful companion, a talking Stoat card, will play its audio out of your controller as if it’s really in your hands! Secondly, the atmospheric lighting in the game will spill out from your controller, so if you’re playing in the dark you’ll be one step closer to feeling like you’re inside Leshy’s cabin. If we’re adding sound and lighting to the PlayStation experience then it only makes sense to ensure that Haptic feedback enhances every grisly action… why not use the pliers and find out?"

As for how the game will handle some of the more computer-y parts of Inscryption, I'm interested to see. Games like Doki Doki Literature Club have found some clever workarounds for that in the past, and Inscryption uses some elements that will be curious to see adapted to a PlayStation.

Given the track record though, I think it's safe to say the crew at Daniel Mullins Games to find a way to make it work, though. PlayStation players will get to build their decks and duel for survival on August 30.

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Curse of the Dead Gods didn't quite grab me, but I'm down to try again

The creators of Curse of the Dead Gods are back with another action roguelite game called Ravenswatch, and this time, you aren't alone — there's four-player co-op support.

Announced this week at Nacon Connect 2022, Ravenswatch will star playable heroes with abilities "inspired by characters from folktales and legends." Right off the bat, we've got the Red Hood, the Pied Piper, Beowulf, and the Snow Queen, with "more to come."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQBlSgRtCyc

On the gameplay front, expect randomly generated maps and character builds to be at the forefront, with iconography and themes plucked from "The Three Little Pigs to Norse mythology to One Thousand and One Nights," among other stories.

Solo or up to four players

Though solo play is an option, Ravenswatch will likely be at its best in co-op. "To defeat the Nightmare and reach the final chapter, you will need a strong build, focus, and excellent teamwork," according to Passtech Games. "Increase your fighting power in battles then face the level boss when you feel ready… or when you no longer have a choice."

From the trailer, we can see the Red Hood transform into a wolf, the Pied Piper command a horde of rats, and the Snow Queen skate around foes on ice. Dibs on the former.

[caption id="attachment_333978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The four heroes revealed so far.}[/caption]

Admittedly, I barely made a dent in Curse of the Dead Gods — it's a tough game right from the get-go — but I enjoyed what I played, and there's a world in which I got really into it for a few months. I feel like Passtech must've learned a lot while making that game, so having a similar but still distinct follow-up in the same genre sounds ideal. The action looks familiar, but the environments seem much less cramped and intimidating.

(Did any of you try Curse with PlayStation Plus? That's where I got my copy.)

Ravenswatch will debut on Steam Early Access in 2023, with console versions — Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S — coming later.

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Now you can take Dicey Dungeons on the go

Dicey Dungeons is one of those "if you know, you know" indie games — it's garnered something of a cult following over the past three years that it's been out, and for good reason (we gave it a 10 in our review). The charming visuals, unique concept, and engaging gameplay have made the game a continued success, and after some releases for Nintendo Switch and Xbox, Dicey Dungeons is finally getting a mobile release for iOS and Android. In addition to the new platform, the game is also getting a free DLC update called Reunion, which will give players 4-5 hours of new gameplay released in six episodes.

The game's creator Terry Cavanagh dropped the news earlier today on his Twitter — he's also known for creating other titles like VVVVVV and Super Hexagon. Cavanagh has secured his spot as a prolific game designer in the indie space, so it's really cool to see his games continue to have life and community surrounding them long after their releases.

https://twitter.com/terrycavanagh/status/1545076959444717569

Not only will Dicey Dungeons run well on mobile devices, but its gameplay actually suits the platform really well. Roguelikes are great to play in short bursts, and since it's turn-based, you don't have to be glued to the screen every second if you don't want to be. That makes Dicey Dungeons perfect for playing on your phone during a commute, or when you're waiting at the DMV, or when you're doing literally anything else.

Cavanagh even confirmed in the replies to his initial tweet that you can easily stop in the middle of a run and continue it later without losing any of your progress.

Dicey Dungeons is available for $4.99 on iOS and Android, and the free DLC update is live now as well. The game's composer Chipzel also released the DLC soundtrack on Bandcamp if you want to take a listen to that as well.

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CD Projekt's new take on Gwent is out very soon

Gwent is back on the table, as CD Projekt Red reveals a new style of The Witcher card game is coming very soon. Gwent: Rogue Mage takes a deckbuilding, roguelike approach to Gwent, and it's out for PC, Android, and iOS on July 7.

IGN revealed the game this morning, as a standalone expansion of Gwent. It will have the same core mechanics, but operate a bit differently; first and foremost, it's a roguelike.

Players start with a set of cards in their deck, focusing on certain playstyles. Then more cards can be added as more nodes on the map are explored. Experience gained over the course of each run goes towards increasing the pool and strength of cards available in each run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqkwt6BZPjM

Speaking to IGN, game director Vladimir Tortsov said it would take more than 30 hours to do everything in Gwent: Rogue Mage, with loops that can take up to an hour. Runs are paced by either getting to the last boss or perishing along the way.

The cards tell a story

Gwent: Rogue Mage has some story elements, too. Its set "hundreds of years" before Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of The Witcher games and Gwent aficionado, was born. Players step into the shoes of a mage named Alzur as he tries to create the first witcher. Alongside bouts of Gwent, there are also tough choices to make, Places of Power, and other ways to strengthen your deck each run.

While Tortsov says it's not as extensive as The Witcher games or other media, it's also not the focus. It's seemingly all about Gwent, and offering an offline, single-player option for those craving some rows and bluffing.

Considering Thronebreaker, a single-player Gwent campaign, seemed pretty well-received, it's cool to see more single-player exploration of the Gwent board. And since the next Witcher game is likely still a ways away, this might at least sate that Gwent craving for now.

The standard version of Gwent: Rogue Mage is out tomorrow, July 7, for $9.99 on Android, iOS, and PC. A premium edition, which includes in-game skins, cosmetics, and card packs, will run $19.99.

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Dungeons and/or Dragons await

Epic Games has revealed the next two free titles that will be made available to all users gratis on the Epic Games Store dashboard. From June 30, customers can download two dark fantasy RPG releases in the form of Spiderweb Software's Geneforge 1: Mutagen and Unfrozen's Iratus: Lord of the Dead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnvkqWmjRa4

Released on PC in February of last year, Geneforge 1: Mutagen is an open-ended adventure that offers the player over 50 hours of player-driven action as a stranded protagonist attempts to survive and thrive within a mysterious and magical world. Explore over 80 different areas, converse and do battle with the denizens, and raise a menagerie of custom monsters and demons with which to do your bidding. Geneforge 1: Mutagen, while somewhat under the radar, received high acclaim from critics and players for its choice-driven gameplay and deep exploratory nature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TziTY6-NgAM

Iratus: Lord of the Dead is a turn-based roguelike that boasts unorthodox tactical gameplay and a grim love of all things undead. Released on PC back in spring 2020, Iratus lets players don the cape of a titular necromancer, who has remained in dungeon captivity for centuries. Now determined to break free of their miserable abode, Iratus must use their mastery of reanimation to build an increasingly powerful posse of underworld soldiers — attempting again and again to find their way out of the labyrinthine dungeon. Iratus: Lord of the Dead utilizes strategic turn-based combat, and is worth a look for fans of similarly gloomy roguelikes such as Darkest Dungeon.

Both Generforge 1: Mutagen and Iratus: Lord of the Dead will be available for free on the Epic Games Store from June 30 until July 7.

There is still time to claim last week's Epic Games Store freebies — Asmodee's A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Digital Edition and Playways' Car Mechanic Simulator 2018. Two titles that have an abundance of features in common, I'm sure.

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Those looking for a different flavor of horde survival might find it in 20 Minutes

The horde survival genre, I guess you'd call it, has had quite the year so far. Vampire Survivors lit the world on fire, and of course, there have been imitators. But what sets 20 Minutes Till Dawn apart from the crowd isn't just its similarities to Survivors, but its key changes that make quite a difference.

I checked out the demo version, cleverly titled 10 Minutes Till Dawn, earlier this year and came away impressed. Well, after a decent number of runs in 20 Minutes Till Dawn's Early Access launch, that enthusiasm hasn't gone away. Developer flanne's roguelike survival still has room to grow, but its core concept is pretty darn solid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzht7wX549c

Survive the night

20 Minutes Till Dawn has you pick a character and weapon, then jump into a darkened woods to survive the night against an ever-growing horde of creepy ghoulies. If you've played Vampire Survivors before, certain parts of this experience will look very familiar to you: the giant XP bar at the top, leveling up via tiny XP droplets from enemies, and treasure chests left behind by boss foes.

In the same breath though, you've probably already caught some notable differences. Alongside selecting a character that has their own passive ability, like summoning a shadow clone or firing a flaming shot every few bullets, you also have a weapon. And you fire it, yourself. This isn't the auto-fire survival game, but a more traditional twin-stick shooter.

These changes alone open up a lot of new avenues for 20 Minutes Till Dawn. While some level-up options add additional forms of damage, like a mystical dagger or a ghost pal, many also simply augment the gun's abilities. Load it up with Pyro Rounds, give bullets a chance to freeze enemies or call down lightning, or make the bullets bigger. We're talking big, big bullets.

Though this removes some of the build-by-feel aspect, it makes the gunplay a key component of the early 20 Minutes Till Dawn run. Do you need a faster reload, or would you rather beef up your bullet damage? Maybe spread is better for your double-barrel shotgun, or you'd rather just augment its damage with elemental effects. Or forego all of that for a summon-based build. letting your pets do all the work for you. Options are easy to read, and have a pretty simple tree of one base upgrade, two tier-two options, and then a final one that brings it all together.

What goes bump in the dark

These choices become crucial pretty fast, because time is counting down. The survival aspect of 20 Minutes Till Dawn can get brutal, especially considering hits are incredibly dangerous for some characters that start with only one or two hearts.

Enemies gradually scale up in difficulty and sheer quantity, eventually adding variants that can explode or fire their own bullets back at you. And once the bosses show up, everything goes out the window.

Boss enemies in 20 Minutes Till Dawn are full-on encounters. Many have their own attack patterns and problems to deal with, like a gradually enclosing arena or massive lasers. It adds a bit more lethality to big fights, and feels like a bit more than just a numbers check.

Hell full of bullets

The progression system works incredibly well too, offering tiered upgrades on the Sword (offense) and Shield (defense) paradigms. Seriously, I can't recommend enough that you get the Holy Shield blessing, it's so useful.

There are a lot of reasons to keep playing, mostly to gather up resources to unlock more characters, weapons, and runes. When I finished my first run, it felt great; I was at the perfect meeting point of supremely powerful and moments from imminent doom.

The first make-or-break, though, will be the graphical style. I absolutely dig the look of 20 Minutes Till Dawn, as its almost-monochromatic feels very retro and moody. It also has the nice touch of adding some danger and fear to the edges of the screen, as you see the eyes slowly creeping forward before the full enemies are revealed.

That said, I also get that it could be a concern for those who find it difficult to read. Maybe some additional color options, or a higher contrast setting, could help in that regard.

Build diversity is also a concern, as though you start out with a lot of different options, I felt a lot of them funneling back in to similar pick-ups after a while. I like the small trees for upgrades, so I'm not just hitting the same upgrade for "more damage" over and over. But it also leads to pretty same-y builds over time for a majority of the guns.

The nice part is, all things considered, this is just the start for 20 Minutes Till Dawn. I've enjoyed the hours I've put in so far, and plan to put in a good few more. It's off to a good start, and I think flanne's roguelike survival game has potential to become a standout in a growing genre. Hopefully the Early Access keeps improving and building upon its strengths.

20 Minutes Till Dawn is $2.99, too. There are worse ways to spend $3. You can find it on Steam here.

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Check out the Steam demo

Slay the Spire has eaten through a few hundred hours of my time, and ever since I've been scouring Steam for another great deckbuilding roguelike. While the crossover subgenre is relatively small, we're seeing more and more of them these days, including the new cyberpunk kung fu-themed title Nitro Kid. The game was revealed today during the PC Gaming Showcase, and I've already added it to my wish list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsr3GPYa9I0

The trailer shows off bombastic action gameplay (or at least how bombastic card-based play can be) as the player climbs through the floors of a giant skyscraper that has been taken over by an evil megacorporation. The soundtrack features over thirty Synthwave tracks that have been composed specifically for Nitro Kid, which should add to the game's exciting atmosphere as well.

We don't have a release window for Nitro Kid just yet, but there is a demo currently available to download on its Steam page.

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Already out on PC

Gunfire Reborn is already out on PC, having released near the end of 2021 — but now we're getting a Gunfire Reborn Xbox port, confirmed via the Xbox and Bethesda showcase stream today.

It's a four-player co-op game with "roguelike action," in case you were interested. You can "mix and match 40+ weapons, 100+ scrolls, powerful inscriptions and Ascensions to craft builds from devastating Sharpshooters to magic-based Alchemists." It sounds like a lot of games in recent memory, but one more couldn't hurt. I mean, it looks like a perfect Xbox Game Pass game.

Four-player co-op and Xbox Game Pass were practically made for each other. In an era where a lot of platforms are still segmented, even with cross-platform play, it's going to be super simple to just download the game on Game Pass and jump into a session.

Microsoft has had several of these lower key or already-available-on-PC-for-a-bit reveals today like Gunfire Reborn Xbox during their "E3" showcase, but everything goes down so much easier when it's piled onto a giant subscription. On the flipside, a lot of these port jobs or "wait and see" games aren't always that heavy-hitting on other platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be88OPnn_YE

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The new roguelike will be tactical and co-op

Shiny Shoe, the team behind the deckbuilding hell-train roguelike Monster Train, has a new game in the works. Today the team revealed Inkbound, a co-op tactical roguelike that's coming to Steam Early Access in 2023.

While 2020's Monster Train blended deckbuilding with tower defense, Inkbound is going for a different vibe. According to the developer, it's blending tactics games, ARPGs, and roguelikes into one with hybrid real-time/turn-based battles.

The option is there to go fast or slow down, charging in for melee hits or staying just out of reach and pelting away with ranged attacks. Most notably, co-op play is a big component.

Binders, the heroes of this realm who maintain stories and care for them, can work together in fights. One might lean into healing while another does the damage, or focus on debuffing the enemy. Shiny Shoe says co-op is "rewarded, but not required." Playing solo is totally possible, though playing co-op is the best way towards Inkbound's best loot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMzkN45lsyU

A neverending story

Inkbound will launch into Steam Early Access in 2023, though you can also sign up for beta access through the official website here. The Shiny Shoe team seems keen on using this evolving this game over time, making use of the in-development structure of Early Access. CEO Mark Cooke says the team's goal is to give players new surprises each week, whether it's new enemies, loot, or biomes to explore.

It's an interesting pitch, mixing co-op in with roguelike and tactical combat. But after the mish-mash of ideas that is Monster Train turned out so well, I'm inclined to keep an eye on what Shiny Shoe is doing. There are many competitors in the roguelike world, but Shiny Shoe has already shown once that they can make something unique and interesting.

We'll see what Inkbound brings to the field in 2023 when it launches into Steam Early Access on PC.

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Don't rue going rogue with some rouge roux

It's Thursday, so you know what that means! No, not being disappointed that Harmonix still hasn't added in "You Get What You Give" as Rock Band DLC. That's certainly my Thursday tradition, but it doesn't have to be yours. I'm of course talking about Super Rare Games putting out another limited-run game on Switch! Up for grabs in this week's contest is Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos.

Strictly limited to 4,000 copies, this one is destined to sell out — whoops my bad! I couldn't even make it through writing this post without it selling out. It's gone. Considering you can't buy it anymore, you might as well win a copy here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-6akE8DT0&t=1s

I've been legally prohibited from providing my own summary of the game, so you'll have to rely on official press written by professionals who are knowledgeable in the subject matter.

A dark evil stirs beneath the once peaceful land of Tasos... Deep within the four Great Dungeons, the ancient seals that hold the Titans at bay are gravely weakened and their minions have unleashed terror upon the world. The Goddesses who once forged these seals make a desperate plea for a band of heroes to come forth and save the world. Do you have what it takes to save Tasos in this roguelite adventure, and more importantly...are you going it alone or with your friends?

• Play solo or multiplayer – Embark on your adventure solo or work together with up to four players in co-op mode. Puzzles and challenges will scale depending on the number of players so synergizing your skills and collaborating is key to defeating each dungeon.
• Classic feel with a modern twist – Classic in its topdown-style gameplay but with a modern-day colourful pixel art visuals and a wealth of options for puzzles and combat, Rogue Heroes lets you choose from a variety of tools, spells, and weapons to tackle the fearsome monsters and challenges that await you.
• Delve into dungeons – No two runs in Rogue Heroes feel the same thanks to the procedurally generated dungeons. Each room has hand-designed layouts, traps, puzzles, and enemies all with randomised configurations, making every run feel fresh and different.
• Endless customisability – The multiple classes all come with their own stats and unique abilities. You also have a large range of tools, spells, and weapons at your disposal - everything is upgradeable! Find the build that works for you to take back Tasos!
• Restore your home – Spend your hard-earned loot on new buildings for your village of Intori and in turn gain access to new upgrades for your characters.

Super Rare Games' release of Rogue Heroes comes with everything you'd expect, including:

• Fully assembled Nintendo Switch game with cartridge
• Interior art
• Full-color manual
• Exclusive sticker
• Set of 3 card trading card pack

To enter to win your copy of Rogue Heroes, leave your name and email address in the widget below. You can enter daily. There are also ways to earn bonus entries by clicking around and going all over the internet, so hey, why not? Beats clicking refresh on Dtoid every 12 seconds to see if anything new has posted.

We have one physical Switch copy to give away. Since this is shipping direct from SRG, there are [almost] no shipping restrictions! Just hope you're not in that politically-or-geographically-restricted area. You know how it is. I can't help it, you know. I'd buy the world a Coke, if I could.

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos was available direct from Super Rare Games. But it's sold out, so at least check out everything else they still have for grabs!

Contest: Win Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos on Switch from Super Rare Games

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Valve's new PC game promo covers roguelikes, roguelites, soulslikes, and metroidvanias

Valve is hosting a big Going Rogue sale on Steam this week, and if you're into roguelike games, roguelite games, and everything in between, there are deals to check out by May 9.

Curiously, Steam's digital "festival" is also highlighting a whole bunch of games that were inspired by the Souls, Metroid, and Castlevania series, so the lines are even more blurred than normal. Valve broke down the genre differences in an explainer video, and as someone who tries not to get cranky about ever-shifting game genres, I'll stay out of it.

The main link: "They're all rooted in elements of RPG fantasy or action, and persistence means success." That sums up a lot of my favorite video games, especially lately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3POUi1Imy0k

Whether or not you agree with the organizers' exact terminology, it's still a cute, well-meaning, personable video, and I hope Valve does more of these in the future.

One more caveat: not every Going Rogue game is on sale, so this spotlight is about getting Steam users' attention focused on cool games they might've missed.

The best of the best

Speaking of, it's neat to see the "top-rated" list, which spans Dead Cells, Hades, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Slay the Spire, Rogue Legacy 2, Risk of Rain 2, and even Vampire Survivors. I've been meaning to check out that last one — it's three bucks. What am I waiting for???

You really can't go wrong with any of those well-reviewed picks. I'd also strongly recommend Death's Door for $11.99 — it's suitable for a really wide audience, and I hope it gets the legacy it deserves. What an awesome game; I loved 100%ing it.

As for me, I've got a lot more Rogue Legacy 2 grinding ahead of me. In case you missed it, the 1.0 version is out and it's fantastic. And better yet, it's 20 percent off right now.

The post Steam’s Going Rogue sale is full of great time sinks appeared first on Destructoid.

Just "one more" New Game+...

After Dead Cells, Hades, and Spelunky 2, it's tough to name an all-time favorite roguelite. Rogue Legacy 2, a flashy new castle-storming sequel, only complicates that conversation.

I briefly checked in with Rogue Legacy 2 a few times during its Early Access period — most notably at launch in 2018, then again last year when the sequel surpassed the original game in terms of raw stuff. It's not just "more content," though. It's a fantastic evolution.

I've had a blast with this game every step of the way, and that counts for a lot. Other popular roguelites, many of which I adore, can still have dicey moments of despair. But I never felt like any of my lost progress was in vain. As expensive as perma-upgrades eventually get, you're always earning in Rogue Legacy 2, and the game isn't afraid to hand out stepping stones to let you focus on your next milestone. There's always hope.

Rogue Legacy 2 has left the Early Access zone, and I'm happy to say the wait was worth it.

[caption id="attachment_319114" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The home base is convenient and cozy.}[/caption]

Rogue Legacy 2 (PC [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Cellar Door Games
Publisher: Cellar Door Games
Released: April 28, 2022
MSRP: $24.99

Circling back around to the first Rogue Legacy for a quick 2022 spot-check, it's wild how much of an upgrade Rogue Legacy 2 is. The first game cemented the appeal of the roguelite action-platformer genre for a lot of players. People loved it; many still do!

Running through randomized floors as a sometimes lucky, sometimes laughably doomed lineage of heroes was novel back then, and the permanent stat-boosting Manor unlocks accumulated in a satisfying way. You know the oft-spouted saying: "one more run."

It's pretty incredible, then, that Rogue Legacy 2 manages to bottle up those fond memories while presenting fresh-looking, snappy-feeling, far more refined gameplay. It's essentially Rogue Legacy, again, but more ambitious and confident than ever. Talk about a glow-up.

It's worth stressing, though: you can jump right in without any prior experience. And one of the best aspects — a House Rules toggle for granular accessibility options if and when you need them — will open up Rogue Legacy 2 to a wider audience. It's a challenging game, for sure. A run can go sour in an instant. But through a combination of enemy and boss pattern recognition, gradual character boosting back at base, and sheer skill, you can reach the end. I know you can. And then you can climb the steep New Game+ ladder.

[caption id="attachment_319110" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Heirs come in many shapes and sizes.}[/caption]

On just a base level, without even considering the longer-term progression hooks that provide extra back-of-your-mind motivation in Rogue Legacy 2, I can't get enough of this combat and platforming. It's this fluid fusion of speed, reflexes, patience, and wits.

Early on, I felt like I could show up to slice skeletons, dash past spike and arrow traps, and crack open (most) treasure chests with stringent don't-get-hit-in-this-room criteria. At the same time, I'd still take chip damage here and there. I'd make stupid slip-ups like squeezing in one too many greedy swings at a charging knight or fire-blinking eyeball.

I would consistently reach the first boss, a spellsword named Lamech who dashes and flips like a madman, but my current hero — whether it was a Barbarian, a Mage, a Valkyrie, a Gunslinger, or even a Chef — couldn't quite outlast his beefy HP bar.

There's a tinge of disappointment at first, sure. "Damn, I thought that was the run..."

But you shake it off, roll a new heir, spend whatever gold you just hoarded to buy a persistent upgrade or better gear, and hop back into the ever-shifting castle. Eventually, through good old practice, gradual know-how, lucky random mid-run Relics, and some brute-forced stat increases, this run becomes The Run. It went that way for me in all six biomes against all six bosses, as well as the final tricky fights. They were all memorable.

[caption id="attachment_319116" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Bosses are fun to learn and tough to master.}[/caption]

Whereas some roguelite games just keep going and going in a way that wears me out, Rogue Legacy 2 can be broken down into smaller chunks, each with its own lifecycle.

With that in mind, you don't need to complete Rogue Legacy 2 "all in one go," which I think some people might be mistakenly expecting. The main goal is to keep your character alive long enough to find and dispatch the area's Estuary, at which point they're done and dusted — you won't fight the boss again (well, not until New Game+). Back at the castle entrance, their portrait will be filled in, and it's onto the next biome on your list. Of course, you can revisit any "old" zone you want, when you want, but it's not forced on you.

The format works! It really suits what Rogue Legacy 2 is going for as a tough-but-fair roguelite game. Being able to break away from a brick-wall boss so you can grind elsewhere or just aimlessly explore for a while can make all the difference. Sometimes, that was what it took for me to return with renewed confidence. Finally, a breakthrough.

As long as you plan ahead, it's trivial to unlock teleporters that will send you to all of the different biome entrances within seconds of starting a new run — each warp is a one-time, across-all-runs purchase from a pizza-loving character. (This game has some fun NPCs.) Now, actually reaching those biome entrances to buy their specific teleporter is another matter. There are a handful of metroidvania-ish traversal abilities in Rogue Legacy 2 that are useful in combat and also necessary to reach later areas. So, while you can poke around the wider world to get a lay of the land, there's a preferred order to this stuff.

Those abilities, Heirlooms, are unlocked in scattered "beat it once and you're good to go" challenge zones that spice up the usual proceedings and also serve as a puzzle/tutorial. Moves like air dashes, double jumps, and bouncing spin kicks might not be groundbreaking on their own, but when you're fully kitted out in Rogue Legacy 2's home stretch, it feels amazing to whip them out mid-combat. Zipping around this world is a pleasure.

[caption id="attachment_319108" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Rogue Legacy 2's Astromancer class can summon black holes — and their center is a critical attack.}[/caption]

Much of what I'm saying about Rogue Legacy 2 can be applied to the first game. What makes it so much better? For me, it comes to the biomes, the bosses, and the classes.

I may not be able to remember every biome by name, but I can absolutely visualize them all as distinct entities that require different approaches. Some are long, some are tall, some are dark, and all of them have their own flair. Even though the room-by-room layout changes on every run, you can still get a sense of what's ahead, which lessens the chance you'll be caught off-guard. It's not just a matter of various visual themes — the biomes are actually built differently from one another. I love that! And the same can be said of the bosses in Rogue Legacy 2, which are some of my favorite fights in a roguelite action game, period. Learning their moves (and not forgetting them in the heat of battle) is a blast.

With lore books to find and read (or totally skip over), Rogue Legacy 2 does a good job of introducing bosses before you ever face them so that they'll feel like a threat when the time comes. It's a lighter storytelling touch that I appreciated. For me, it's more about the raw action gameplay and overall mood; I don't need to know every tiny detail, or strike up lots of conversations, to become invested in the world. It just naturally pulled me in.

The completely overhauled art direction — from quaint pixel art to a hand-drawn-meets-2.5D style — also makes a splash, of course. But it's the way the sequel refined Rogue Legacy's gameplay concepts that kept me coming back without ever getting bored.

[caption id="attachment_319115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Some trap rooms are too tempting to skip.}[/caption]

As for classes, Rogue Legacy 2 is still running with the concept of randomly-pulled characters who may or may not have funny traits. Those quirks come with a significant gold-earning boost, so there are clear moments when it's ideal to just grind, or it's time to take another serious stab at a boss. Every chance I got, I went with the Ronin, a fragile hero with a far-reaching katana whose tip results in a guaranteed critical attack. My other favorite was the nimble Boxer, who can combo foes and trigger a KO. It's also fun to switch things up with ranged classes like the Mage or oddball picks like the Bard.

More than just statistical shakeups, the classes all play distinctly from one another and have varying pros and cons. Some of the skill ceilings are really high; others feel low.

The fact that I can be amazing at one class and god-awful at another is just the way I like it. While players will latch onto their favorites, it's worth it to make the rounds — classes gain their own XP that funnels into Mastery levels, which are another way to bump up your capabilities across the board. Extra vitality, armor, and equip weight can pay off.

There's also a Resolve system that lets characters pick up Relics — powerful items with sometimes risky effects that you can find mid-run. Relics can be game-changers and help you get through a gauntlet in one piece, especially items like the Gnawed Bone (a 25% chance to survive a fatal blow) and Lachesis' Measure (killing enemies with a crit restores 6% of your max health). In exchange for these boons, though, you might need to shave off some of your HP bar if you're running low on Resolve. It's often a thoughtful trade-off.

[caption id="attachment_319117" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The Gravity Beam is one of the flashier spells in Rogue Legacy 2.}[/caption]

If I have complaints about the sense of progression, it's that the (branching) Manor upgrades can be a little bewildering at first before you've acclimated to Rogue Legacy 2. I also feel like the prices for any incremental multi-tier purchase can really skyrocket later on. That's kind of the idea, though. It feels like a great feat to topple the final boss, but you're really meant to loop back around for numerous New Game+ playthroughs.

"Threads" take cues from Hades in that you can flip on gameplay modifiers to spice up each NG+ cycle, and yes, that means ushering in new content, too. But unlike the Pact of Punishment, the "burdens" in Rogue Legacy 2 are locked in place for your whole New Game+ playthrough, not for an individual character's run. (You can reset the world state if needed, so don't be afraid to experiment.) The higher the pain, the better the rewards.

At the time of this review, I've invested 20 hours into Rogue Legacy 2, and I'm partway into New Game+. My motivation for continuing is partially to see those numbers go up — who wouldn't want to max out their bonuses and dominate once-great threats? — but also to find whatever else is still out there. One of my favorite parts so far has been Scars.

There are well-hidden secrets throughout the main dungeons that unlock Scars, which are one-off challenges you can face from the comfort of your home base. One challenge is a target-breaking drill, and plenty of others are dual-boss skirmishes. You'll get a rank for each Scar you clear — one for every class' best attempt — and if you earn enough points collectively, you'll earn a rare currency that feeds into another upgrade tree with fun unlocks like alternate classes. Again, New Game+ is a big focus for Rogue Legacy 2.

[caption id="attachment_319112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Fabled Weapons like the Enkindled Gauntlets can be high risk, high reward.}[/caption]

It took a lot of effort for me to reach the end, and I felt like the game adequately tested me every step of the way. For some players, the balance — especially in relation to their desire to grind — might be out of whack from time to time. For that reason, it's worth giving the House Rules another shout-out. These options can be flipped on or off mid-run, and you can alter enemy health or damage (from 50% up to 200%), disable "contact" damage with foes, enable flight, and slow time while aiming, among other settings.

All in all, I found this game to be super satisfying. Some character classes are so enjoyable, I could play a whole separate game (not necessarily even a roguelite!) with only their base mechanics — all of the other assorted archetypes that I don't typically choose are just icing on top. For me, the classic Rogue Legacy roguelite hooks are still potent in the sequel, and the agile combat and platforming feel fantastic. Once you're in, it's hard to walk away.

I knew from my limited time with the Early Access version that Rogue Legacy 2 would be great, but I didn't necessarily think it would go on to become one of the best games of 2022 and one of my favorite roguelite games. The competition is fierce, but it's ready.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Rogue Legacy 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready for the deckbuilding roguelike of your dreams

One of my favorite parts of my job is when I get to gush about the games I love, and no one can do anything to stop me. Slay the Spire is one of those cases.

Throughout the two-plus years we've been in quarantine, I've gone through phases where games absolutely consume my life. First it was Hades, and after clocking nearly 400 hours in that game, I finally decided to retire it. I have brief stints with both Stardew Valley and Breath of the Wild, which were both replays of comfort games, so they don't fully count. The next game that consumed my every waking hour, though, was Slay the Spire, which just so happens to be one of April's free PlayStation Plus games, and I need everyone to know how freaking amazing it is.

Here's a crash course: Slay the Spire is a deckbuilding roguelike, which is such a fun combination of genres it makes me wish there were more of them out there. The main premise is that there's this giant vertical spire you have to climb to the top of, floor by floor, encountering enemies, friends, and other surprises along the way.

It's kind of similar to FTL: Faster than Light in that you can see a map of the entire area between encounters, so you can plan your route accordingly. It's also like FTL because there are tons of random encounters that can really hurt you or help you depending on what you get. You slowly accumulate cards as you climb higher, and with any luck, build your deck full of super-powerful combos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SZUtyYSOjQ

Gameplay specifics

You can play one of three classes: the Ironclad, a tanky fighter-type that uses blood magic in a high-risk, high-reward type of build, the Silent, which plays like a traditional rogue character with shivs and poison damage, and the Defect, which is a robot character that summons orbs with different abilities in combat (that last one is hard to explain succinctly, but it's one of the most creative combat mechanics I've seen in a game like this, and makes him my favorite class to play by far). There is also a fourth class that unlocks after you've played for a while, the Watcher, a monk-style character who enters stances of Calm and Wrath in extra high-risk, high-reward gameplay. She can be fun, but it's harder to get further with her due to how difficult she can be to play.

What really makes Slay the Spire stand out for me, though, are the relics. They're random objects that you can acquire that have powerful abilities, and they're far and away my favorite part of the game. Their powers range from giving extra gold or healing to making you deal more damage to helping you draw more cards per turn. The more you collect in a run, the more likely you are to get crazy overpowered, and those runs make for an insanely fun time.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3333"] _{[Image Source: MegaCrit]}[/caption]

You get out what you put in

It's one of those games that gets more fun the more you play it. Getting to know the decks super well is a huge advantage, because you're able to craft the perfect build from the get-go. You also unlock new cards, relics, and potions as you go, most of which are specific to the class you're playing, which means if you plan around them, they can break your build in the best way.

If you get tired of grinding in the main campaign, there's also a daily challenge mode where you take a run with special modifiers and compete online against other players for the highest score. I found this to be a really fun challenge, and a great way to switch it up after normal runs started to a get a bit stale. While I also like to play in hours-long marathon sessions, you start fresh with each run, meaning it's perfect to play in little chunks too, if you prefer that.

While Slay the Spire was originally released on the PC, I will say that it makes for an excellent Switch game. Sometimes control schemes don't translate well when a game is ported, but I personally like the Switch controls better. Plus, it even plays well on the touchscreen if you're playing handheld. It's also a great option to play if, like me, you like listening to podcasts when you game every so often.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: MegaCrit]}[/caption]

What are you waiting for? Just go play it

For having a pretty straightforward premise, I think Slay the Spire does an amazing job of balancing each element just so to make it a finely-tuned, incredibly well designed game.

Of all the games I've obsessed over, it probably has the least amount of content overall, and yet I've still managed to sink 250 hours in and I'm still not tired of it. The game has a cult following, but Slay the Spire deserves to be up there with some of the best indies just based on the quality of its gameplay design alone. I'm also hoping that we can persuade the devs to make a sequel, or at least some DLC, and the more people join the bandwagon, the better the chance is of that happening.

If you're looking for a new title to sink your teeth into this month, you've gotta grab Slay the Spire if you have a PlayStation Plus subscription. If you don't, you should totally just buy this game anyway, because if you ask me, it's totally worth the hype.

The post You need to go play Slay the Spire if you have PlayStation Plus appeared first on Destructoid.

The sequel has been bulking up in Early Access since August 2020, and the time has come

Knowing full well that many of you aren't into the whole Early Access thing (even for a sequel as tempting as Rogue Legacy 2), I'm stoked to share that the 1.0 launch is happening soon. Cellar Door Games will fully launch Rogue Legacy 2 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on April 28, 2022. Did you even know there was a sequel on the way?

Having checked in with the work-in-progress version here and there, I've played enough Rogue Legacy 2 to get a good feel for its metroidvania-style abilities, wacky classes, and the gorgeous new art direction that still hasn't lost its luster even a smidge. It's a looker.

Like the original game, so much of the appeal is action-platforming your way through a randomized castle while slowly accumulating permanent upgrades to improve your odds of reaching your next milestone — and eventually the end. It's fun to slash baddies, explore branching rooms, solve environmental puzzles, and bring down big bosses in Rogue Legacy 2. It's also fun to watch your numbers go up back at base. This formula works well, and I'm excited to pop back into the sequel without any content gaps.

[caption id="attachment_315765" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Choosing an heir in Rogue Legacy 2, quirks and all.}[/caption]

Since I last checked in, the developers have been finishing up the final boss, a full conclusion, "Biome-altering Burdens," optimization work, and more.

The prospect of New Game+ is intriguing and scary, all at once. It's the kind of hard-to-put-down roguelite experience that people like me tend to go all-in on. I know I will.

What about other platforms?

As for potential Nintendo Switch, PS4, or PS5 versions, my expectation is "probably someday!" But for now, Rogue Legacy 2 is just launching on PC and Xbox this month.

"We're a small team, so we're taking everything one step at a time," said Cellar Door.

Worth mentioning, though: Rogue Legacy 2 is Steam Deck Verified.

If you missed the original, it's worth getting a vibe check while it's free on PC since it has so much in common with its sequel. The Epic Games Store is giving out Rogue Legacy (and also The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, another easy recommendation) for free until April 14.

The post Rogue Legacy 2 launches on April 28, and the first game is free right now appeared first on Destructoid.

The free Break the Bank update is worth playing

There's a generous (read: free!) Dead Cells biome update out this week called Break the Bank, and can you believe it's the 28th update for the game? And they're not slowing down either, as the developers at Motion Twin and Evil Empire are planning to release more DLC and updates for "at least another year." No one's getting off this wild ride!

Before diving in, you may want to skim the patch notes to see what's new.

There are new weapons like the Gold Digger, which "gives gold on hits plus critical hits if you're filthy rich," and a few shiny foes, like the Golden Kamikaze (aka the exploding bats). There are mutations, too — one of them, Gold Plating, causes you to lose gold instead of health when you're hurt. And there are balance changes, including a Vampirism rework that "now sacrifices a percentage of your maximum health to gain life leech on your melee attacks (effect doubled for heavy weapons) and a speed boost for 10 seconds."

Or maybe you just want to barrel toward the new Bank biome. Here's how to find it.

If you've reached the Hand of the King before, look for this chest in the biome transition areas

[caption id="attachment_314578" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{This chest is your ticket into the Bank biome.}[/caption]

In theory, the Bank should be easier to find than some of the other routes in Dead Cells, assuming you know what you're looking for: a chest. This chest. According to the devs, it can appear randomly in the "transition area between biomes (but not before a boss)," and if you ignore the Bank entrance chest, it won't appear again in your current run.

On the bright side, the Bank chest is "guaranteed to appear once" per run, assuming you've gotten to the Hand of the King or The Queen at least once in Dead Cells — that's the prerequisite. In other words, you don't need to curse your bad RNG. It'll show up.

[caption id="attachment_314576" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Agitated Pickpockets are one of the new enemy types in the Break the Bank update.}[/caption]

There's another interesting wrinkle: the Bank replaces (what would be) the next biome on your current path, and that actually affects which enemies will show up since the new zone borrows from other spots, in addition to having all-new foes like Pickpockets.

As the developers put it, if you pop into the Bank "at the transition after Prisoner's Quarters, you will face mobs from Toxic Sewers, Promenade of the Condemned, and Dilapidated Arboretum." That's just one example; the Bank chest can show up elsewhere.

The Bank itself is pretty straightforward

It's not as bewildering as Spelunky's secretive City of Gold, but the Bank is neat in its own right. I like that it isn't too fussy to explore. Once inside the biome, a teller will hand you a Red Pass (which goes to a red door that's just a quick elevator ride away), and you can take out a bunch of gold loans if you're feeling spicy — but you'll need to pay them back.

The elevator branches out to other floors (with other color-coded doors that need a corresponding key), so it's easy to fully explore your surroundings without getting lost.

[caption id="attachment_314579" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{You can return to the elevator to open up new areas of the Bank using color-coded keys.}[/caption]

While poking around the Bank, you might come across a series of chains that phase in and out — try not to touch them! Like, really try. They hurt! This is a full-on platforming obstacle course, and it goes much longer than I would've expected, so I'd recommend taking your time. If you slip up, you'll warp back to the beginning. Mind your health bar.

[caption id="attachment_314577" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Don't come into contact with these chains as they phase in and out, or you'll pay.}[/caption]

There's a scary new achievement, too

When I reached the end of the Bank, I settled my debt to get through the final door and exit the area, but there is another way. You can break through it, and as it turns out, there's an intimidating achievement related to this called "Up to the eyeball in debt," which requires beating the game "with the maximum debt remaining." Wait, what?

According to Dead Cells players on Reddit who are much more skilled than I'll ever be, you can take out a loan "ten times for a maximum of 20,000 gold," then break the golden door at the end of the Bank biome, suffer a 100-enemy curse, and finish out your run.

I, uh, won't be doing that — but good luck to the rest of ya!

Dead Cells has been piling up content for years now, and I'm stoked to see things go so well for players (who keep coming back) and the creators (who are still getting sales). The Break the Bank update is out on PC and consoles, so dip back in when you get a chance.

The post Dead Cells now has a Bank biome, and here’s how to find it appeared first on Destructoid.