Worth Checking Out - Children of Morta

Children of Morta is a "narrative-based roguelike" being developed by Dead Mage, known for creating similar hack’n slash titles such as Shadow Blade and Garshasp: The Monster Slayer. Players assume the roles of the Bergson family, the ancestral guardians of the Mountain of Morta, who must battle their way along the mountain's peak to discover the source of the corruption transforming the wilderness into a host of blighted abominations and dispel it once and for all.

Let me tell you of the days of high adventure...

What really strikes me about this game besides its beautiful, densely pixelated art-style, is how the family members each represent a prototypical class of top-down RPG occupations (John the Father is the swordsman, Linda the Daughter is the archer, Lucy the Mage and Kevin the Rogue, etc.) and the ability to switch between them over the course of the game. The procedural-generated dungeons coupled with an emphasis on a strong narrative elements throughout add a nice twist to the mix too.

The game is currently sitting on over $46-thousand of its initial 65-thousand dollar goal, with the potential of expanding to the current-gen consoles (i.e. PS4, Xbox One, and Wii-U) post-release. Backer incentives include a download of the game's soundtrack and access to an exclusive family member. If the trailer piques your interest, throw some support their way!

Worth Checking Out - Band Saga

I've always had an passing flirtation with rhythm and music games, but Band Saga has to be one of the most inventive and interesting twists on the genre that I've seen in a long time.

A roguelike action-RPG where every level, enemy and weapon is generated real-time through music, Band Saga follows the story of a young man whose dream of starting a band is kickstarted by the presence of a mysterious woman and an army of otherworldly baddies and abominations that are out for his head. Throughout their journey players will recruit new band-mates, adding a host of new instruments to their musical arsenal.

Road trip~

Each new hub-city and level explored will unlock new sounds, items and the ability to modify and sequence them musically in Band Saga's built-in FM Sequencer. The novelty of remixing sounds and manipulating the soundtrack to traverse the environments as well as taking down enemies could add a whole other layer of challenging complexity to the gameplay. Here's hoping the team can pull it off!

As Band Saga's kickstarter stands now, the game is just over a third of a way to its funding goal. As incentive, creators Roger Hicks and Hillmon Ancrum have put the game's entire soundtrack up for sale, including a promotional mini-comic prequel. A music-oriented RPG with a gorgeously kaleidoscopic art style reminiscent a la Scott Pilgrim and Mercenary Kings? Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

What Lies Below? A New Glimpse At Capybara's Upcoming Roguelike

What lies Below? That is the question that the folks at Capybara games have been asking for a few months now, ever since their triumphant reveal at last years E3. The same company behind the beautiful Sword And Sorcery adventure game and the upcoming Super Time Force action puzzle shooter, it looks like we'll be getting more atmospheric exploration with rogue like elements this time around.



This latest trailer for Beyond, the first one since it's unveiling close to a year ago is more of a musical one- Giving us a taste of Jim Guthrie's original score while offering us a glance at some of the environments. What I found really curious was the ultra zoomed out perspective that the game will use, offering players a nearly god like view of the action. If death lurks around every corner, I don't mind this design choice..Zooming out the camera nearly seems like it might end up ramping up the tension significantly. Below will be releasing sometime this year on PC and Xbox One.

Tower of Guns - A Lovely Blend Of Roguelike And Shooter

After the fall of 38 Studios (The folks behind the ill fated Copernicus MMO), One man wrecking crew Joe Mirabello set off on his own personal venture to make a game by himself. Over the last eighteen months and utilizing Ureal Engine 3 he took old school twitch first person shooter gameplay and fused it with roguelike sensibilities such as perma-death and random levels and enemy spawns. He calls his creation Tower of Guns.

On top of classic run-and-gun shooting you can level up your weapons or purchase upgrades using currency dropped from fallen enemies. Though the game can be beaten in 45 minutes to an hour, it is not an easy game by any means. There are plenty of unlockables and secrets to be found including many new guns and perks to equip (such as triple jumping).

Tower of Guns is built with replayability in mind and if you enjoy a challenge while frantically shooting at things such as large robots and guns then I can safely say it is more than worth your time. The game can be purchased via Steam or directly through Joe's website.

Worth Checking Out - Risk of Rain

With the never ending influx of roguelikes (can the majority of them even be considered rogue-likes?) it's hard to pick out one that's right for you. When the trailer for Hopoo Games' Risk of Rain first dropped I was certain I found my next time sink after the 100+ hours I dropped into The Binding of Isaac, unfortunately I was correct.

Risk of Rain is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up with a ridiculously difficult twist, the longer you play the harder it gets. This doesn't mean the further you get the harder it gets (although that is true as well), instead the more time you put into your session the more enemies will spawn and the more powerful they'll become. The way the game's difficulty is presented adds an interesting layer of complexity, forcing you to manage your time while also leveling up and collecting powerups for the next level. 

Of course, no roguelike would be complete without massive amounts of randomization, which Risk of Rain does right.

The game features over 100 different items, each giving your character different power ups and weapons to help push you a little bit further. As to be expected, the items you find are randomized, giving each playthrough a chance to completely screw you over. Even when the game seems to stack you with the best items, getting to next level is no easy feat and you'll often find yourself dying in between blinks.

To put it simply the game is hard, very very hard, but with each playthrough you'll find yourself getting further and a little bit better than before. Risk of Rain is a rewarding yet challenging experience and completely worth your time and money, with the mass-influx of roguelikes it's great to see a developer throw a little bit of spice into the mix. You can pick the game up today on Steam for $9.99

Dungeon of the Endless - What's Behind the Door?

Woah, this game really came out of nowhere. The team at BlackMeal has quite an awesome surprise up their sleeve with Dungeon of the Endless, a game they describe as a Roguelike RPG with tower defense elements. Originally revealed at Gamescom, the studio has put out a second teaser for the game showcasing the game's incredible pixel-art. 

Boasting 4-player co-op and over 30 classes, this game is sounding pretty damn sweet! The trailer shows off an interesting cross between sci-fi elements and fantasy, and the environmental art is absolutely gorgeous. While no firm release date is set, expect the game later this year through Steam's Early Access.