The Steam Next Fest has introduced the world to countless fantastic indie titles, all of which have available demos for people to try.
Among them there is a sea of games of a particular kind, one where shiny things with different colors give various power-ups that may or may not help you on the next permadeath run. I’m talking of course about looter shooters and roguelikes, games where you’ll spend dozens of hours grinding for that one piece of gear to enhance your odds.
For the sake of this list I’ve singled out a few of them which you certainly shouldn’t miss out on.
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Hell Clock
Have you ever asked yourself the question: “What ifHadeswas set in late 19th century Brazil amid a brutal war of extermination?” Well, if you did,Hell Clockembodies the answer, providing you with a deep, dark, and brutal title where you descend into madness and try to shed some light on the grim world.
The game is based on historical events, particularly the War of Canudos, also known as the Canudos Massacre, where tens of thousands were summarily killed during political struggles between the Republicans and Monarchists, which adds to its serious tone. It plays much likeHadesand other games in the genre where each run provides you with extra options and upgrades, increasing your odds bit by bit until you finally succeed.
Terminull Brigade
In the sea of Chinese games, few are ever really good. Most of them are just Hoyo-inspired RPGs that take you nowhere, their flashy graphics and anime characters be damned. However, sometimes a few gems appear in the rough, andTerminull Brigadeis one such title. It’s a third-person roguelite where you go from stage to stage, clear rooms of enemies, until finally combatting a boss, gaining various powers and upgrades along the way.
It has an awesome graphical style, countless nods to other popular games, and fantastic music, which, coupled with a solid gameplay loop, provide for a very satisfying roguelike experience. The demo isn’t all too long or polished, so while you should certainly try it out, do be sure that there are a few rough patches.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die
This title is the one that’s coming out the soonest of them all, set to launch in full on June 17. It is a sequel to the first game,Lost in Random, where you play as Aleksandra, a master of dies that, alongside her 6-side dice companion Fortune, combats the forces of darkness.
The game is a quick and lethal gameplay experience, where moment-to-moment reactions are crucial to successful runs. It’s similar toTerminull Brigadein the sense that you go from room to room and clear enemies until finally reaching the boss arena, but starkly different in its gameplay execution. It’s much more difficult than the average roguelike game, and your reflexes have to be on point and never falter if you are to even have a chance to clear the boss.
Builds are also much more complex and open-ended than the average title, with your having to collect numerous Relics and Pearls and combine them in unique ways so as to make the most of their bonuses. It’s certainly a very unique game, and it’s emphasis on random chances and dice makes it a true roguelike where you never know what to expect.
Hunters Inc.
If you don’t have the means to afford the latestMonster Hunterrelease, then perhaps this indie title can satisfy your desires for a monster-hunting adventure. InHunters Inc., you play as an Orc traversing a dangerous wasteland and hunting down monsters more dangerous still, all with the goal of looting, crafting, and progressing.
It’s the mostloot-focused of all of the games on this list and the more dangerous the monsters, the rarer the loot that they yield. The rarer the loot, then, the better the gear you’re able to craft. It’s a timeless gameplay loop that never gets old or stale, and what’s more, you can play it with up to three friends and make sure all of you are dopamine deprived by the end of the day.
