Late this April, I was invited to play a few games early, and one of them happened to be a shiny new roguelike developed by a single person. In the sea of titles we tried out in those two days, this one really stood out, being the only one to really hook me within just a few minutes.
I’m talking about Chivalware, announced today. It’s a flashy “cyber-medieval” roguelike combining retro arcade aesthetics with medieval fantasy, putting you in control of a Disk Knight who, as the name implies, makes magical use of floppy disks that give him special powers. You move along squares as in chess and have to strike at and defend against enemies to progress between stages and gain further upgrades down the line.
Each stage then culminates in a boss fight, and the few bosses I fought were each unique, with some regular mobs sprinkled in.
Furthermore, since you get three color-coded attacks, some enemies can be resistant to a specific color, inviting you to switch up on the go and experiment with your arsenal for maximum effect. To call the game addictive would be an understatement, and the only reason I had to stop playing it is because, well, I was obliged to.
I had some other stuff lined up, and time with the game itself was limited. But if it were any other way, I would’ve locked myself up in that room playing Chivalware until the sun came up. Perhaps even longer.
It’s a simple, fast-paced, and incredibly satisfying experience. I had so much fun playing, I can’t even begin to describe it. The gameplay, combined with the retro-futuristic style and genuinely great soundtrack, results in a thoroughly impressive little gem of a game that I wholeheartedly recommend.
In truth, I even think this could be yet another indie roguelike hit, and God knows we’ve had more than a few of those lately. I guess it’s because solo developers and small teams in this genre always seem to find some new and unique way to innovate the genre, and I pray they’ll continue to do so.
Chivalware now also has a demo available on Steam, so go verify my claims right now.
The post I tried a solo dev’s upcoming cyber-medieval roguelike, and I am definitely addicted appeared first on Destructoid.
