On paper, the idea of a turn-based take onSpace Invaderssounds bland, but the team behind the upcoming gameStarVadershave managed to make that idea a captivating and addictive masterpiece. What’s even more impressive is how the game manages to bring a breath of fresh air to the overpopulated genres of deck-builders, roguelikes, shoot ‘em ups and turn-based strategy titles. With cute anime and cartoon-inspired visuals, intuitive and effective gameplay mechanics and a killer retro soundtrack to keep players in the zone,StarVadersmay very well be the best new demo at this year’s Steam Next Fest.
Familiar, Yet Fresh Combat
StarVadersseats players in the pilot’s seat of a mech, facing off against swarms of alien invaders. The player draws a hand of cards each turn, spends points (which change based on which mech you’re piloting) to use them and tries to create killer combos with the cards they add to their deck as they progress through each run. It’s a tried-and-true formula in the turn-based roguelike space, but the real fun of StarVaders is created by the ever-present sense of peril and consequence.
StarVadersseats players in the pilot’s seat of a mech, facing off against swarms of alien invaders.
LikeSpace Invaders,it tasks players with eliminating an army of descending enemies before they reach the bottom of the playing area. Doom builds up as enemies successfully make it to their goal, with a total of five Doom accumulating into a “Game Over.” The basic shape and flow ofSpace Invadersis there without being too on-the-nose: enemies have one hit point (two if you count shields), they come in groups and they slowly move down the screen. Unlike the classic arcade title, however,StarVadersdoesn’t just stop at shooting straight upwards (although that is a prevalent mechanic for the main class).
Taking nods from other grid-based games in the genre likeInto the Breach,StarVadersemploys line of sight and momentum into its gameplay. Mechs move around the board as they shoot and slam into aliens, with shove attacks moving aliens into adjacent spaces. If that space is occupied by an alien or object, they’ll both take damage. The one-hit system of combat is satisfying, especially when you constantly find yourself out-numbered by dozens of enemies, and is enhanced by the wide array of crazy abilities and moves at your disposal. Your potential arsenal can have you slinging time bombs across the map, firing bullets that split in two directions on impact and teleporting behind enemy lines before slashing through with a giant sword. These moves all feel powerful and are easy to come by, making the mech-battle fantasy the game is built around feel larger than life.
Colorful and Bountiful Adventures
There are several points of massive variety inStarVaders, the most significant of which being the mech selection. Each mech has a completely unique set of cards, a distinct energy system and a class of pilots to choose from. After selecting your mech, the standard roguelike structure of “choose your path, engage in combat, select reward and repeat” takes over. Four rotations of normal combat are followed by a quick visit to the shop, which is immediately followed by a boss battle. The best boss battle I encountered while playing was the Grandmaster, a chess-themed boss who brings an army of living chess pieces, each of which move and attack in the same directions as their corresponding piece. Even outside of boss battles, enemies maintain this level of engaging combat design.
Computer-Themed Platformer MainFrames to Receive Steam Next Fest Demo
A journey across a computer’s desktop sounds intriguing, and that’s what Assoupi are bringing to Steam Next Fest with MainFrames.
Then there’s the loot, which still seems to be bottomless with hours of playtime sunk into just two mechs. Cards that you unlock along the way have abilities (or possible upgrades) that draw more cards, reduce the cost of other cards and help create chains of attacks without going over your energy budget. Artifacts you find as rewards for missions grant potent passive abilities, increasing your total energy or even hitting enemies for you. New enemies and encounters are unlocked with each completed run, creating a form of progression that urges you forward even after finishing your seventh (or more) successful campaign. Even in the dozens of runs I’ve played, it still feels like there are numerous types of unused mechanics to be experimented with and unseen enemies to encounter.
StarVadersis a game that somehow makes played-out ideas feel rejuvenated and exciting again, making a tired and worn-down roguelike veteran like myself perk up and lock in to its tight and simple gameplay. This may be due to the portrait-style orientation of the playing field, or the fact that it can be played with just one hand, butStarVadersfeels like it’s due for a mobile release some time down the road. This is not to say that the game is of the same quality as the standard pay-to-play App Store game.StarVadershas that perfect mix of simplicity and engagement as other stellar indie games with mobile ports, likeSlay The Spire,Loop HeroandDicey Dungeons.Fans of these games need to check out the StarVaders demo during Steam Next Fest, which is availablehere.StarVadersis expected to be released some time in 2025.
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