Gatedelvers

Roguelike games are a subgenre of role-playing video games, characterized by random level generation, permanent death, and usually action-based gameplay. Even though many believe this game to be among the modern game genres out there, it began back in 1980 as a game for the Apple II. But just like every other game genre, it has evolved a lot. And since then, we have had plenty of variations of it. Roguelikes are generally classified into two types: single-player and multiplayer. The former is usually played alone, while the latter can either be played by one person or as part of a group. Today we are covering a co-op game roguelike game called Gatedelvers developed and published by Unikone. So let's have a look at what it brings to the table…

About the game

When we are checking a new roguelike game nowadays we have to keep several things in mind. First, most of them share a set of features that can be found in any other game of this type. Second, they all follow a certain pattern when it comes to how their levels are generated. Third, they all try to bring something unique to the table. In this case, several things differentiate Gatedelvers from other games of its type. For example, first, the developers decided not to use tiles but an actual 3D environment.

This is pretty surprising these days, since a lot of them, especially the indie ones, are based on a 2D or Pixel Art style. Interestingly enough they added to the game some point-and-click gameplay mechanics that make it feel a lot like a faster MMO. The player will click on items to interact with them and also move around using the mouse. This mechanic makes it easier to control and navigate through the map thanks to the isometric perspective.

Just as pretty much any roguelike, Gatedelvers features a randomly generated map, and in this case you proceed by falling deeper into the cave you're exploring. In this sense, it could be considered a bit similar to Shovel Knight Dig where you keep going down too.

Mobile-like roguelike

One thing that immediately stands out about the game is the fact that it's quite mobile-friendly. Yet it still has not been announced have a planned release on mobile platforms. It could be due to the gameplay control that works a little as a point-and-click. But for the same reason, it does feel a lot like a game you'd play on mobile. And since the visuals look pretty similar to games like Brawl Stars, it's quite likely that the devs decided to go this route rather than porting the game over to a different platform.

Review: 7.5/10

Gatedelvers is a pretty cool roguelike game that has the player exploring a 3D cave as you dive deep into the monster-infested caves. It's fun to play and it's pretty simple and enjoyable. However, the graphics aren't exactly eye-pleasing and the overall experience is a bit lacking in content.

Pros:

• Simple and easy to get started
• Great for mobile gamers
• Plenty of challenging enemies

Cons:

• Lackluster graphics
• Not very original