Shogun Showdown – The Art of Strategy

If you enjoy independent indie game coverage, consider supporting Indie-Games.eu on Patreon. It helps keep the site independent.

• DEVELOPER: Roboatino
• PUBLISHER: Goblinz Publishing, Gamera Games
• PLATFORMS: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• GENRE: Strategy RPG
• RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2024
• INITIAL PRICE: 14.99€
• REVIEWED ON: PC

Turn-based RPGs take many forms, but they all share one thing – strategy. Whether it’s choosing the right team members or executing precise moves in combat, careful planning is essential for victory. If you’re familiar with this type of combat system, Shogun Showdown will surprise you with its unique approach to turn-based strategy, combining roguelike and deck-builder elements in a Japanese-inspired setting.

Where the Sun Always Rises

Shogun Showdown, developed by Roboatino, takes players on a journey through historical Japan ruled by a powerful and menacing Shogun. Your mission is to find a way to defeat him by traveling across the land and confronting the leaders in your path. In this turn-based RPG, every action counts—you must manage your positioning, timing, attacks, and upgrades to survive. Gaining new abilities and building the right deck is crucial. As you progress, you’ll unlock more characters and skills, but death increases the risk of having to start all over again.

The first thing that caught my attention was the game’s truly stunning aesthetic. The pixel art is both charming and adorable, with smooth character animations and remarkable attention to detail. The developers even animated tiny elements like fireflies and falling cherry blossom petals. The visuals effectively capture the feel of a traditional Japanese tale, and the music enhances it further. A blend of classic melodies and modern beats creates an intriguing result. The game’s cultural heritage is also reflected in the weapons used in combat, from tetsubos to katanas and shurikens, there are plenty of tools to help you become a legendary warrior.

Combat Pick-and-Mix

Let’s talk about the game’s greatest strength – its gameplay. The card-building mechanics and turn-based combat are simple and easy to learn, but mastering them is a real challenge. Each enemy has unique attacks and patterns, leaving the player to discover their weaknesses and decide whether to strike, move, or wait. I loved the freedom to choose how to defeat enemies, but there are restrictions for balance, waiting too long or overusing a skill won’t help you. You also need to remember that attacks have different ranges and cooldowns, so every move must be planned carefully.

In Shogun Showdown, the main goal is to manage your resources responsibly and optimize your run as much as possible. I quickly learned that not every upgrade works well with my attack loadout, and each character has abilities that may not fit my playstyle. In addition, after every battle you must choose which shop to visit, adding another layer of strategy outside of combat. After defeating a boss, you earn skulls that can be exchanged for upgrades or additional shop slots. However, I wish this part had been explained more clearly right from the start.

Death Is Only the Beginning (Literally)

Now, let’s discuss the aspect that surprised me the first time I died, being sent all the way back to the very beginning, having to redo everything. I know, I know, the game description clearly states “roguelike: death is not the end, but the beginning of your journey toward mastery.” However, I honestly thought it meant repeating a certain section or battle, not the entire run up to that point. At first it felt excessive, but I soon realized this is a brilliant concept for this kind of game, offering virtually unlimited replay value.

Every playthrough becomes unique and personal. Players must plan their strategy for the entire run, refining their skills before facing the final boss. Permanent investments were especially helpful, giving access to many useful upgrades every time I played. And even though the goal is to defeat the Shogun, that doesn’t mean the game is over, after victory, you unlock additional days of your adventure and new islands filled with fresh battles.

Speaking of new content, it’s worth noting that the developers plan to add many new features in future updates, including:

• A new location (Ieyasu’s Garden) and a new boss (Ieyasu the Patient)
• Day 7 content: a new elite enemy type (Corrupted), a new enemy (Corrupted Progeny), and the real final boss after defeating the Shogun: the Corrupted Soul
• New animated scenes after completing each new day for the first time (also available from the main menu: Other → Endings), as well as updated boss dialogues and descriptions
• 7 new skills: Rogue Retail, Seiryu’s Scale, Fenghuang’s Feather, Two-Faced Dancer, Overflow Guard, Chilling Combo, Odd Curse
• 6 new quests
• 7 new tiles: Hookblade, Nagiboku, Sharp Turn, Ki Push, Thorns, Back-Smoke Bomb, Chakram
• A new hero: Chain Master
• A new “Statistics” page in the camp archive

Final Thoughts

Shogun Showdown is definitely a game that deserves constant replaying. It’s not only charming but also quite challenging, requiring time to master your attacks and craft the best strategy. If you’re a fan of games like this, then this title is absolutely worth your attention. So, what are you waiting for? Prepare your weapons and get ready to face tactically-minded bosses in this roguelike gem.

Review copy provided by the publisher