Rogue Labyrinth is a roguelite action-narrative game from developer Tea Witch Games and publisher indie.io. It places you in the role of Iris, an outcast nomad who returns to her home of Lantanas to find it has been turned into a twisted reality show called the Labyrinth. To win back her country, Iris must battle through procedurally generated levels, fighting monsters and rivals to earn the title of Monarch of Lantanas.
The game is divided into four distinct biomes, each with its own set of monsters, traps, and bosses. These are procedurally generated, including the layout of rooms, enemy placement, and the rewards you can find. Combat system is a blend of hack-and-slash and bullet-hell, where Iris wields a “massive smacking stick” as her primary weapon. However, the unique twist is the ability to turn almost anything into a projectile. This includes rocks, furniture, debris, and even other characters, while also being able to deflect incoming attacks and projectiles back at enemies.
“Combining hack-and-slash and bullet-hell, Rogue Labyrinth creates a unique combat system where you turn anything into a projectile to put on a show for a virtual audience.”
You also have access to a variety of attacks and abilities. Beyond basic melee attacks and deflecting projectiles, you can use heavy attacks, create your own projectiles, and use artifacts from fallen rivals like a boomerang or lightning. There are also active and passive abilities that can be used for offense (throwing explosive thornballs), defense (creating a shield), or utility (gaining more HP or mana). Some of these abilities are powered by mana.
In other words, everything in this game is about chaos. But Rogue Labyrinth does something different with currency as the audience of the reality show is a central gameplay mechanic. The more stylish and over-the-top your combat is, the higher your “Fan Fame” meter goes. When the fans are “hyped”, rich “benefactors” will provide you with “boons” that give you temporary or permanent upgrades during your run.
Between runs, you can interact with a cast of characters, including your rivals in the Labyrinth, members of the arena staff, and even the monsters you fight. These narrative encounters, which include over 4,000 lines of dialogue, aren’t just for show. Your relationships with these characters can unlock new abilities, alter the Labyrinth’s layout in future runs, or grant you unique rewards. For example, making friends with a rival might allow you to learn their combat style.
To break up the combat loop, Rogue Labyrinth includes a variety of minigames and special events. These can include a fishing minigame, a memory game, or a football challenge among others. While they offer a break from the main action, the rewards aren’t always worthwhile and some of the games can be frustratingly difficult.
“The game’s engaging character interactions, charming pixel art, and full voice acting create a surprisingly deep experience.”
The visual design is strongly reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, with pixel graphics that are a perfect fit for this kind of title. The game’s biomes and unique character designs look great, while the animations for projectiles and effects are clear and distinct on screen. Additionally, the main story is fully voice acted, though some characters only have partial voice-overs outside of the main narrative.
While there’s nothing technically wrong with this game, it’s bug-free and runs smoothly, it probably won’t stand out. The fast-paced, chaotic combat is initially fun, but the screen quickly becomes so cluttered that you can simply spam ranged attacks from a distance, making even the interesting boss fights too easy. In a market crowded with roguelite titles, this game ends up being good, but the question is, will it find the right audience?
This is a great entry into the rougelite genre that’s easy to recommend for a few hours of fun and there is a decent replay value due to it having solid foundation. However, it may not hold your interest in the long term, mainly because its progression system isn’t as extensive as other titles in the genre. This might be disappointing for dedicated fans looking for a new obsession.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fan-fame mechanic. | The screen can become visually cluttered. |
| Projectile-based gameplay. | Lacking long-term fun. |
| Decent replayability value. | Dissapointing mini-games. |
| Cute graphics. |
Review copy provided by the publisher
