We’re always up for another tactical RPG. Some of the best games feature this style of combat and character progression, from the alien invasion of XCOM 2 and superhero showdowns of Marvel’s Midnight Suns to the fantasy battles of the Fire Emblem series, Triangle Strategy, and Baldur’s Gate 3. A fresh spin on the genre is always welcome, too, which, going by its premise, seems to be the case for DeathTower, a new tactics game with a distinctive pixel art visual style that’s just launched a demo on Steam ahead of a Kickstarter campaign.
DeathTower is a tactics RPG game, but it’s also a roguelike that draws design inspiration from the genre in its story of a group of adventurers out to climb to the top of a mysterious giant tower. Protagonist Ikarus and his party have to both sneak and fight their way up this tower, using their surroundings to quietly move past enemies or employing weapons and powerful environmental hacks to fight them outright.
Ikarus starts out with a companion called Phi but can also unlock four other characters to join him, all of whom fight within a class system that provides its own skill types and upgrades. When a trip up the tower fails, Ikarus and his party are able to maintain the skills they’ve already gained for the next attempt. DeathTower also has a striking pixel art style and aesthetics inspired by the strange, cavernous architecture seen in a comic like Blame! or games like Echo, NaissanceE, or, more recently, Lorn’s Lure. While it may be a while until DeathTower launches, its demo lets interested players take its introductory area for a spin in the meantime.
DeathTower doesn’t have a launch date yet. You can check out its Steam demo, though, by heading right here. Its Kickstarter page is also live in advance of its funding campaign’s launch here.
Otherwise, you can find more to play while waiting for DeathTower in our picks for the top strategy games and roguelike games out on PC now.
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