I play a lot of exciting new roguelikes as part of this job, but one that particularly caught my attention when I first tried its early access launch almost a year ago is Below the Stone. A mix of Deep Rock Galactic’s cave-delving mining and extraction gameplay with inventory, combat, and gearing reminiscent of Terraria, this dwarf game won my heart on day one. Developer Strollart has been busy working on its next major update, which I got a chance to try out exclusively ahead of its release, and now it’s finally here, bringing big upgrades as the team continues to build towards a full release.
If you’re new to Below the Stone, it’s conceptually somewhat similar to the format of Deep Rock Galactic – delve through caves to find materials while fighting off dangerous creatures, then call in your drill ship to extract you to safety. In this roguelike game, however, you’re working through increasingly dangerous biomes in a Spelunky-like fashion, and the perspective is a top-down one akin to The Binding of Isaac or, perhaps more fittingly given your ability to mine through the very walls in search of treasure or trouble, Crypt of the Necrodancer.
Despite the difference in perspective, the feel of gameplay actually reminds me most of Terraria, from the way gear sets work to the general pacing and flow of both mining and combat. Things can get pretty challenging if you push beyond your limits, too. Die down in the caves without fulfilling at least one of your chosen missions and safely extracting, and you’ll not only lose the items gathered that run, but also the equipment you took down with you in the first place.
The much-anticipated Below the Stone Caves Awaken Part Two update has finally arrived, and it certainly feels like a plentiful overhaul from my early time with it. The first thing you’ll notice is a fresh look for the town, with a new layout that lets you build custom homes for the various NPCs you’ll enlist. This comes into play quickly with new story-driven missions focused around rebuilding the kingdom into a fully functional mining empire.
Some of these missions are ones you’ll pick up from the town administrator, such as attempting to uncover a missing drill pod and begin the process of repairing it. Others you’ll just see on your map as potential encounters out in the world. The first of these latter objectives is rescuing the local Alchemist, who will obviously be a worthwhile addition to your support crew.
Saving them, however, will require venturing deep into more dangerous territory – skeletons and slimes are just the start, with even more unusual and nefarious threats presenting themselves as you near the Alchemist’s location. You’ll also encounter other additions such as doors, pressure plates, trapped chests, and potentially deadly boulders. Fortunately, with new early-game items at your disposal and improved crafting systems too, you should be able to best equip yourself to take on the challenges ahead.
Get deeper in and you’ll begin to discover some all-new biomes to explore, alongside even more intimidating dungeons. There are some other welcome quality of life features, however, including a rework to combat that introduces dashes and a stamina system, and an NPC that can jump you straight into the second layer from the start of a run if you’re already geared up for a deeper dive.
Strollart is launching the Caves Awaken Part Two update for Below the Stone today, Wednesday October 16. The full game is priced at $19.99 / £15.99, but you can try a free demo first to see what you think. To find out more, simply head to the store page on Steam.
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