Evertried is a roguelike about making the first moves

The roguelike genre is becoming an increasingly crowded field, and here to toss one more title into this is the upcoming Evertried, a self-described “tactical roguelike” whose tiled-based combat immediately brings to mind the turn-based strategising of Into the Breach. It all sounds a bit mechanically dense at the moment, but the crux of Evertried is this: you technically control the flow of battle. After all, what you do, and how you move, dictates the attacks and flow of your enemies enemies as well.

There’re a few components to this jig: movement, attacks, passive modifiers and active skills. Making the right moves and attacks will increase your chances of survival and moving on towards the next level, and the more successive runs you complete, the higher your modifiers. It’s standard roguelike fare, and its mechanical depth is probably better experienced than described, but what I’m more curious about is the contrast of with the game’s supposedly tense battles with its presentation: a bright mish-mash of intricate, pastel-coloured pixels that envelop its fluid combat animations. Every fight is set across a flurry of dazzling tiles that you must smartly navigate, and alongside these battles is also a cast of mysterious characters you’ll meet along your journey, who will illuminate some insights into your lost memories. Apparently, all these struggles stem from your identity as an undead warrior, as you come to terms and reconnect with your once-turbulent past life.

How would all these tie into the game’s overarching tale? It’s hard to tell just yet, but with Evertried seeing a release in Fall sometime this year, we probably won’t have to wait too long to find out. There’s also a free demo available on Steam, too.