It's been another record-breaking Ludum Dare, with 2,497 games made and submitted for the 29th run of the game-making competition. With so many new games now available to try, it'll take a while longer for the best to be found. Even so, some highlights are starting to surface, of which the turn-based, Thief-inspired Beneath The City is undoubtedly one.
Your task is to free your sister from the Hammer Watch prison located... Beneath The City. The location is taken from the gamejam's theme of 'beneath the surface', and is a great excuse for narrow sewers and store-rooms filled with guards to sneak past, and torches to douse.
Guards move one step at a time, simultaneously to you, across a grid-based level. More than most turn-based games, the 'skip turn' option becomes especially important. Finding a shadowy spot to sit and watch guard patterns is often essential if you're trying to slip past unseen.
In addition to your stealth prowess, each level offers a selection of inventory items. Water arrows fire at the nearest torch, and a dash move lets you squeeze out a critical extra move before a guard's next step.
It's a well designed concept, and one that looks particularly pretty given it's rapid design. You can play Beneath The City from the developer's website.
