Loop Hero launches in March, and there's a demo on Steam right now
The novel hybrid roguelike is also available to pre-order.
Loop Hero is a pixel-art roguelike but don't click away just yet—it's a unique one. Morgan was glowing in his early appraisal last month, describing it as a mash-up of "traditional roguelike, autobattler, deckbuilder and match-3 puzzle game." He added that it's "easily the coolest game to emerge in 2021 so far," which is not a negligible claim in a year that has already gifted us Wobbledogs.
The good news is that it's not far away: Loop Hero launches on Steam on March 4 for $15 (£12.49 / AU$20), and there's a playable demo right now. If you fancy that demo, it's available to pre-order, too
The way it plays is in the name. A hero from one of several classes moves automatically along a rail populated by the player. When enemies are slain you'll collect loot and "terrain cards" which let you shape the surrounding world in ways that influence the loop. While you won't be slaying foes yourself, you'll choose what the hero uses to get the job done. That's the game is a nutshell, but Morgan has more on the finer details.
Loop Hero is developed by Four Quarters, the studio responsible for Please, Don't Touch Anything. Tyler quite liked that game back in 2015, describing it as "an enjoyable little puzzle box full of cute, if not meaningful, surprises."
- Loop Hero tips: Get a hang of the loop
- Loop Hero classes: Which one should you choose?
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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.