"Basingstoke is a town in England, renowned for its charming mix of handcrafted and procedurally generated features," according to developer Puppygames. Now, I've been to the UK, and while Basingstoke is a real town located near London—a city whose twisting streets often feel procedurally generated—I'm not sure I believe the studio on this. That said, Basingstoke is also a top-down stealth roguelike set in an oddly adorable version of the town that happens to be overrun with aliens and monsters. Now you've got my attention, Puppygames.
You play as one of several unlockable characters, starting with a tourist armed with a selfie stick and working your way up to the likes of a thief and a locksmith. No matter who you play as, "sneaking, skullduggery, and ambush are your tactics," Puppygames says, and "violence is your last resort."
Your goal is simple: explore the city, both above and underground, in search of resources and tools you can use to fend off the hungry monsters roaming the streets and, presumably, escape the joint. If you get caught, the monsters will kill you in one hit. Luckily there are over 100 craftable items at your disposal.
Basingstoke's crafting system is a bit eclectic. "Lob a tasty sausage roll as a diversion, or poison a kebab for bait," the game's Steam page advises. "Sneak up and knock a monster out with a whack from a cricket bat, or slice them up with a chainsaw. Tranquilize them with a dart fired from a homemade blowpipe, or set them alight with a DIY flamethrower."
Basingstoke will release on April 27.
