It was just over a year ago that I played an early global playtest of 13Z: The Zodiac Trials, and those first impressions were positive as they revealed a DMC-inspired combat loop wit big combos and lots of juggling, all wrapped up in an interesting mythological setting.
The year that sits between then and now has given developer Mixed Realms plenty of time to build out its combat-focused third-person action-roguelite, and to that end, we’ve got an all-new demo to play right now over on Steam.
The new demo is an important milestone because it’s the first proper chance for us to see 13Z as it is intended to be played: in co-op.
While the update mentioned that there are treats for solo players, too, and even if everyone is going to benefit for improvements to the combat feel, Mixed Realms has also made no secret of its intention to bring players together for some cooperatively play.
Anyway, that’s a lot of words to say that the new iteration of 13Z’s demo introduces co-op for up to four players, privately or via matchmaking. More than 20 Jade Tree nodes have been added that focus on multiplayer, and there’s a new loot system whereby the luckiest member of the squad gets a reward.
There’s a trailer below, if you like a trailer, otherwise, head over to Steam and download the demo and wishlist the game.
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Still with us? Of course you are! If you want to keep reading about great hand-picked rogues, the following articles represent a huge collection of the best roguelike games ever made.
Next, there are genre-specific lists that delve into the best roguelike games of all types. I’ve pulled out the best examples from each category, alongside the links to more in-depth articles!
The best turn-based roguelikes: Caves of Qud | There are some seriously incredible turn-based roguelikes out there. Of all the modern games, these are the closest to the original Rogue.
Awesome first-person rogues: Gunfire Reborn | We almost went with Blue Prince for this spot, but most people checking out first-person rogues probably want to wield a gun, you know?!
Cool roguelike deckbuilders: Balatro | Sorry, Slay the Spire fans, but this poker-solitaire deckbuilder has stolen Mike’s heart and won’t give it back.
Exciting roguelike platformers: Spelunky | Now, don’t get us wrong, Dead Cells is an incredible game, especially with all the DLC switched on. But when it comes to impact, you just can’t beat Spelunky.
Amazing action-roguelites: Hades 2 | And finally, let’s wrap things up with our favourite of them all. There’s no beating the original Hades, although Hades 2 comes pretty close!
