The next game on my list to play during the latest Steam Next Fest is none other than Emberward, a Tetris-themed tower defense game with roguelite elements. As a huge fan of the block-dropping classic, this one looked right up my alley.
And yes, Dear Reader, I’m delighted to inform you that Emberward is every bit as fun as I thought it was going to be. It’s rare that tetriminos make a game worse, but it turns out that they do go really well with roguelite gameplay systems and tower defense staples.
Emberward’s release date and demo
According to the game’s Steam page, and I see know reason not to take developer ReficGames at their word, Emberward is due to release at some point during Q2, 2024. If that’s too long to wait, there’s a demo you can play right now.
I’ve been playing the game today, and the first few missions made a strong impression on me. You’ve got a collection of tetriminos that you can drop in order to slow down a horde of enemies that are heading for your campfire. There’s also a deck in the corner of your screen where you can draw additional pieces from your collection.
As for the defense bit, you’ve got a budget of gold to spend on turrets. Positioning these turrets on walls and on your previously positioned tetriminos allows you to coordinate crossfire. Killing enemies earns you even more gold, which you can then spend on more turrets, even during each wave if you find you need the extra firepower.
Enemy pathfinding is demonstrated clearly via lines that shift as you drop new pieces, so it’s always clear where you’ll be sending the advancing mob. Each wave gets tougher, as you’d expect, until a boss pops up at the end. Clear that, and you’ll get a new tetrimino and, as it’s a roguelite, you’ll get to choose one of three new turrets to add to your arsenal.
As you’ve no doubt surmised by now, I’m pretty pleased with this particular demo. Emberward brings three different strands together and knits them into one mighty satisfying gameplay loop. I can’t wait for the final version of the game to drop.
