If taming pocket monsters (and perhaps a few that won’t fit in your pocket) is your thing, then you’ve been well served over the years thanks to Pokémon and, more recently, Palworld.
However, there’s one genre crossover that I hadn’t seen before now, and that’s the fusion of creature collecting and survivors-like gameplay mechanics* that just landed in my inbox.
Enter Wildkeepers Rising: Echoes of the Guardians, a newly revealed bullet heaven turned monster tamer by Lioncode Games, the indie studio that previously gave us tactical roguelite Mech Armada.
Not only does the game boast monster taming and bullet heaven gameplay staples, it also features striking hand-drawn characters and enemies, with the game’s art “inspired by the great Akira Toriyama, Hayao Miyazaki, and Jim Henson.”
It looks good in motion so I’ve added the announcement trailer below for your viewing pleasure. The newly constructed Steam page for Wildkeepers Rising is also online, and while it doesn’t include release dates, it does confirm that the game will be an Early Access launch. Hit the link to see more screenshots and to wishlist as desired.
*I did have a look and of course, there are other games that do similar things to this one, it’s just this is the first to catch my eye. My digging into the matter also reminded me of Dicefolk, which has monster-taming and dice-rolling roguishness, if you’re interested.
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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!
