by theygamesIf you’re looking for a game with tactical spaceship combat and massive galactic battles, the RTS genre is usually where you’d turn. But Starless Abyss aims to give you a similarly intense strategic experience, but in the form of a turn-based, deckbuilding roguelike. It delivers it with a cool, retro-Eldritch aesthetic too. If that sounds like a bit of you, then I’ve got great news for you – ahead of Steam Next Fest, Starless Abyss has just dropped its debut demo that you can download and play right now.
There are plenty of brilliant deckbuilding roguelike games around these days that love to push your skill, versatility, and occasionally luck to the limit. Many revolve around dark fantasy dungeon crawling. Increasing numbers are reimagining classic board and card games in the wake of Balatro’s success. But few venture into space – a surprise, given how rich a setting the galaxy is for so many other genres. Starless Abyss though is venturing into the endless expanse.
It tasks you with becoming a Proxima, the commander of a fleet of spaceships that are trying to rid space of hostile, Lovecraftian aliens. In turn-based encounters on hexagonal-tiled battlefields, you must assemble a powerful roster of ships that have enough firepower to take out these enemies, strong defenses to withstand their attacks, or enough maneuverability that you can avoid them altogether. Make sure you’re not too gung-ho with your weapons though – attacks generate heat on each ship, which could lead to overheating.
Each Proxima has different bonuses, limitations, and skillsets which may require certain playstyles, so make sure you’re always preparing each run with your specific Proxima in mind.
While picking the right spaceships, upgrading them, and repairing them in between battles is an important part of said preparations, your deck of cards is just as crucial. There are six ‘factions’ of cards, such as attack, defense, and tech, which can give you lethal weaponry, reduce incoming damage, and more. There are also incredibly powerful ritual cards which can turn the tide of a battle for you, but there will be a tradeoff or sacrifice elsewhere.
If you’re a big deckbuilder fan, this is certainly one to watch – and now, it’s one to try too.
The new Steam demo for Starless Abyss is live right now. It will let you play the first two acts of the game and put you in the shoes of two different Proximas. You can download it and learn more about the game here.
Alternatively, check out some of the best turn-based strategy games and best space games on PC right now.
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