by theygamesFancy a new roguelike game? They’re certainly not in short supply, but sometimes a newcomer makes you really stop in your tracks. So it is with Breachway. Boasting more than 150,000 wishlists after a successful Steam Next Fest demo, this space strategy game has just launched into early access. Featuring tactical combat reminiscent of FTL, a deckbuilding setup akin to Slay the Spire, and the piece-by-piece shipbuilding of No Man’s Sky, this intricate roguelike from Edgeflow Games is one to watch.
While it bears various similarities to and inspirations from the games mentioned above, Breachway lead designer Victor Rubinstein tells me that he wants to make sure his game feels distinct, and not just like “Slay the Spire in space.” From my time with it so far, it certainly does – this isn’t quite StS, but nor is it simply a card-driven FTL. It’s a smart evolution of some of the best roguelike games in recent years, and I’m excited to watch it grow and evolve over its early access journey.
Setting out across the galaxy in search of a mysterious signal, you’ll pick from a range of starting ships, further customizing them with weapons, defenses, and other modules. Each of these comes with a small selection of cards that determine your actions in combat, and you’ll need to carefully manage how you allocate your ship’s reactor power to use them effectively.
The three core resources – ordinance, energy, and mass – are used to play your cards, and while you can transfer points between them you risk overheating your ship’s hull to do so. You’ll also earn crew members that bring specific traits and equipment proficiencies, along with special abilities that you can pull out during key turning points in battle. Your standing with the various factions you’ll encounter also determines how they’ll react to you when you run into them, with hostile relations much more likely to guarantee a violent outcome.
At launch, Breachway includes four playable ships, each of which features distinct layouts and bonuses, as well as specific initial standings with its four factions. There are more than 300 cards, over 60 submodules, and six crew members to employ as you travel across two star systems filled with enemies, events, and encounters. While the launch offering is certainly robust, then, Edgeflow says the main focus throughout early access will be on adding more content.
“We want players to be able to experience a full run as soon as possible,” it explains. “That means traversing three sectors, gaining more powerful equipment and cards, encountering new events, and facing more challenging enemies.” It also has eyes on expanding item designs, introducing a crew leveling system, and expanding the universe and narrative motivations of each faction.
After initial hotfixes are out of the way, Edgeflow plans “a rhythm of smaller updates every few weeks” building to larger updates “every couple of months” that will introduce the likes of new ships, regions, enemies, crew members, missions, and more. It even teases that work is already underway on the next ship to arrive, which is “all about missiles and blowing enemy ships to (space) dust.”
Breachway is out now via Steam Early Access – there’s a 25% launch discount through Thursday October 10, so expect to pay $14.99 / £13.49 for your copy. Just head here to check it out for yourself.
If that’s not enough, there are even more of the best space games to take you on a trip across the stars – or test your tactical know-how with the best strategy games in 2024.
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