Become the Moon is a single-player deck-building auto-battler with roguelike elements, where you construct decks of minions, spells, and relics to battle enemies in automated turn-based combat. The game’s core loop involves drafting cards after each victory, optimizing board placement, and adapting strategies to overcome a gauntlet of foes. It draws clear inspiration from Hearthstone.

There are over 140 cards to experiment with

Fun fact, there are over 140 cards to collect for your deck, alongside multiple synergies like flying, exhaust, battle-focused spells, and one-time effects. On the other hand, relics provide passive buffs, such as giving flying units a bonus when they attack. The goal is to create powerful combos and reach the final boss. I’ve been experimenting a lot with flying cards; they have a 33% chance to dodge attacks and create interesting combos with quick attack cards, which allow an adjacent card to attack instantly.

However, the biggest problem is the high randomization of cards. You’re forced to take cards for your deck because skipping them costs health (only the first skip is free). This means you sometimes have to take cards or spells you don’t want or need. This system does balance the gameplay, meaning you can’t just pick cards randomly; you definitely need to think through your choices. Once you defeat all the cards on the board, the enemy hero takes damage from your remaining cards. If that doesn’t defeat them, your hero then battles the enemy hero directly, which can also deal significant damage.

As mentioned, combat is automated, with minions attacking from left to right and targeting random enemies on the opponent’s board. I found this sadly too chaotic; you’re never able to pinpoint what will happen. While this unpredictability can be a good thing, the random targeting also somewhat ruins the fun, as it introduces too much luck and prevents a truly prepared strategy.

“The goal is to create powerful combos and reach the final boss.”

Deck-building is solid, drawing inspiration from Hearthstone

Become the Moon offers 10 character classes, each with unique starting cards and bonuses, adding variety to playstyles. You’ll need to unlock these classes by defeating them within the game. There’s definitely a lot of content to explore; it takes several hours to fully grasp the cards, but once you do, you’ll see how fun it is. The cards themselves are well-designed; some are balanced, while others less so, which is common.

Your strategy typically involves placing and swapping minions before battles, and using spells, but the auto-battler format does reduce micromanagement In other words, analyzing the enemy’s board allows for certains adjustments, such as placing a high-health “taunt” minion to absorb attacks. Mechanics like shields (blocking one attack), taunt (forcing enemy focus), and deathrattle (effects upon death) mirror Hearthstone.

I particularly enjoyed consistently buffing minions on the field using multipliers and bonuses for health and damage. You can also pick spectral cards that persist throughout the game and can be used once, such as to gain extra mana or draw more cards. The game provides fun ways to tackle different challenges. While not revolutionary, it’s engaging and keeps you hooked.

“Your strategy typically involves placing and swapping minions before battles.”

Fans of the genre should definitely pick this one up

The roguelike features aren’t very evident in this game. My biggest issue is that enemies are predetermined; you can’t choose who you fight, which is a significant drawback. Every stage presents similar enemies with the same cards, and the “bosses” are no different. While fighting the same bosses might be understandable, having identical regular enemies truly harms the game’s replayability.

The graphics in Become the Moon feature a 2D cartoonish dark fantasy style with various colors and charming character designs. Minions are expressive, with detailed card art that adds to their personality, and smooth, visually appealing battle animations add flair to the auto-battler format. While the visuals prioritize readability over spectacle and aren’t groundbreaking, they’re engaging, though some card designs feel repetitive, slightly limiting variety.

In the end, Become the Moon is a solid deck-building game. It won’t waste your time, especially with its speed-up option, and the best part is undoubtedly the card-drafting phase. If you’re wondering whether it’s good, don’t hesitate; it’s a decent and well-crafted title, clearly made by developers familiar with similar games. While replayability might be a bit questionable, the numerous heroes available do help extend its life. If you’re already a fan of the genre, this one should definitely be in your library.

“You’ll face a variety of enemies: they start weak, but quickly become more deadly.”

Review copy provided by the publisher

4

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Aloft – Build Your Own Flying Island in the Sky

Release Date: January 15, 2025

Platforms: PC

Genre: Survival

Aloft is a cozy survival game set in the clouds, where you can transform any island into a flying ship. You can explore the skies, discover new islands, and build your dream home, either solo or with up to seven friends. Face a spreading corruption caused by fungi, which threatens the balance of nature. To stop it, you must defeat mushroom creatures in combat and craft antidotes to restore harmony.

Beyond fighting corruption, you can plant crops, raise animals, and automate production using windmills and cables. With its focus on creativity, Aloft is perfect for peaceful exploration or group adventures. Plus, you can share your custom island designs with the community, adding a collaborative element to the game.

Magicbook AutoBattler – Strategic Fantasy Adventure

Release Date: January 14, 2025

Platforms: PC

Genre: Auto-battler

Magicbook AutoBattler is a roguelite strategy game that puts a unique spin on the auto-battler genre. You must make smart decisions, managing limited resources to form the strongest possible team and face increasingly difficult battles. As you progress, you’ll collect weapons and equipment, each with specific attributes and bonuses. Combine these to create powerful synergies between team members, such as a warrior alliance or a shadowy guild of thieves.

The ultimate challenge lies in the Tower of Endlessness, where adventurers must face powerful bosses for epic rewards. With its engaging mix of strategy and customization, Magicbook AutoBattler is a must-play for fans of tactical games.

The Roottrees Are Dead – Solve a Family Mystery in the ’90s

Release Date: January 15, 2025

Platforms: PC

Genre: Puzzle / Mystery

Set in 1998, The Roottrees Are Dead challenges you to piece together a family tree after a wealthy family dies in a plane crash. Thanks to their great-great-grandfather’s unusual will, the family fortune must be distributed to true blood relatives. It’s up to you, armed with a dial-up modem and a knack for detective work, to uncover who qualifies.

The gameplay involves gathering evidence from photos, articles, and books, then making connections to fill in the family tree. As you progress, the clues become more obscure, making each deduction even more satisfying. Originally released as a free browser game during Global Game Jam 2023, this enhanced Steam version includes hand-drawn illustrations, a 3D interface, remastered audio, and new puzzles.

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The game’s Lead Designer and Producer, Łukasz Janczuk, gave us a closer look at what to expect. He shared details about the game’s features, how it aims to challenge your strategic thinking, and, most importantly, when you’ll be able to play it. A new playtest is launching soon, just ahead of the Steam Next Fest in February, where the demo will officially debut.

In the meantime, don’t forget to wishlist Whims of the Gods on Steam to stay updated!

Could you share a bit about yourself, your role, the size of the current team working on the game, and how long it has been in development?

Hi, my name is Łukasz Jańczuk, and I’m the Lead Designer and Producer for Whims of the Gods. The game has been in development for almost three years. We are a small studio, and the size of the team changed over time, but overall, almost 20 people worked on the game.

What can we expect from The Whims of the Gods in terms of city-building mechanics? Will it feature all well-known elements?

The game is a nice mix of well-known city-builder mechanics with some nice twists added to make it interesting for genre veterans. The inclusion of co-op itself already creates a lot of problems and challenges for the player, so we decided that more familiar mechanics would work best. 

I believe the game’s primary attraction is its co-op multiplayer feature. What motivated you to include it, and could you provide a brief overview of how it will function?

There are very few city builders that offer co-op experience. And even in those games players build separate cities and cooperation is offered e.g. with resources exchange. We want to change it. In The Whims of the Gods, there is ONE city. Both players build it. So it is no longer: “You have too much wood. Can you share it with me?”. Now it’s more like: “We need more wood. Can you build a road here so we can transport resources faster from the forest? I’m cleaning right now”.

There are 3 key decisions players will have to make during the game that will define their responsibilities in city development. Those decisions create asymmetrical cooperation in our game. The players have the same goal – to create a strong prospering city. However, they will have different tools to do this. E.g. the first decision between plant farming and animal husbandry. If you pick plants you will get access to buildings, resources, and technology trees that will allow you to farm and process plant products. You still however need to cooperate with the second player that is taking care of animals so you can both succeed.

Religion plays a significant role in the game. How do deities and blessings affect city development and player strategies?

We designed this system as a means of exchange. There are often scenarios where a player lacks certain resources or needs to obtain something quickly. In many games, merchants or traders are implemented to assist players in such situations. However, this wasn’t an option for us, so we opted to use Gods as the answer. Players can engage in rituals and make offerings to receive something in exchange. Each God provides unique rewards but will demand different types of offerings in return. One might require food as an offering, while another might demand a human sacrifice. It’s up to the player to decide whether they are willing to pay the price.

The game features a mystical calendar that shapes upcoming events. How dynamic are these events, and can players significantly influence their outcomes?

The calendar will tell the players what problems are coming. Don’t look at them as story events. Those events are designed to offer some interesting challenges, e.g. there is an event that will make city residents refuse meat-based meals. This means that suddenly for the duration of the event all the work to ensure city survival is on the player taking care of plants. Because players know what’s coming they can start stockpiling plant-based food. Maybe even by stopping residents from eating plant-based food before the event to stockpile it faster.

How many buildings will there be in the game and what can you tell us about the technology in the game?

There are around 70 buildings in the game. You will get access to them through 6 technology trees. During one co-op game, each player will have access to 3 of those tech trees. Which are accessible for you depends on key decisions I mentioned earlier.

The auto-battler combat module is an unusual choice for a city-builder. What led to its inclusion, and how does it tie into the overall experience?

Introducing military conflict has always been a challenge in city-building games. On one side, the military is a significant part of the economy, and in both historical and fantasy contexts, cities are often vulnerable to military attacks. On the other side, city-building enthusiasts tend to dislike time-sensitive elements like RTS-style battles in their games. We believe that threats and conflicts are essential to adding engaging challenges to our game.

In auto-battlers, players make all the critical strategic choices before the battle begins. We wanted to incorporate this idea. The city is responsible for producing and maintaining units. Players analyze incoming threats and determine which units to deploy. All strategic planning is seamlessly integrated into the natural flow of city-building gameplay. The combat itself is brief, automated, and quickly reveals whether your preparations were sufficient or not.

The game looks beautiful, how did you choose the aesthetic style and what are the cultural influences, considering it’s clearly inspired by the Maya civilization?

This is a fantasy concept focused on the growth of a civilization, with visuals drawing inspiration from Mesoamerican art.

Considering the central theme of the game, which revolves around the unpredictable nature of the gods, we determined that the Mesoamerican cultural sphere aligns perfectly with our vision. These were societies that paid extraordinary tribute to their deities, featuring monumental sacred structures, innovative architectural designs, and intricate decorative patterns.

It’s a culture of striking contrasts, blending visually captivating, richly adorned, and colorful designs with fearsome representations of gods and their sacred or societal rituals. This provides a wide range of creative possibilities, from building modest straw-and-clay dwellings in the early stages to constructing grandiose temples.

The Whims of the Gods  is not a historical simulation. While the Aztec and Mayan cultures serve as an inspiration, their architectural styles and artistic elements are merely a foundation for unrestricted artistic interpretation. As the civilization evolves, we introduce additional elements that reflect the growing sophistication of the island society. In later stages, players will encounter mechanical, steampunk, and even science-fiction influences.

Can you share more about the volcano and other natural disasters? How do they influence gameplay and player decisions?

Volcano is your ultimate test in the game. The explosion is a constant threat to the city. You will have to find a way to deal with this threat. One way is to try to delay the volcano. To do this you can sacrifice resources in the temple. To have something to sacrifice you need a strong economy in your city. However, this is not a permanent solution and you will have to find one to win the game.

What’s your favorite part of the game, and why?

I love to optimize so I include options to do this in the game. Adding roads to make workers move faster. Building quality houses to get some more boost to the mood. Produce better food to better satisfy the appetites. All those little things that make the city work better.

How did the first playtesting go? Did you get any valuable feedback?

 We received fantastic feedback from the playtest! Players enjoyed the experience, which confirms that we’re heading in the right direction with our concepts. However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement based on their input. This includes enhancing the UI and adding more quality-of-life features, creating additional tutorials to clarify concepts that weren’t well explained, making adjustments to balance, and, naturally, addressing the many bugs that were reported.

Considering the studio is in Poland, what is your opinion on the gaming industry there?

The industry in Poland is pretty huge. We have some big studios and probably a hundred smaller ones. Thanks to this there is a nice pool of professionals we can work with. At the same time last year was rather harsh. The competition is huge. Some projects didn’t manage to get good sales. So we also suffered layoffs. It’s not easy right now but I’m looking forward to next year.

What has your experience been with Gamescom and PAX East? Was there anything that particularly stood out to you, and would you recommend attending these events? 

Both events are global in scope, reaching gamers from all around the world. This extends to digital platforms as well, as they showcase new trailers, are featured on Steam, and attract the attention of media outlets worldwide. In both cases, our presence at these events was reflected in the number of Steam wishlists. However, the most important aspect of Gamescom and PAX is the opportunity to interact with the many people who visit our booth and receive a wealth of positive feedback and constructive criticism. After all, it’s for you, dear players, that we are creating The Whims of the Gods.

What can we expect from you in 2025? Will the game be released this year, and on which platforms will it be available?

We have big plans for 2025. There will be a demo available for everyone during Steam Next Fest. We want to do some more playtests. And yes, we are also planning the release for this year. I can’t give you an exact date at the moment but it will be this year for sure.

Croatian translation coming soon!

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The Swamp update introduced a new fusion element combining Nature and Water, along with over 10 upgrades, Cosmions powered by this muddy energy, and changes to the Haste and Clumsy buffs. The new update builds on this by adding over 20 quality-of-life improvements, including a single-player mode, enhanced user experience, and new content for Steam Community features.

One of the most exciting additions is the singleplayer mode, which offers predefined elemental challenges. Players can face a series of runs against elemental-themed builds, practicing strategies and tackling curated challenges without affecting their Elo rank. The challenges come in normal and hard modes, catering to both new players and seasoned Duelists. Completing these challenges rewards players with trophies that can be displayed next to their player card.

The update also introduces several gameplay enhancements. Cosmions have been balanced for smoother gameplay, a fourth upgrade slot is now available, and the tutorial has been improved to explain overtime mechanics and onboarding. New tooltips make stats, evolutions, and fusions easier to understand, while live stat calculations during gameplay help players plan strategies more effectively.

NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters is available on PC via Steam.

The post NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters Gets Its Biggest Update Yet first appeared on IndieGames.

Unlike traditional auto-battlers, Seer’s Gambit gives you the chance to impact battles with character positioning and ultimate abilities. Each hero brings a unique power that can turn the tide of a fight if activated at the right moment. Success in the game relies on smart positioning and using these abilities wisely, making player decisions just as important as team composition.

Exploration is a big part of Seer’s Gambit. You venture through Emalon, unlocking new heroes and upgrades to strengthen your teams. Upgrades are earned by gaining resources on the battlefield, allowing you to customize your party with powerful buffs and team-wide abilities. Every upgrade and hero selection can influence future battles, rewarding those who build a balanced, synergistic team.

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Become the Moon invites players to embark on a roguelike journey beyond the stratosphere. To reach new heights, you must face enemies in chaotic auto battles, where strategy is key. The gameplay involves placing, reshuffling, and removing minions while casting battle spells to counter unique enemy tactics. As you progress, you will collect powerful relics that enhance your deck and create a variety of synergies to propel them toward victory.

Each run in Become the Moon is different, ensuring endless replayability. Every attempt offers new opportunities to create powerful combinations and overcome different challenges. The game’s original demo, available on itch.io and gx.games, garnered over 300,000 player runs before its expanded version was released on Steam.

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NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters offers a fresh twist on the inventory management, auto-battler, and monster-collecting genres. While it bears similarities to Backpack Battles, NeoDuel introduces unique mechanics, such as using Essence and Cosmions to power up your creatures and create complex synergies. It’s a multiplayer game with daily, weekly, and global leaderboards, which adds a competitive edge.

Core Gameplay

At the heart of NeoDuel is managing and upgrading Cosmions (creatures) in your backpack-like inventory. You use Essence to evolve these creatures, and managing the limited space in your bag while creating synergies between your creatures is key to success. This mechanic is engaging and allows plenty of room for experimenting with different strategies and builds.

The game is built around PvP tournaments where you face off against opponents over several rounds. Each round gives you a set amount of money to spend on items in the shop, which offers a random selection of Cosmions, energies, and inventory spaces. You can reroll the shop for a small fee or lock items you want to keep for the next round. However, I never quite felt like I was really playing against another player, as the matchmaking system wasn’t clear, and I didn’t understand how my opponents were being selected.

As an auto-battler, once you set up your team, the battles play out automatically. You can hover over your Cosmions to see their abilities, but you don’t have much control during the fight, so your success relies heavily on pre-battle strategy. You get five lives per tournament, allowing for a few mistakes, but do keep in mind you’ll be losing a lot until you eventually find a strategy that works for you.

Game Balance and Mechanics

The Cosmions you collect fall into various elemental categories like fire, water, and electricity. Rarer Cosmions tend to be stronger and have more powerful abilities. Many Cosmions come with attack stats and abilities like burn or poison, or even healing and shielding. You also need to consider how Essences and status effects play into your strategy. For example, deciding whether to focus on healing or inflicting burn damage can make a big difference in battle.

Unfortunately, the game’s balance still needs work. The link system, which is crucial for activating buffs and bonuses, is unclear, and it’s hard to tell if you’re getting the most out of your Cosmions. Even after many hours of play, I found myself wondering whether it was better to focus on creatures of the same element or mix and match for broader bonuses. The game allows you to choose up to three special perks as you progress, but it never fully explains how to optimize these for the best results.

Some parts of the game feel underdeveloped. For example, switching bags is frustrating — you have to remove all the items first, which makes adjusting your setup during matches unnecessarily tedious. Picking up and rotating items in the limited storage space also feels clunky, often requiring multiple attempts to place things where you want.

One of NeoDuel’s strengths is its fast-paced gameplay. Each tournament run feels fresh because of the randomized shop and different strategies you can employ. The game doesn’t carry over anything from run to run, so each time you start, it’s a clean slate, encouraging you to experiment and refine your tactics.

The art style is another highlight. The creatures are well-designed, and the game’s colorful aesthetic is charming, appealing even to players who might not normally be drawn to cute designs. However, the game sorely lacks animations during battles. Watching the action unfold feels static, and adding more visual effects, like attacks or spells, would make the experience far more engaging.

Final Verdict

There are so many fascinating things you can do in this game. What really hooked me was the incredible amount of experimentation it offers. I challenged myself to boost my character’s shield to 500 and kept stacking it higher. I also aimed to achieve 100 healing every two seconds. It’s exciting how the game lets you use multiple same creatures, and right now, my goal is to fill the entire board with only legendary ones.

That said, NeoDuel is a promising game with plenty of potential. The developers are actively working on free updates, including new synergies and creatures, which shows they’re committed to improving the experience. If you enjoyed Backpack Battles and are looking for more in the same style, NeoDuel is worth trying. But if you’re expecting a polished experience right from the start, you may want to wait until the game receives further updates and refinements.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.2

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Seer's Gambit is visually reminiscent of old 8 and 16-bit top-down RPGs, like Chrono Trigger or modern titles like Sea of Stars. A large world awaits you to explore and upgrade it, while character and class development is delivered in a compelling twist. Namely, you discover a mechanic called “premonitions” that suggests the best upgrades for success in upcoming battles.

We also played the demo and the overall impression is that the game is truly of high quality. Each character has a speed stat that determines attack order. Enemies can target frontline or backline characters, depending on their abilities. You can use character skills automatically or manually, and speeding up the game makes it more accessible for those with limited playing time.

Seer's Gambit will be available for PC via Steam sometime this year.

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It's not often that a game gets funded in just eight hours, but that's exactly what Chimera Entertainment did. Not long after, they announced three new targets for each percentage point above the original price. The first €40,000 goal brings new Skirmish heroes, or generals, to fight in PvPvE modes, each with their own unique fate cards and playstyles. The second goal of €60,000 includes an animated introduction and epilogue, or rather a fully animated cinematic story that explains the events leading up to the story. The third goal of €75,000 brings two new game difficulties; Story for a less challenging, narrative experience and Warmaster for those who want more challenging challenges.

Songs of Silence is a strategy game rich in story, it takes place in two different fantasy worlds threatened by the so-called Silence. The game combines kingdom management, exploration, hero development and dynamic real-time battles. In addition, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful orchestral soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto, the famous composer for Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII.

If you want to support Songs of Silence, you can do it by clicking here.

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The announcement of the Kickstarter campaign and release date for Songs of Silence was accompanied by a new trailer introducing the Ehrengard faction and its leader, Queen Lorelai. The trailer also offers a more detailed look at the combat units available to mentioned faction, as well as some background information about the game's fantasy world.

Songs of Silence is a strategy game rich in story, it takes place in two different fantasy worlds threatened by the so-called Silence. The game combines kingdom management, exploration, hero development and dynamic real-time battles. In addition, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful orchestral soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto, the famous composer for Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII.

Songs of Silence Kickstarter campaign will begin on March 26th, the same day the updated demo is released, while the early access version of the game will be available on Steam on May 23rd. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S releases are also planned for this year.

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