Goblinz Studio, an indie game developer and publishing studio, is releasing five games in the first half of 2020. These titles range from management to rogue-like to collectible card games, or a mix of all three. If you’ve ever dreamed of running your own ski resort or wondered what Dungeon Keeper would be like if it had a baby with Darkest Dungeon and Slay the Spire, be sure to check them out.
Card-based games
A Long Way Down is coming out in Early Access on January 16. This is a rogue-lite deck-building game where you need to assemble a party and descend into a dark maze. You’ll have plenty of choices as you traverse the labyrinth. You can spend time exploring the maze, or you can rush to confront the evil overlord as quickly as possible. You can upgrade your items and equipment, help or hinder fellow adventurers that you find, and more as you guide the protagonist, Sam, through the game.
Iris and the Giant is releasing in February. The developer, Louis Rigaud, calls it a fusion of the CCG, RPG, and roguelike genres. Players will take control of Iris, who confronts her fears in an adventure taking place entirely in her imagination. Expect plenty of melancholy and introspection as you uncover Iris’ memories and confront her anxieties.
Career of a Dungeon Master
Legend of Keepers is releasing in Early Access on March 26. If you’re a fan of Dungeon Keeper, keep an eye on this one. You’ll become part of the Dungeon Company (which provides top-tier management for dungeons, obviously), which tasks you with protecting the dungeon from troublesome heroes. You choose what monsters you hire, what traps you employ, and what class your Dungeon Master will hold. You can be a centaur who has powerful monsters, a Dryad with strong spells, or an Engineer who excels at traps. It seems promising, and a short alpha was released last year to very positive feedback.
Management Games
Snowtopia will arrive in Early Access in Q2 2020. The premise is simple: build a ski resort and make people happy. However, if you’ve played a management game before, you know that keeping visitors happy is easier said than done. You’ll need to place ski lifts, create tracks, and offer lodging for your visitors. It looks pretty relaxing, too, especially if you’re a fan of the color white.
As Far As The Eye is coming out in Q2 2020. This is a turn-based resource-management game where players take control of a mobile village. You need to guide the village towards the center of the world, called The Eye. However, it will be more difficult than the cute art style lets on. As you guide your tribe towards The Eye, you’ll encounter natural events, hard choices, and procedural situations. Also, there are skill trees for you to progress through.
Overall, Goblinz Studio’s upcoming sleuth of games offers a variety for a lot of different gamers. If you’re a fan of indie games, they might be worth checking out.
