Review: DESPOT’S GAME strategically kills in style

I am in love with roguelike games. I find that the huge boom in this type of game allows for both great variety and strong creativity. Konfa Games’ Despot’s Game is a great example of the wonderful gameplay that can come from independent developers and the simple idea of ​​permanent death and procedural levels. Despot’s Game is a comical, clever and simple army-building strategy game where players make division choices that have heavy consequences no matter what you do.

First of all, Despot’s Game steps in and thoroughly enjoys the simple graphics. The cute sprites and detailed creations add immense levels of personality. From simple swordsman to epic bosses, the quality is always perfect for the retro look. The combination of dark and humid colors is entirely reasonable, but a few varied areas and a little more color in the level or character design would have gone a long way. I also wish some of the menus were a little clearer and explained what was going on, but the overall presentation is charming and effective enough to enjoy the game without major complaints.

The actual gameplay feels fresh and unique compared to the more well-known roguelike games. Simply put, players go through a series of increasingly difficult floors of a dungeon and encounter a series of rooms that have all sorts of surprises with their growing army of armed humans. Army building is a lot of fun and I like to focus on different types of weapons and see interesting synergies. The enemies are interesting and get progressively cooler. There are a number of casual encounters and event-like things that add fun and variety through the room-to-room routine, but after a couple of hours of gameplay, players have seen most of the extended procedural content.

After playing for a certain number of hours and reaching a couple of milestones, players can start racing with certain types of weapons, starting with unique circumstances. Being able to start with these different variables (weapons, buffs, conditions, etc.) adds a lot of replay value to the game and allows players to enjoy the games in the ways they want. Also, there is a very interesting Player VS Player aspect. Players will increase their army and move the game as usual, but will regularly fight other players’ armies. This is a fantastic way to see other players’ strategies and choices, which helped me learn a little more about how to approach future games.

Despot’s Game: The Dystopian Army Builder is great fun and players can get lost in casual, yet complex army building. I wish there was a little more explanation and help in the strategy either built into the beginning or available for research in the game. But if you like roguelikes, arcade games or strategy games, this game can easily earn a well deserved place in your game library.