Blightstone Review: Charming Rougelike Strategy Feels Retro In The Right Kind Of Way

There’s a lot of potential in Blightstone, a barebones approach to a Rougelike take on the turn-based strategy/RPG that has enough charming and creative elements to keep your attention. Unfinished Pixel’s take on the style of strategy game popularized by titles like Into the Breach, Slay the Spire, and Inbound offers an easy-to-pick-up approach to turn-based fantasy adventures. Each attempt in this Rougelike feels like a mini-campaign for the combat-focused RPG players out there, controlling a small band of heroes as they risk their lives to face off with endless hordes of monsters.

At its best, Blightstone feels like stepping into a short single-player D&D campaign by way of a fusion between XCOM and the early Final Fantasy games. There’s a barebones aspect to it all, though, by nature of the Rougelike genre. As such, the limited elements of the execution can quickly cause a sense of repetition in the basic aspects of this standard fantasy adventure. The underlying gameplay and the charming aspects of the presentation elevate it, however, ensuring strategy and fantasy fans stay invested in the simple but engaging adventure. Still in early access, Blightstone has a lot of potential to grow into something special, even if it’s not quite there yet.

Adventure, Ho!

Set in a fantasy world where a mysterious Blight is transforming the populace into ravenous killers, a group of adventurers ventures into the wilds to confront the danger. The cast is very broad, more archetypes than characters. However, this lends itself to a simplified retro approach that isn’t without its charms. The four characters have certain ways of speaking, specific equipment to find, and differing playstyles. The straightforward gameplay is streamlined and easy to learn, but with a few complications adding to the flexibility of combat. It’s all about positioning and line of sight in the turn-based battles. While they can become a little repetitive in their nature (a common challenge for Rogue-likes in general), the passage of time in-universe, environmental changes, and unexpected turns (like an early mission where enemies creep out of a foggy map) lend the game a nice sense of pacing. There’s also an inherent sense of suspense afforded to the Earthglass crystal, an artifact on the battlefield under the player’s protection that can use some abilities but must also be protected at all costs. Losing it will doom the party (and end the run)_

Another element that helps it stand out is the way it uses resource management. After a few events in a run, players will be given the chance to rest for the night. This opens up a handful of options for healing and status buffs. It’s also where players have to lower the risk of the Blight spreading deeper into the player character. These management elements add a greater sense of scope to the world and deepen the strategy, as any character killed or corrupted during the adventure is gone until the next run. It’s fairly straightforward and well-designed, but Blightstone does run into a certain level of samey combat after a point. Fans of this type of map-oriented, deliberately paced strategy will find plenty to enjoy about gameplay, but players looking for more intense action might want to look elsewhere.

Not Quite A Storybook Success, But Charming Nonetheless

There’s a certain charm to the fairly static but artistically clear-designed aesthetic in Blightstone. Character movement is limited, and most of the personality that comes from the characters’ mid-game stems from small dialogue bursts or noises made by the characters. The look is grounded enough to be charming despite this lack of clear movement, feeling like a storybook illustration moving along the page. While it’s not the most in-depth or fluid presentation, there’s a good sense of charm to Blightstone that is reflective of the light Dungeons & Dragons-style fantasy adventure each run feels like.

With its distinct band of adventurers, each with clear class archetypes, each adventure can feel like an excuse to play along with a mini-campaign. The dangers posed by the Blight, especially with the corruption that can spread during the nights and if dark tidings happen in the dark, give it all a fun sense of scope that doesn’t feel out of place next to plenty of fantasy adventures. This is somewhat undercut by the visuals that quickly become repetitive, with several similar enemy types repeating on separate encounters. That storybook quality doesn’t necessarily translate to the more stunning graphics or overwhelming effects, but the underlying art style and music direction make for an easily compelling space.

Blightstone has a lot going for it, including a simple but strong gameplay mechanic that simplifies the XCOM-style mechanics while retaining a broadly charming exterior. Adding more depth and variety to the level design and enemy encounters would be a good way to broaden the experience, and there’s still time to add a bit more personality and animation to the standard movement and moment-to-moment gameplay. There’s the foundation for something strong in Blightstone, especially if it can expand those elements while retaining the solid gameplay and sense of charm. As it stands, it’s a good pick for strategy fans who are on the lookout for new adventures and a fun challenge.