Top-Down Roguelike “Guidus Zero” Debuts in Early Access

Steam’s Early Access has a fresh new title that’s catching attention: Guidus Zero, a captivating top-down dungeon-crawling roguelike from the indie minds at South Korea’s Izzle.

Set in a world scarred by a seemingly endless war with no decisive winner, the narrative begins in a now-neutral central continent. This peace, however, is disrupted by the emergence of The Scar, a colossal sinkhole spewing forth a mysterious substance known as Black Blood. This eerie phenomenon brings with it a host of corrupted creatures. Neither the origin of The Scar nor the source of Black Blood is known, nor what lies in its darkest depths. That’s where you step in.

As a player, you venture into the abyss of The Scar alongside a diverse set of characters, each facing the onslaught of Black Blood’s effects. The game presents multiple playable characters, each boasting unique strengths and combat abilities. You’ll engage in real-time action combat that mixes things up a bit—you and foes navigate a grid-like environment, restricted to moves in the four cardinal directions.

Combat mechanics keep you on your toes. Watch for the telltale exclamation marks signaling an enemy’s impending attack and note the grid spaces where these strikes will land. Different foes have varied attack styles—some target directly ahead, others unleash attacks across long lines, and some deploy area-of-effect maneuvers. You’ll often find yourself battling several adversaries at once, challenging your agility and strategic thinking to deftly dodge their blows.

Your movement can include a roll, granting temporary invincibility—a handy trick that, however, depletes your stamina with each use. Since diagonal moves are off the table, choosing your path and rolling sparingly is crucial to avoid being cornered by unavoidable attacks.

Dodging isn’t where your combat considerations end; you need to effectively whittle down your enemies too. Your tactics will vary based on your selected character. Pre-run, you’ll select a character and assign a starting trait. In true RPG style, defeating enemies nets you experience points for leveling up.

Every level gained opens up new skill upgrade paths, tailored to your initial choice, essentially steering the nature of that playthrough. This means even when replaying the same character, the run’s dynamics shift with different initial traits and enhancements. The catch is, all levels and upgrades vanish upon death, requiring fresh starts.

However, not everything disappears with each run. You’ll be smashing ore veins to gather stones with distinct stats. These stones collectively boost your character when key thresholds are met. By equipping these stones in designated slots, you ensure some benefits carry over to the next adventure. Unwieldy stones revert into fragments upon run completion, which an NPC blacksmith can reforge or use as currency.

Special rooms with treasure chests waiting during runs catch your attention with artifacts that ramp up your powers, introducing intriguing buffs and elemental effects. Upon reaching five stacks, artifacts link to a corresponding spirit, unlocking unique attacks and benefits.

For instance, bonding with Ignis, the fire spirit, lays a steady burn debuff on foes. Atlen, the water spirit, drags enemies to a halt and freezes those with a wet residue. The lightning spirit Rathorus inflicts a shocking addition for extra pain. Enryl, the wind spirit, makes you nimble and your strikes more frequent with a sprint boost. Terrania, the earth spirit, strategically petrifies, shattering foes for extra fragments.

The result is a roguelike brimming with that irresistible “one more run” allure. The stones you collect ensure steady growth, while varied choices in characters, traits, and abilities keep each run fresh and exciting. If you’re curious to put Guidus Zero through its paces, it’s up for grabs on Steam in Early Access.

To sweeten the deal, they’re marking their launch with a 10% discount available until December 9. While the team behind Guidus Zero is contemplating future releases for Xbox and Nintendo Switch, there’s no official word on a console debut just yet.