We’ve had some truly wonderful roguelikes this year that have taken the standard action or turn-based formula and turned it on its head. That has resulted in a genre that is now more inclusive, welcoming and overall appealing to gamers of all skills. With that in mind – and if you’re someone who loves claw machines but hates the fact they’re all probably rigged – enter Dungeon Clawler, a Roguelike Claw Machine Deckbuilder.
In Dungeon Clawler you take on the role of a bunny who lost his hand while gambling. That’s not a typo, nor is that a fever dream, that’s legitimately what the opening cut scene shows. Now equipped with a replacement claw, your main aim is to fight off the evildoer that took your hand. Aside from looking pretty cool, this new claw-based appendage opens up a whole world of game mechanics.
Your new claw means you can take on a huge array of monsters by picking up items from a claw machine. As well as different weapons and shields, essential for games turn-based battles, you can also find buffs, unique items like magnets – which make it easier to get a lot of metal items at once – and even things like water to allow fish to swim around.
Being a roguelike, you can also upgrade your items to make them stronger, but you can also change the material they’re made of to make unique interactions more likely. It’s a very cool system, and when you throw in the huge number of characters, each of which has different ways of using items and some with pets, you’ve got a very strong entry in the genre.
Despite its pretty steep learning curve, once you get to grips with its unique elements you’ll start uncovering the winning strategies and items that’ll help you reclaim your lost paw. It’s always nice to see more takes on roguelikes released, and Dungeon Clawler is an excellent addition that is still only in Early Access.
