2019-06-01_PC_Gamer

I

fyou’vefinishedthenew
Bard’s Tale, and you’re looking
for another old-fashioned
dungeon crawl, Arches should
scratch that itch, at least for a bit.
Made for this year’s 7-Day
Roguelike Challenge, it’s a turn-
based RPG where every level is
randomly shuffled, from the layout
to the many beasties lurking inside.
The most striking thing about it is
the card-themed artwork, which is
simple but stylish, bursting with
colour, and with handsome arches
waiting around nearly every bend.

Unlike RPGs that shower you with
loot, your sole piece of equipment
here is your trusty club. You can press
the space bar beside an enemy to
whack them on the noggin, with the
range depending on which end you’re
holding the weapon by. For some
reason, your character insists on
flipping the club after every attack –

thebluntenddealsmoredamage,but

only on the adjacent tile, while the

pointy end attacks more weakly, but

at a safer distance of two tiles away.

It’s a mechanic the game never

informs you about, but that adds a

welcome (if thin) layer of strategy to

the otherwise fairly basic dungeon

crawling. Combat was suddenly

manageable after I discovered this

system, as I could tactically position

myself, and my club, to better stand

a chance against the tougher enemies

on each floor.

With its merciless battles, its

no-frills exploration, and the lack of

variety in the level design (each floor

is pretty much the same), I was

warmly reminded of the days of

Wizardry and Dungeon Master. Like

those classics, it’s the explorationthat

makes Arches satisfying,

although you’ll likely tire

before fully mapping out

its attractive labyrinth.

65

arcH enemieS

Death is on the cards inarches. By Tom Sykes

DEvElOPEr

JonathonYule

PublishEr

In-house

link

jonathonyule.itch.io

NeedtoKNow

There’s a day-night cycle that

advances as you explore.

T

hepenismightierthanthe
swordinthissidescrolling
actiongame,whichhasyou
typing wordstobattleskeletons
and the like.It’sbasicallyThe
Typing of theDead,buttwo-
dimensionalandwithlessmeaty
enemies. However,itmightbe
slightly moreusefulifyou’rehoping
to improve yourtypingspeed.

The setup is simple–asolitary
knight roamsabeautifullyillustrated
fantasy land,wherethedeadhave
inconvenientlyrisenfromtheir
graves. To sendthempacking,you
have to repeattherandomwordsthat
pop up over theirheads,typingthem
out letter by letterwithyour
keyboard. Theenemiesandwords
come thick andfast,beforetoolong,
rewarding yourspeedytypingskills
with a) your continuedsurvival,and
b) with a higherscoreifyoucankeep
the combo going.

You’remostlybattlingswarmsof

braindeadskeletonshere,butthe

actionisoccasionallyinterruptedbya

challengingbossfight,orbypesky

batthingsthatzipacrossthescreen.

There’snoendpoint,soreallyit’sall

aboutthathighscore–abouttesting

thelimitsofyourtypingprowess.

TypeKnightispretty

accommodatinginthatregard,

thankstoitstrioofdifficultylevels,

andtheoptiontocustomiseits

massivedictionarytoyourliking.You

candisablewholerowsofthe

keyboardifyou’rehavingparticular

trouble,consultstatsincluding

words-per-minuteovertime,and

evenswitchtoFrenchifyou’drather

battlesomeNormanskeletons.

It’sararegamethatallowsyouto

walloptheundeadwhileworkingon

yourtypingskills.Evenif

you’reakeyboardmaster,

thispolishedactiongame

isworthaplay.

76

Blood type

Be a keyboard warrior intyPeKNight. By Tom Sykes

DEvElOPEr

chaikaDev

PublishEr

In-house

link

chaikadev.itch.io

NeedtoKNow

Thegamehasabigvocabulary.

BothinEnglishandenFrancais.

One notably missing feature

is uppercase letters.

Arches/TypeKnight

FrEE GaMEs rEviEW