“Eldritch” is a rougelike action game by Minor Key Games, steeped in Lovecraftian lore, and full of strange monsters and arcane secrets. “Eldritch” will be released on Oct. 21 for Windows PC.
Minor Key Games is an interdependent studio of just two people, the co-founders David and J. Kyle Pittman. They started the studio in 2013, after working on a number of AAA titles like “Borderlands” , “Borderlands 2”, “Bioshock 2″, and “The Bureau: XCOM Declassified”, to make the games they believed in. “Eldritch” is the first game from the small studio.
“Eldritch” has a distinctly low-fi look, but not at the expense of art direction. Muted and dark purples, pinks, and greens litter the first dungeon establishing a dark and eerie vibe, that was surprisingly unsettling. The next dungeon is a sandy tomb that would feel at home in an “Indiana Jones” movie, if it weren’t for the unkillable sand monsters and living statues, that only move when you look away.
The sound design is similarly excellent. The moans of the fishmen and the footsteps of the cultists in the first area can definitely creep you out if playing with headphones. Everything sounds how it should, and the appropriately sinister ambient noise really sets the tone.
What really matters though is the gameplay, and “Eldritch” plays great. It runs incredibly smoothly, and the controls feel great. Running and climbing feel fast and fluid, which gives you confidence in your ability to run away from the indescribable-pile-of-eyes that may be lurking just next to the floor exit. All the weapons feel effective, powerful, and useful, which makes choosing just which 2 you can carry feel tense. Choosing which to drop, your knife or the revolver that is quickly running out of bullets, for dynamite to blow out the floor in order to make your escape as you dodge traps and pitfalls is fantastically nerve wracking.
“Eldritch” is a rougelike game, which means that when your character dies, you lose everything. You can unlock shortcuts to deeper sections of the dungeon, which makes for a difficult choice once you come back for a second try. Do you go to the deeper more difficult floor unprepared, or do you start all the way from the beginning in order to stock up on supplies?
The version of “Eldritch” I played was Alpha 09-09 so there’s a lot that could change before it releases, but right now its very stable, and plays great. “Eldritch” will be released on Oct. 21 for Windows PC, and is currently available to preorder at www.eldritchgame.com, which will let you into the Beta on Sept. 26.
You can vote for it on Steam Greenlight here.
The fishmen of Floor 1 just outside the exit door.
Locked doors require keys, and sometimes the only weapon you have is a bottle.
