We love a good roguelike here at PCGamesN. The infinite replayability, mechanical randomness that makes you think on your feet, and solid gameplay loops are all stalwarts of the genre, but some developers take time to make it all work. Balatro might've come out of the gate swinging this year, but contemporaries like Hades 2, Dead Cells, and Enter the Gungeon, are much slower burns. Steam Early Access is perfect for drip-feeding mechanics and listening to player feedback, and this is no more true for Tales and Tactics. Inspired by Slay the Spire and Teamfight Tactics, this early access game is finally, after a long 12 months, coming out in full.
Here's the deal. Tales and Tactics is a roguelike auto battler cocktail: you mix one part randomized soldiers and upgrades, and one part chess-like strategy. Then, you've got a sprinkling of over 100 unique units, items, characters with special abilities, and plenty of enemies to bash. It also comes from Table 9 Studio, the team behind Slay the Spire's incredibly popular Downfall mod (we're talking 97% positive from 3,500 reviews) so you know there's pedigree here.
To get started in Tales and Tactics you draft some fantasy creatures and equip them with randomized roguelike game gear that you can unlock across your run. Then you place them on the field, and use the enemy's position and your own knowledge to your advantage, before watching the fight unfold in real-time. Much like Inscryption, you also need to pick a path in Tales and Tactics, with different rewards, challenges, and battles in each. You're heading for the Grand Tournament, and there are plenty of ways to get there.
There are three unit types to choose between: close-range skirmishers, long-range magicians, and tanky vanguards. So on top of figuring out what gear best suits each unit type, you also need to consider where your enemies are, and where best to position them to keep them alive.
So if you love the randomness of a good roguelike but find the fast finger challenge of Hades, unrelenting punishment of Darkest Dungeon, and bullet hell of Returnal to all be a bit too much, Tales and Tactics offers up something simpler. Here, it's all about strategic planning, and while you still have the random roguelike elements we know and love, you don't need an itchy trigger finger to succeed.
The full Tales and Tactics launch is bringing a lot to the virtual tabletop, including ranked and unranked PvP, two new regions in the form of Saunek Necropolis and Hexatech Labs, overhauled artwork, a cleaner unlock system, and a reworked difficulty mechanic as well. In the year since Table 9 brought Tales and Tactics to PC, the lack of clarity in the game was one of the biggest complaints, so it's great to see the team take action and solve these issues.
Tales and Tactics leaves Steam Early Access and fully launches on Thursday August 15 and will remain at $17.99 / £14.99. You can wishlist or buy the early access version right here.
There are plenty more indie games and auto battler games to keep you busy while waiting for Tales and Tactics, even if it won't be long.
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