Undervault Demo

As unusual as it may sound, randomness is a desired element in certain genres when it comes to video games, especially roguelikes or exploration games. Having new maps at your disposal whenever you start a new adventure is extremely desirable, but there are still issues in terms of variety. Thus, it’s not enough for the levels to differ in layout only, because that too can get boring after a while.

Undervault is a simple roguelike RPG with randomly generated maps and a fairly unique exploration component, in the sense that the game world is built out of certain types of rooms. Each room can hold specific objects, and there are also special rooms that have no type until you spin a wheel and let luck decide that for you instead, or use special cards in case you desire a specific room.

As simple as it seems at first, Undervault comes with a skill tree and some other interesting systems as well. Room cards are pretty self-explanatory, given the fact that they allow you to pick the layout for the levels that have no intrinsic type. The connection between these rooms comes in multiple varieties as well, including holes, doors and ladders.

The combat system is fairly basic, given the fact that the battles take place in turns. However, you can choose where to strike the opponent, and the skill tree comes into action as well, because you can customize your character’s abilities in a variety of ways. Thus, whether you focus on dodging hits or inflicting critical strikes, every playthrough has its own charm if you decide to do things differently.

One other thing you have to keep in mind is the fact that you have limited space in your backpack, and you have to decide what to keep when you advance from one stage to the other. Choosing to throw away food can be quite the mistake sometimes, especially since your character has to keep eating on a regular basis to stay alive. However, luck plays a big role as well, so it’s not always about the best strategy.

All things considered, Undervault is a lot more fun that it may appear at a glance, especially after you figure out how the room system works and toy a bit with the skill tree. Thus, you can get quite a few hours out of the game if you are a fan of the roguelike genre and you do not mind the permadeath looming over you with every step.