[Review] Roguecraft GB Is a Fantastic Pure-Fantasy Roguelike for the Game Boy Color

I had been keeping an eye on Roguecraft GB, a roguelike developed for the Game Boy Color, so I picked it up as soon as it was released.

The game is priced at $9.99. I had actually been waiting for the Steam version, so I was surprised to see the Game Boy Color release arrive first. Still, to get straight to the point, I am very glad I bought it.

Roguecraft GB

https://thalamusdigital.itch.io/roguecraft-gb-game-boy-color

A physical cartridge version is planned, but at the time of writing, the Game Boy Color edition is only available as a digital download.

This means that you will need either an emulator or a compatible flash cartridge, such as an EverDrive, to play it.

Three Character Classes with Different Difficulty Levels

Roguecraft GB is a fairly traditional turn-based roguelike.

The dungeons are procedurally generated each time you play, so a different adventure awaits with every new attempt. Your objective is to find the key hidden somewhere on each floor, locate the stairs leading downward, and eventually defeat the boss waiting at the deepest level of the dungeon.

At the beginning of the game, you choose one of three character classes: Warrior, Rogue, or Wizard.

This choice is directly connected to the game’s difficulty level.

The Warrior, which offers the easiest experience, begins with a relatively large amount of health. The Rogue has slightly less health but possesses the ability to instantly teleport to another location within the current room.

The Wizard is the most difficult class to use. The character starts with only two points of health, making it quite common to suffer an early game over.

In exchange for this weakness, the Wizard can attack enemies from a distance. Learning how to use this ranged attack effectively can give you a considerable advantage in battle.

Warrior

• A powerful warrior carrying a heavy sword
• Special ability: None
• Maximum Health: 8
• Maximum Strength: 8
• Difficulty: Easy

Rogue

• A devious fighter equipped with twin blades
• Special ability: Teleport
• Maximum Health: 7
• Maximum Strength: 7
• Difficulty: Medium

Wizard

• A weak but dangerous spellcaster
• Special ability: Magic Missile
• Maximum Health: 6
• Maximum Strength: 3
• Difficulty: Hard

Master the Basic Movement and Combat System

Let us begin with the basics.

Your character can only move in four directions: up, down, left, and right. Whenever you perform an action, the enemies in the area also take their turns.

However, enemies only move when they are within the visible area of the screen.

Moving into an adjacent enemy automatically causes your character to attack. When playing as the Wizard, however, the direction in which you last moved also becomes important.

The Wizard primarily fights using Magic Missile, a ranged attack fired with the A button. The projectile can only be fired in the direction your character last moved.

This means you need to think carefully about both the enemy’s position and the direction in which you move before attacking.

Your character is controlled using the directional pad. While exploring the map, you must locate the key hidden somewhere on the current floor.

Once you have obtained it, you can use the stairs to move down to the next level.

The game also includes an automap, which can be displayed by holding down the B button.

Movement between rooms is generally handled through portal-like tiles that serve as doorways.

However, some floors also contain hidden rooms.

For example, the minimap may show what appears to be an opening leading into another room, even though there is no visible doorway in your current location.

By moving toward the suspicious section of the wall, you may be able to discover a secret room.

Using Potions and Strengthening Your Character

In addition to keys, you can find a variety of useful items while exploring the dungeon.

Heart symbols immediately restore all of your missing health. Opening treasure chests also rewards you with money.

There does not appear to be anywhere to spend this money during the game, so it is probably best regarded as a form of score.

However, after reaching the deeper floors of the dungeon, you need to be careful. Some treasure chests contain mimics that will bite you instead of handing over money.

Items you collect, including potions and keys, are displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen.

To use an item, hold down the A button and select it using the directional pad.

You can carry a maximum of five items. Once your inventory is full, you will not be able to pick up anything else.

There are three types of potions.

Green potions immediately restore all of your health, just like heart items.

The effects of the red and blue potions are randomly assigned at the beginning of each game. You will not know what they do until you actually drink one.

Possible potion effects include:

• Strength Boost: Increases strength by one point for 14 turns
• Reveal Map: Displays every room and exit on the current floor
• Strong Ale: Increases strength by one point for 12 turns, but also makes your character drunk
• Clear Room: Defeats every monster in the current room
• Freeze Time: Prevents monsters from moving or attacking for 10 turns
• Teleport: Randomly teleports your character to another tile within the room
• Chicken Transformation: Transforms every monster into a chicken—or something even worse

The weakest monster in the game is a chicken called Chikkun.

However, similar-looking but considerably stronger creatures begin appearing on the deeper floors, so appearances can be deceptive.

Enemies will occasionally drop crystals when defeated.

Red crystals increase your character’s maximum health, while blue crystals improve your armor.

However, as mentioned earlier, each character class has its own maximum upgrade limits. Once you reach those limits, collecting additional crystals will not increase the relevant statistic any further.

When you already have the key and know where the stairs are located, there may be little reason to take additional risks.

On the other hand, exploring rooms you have not yet visited and defeating more enemies may reward you with crystals that make the later sections of the dungeon easier.

Use the Dungeon’s Traps Against Your Enemies

The dungeon contains a variety of traps.

One of the most obvious examples is the green poisonous swamp. As you would expect, walking across it causes damage.

You will also encounter spike traps that change whenever a turn passes.

These traps do not simply switch between active and inactive states. They also have an intermediate stage, allowing you to avoid damage by carefully timing your movements.

What makes these traps particularly interesting is that they do not only damage the player.

Enemies can also be injured by them.

By predicting how a monster will move, you can lure it onto a trap and damage or defeat it without attacking directly.

Learning how to use the dungeon’s terrain and hazards to your advantage is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game.

A Small but Excellent Roguelike That Is Perfect for Quick Sessions

Roguecraft GB does not offer the enormous amount of content you might expect from a modern AAA release.

Instead, it is a relatively small and compact game that can be enjoyed in short sessions. Reaching and defeating the boss does not take an especially long time.

Of course, a run can also end almost immediately when luck is not on your side.

Personally, however, this is close to my ideal type of Game Boy Color game. It can be picked up and played anywhere, and each attempt can be completed in a relatively short amount of time.

The visuals are excellent, while the background music is also surprisingly elaborate. The overall production quality feels extremely high for a newly developed Game Boy Color title.

Taking all of these elements into consideration, I am giving Roguecraft GB a full score of five stars.

Anyone who finds the game even slightly appealing should definitely give it a try.

★★★★★

Rating: 5/5