Rencounter

Rencounter drops you into a maze that doesn’t care whether you’re ready for it. It’s a turn-based RPG with roguelike bones, built around the idea that survival is a resource-management problem as much as a combat one. You’re not just fighting your way through tunnels and rooms, you’re keeping a squad alive, and every ration or bandage you hand out is a decision you can’t take back.

How it plays

The loop centers on exploring a dungeon made of interconnected tunnels and chambers, where danger and reward sit right next to each other. You’ll run into enemies that need to be fought carefully rather than rushed, since this is a turn-based affair where positioning and timing matter more than reflexes. Along the way you scavenge gear and loot items that feed into building up your character and managing an inventory that’s never quite big enough for everything you find. The squad element adds a layer most solo dungeon crawlers skip: provisions and medicine are limited, and how you distribute them across your party determines who’s still standing when things go wrong. Choices along the path shape where the story ultimately takes you, which gives the whole run a sense of consequence beyond just winning or losing a fight.

Who it’s for

This is a game for people who like their RPGs a little grim and their decisions to actually sting. If you enjoy roguelikes where permadeath or lasting consequences are part of the appeal, and you don’t mind a slower, more methodical pace, Rencounter’s mix of turn-based combat and squad management will scratch that itch. It also suits players who like inventory and resource puzzles as much as they like combat, since managing what you carry is half the challenge. If you want fast action, flashy visuals, or a game that holds your hand through its systems, this probably isn’t it. The description of the game as difficult isn’t a throwaway line either, so go in expecting friction rather than a breezy power fantasy.

Is it worth grabbing?

For the right player, yes, easily. A turn-based dungeon crawler with roguelike stakes and squad-based survival mechanics is a specific enough combination that it’s worth having in your library even if you don’t boot it up right away. It won’t appeal to everyone, the difficulty and deliberate pace will turn off players looking for something more casual, but if that description sounds appealing rather than intimidating, it’s a solid addition to a backlog. Fans of old-school dungeon crawlers and resource-management RPGs in particular will get the most mileage out of it.

Quick facts

Rencounter is an indie RPG with strategy elements, developed by SPVD and published by GrabTheGames. It released on Steam for PC on November 4, 2016.