Loop Hero review - "A highly engaging rougelike with a distinct plot"

• Save the world one loop at a time
• Exciting, fast-paced gameplay
• Build your camp to improve your chances of survival

What if the world ceased to exist, and only you could restore it? After the evil Lich casts the world into a timeless loop, it’s up to you to save it. All that remains is a looping path. The only way to fix your broken world is to slowly rebuild by battling monsters and gathering resources as you complete the loop again and again.

Loop Hero: A Thrilling Rougelike

Loop Hero is a roguelike RPG by Playdigious in which you defeat enemies in order to collect cards that you can use to add enemies, locations, and more to your current loop. Each loop starts with basic slime enemies. Certain enemies are attached to specific cards. For example, adding a Vampire Mansion card to the loop lets you battle vampires, while Swamp cards spawn a Mosquito enemy every three days.

Some cards, like Meadow, Mountain, and Rock cards, must be placed outside the loop, while others, like the Village card, can only be placed on the loop. You gain two HP at the beginning of each day for every meadow placed on the grid, while Rock cards net your +3 hp with another +3 hp for every adjacent Rock or Mountain card. Therefore, placing your rocks and mountains next to each other on the grid is beneficial.

Upgrade Your Camp in Loop Hero to Survive

At first, it’s just you alone in the chaotic void. However, upon retreating from the path for the first time, you'll encounter survivors who will join your camp. You can use the resources you gather to add and upgrade buildings, which in turn help you survive the loop.

For instance, unlocking the Herbalist’s Hut allows you to carry healing potions, which help you survive longer. Building the Gymnasium allows you to unlock special traits after killing enough enemies.

Adding new buildings to your camp also adds cards to your deck. You’ll gain the Village card when you build the Gymnasium and the Wheat Fields card for building the Farm. Each card you add to your deck enhances gameplay in one way or another.

Starting Anew

Upon re-entering the loop after visiting your camp, you'll find everything you've added has disappeared, and the loop is in a different shape. Your equipment also resets, adding to the game’s challenge. Because of this, you may be tempted to stay in a loop as long as possible. However, bear in mind that should you die, you only retain 30 per cent of the loot you’ve gathered.

As you play, you'll need to continuously equip yourself with new, better gear to keep up with the progressively challenging foes. All armours up your HP, but some also boost other stats, such as defence and vampirism. To start, you'll only have access to the armour, shield, weapon, and ring equipment slots. By unlocking more buildings at your camp, you'll gain access to the helm and boots equipment slots, among others.

Loop Hero: Helpful Cards

There are plenty of cards that can make your journey a bit easier if used strategically. Placing Village cards lets you pick up quests, which you'll complete automatically while traversing the loop. Upon completing a task, you'll be able to choose one of three traits to unlock until you return to camp.

The Somersault trait gives you a 35 per cent chance of performing a counterattack when evading, while the Supplies trait lets you send 10 per cent of your loot back to camp each time you pass through the Campfire tile.

Loop Hero Boss Battles

If you survive long enough, a boss battle will appear on your path. These battles progress the game’s story and offer a bit more of a challenge. You’ll even battle the Lich itself, only to learn someone else is pulling its strings.

Loop Hero is a creative roguelike for mobiles that will keep you enthralled with its retro graphics and strategic gameplay. You’ll get an extreme sense of satisfaction each time you unlock a new location at your camp.

The game keeps you on your toes as you attempt to upgrade your hero’s stats by placing cards and equipping new gear before being overwhelmed by enemies. Featuring a simplistic yet distinct narrative and engaging gameplay, Loop Hero is a real gem you’ll definitely want to delve into.