Evertried

A rough-hewn roguelike that fails to stand out

If we were to name any complaint, it’s that the core gameplay in Evertried can feel a little stale after extended sessions. Skills and traps mix up the way you play somewhat, but you’re ultimately still confined to pressing one of four directions for the whole game, which gets a little samey given enough time. Still, we’d give this one a recommendation; there’s lots of replayability, the concept of its gameplay is something we haven’t seen before, and (most importantly) it’s fun.

A fascinating idea with unfortunate execution set in a cute world.

Evertried is a welcome take on the rogue like genre. Although it can feel repetitive, the turn-based gameplay is a refreshing take.

Evertried does a lot right — fans of roguelites who have played them all and want to explore something novel might enjoy this unique spin on turn-based tactical gameplay. It definitely instills that “one more turn” kind of feeling from the get-go, eagerly inviting players to die, die again. If Into The Breach was your cup of tea and you’re looking for something with that kind of flavor, Evertried is here to take you to new heights.

Evertried is an addicting roguelike with a gameplay loop capable of entertaining over multiple sessions. While its duration is relatively short and the lack of story is a bit of a nuissance, it is a great experience that should be on your radar.

Boss battles engage that cerebellum, but I wouldn’t call them the central pillar of Evertried. The experience is really a deceptively fun way to improve situational awareness, a charming little escape with a hint of addictiveness. It’s not exactly designed for long sessions, however. An hour into gameplay, the freshness depreciates. Truly, the rogue-lite randomness and small game board levels work for when the mood strikes. There’s no elaborate campaign or page-turner, storybook adventure. But if you enjoy some strategy and rogue-lite retro goodness, Evertried makes for great satisfaction on a whim.

Its superb soundtrack and visuals are an everlasting treat. Playing it handheld on Switch is how it should be played, in reminiscence of playing SRPGs on a Nintendo DS. When its issues are fixed, I really hope to recommend this game to others because it has been one of my favorites of this year. I'm still waiting to ascend to whichever goddess or whatever fate awaits me on its final floors, feeling the despair of a warrior's spirit, but not in the way I or Evertried had hoped.

In an increasingly competitive scenario, Evertried manages to stand out with its unique mix of turn-based strategy, grid movement and roguelite mechanics, proving to be a beautiful exponent of the interesting and growing Brazilian indie scene. Even its occasional problems are not enough to detract from a work that finds its best version on the Nintendo Switch, given its play style and the system's natural portability and flexibility. The hope is that an eventual sequel will expand the concepts presented here — the potential, like a certain haunted tower, is too great to go unnoticed.

Evertried is a 2D isometric roguelike strategy game that challenges your brain every step of the way. It can definitely get frustrating, but you get a great sense of accomplishment when you make progress and reach a new floor.