The Book of Aaru

The Book of Aaru entertains with a fair and challenging combat system and doesn't disappoint with its diverse selection of enemies. It offers rogue-lite spiel for dozens of hours.

The Book of Aaru is a game that had a fair amount on paper to pull me in. I love a good rogue-like, I’ve poured endless hours into games like Hades and Diablo. The general rule is that the words, “ Indie” and “ isometric,” are enough alone to grab me. Add a relatively original Egyptian world and theme to the mix and I went in hoping that I had a little bit of a hidden gem on my hands. Unfortunately, convoluted skill trees, perk systems, and crafting options, coupled with largely uninteresting gameplay and frustrating technical issues, made for a less than enjoyable time.

The Book of Aaru is an entertaining RPG. The monsters and traps are well-designed, but the simplicity of the combat system can start to feel a bit repetitive over time. I wasn’t sold on the way materials are acquired, but the options for gradually developing your character and crafting various new upgrades are well thought out. In short, Amenti Studio has nothing to be ashamed of with this game. It’s not a revolutionary title, but rather a successful homage to classic isometric RPGs. If you’re a fan of the genre who also has a soft spot for ancient Egypt, you can spend many enjoyable hours playing The Book of Aaru.

There’s something curiously promising about The Book of Aaru. The concept is fantastic—a cursed feline in a techno, mythic Egyptian underworld with destructible tombs and time, manipulating combat. It should work. But for now, it’s buried under a tombstone of glitches, clunky design, and uninspired combat. The charm of the setting and music can only carry it so far. Roguelites thrive on tight gameplay loops, juicy upgrades, and a reason to keep returning. Sadly, The Book of Aaru fumbles on almost every count. Hopefully, future patches can resuscitate this title and grant it the nine lives it deserves. Until then, it’s a fascinating but broken relic. The Book of Aaru gets the Thumb Culture Bronze Award