It is always great to see just how far studios push the roguelike genre. While we’ve seen a few following the already-established staples, we’ve also seen many think outside of the box to bring something truly unique, and that’s what Glowmade is doing with Rogue Fortune. This upcoming roguelike brings the dungeon-crawling fun of the genre, but throws in an in-depth build system that will have you taking care of how you solve one of gaming’s biggest puzzles: managing your inventory correctly.
Rogue Fortune Brings Geometric Puzzle-Powered Systems
Hearing the words geometry and roguelike together might be something weird, but after taking a look at them in action, it is quite an interesting combination. Recently, I had the opportunity to take an early look at Rogue Fortune, which, on the surface, is a dungeon-crawler roguelike with a top-down perspective that might make many players feel right at home. However, its highlight is how it throws geometric puzzles into the mix to craft one of the most engaging character-building systems out there.
To make your character more powerful with the hopes of surviving a run, Rogue Fortune has this backpack system, which is similar to how games like Resident Evil 4 handle their inventory. Yet, this system isn’t there just to make a neat inventory, but rather to actually craft your build.
As you progress through the game, you’ll get upgrades, which are all geometric shapes. Once you get them, you’ll have to head to a board to put them inside your backpack. Depending on how you place them, you’ll get to upgrade some of the pieces and even give them extra effects. For instance, putting two ‘Fire’ pieces together will give them a more powerful effect. This type of puzzle-like mechanic applies to practically everything, from your equipment to the upgrades you’ll be getting.
In truth, it is a really unique take on how to get more power in a roguelike, as you aren’t just picking up boons as you progress. Instead, you’re playing with them and fitting them in your inventory to craft your build. From what I saw, there’s plenty of room (no pun intended) for experimentation, and the only limit is how well you solve these geometric puzzles before moving into the next area.
Another standout part of Rogue Fortune is that every character will have a different type of backpack. For instance, there is one class, or Persona, as the game calls them, that will have double pockets, giving you more space, but the left pocket will buff, while the right one will debuff. There is also a Cat persona whose board will have the shape of a, well, cat (the one I’m most excited to try). Once you manage to add your upgrades and put them together à la Tetris, you’ll see the effects in combat, which will vary depending on what you manage to fit and combine.
So far, Rogue Fortune looks extremely promising, but most importantly, refreshing. It keeps that fast-paced action we love from the genre, but adds a highly unique approach to character-building that will encourage players to finally learn the old art of tidying up an inventory. At least the reward for doing so is a smoother run, so it is a win-win situation for all.
Rogue Fortune has a release window for 2027, and it is set to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and PC.
