ASCII-based traditional roguelike ‘Rangedrifter’ has such a damn cool style

I love discovering new games, especially they they look as fascinating as the roguelike Rangedrifter. What caught my eye here is the graphical style. It looks like a classic ASCII game, but mixes in some fun effects to make it really come to life and it just looks awesome.

Released into Early Access back in May, it has gone quite under the radar with only 23 user reviews on Steam. This is one that clearly needs more attention.

Check out the trailer below – you have to see it in action:

Key Features

  • Turn-Based Heart Beat: This is a tense, turn-based experience where one rash step can invite disaster. Survey each situation, and carefully think about your next step. When you die, the game is over.
  • A New Adventure: Each run starts at one of over 1500 locations in the world from where you have to make your way along a winding, unpredictable path that leads you through forests, ruins, and dungeons.

  • The Forbidden Land: Explore dark forests, sunken temples, sandy plains and spider-infested crypts in a world created entirely by hand using the engine’s built-in editor.
  • Ebbs and Flows: Resources are vital to your survival. Venture into zombie-filled villages, flooded sewers and haunting temple-ruins for precious gear, supplies and food to survive.
  • Fight To Survive: Wild animals and evil monsters would like you as their next meal. To overcome the dangers of this world in turn-based combat, you have to weigh all options and tools at your disposal.
  • The Right Tool: Easily learn the game’s symbols with the Nearby list on screen or explore the game’s items, monsters, objects and associated symbols in the built-in Codex.
  • A Moody Place: Get transported into the game’s world by its soundscapes and unique graphics, brought to life by the game’s custom 3D engine.

The developer has a small roadmap of stuff coming including:

  • Sep 2026: Mountain Region.
  • Dec 2026: Fourth Region.
  • Feb 2027: Ending Region.
  • 2027: Continued expansion of the game.

Release Date: 📅 20th May 2026

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.

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