13Z: An Upcoming Anime-Style Roguelike with A Ton of Potential

I am an absolute sucker for roguelikes, and with the popularity of anime at an all-time high, I just had to check out 13Z when I caught wind of it. The game just started its global playtest and is in its very early stages, but it already shows much promise.

In the game, you play as a fox-like girl wielding a sword. I love her design and the way her fluffy tail moves around when you’re doing stuff. Upon going through the tutorial, I was impressed by the level of aerial movement I had with this character.

I have access to a normal attack combo, a charged attack that shoots projectiles, a sort of dash-strike, and a heavy attack that launches you and your foe into the air. Oh, and you have a special attack with a cooldown, which has you pulling off a flurry of slashes and, most importantly, gives you invincibility frames.

Lastly, you have your dash, which slows down time if you do it at a certain time. Holding it down turns you into a tiny fox that runs really fast!

I liked how I could quickly mix up my attacks using different combos. The combat here feels really good. Like any roguelike, you clear floors of enemies, get resources, and buff your run at the end of it.

I could get the hang of the combat and the controls with no hitches and got on my groove immediately on my second run. I noticed it is easy to feel overpowered quickly, which is great.

13Z also has other building blocks of a roguelike, including letting you customize your weapon, appearance, and, most importantly, upgrades that make your future runs easier. You have a nice, cozy hub world with NPCs who give you side quests.

I was quite impressed with this playtest, given how early in development 13Z is. For this playtest, only one character was playable. Your run ends once you defeat the first boss of the area, but there are plans for a total of 6 playable characters and the ability to co-op.

If you’re anything like me, you may want to keep an eye on this game and sign up for the playtest to try it out for yourself! The folks at Mixed Realms are very open to feedback.