Guncho is the latest game from Arnold Rauers, designer of many fun boardgame-y experiences, teamed up with veteran games artist Terri Vellmann. On a tiny tactical hex-grid your gunslinger will fight through a chaotic yet controllable western brawl with a slew of different enemies. Randomly generated desert arenas provide lots of unique environmental setups to use to your advantage as you try to perfectly line up your rotating six-shooter cylinder with the spaces on the board. I've been looking forward to this one for a while.
Guncho began life as a jam game, a submission to the 7DRL Challenge, tasking devs with creating full roguelike experiences in only a week. Playing the old jam version will give you a sample of the game's shape, which is greatly expanded in the new commercial Steam version. The new art is also a big upgrade, featuring a playful low-res 3D environment overlaid with Terri's stylish illustrations.
The game's central mechanic is unique, and gets you thinking very quickly: your 6 loaded bullets correspond to the 6 hex spaces surrounding your character, meaning each of them can be fired in a different direction. Of course, you'll only be able to shoot if you still have a bullet loaded in that space and haven't spent it already... and every move you make, the cylinder rotates, re-aligning your ammunition in a new orientation, further complicating your plans in a lovely way.
I love roguelike-style games that take place on a small, constrained grid, using elegant twists and interlocking mechanics to force you into all sorts of scenarios you need to improvise your way out of. I first played a bunch of Guncho back when it released as a jam game, and I consider it to be a worthy entry in this little "broughlike" category of thinky games. Learning how the enemies behave, planning sequences of movements and shots, and using the terrain to pull off silly combos is very satisfying.
As you might expect from a game being described as "roguelike", in between levels Guncho lets you choose between a few simple upgrades and abilities, subtly changing how you'll map out your interactions in future stages, and providing lots of potential for variable play sessions that feel distinct.
Guncho is now available on Steam, as well as iOS and Android, where you can preview the Normal game mode for free. I think I'll definitely be playing some on mobile: it feels like a fun game to carry around in my pocket.
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