Disclaimer
I was sent a free copy of Demon Lord: Just a Block to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
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Table of Contents
What is Demon Lord: Just a Block?
Demon Lord: Just a Block is a simple looking roguelike where you play the bad guy. The game is out now on Steam, and it is Steam Deck compatible!
Hook
You awaken as a beheaded Demon Lord, with only the faintest of memories of your past life. With your kingdom in shambles, it is up to you to reclaim it. Set off into the wild and reclaim the parts you’ve lost long ago. Only when you’re whole again can you reclaim your throne. But this is no easy task. Around every corner sits a monster or hero thirsting for your blood. Fight your way through endless hordes of enemies, discover new powers and abilities, and reclaim the memories you’ve lost. What will your journey reveal about you? Do you have what it takes to be the mighty Demon Lord you used to be?
Gameplay
Demon Lord: Just a Block is a turn based roguelike. Before you grown from roguelike fatigue, Just a block does enough different that it deserve your attention. It does have the same repetative grind structure like you see in traditional roguelikes. The Demon Lord returns to his throne roam between each run. As you progress through the adventure, you unlock new areas of the throne room that allow you to upgrade your block, change weapons, and even check the leaderboard.
A run in this game is your traditional turn-based dungeon crawl. The player and NPCs perform an action per turn. An action is used to move or attack. Once you clear the rooms objectives, players can choose the type of room they end up in next. Rooms can be combat or offer useful buffs to players. Planning your rout as you make your way to the boss is key for success and advancement. The game further incentives exploration through various hidden secrets and items that help players throughout their adventure. What makes the game unique is that the game allows players to play as quickly or slowly as they want.
Review
It is incredibly easy to become addicted to Demon Lord: Just a Block. If you are looking for one game to play this summer, this game is your answer. This game has an adorable aesthetic that fully leans into its whimsy. The game has a unique gameplay that is both cozy but challenging enough to keep players engaged. Most importantly, the story is good enough to let me forget about the grind. I can easily spend a whole day playing this game, but I won’t because I am a responsible adult with a backlog of games I need to review. I will be playing this on the side whenever I can because I am just that addicted.
Aesthetic
I enjoy the token art for this game. It gives the game its board game-like vibe, and I always need an excuse to play more board games. I don’t have enough friends to do so otherwise. I love the use of vibrant colors and the cartoonish violence, but appreciate that the game isn’t afraid to get serious. As if this game couldn’t get better, the game has a fantastic soundtrack to get you in the mood for an epic adventure. Demon Lord: Just a Block proves that you don’t need AI ray tracing to make a good compelling game.
I am actually a huge fan of minimilistic games like this. I am always amazed at how unique the world and story these games build with such simple elements.
Gameplay
The gameplay is what makes this game so addicting. The game is simple, but there is enough of a challenge to keep things engaging. I like that the turn-based mechanics make the game as slow or fast as you want it to be. There were times I played it like a fast paced action game, and other times where I wanted to plan my moves better. It makes the grind feel a bit more managable, although the grind isn’t very bad to begin with. I found the RNG to be pretty fair. While there seeds that ruined my run (probably a skill issue) there were also runs where I was a god and it felt unfair. Most of the time the game felt good enough to take up way more time than I have for gaming, and I have zero regrets.
I do appreciate that the game incentives the player to change up the flow of the game. The game will randomly offer bonus drops for using certain weapons to encourage players to use weapons they wouldn’t normally use. Weapon unlocks also encourage players to play a little different to get access to different powers. All of the weapons feel balanced, and it really just came down to preference or whatever gave me the most loot. What I liked the most is all the hidden secrets you can find by exploring everything. Without getting into spoilers, the game has a proper mystery you should be trying to unlock.
Combat
Combat in this game is a lot more complex than it may appear. You can rush in and fight everything you see, but you can also dodge and parry. Mastering these mechanics are essential for your rise as Demon Lord, but I was never able to quite master it. The game offers a good enough tutorial, I just wasn’t good enough. Combat also varies between runs depending on the weapon you choose and the powerups you pick up along the way. Bosses in this game are really unique, but they are also cheesable. I enjoy that there is enough randomness to keep combat feeling fresh, and it is one of the reasons I am not ready to put this game down yet.
Conclusion
I can’t stress how much you need this game in your library. This is a low profile cozy game with a lot of heart and flavor. As a busy dad, I appreciate that I can pick it up and put it down anytime without having to worry about losing progress or forgetting where I left off. If you are looking for some good dungeon crawling action with engaging combat and just enough silliness to make your day, go pick up Demon Lord: Just a Block.
You can pick up Demon Lord: Just a Block on Steam. For other cool minimilistic games with a lot of heart and flavor, check out Void Sols and Worldless. Two of my favorite games.