We love turn-based games here at Indie-Gems. Erik and I grew up playing the genre and that love has continued for us as we’ve grown older. I had grown up playing a ton of board games so you can imagine my love for dice-based games. Knowing this I was definitely interested in the game when the devs contacted me to cover Dice Gambit.
The Game
Dice Gambit is a turn-based tactics game that uses dice rolls to control your characters. Similar to Armello, these dies have faces representing Attack, Move, Defense, Signature moves, and Cursed Joker (can be any die but with consequences). These will be the determining factors in how you will play out each turn in Dice Gambit.
The world of Dice Gambit is beautifully hand-drawn. It’s a colorful and interesting neo-renaissance metropolis inspired by southern Europe. The world has somewhat of a papercraft feel and look, which is very evident as you see seagulls fly by looking like oragami. I seriously could look at this world for hours.
Combat
The combat for Dice Gambit is a ton of fun to play. There is a great deal of thought that went into crafting this system and it shows. Instead of a single pool of dice for each character, you have a communal pool and a personal pool. When the dice are rolled each character gains a couple of personal dies and the remaining are communal. At first, I was not sure I would like this but it grew on me quickly because it made me strategize each of my characters. I had to think about each move in more detail, considering each skill set before committing.
Progression
Leveling up in Dice Gambit adds another layer of strategy to the game. After a match, you will see how much experience you’ve gained and see which characters leveled. The normal stuff. If one of the characters leveled you will be presented with multiple choices for skills to add. These powers can be work with the other character’s skills to make some interesting synergies and create unique playstyles.
Music
The music in Dice Gambit is just superb. From the moment I heard the start screen track, to when I turned off the demo I could not stop bobbing my head. Honestly, it was stuck in my head for hours after too! The trip-hop, lo-fi beats were just perfect for the game. It was honestly the first thing that just popped for me and I truly hope they get more. If you were wondering, the artist is Remagic and can be found here.
Features
- Unique dice-based tactics combat
- Developed by 3 experienced devs
- Joshua Christiansen – Game and system designer, lead programmer
- Nina Sass – 2D & 3D artist, animator, tech artist
- Anton Pilmark – Game and content designer, supporting programmer
- Developed by 3 experienced devs
- A hand-drawn vibrant world
- Depicting a souther european Neo-renaissance metropolis
- 6 levels
- Each with new enemies to encounter
- A final boss to test your mettle
- 3 unique characters
- Each with their own set of abilities to draft from
Grab the Demo!
There is so much more to discover in this demo. The layers of strategy are deep, and the replayability is high. Fans of turn-based games you will definitely want to check this one out. Play the demo over on itch.io!
This looks awesome!! Great coverage.