BACKPACK HERO

Go a-sidescrolling, your knapsack on your back

NEED TO KNOW

EXPECT TO PAY $17

DEVELOPER Jaspel

PUBLISHER Jaspel, IndieArk

LINK bit.ly/3CDfhkf

Such is the need for a unique selling point in games, that even the most onerous housekeeping can become a key mechanic. Backpack Hero is an inventory management roguelike, a genre-blend that risks giving me flashbacks to panicked shuffling of vodka and the wrong ammo in STALKER.

Backpack Hero sees you take on one of three charming animal characters with a magical rucksack, a wooden sword, plated salad, and make shift shield, ready for a scrolling 2D adventure. The look and feel recall an ill-defined bygone era of DOS boot-drives, and the retro atmosphere is total, down to the music and audio. This will either delight you, annoy you, or give you an eerie feeling that your dad is going to want to watch the news on the family TV and make you turn the game off. Oh, the nostalgia.