Blightstone

Blightstone, a game by Spanish studio Unfinished Pixel, has just launched in Early Access and blends ideas from multiple genres. At its core, Blightstone is a turn-based strategy roguelike with free movement, drawing inspiration from games like XCOM and Darkest Dungeon, while still establishing its own identity. The story is simple and mainly serves as a framework for the gameplay. In a once peaceful land, Korghul, a demon, appears after discovering the Blightstone, a malevolent stone that tears reality apart and opens the door to a demonic invasion. This is where Xander comes in, a chronomancer capable of controlling time, who finds a magical stone that can counteract this power. His mission is to carry it to the rift in order to seal it, assembling a group of heroes who escort it along the journey. Progression takes place across a node-based map, where you’ll face combat encounters, events, and decisions as you work your way toward defeating the area boss. Most battles are against demons or corrupted creatures, though at times you can avoid fights by making alternative choices. Other nodes include shops, rewards, or even new characters who can join you in future runs. Between nodes, your team can set up camp. This introduces a light management system: each character can heal, restore mental state, or search for resources, but you’ll need food to feed everyone and wood for the campfire to avoid negative events during the night. Combat is turn-based, taking place in open arenas or environments filled with obstacles. There are several classes with clearly defined roles: melee fighters, hunters who use bows and wolves, arcanists who wield magic, druids who harness nature, and even priests who heal the team. The stone itself is also part of the party, with its own abilities, and if it’s destroyed, the run ends immediately. One of the game’s strongest points is its free movement, which can be used before or after executing abilities. Proper positioning is just as important as attacking. The environment plays a key role as well: you can burn grass, electrocute wet enemies, or lose accuracy in fog. After each battle, you choose upgrades to further strengthen your team’s abilities. As a proper roguelike, Blightstone features meta-progression, using your experience to upgrade runes and other systems that unlock permanent bonuses between runs. Overall, Blightstone offers a solid experience, though it still lacks variety in events, classes, and abilities. That said, it’s important to remember the game is still in Early Access, and the developers have already promised more content in the coming months. If you enjoy roguelikes and tactical combat in the vein of XCOM, Blightstone might be for you.