Loki is the highly anticipated Marvel television show centered around the god of mischief himself. It is the third show in the Marvel television universe, following WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. While no other Marvel shows are currently announced, the three shows are the windup to the MCU's phase four and the Multiverse of Madness (a phrase referenced in the opening moments of the Loki premiere).
Loki picks up exactly where Avengers: Endgame left off: Loki steals the Tessaract and vanishes into midair. He is then picked up by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and recruited to aid them in a fight against an unknown Variant who is wreaking havoc on the sacred timeline. Fans would do well to remember this version of Loki is not the one who was killed at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, who had gone through a redemption arc. Instead, he is the Loki from the first Avengers film, the one bent on world domination.
Despite its domination at the box office and titan status in the comic community, Marvel is not known for its video games. In an era when video games are more engaging than ever, it's baffling Marvel doesn't improve the quality of the gaming experience, or try to connect it with the canonical events in the MCU. With its successful expansion into television, Marvel should take the opportunity to adapt Loki into a playable experience, and it's clear what a Loki video game would look like.
Loki As a Roguelike
What better game genre for the god of mischief than the roguelike? In these games, players typically start at a level zero, then battle through unique levels. Each level, or biome, is equipped with its own foes, traps, and bosses. Healing items or weapon upgrades can usually be found throughout each level. The defining characteristic of a roguelike, however, is if a player dies at any point, they are transported back to level zero and must start the run from the very beginning. Usually, level zero is a place for the player to trade items for permanent upgrades, or apply knowledge learned while playing to advance the story.
Pairing the roguelike genre with the Loki show is a natural fit. Players would play as Loki, trying to catch the mysterious Variant that plagues the show. Each level would be a different time period, rife with foes, buffs and clues to help Loki unravel what's going on. His primary weapons would be his daggers and his scepter, with players equipping their preference at the start of each run, and his special abilities could include vanishing and astral projection.
The TVA would serve as the Loki video game's level zero, the place Loki returns to after each run. He would relay his information to the agents who work there, as well as try and get information from them to support a secondary objective. As the god of mischief, Loki would have a trick up his sleeve, perhaps intending to steal something of great value from the TVA. This area would also allow Loki to level up his skills and weapons before his next attempt. It would also be fun if, as a side action, Loki had to review and confirm everything he said in his past run, a humorous easter egg from Loki's trailer and pilot.