Loop Hero is the latest newly-released indie game that has captured thousands of Steam users' rapt attention overnight. The title was developed by studio Four Quarters and published by Devolver Digital on March 4. Loop Hero has garnered more than 150,000 players and glowing reviews only days after its release. Its early adopters are so hooked on the retro-styled roguelite that Devolver reposted a fan-made meme jokingly comparing the release to cocaine.
Unlike other roguelites that are traditionally hack-and-slashers, all of Loop Hero's combat plays out automatically. Players only have passive influence over the protagonist's journey by using a deck of cards that can do everything from creating new enemies, spawning treasure chests, and giving Loop Hero's main character new abilities. Eventually, the game's hero will fall in battle, and players can use the resources they've gathered to upgrade their campsite, which will give them access to more powerful cards.
Loop Hero has essentially turned the roguelite genre into an automated card game where players need to decide how to assist the protagonist with the deck of powerups. That's a major departure from a style of games that are traditionally defined by their twitchy combat and action, like roguelike sensation Hades. Still, Loop Hero's passive gameplay has proven to be irresistibly alluring.
Why Is Loop Hero So Addictive?
It's nearly impossible to deny another round of Loop Hero because Four Quarters has fused the gameplay loops of RPGs, simulators, strategy titles, and roguelites into a single experience. Every round requires players to pick and choose combinations of cards they've found to change the obstacles, enemies, and loot the main character encounters during each run. Every cycle can play out entirely different from the last. Users can decide to stay in an area to potentially beat the game or move to a whole new environment with greater dangers but more rewards.
Every minute of Loop Hero's gameplay nudges players to improve their luck or come up with a new strategy to progress farther through the story. Its deck-building system ensures that players want to improve their campsite and gain access to a previously inaccessible card that could completely change their next run even after a round is over. Loop Hero has essentially consolidated the addictive gameplay loops of various game genres into a single title, making it fresh and wonderfully diverse next to the countless roguelites and roguelikes that have recently been released. Naturally, gamers haven't been able to put it down.