Many game developers have tried to copy the success of LocalThunk’s popular roguelike poker game, Balatro. Some do not understand why Balatro is fun, while others act unethically. However, Combolands: Roguelike Citybuilder from Crux Games is different. It combines the best features of Balatro with strategic city-building elements, making it engaging and rewarding.
In city builders, players get rewards for placing buildings thoughtfully. In Combolands, adjacency bonuses, which increase production when buildings are near each other, are very important. Players start on a randomly generated island and have eight weeks to grow their population by placing resources like hunter’s huts and apiaries.
As populations grow, new buildings become available, requiring changes to players’ strategies. Some buildings help production or speed up effects but can be tricky to incorporate into combo chains, which are vital for success.
Players can expect to lose often, but this helps them discover new opportunities. During each run, players choose guilds that affect the kinds of buildings they can access. The demo hints at diverse strategies, with a full release planned for 24 August on Steam.
