Goblin Stone released almost a month ago, but we haven’t written about it yet, and it feels like you should know about it. It’s a turn-based RPG, it’s a roguelike with permadeath, it’s got XCOM-style base-building, its got card-based combat; it is extremely your sort of thing, if you’re the exact statistical average of Rock Paper Shotgun readers.
Set in a world where goblins have been hunted to near-extinction, you lead a merry band as they fight back against elves, dwarves and, naturally, humans. Combat is turn-based with moves made using cards, Slay The Spire-style, but in between adventures and battles you’re expanding your underground base, advancing through various RPG skill trees, equipping your goblins with weapons and items, and even breeding your goblins to pass down particular desireable traits.
That’s where the permadeath comes in, as your goblins – who you can name, equip, level – will die gloriously in battle, XCOM-style, and are gone for good, thus denying you the opportunity to pass down their genes.
Since its release on March 12th, Goblin Stone has received patches to fix bugs and several balance changes. It still, at the time of writing, has ‘mixed reviews on Steam, with the negative reviews citing bugs as one of the main issues.
Still, I want to play it myself and shall when I find a free moment, and think you ought to know about it, too. Tell me if you’ve already played it and think it’s worth my time.