Shogun Showdown

In Shogun Showdown, every decision is a duel, and hesitation gets you killed.

Set on a claustrophobic row of tiles that feels more gladiator pit than battlefield, this lean, mean, turn-based roguelike strips the genre to its bones and sharpens what’s left into a deadly, methodical dance of strategy. You move. They move. You strike. They counter. You miscalculate? You die, stylishly.

You begin each run with a small deck of attack cards: daggers, bows, maybe a grappling hook if you’re lucky. These abilities aren’t just weapons, they’re puzzle pieces. Everything in Shogun Showdown revolves around movement and timing. One card sends you flying across the map, another switches places with an enemy, and a third pushes a foe into their friend’s waiting blade. The coolest combos? Often improvised mid-fight, born out of desperation and delight in equal measure.

Combat lands with a satisfying crunch, every kill a miniature climax. And thanks to smart cooldowns, limited space, and enemies that broadcast their next moves, fights are as much about foresight as firepower. It’s like playing chess with a sword, and losing still feels fun.

There’s a story in here, something about killing a corrupted Shogun, but honestly, who cares? The focus is the fight, and the fight is phenomenal. Beautiful pixel art, rich with feudal Japanese flair, makes every skirmish look like a painted scroll soaked in blood and strategy.

Shogun Showdown doesn’t reinvent the roguelike wheel, it simply reforges it, sharper and smarter. A gem of a game.