New release Loot River is now on Game Pass, and aims to stand out from the roguelike pile with a unique block shifting mechanic that resembles an unlikely Bloodborne and Tetris mash up. The top-down dungeon crawling game sees players explore a series of procedurally generated labyrinths made up of small chunks of land, which can be slid around the screen to reshape the environment and traverse the landscape. Of course there is plenty of the titular loot to discover along the way too - as players with Game Pass can now experience, with the game arriving on Microsoft's subscription service.
Loot River, created by Slovakian developer Straka Studio and published by the Superhot Presents fund, promises frantic action with a rather distinct Tetris-inspired twist thanks to its shifting environments. By sliding the chunks around the screen, players can outmanoeuvre enemy groups and deftly jump in and out of combat. Most of the fighting on show is melee-focused, although the trailer does feature some rather deadly-looking ranged attacks as well.
The game's launch trailer showcases several such moves in action, with certain stretches requiring careful sequential movement of several blocks to progress in a manner reminiscent of traffic jam inspired sliding block puzzle Rush Hour - only featuring a number of hostile creatures out for your blood as you slide the landscape around. Another sequence shows the player rushing to slide their way across a lake as they are chased by a horde of shadowy claws stretching out from one side of the screen.
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Gory Tetris roguelike Loot River now has a demo
Dark Souls and Tetris combine in the action-packed Loot River