When selecting the best games for the Top Ten Games of PAX West 2022 a while ago, the standout from Brace Yourself Games' booth was Rift of the NecroDancer, a new spin on Crypt of the NecroDancer that saw a heavier focus on rhythm gameplay as you slay monsters in a Guitar Hero-esque setup, striking them on the beat while figuring out their patterns on the fly, then went to engage in neat yoga mini-games in the new real-world setting, before facing off in a Punch-Out-style battle against one of the bosses, having to expertly dodge and strike on the beat while learning their patterns as well, making sure to use the right attacks to finish them off. It was simple yet creative, and most importantly, fun, hence why it earned a spot among the best.

While Rift of the NecroDancer was clearly the star of Brace Yourself's most recent showcase, however, it ended up beating out some rather stiff competition for the list, that being the turn-based strategy game Godless from developer Danil Kalyupa (previously-shown games Phantom Brigade and Industries of Titan were there too, though, but while still looking impressive, this writer didn't have any time to check them out further), which is the first game to be published under the new Brace Yourself Publishing label. Playing as a god, your goal is simple: wipe out as much of humankind as possible. Sounds easy! Okay, to clarify further, you're a sole survive god due to the fact that those pesky mortals have been killing off the rest of your kind, so you might be a wee bit justified in wanting revenge on the god-killers.

At the beginning of each randomly-generated battlefield that you'll travel to in this roguelike bit of strategy, the first thing you'll do is plop down a shrine, which will end your current run if it gets destroyed. This means that you have to take terrain into consideration, making sure enemies on the hexagonal grid have a tricky time making their way to it. Being a god, however, you can command the land to your will with the right tools, terraforming the land to include the likes of healing forests, life-draining swamps and much more. Each bit of terrain adds a new layer of strategy, however, as they can potentially hinder you or help your enemy if placed poorly, since their abilities affect both sides.

The biggest twist when it comes to strategy in Godless, though, is in commanding your units. Namely, the fact that you don't command them. Oh sure, you can place them virtually anywhere you want on the battlefield, but one you do, their behavior, namely where they move and who they attack, is up to them. You have to figure out how to properly read their behavior in order to place them properly or help out their path. Typically, your units will seek out the nearest enemy, while enemies will make a beeline for the shrine. And on top of that, you have to deal with multiple waves of enemies each time, adding nice little extra layer of challenge.

Once you've progressed enough, it's time for the boss, and like any roguelike, this is where all the new spells and buffs you've either purchased or earned in between battles pay off. The boss of my demo was rather imposing at first, but like any good roguelike or strategy game, it all came out to figuring out the right combo in order to take them down. In this case, by placing a certain unit on a nearby swamp, they would die instantly, allowing their ability to kick in and weaken the power of the boss next to them. The shrine took a bit of a beating, but with enough patience and a few tricks, I had reduced the boss' power down to zero; They could wail on the shrine they wanted, but not damage it a bit, and their obsession with it meant my army could just wail on them in return until they were dead.

And with that, one continent was down. There was still a lot to go, however, complete with other mechanics like element combination and the consequences of paring humans that I had yet to get to. But if the rest of the game has more battles as the ones I has experienced, then Godless has a shot at becoming a stellar strategy game, so here's to seeing more of it when it arrives for the PC in Early Access this November.