Erosion is a voxel twin-stick shooter roguelike with emergent gameplay systems centered on its time mechanic. I got to spend 30 minutes with the game and talk to a developer from Plot Twist about the game, and I left eager to get another run in.
Erosion is about a farmer trying to save his daughter from a mysterious Pillar that warps reality around it. This is where the roguelike gameplay comes in, as you complete runs into this dungeon, aiming to defeat a boss at the end of three floors. Their floors are packed with enemies that you have to battle through with an ever-evolving weapon.
You get a gun–revolvers, machine guns, lasers, you name it–that quickly, more as you pick up modifiers. These can be simple, like increasing range, but also have more powerful effects like building skill stacks to increase damage or bouncing to other enemies. They can also be upgraded with different ammo types. I got electric rounds with a laser, causing my beam to bounce electricity between enemies, quickly clearing out rooms.
The dungeon concludes with a boss fight, all of which are based on classic arcade games, I was told. The boss I faced was a giant snake that grew in length, based on Snake, the game. The battle was tough, but dying took me to the upper world, where the time mechanic became clear.
The overworld is filled with side quests and areas to explore. I found a group of chicken cultists, who asked me to clear out a nearby settlement so they could take it over. After checking with the town merchant, I decided the best course of action was to clear out the cultists instead, saving the town.
Or so I thought. When you die three times in Erosion, the game jumps forward a decade. Not only does the farmer’s daughter get older, but the overworld changes as well. The town I thought I saved from cultists was instead taken over by the greedy merchant and was now exclusively populated by his goons. This time system affects the overworld, which in turn affects the types of equipment and bonuses you get as you improve between runs.
This evolving world and the ways it affects Erosion’s roguelike structure are enticing to me as someone who plays a lot of games with this structure. Further, the twin-stick shooting has a precision I loved, and the combat quickly gets chaotic, creating an exciting battle every time I encounter enemies. I’m excited for the full release of Erosion and hope the full experience can keep up the dynamic excitement.
Erosion is set for 2027 and can be wishlisted on Steam.
