PAX East 2022: Power Chord Might Just Turn Me Into a Roguelike Convert

I don’t like roguelikes. I’ve never been able to get into them, and I just can’t figure out why most people go nuts for them. By all conceivable metrics, however, it’s one of the most popular indie game genres out there – and has been for quite some time.

All of the above was true, however, until I encountered Power Chord earlier this afternoon.

Power Chord is the latest offering from Big Blue Bubble that invites players to “assemble Earth’s mightiest musicians” and battle their way through legions of demons that are invading our world. It employs turn-based card battling mechanics, an art style reminiscent of D&D-meets-Borderlands (I could’ve said “Wonderlands” there probably but you know what I mean), and some pretty banging original soundtracks to pull the whole package together.

The demo I was invited to play through (available on Steam right now) had me select my party – a tank, healer, and two damage dealers in the form of a vocalist, bassist, drummer, and guitarist. The character flavor was incredible, from a plate-clad knight of a drummer to a kilted barbarian playing lead guitar. The combat was super fluid, and the concepts and functions for each “card” ability was flavorful and entertaining.

I was assured by the guys at Big Blue Bubble (you’ve probably heard of them via their flagship title, My Singing Monsters) that more content, characters, and story is to come once the game is fully released later this summer.

Keep an eye out if you’re a fan of games like Slay the Spire, Rock Band, or other roguelikes.