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0 I’m checking out a new post-apocalyptic rogue-lite, turn-based RPG developed by SneakyBox. Though Days of Doom was on mobile to begin with. Thanks to Atari‘s help, the developers could launch their game to a larger audience. The game is available now on Steam, Playstation, and Xbox for £24.99 and £26.99 on Switch.
Days of Doom, Weeks of Struggle.
Days of Dooms is set in a post-apocalyptic world where every day might be your last. There is a legend of a safe haven known as Sanctuary for those brave enough to make the trip. The player will manage supplies and make decisions during their travel. Are you able to find Sanctuary?
Gameplay
The rogue-lite elements in Days of Dooms look similar to Slay The Spire. The player will have a map showing them various icons, and at the end is a boss fight. The main icon used is a sword. In these spots, the player will battle against enemies. The other icons are a blue vial for the trader and a green tent for survivors to heal.
There’s also a purple question mark space, and when the player selects them, they work similarly to those in Slay The Spire. When chosen, a small text appears and a couple of choices. These choices will provide the player with gifts or cause harm to their survivors, so it’s best to take caution.
The Combat
The turn-based combat in Days of Doom works like other turn-based games. The fights start with the player placing their survivors anywhere in the white highlighted squares. Once they have set up their team, the round will begin with the character with the highest speed stat. All actions in the game will use AP (Action Points) when walking, which will take up a single AP and offer a chance to attack. The skills of characters, when used, will go on cooldown for a couple of turns before being used again.
The map usually places some barrels on the field for the player to use. These barrels, when hit, offer various effects for you to take advantage of. For example, shooting a gas canister will release a green gas that not only poisons, but when ignited with fire, will cause explosive damage too.
Selecting Survivors
The game takes place over multiple runs. Before the run starts, the player must select a small team of three to venture out. Each survivor has their own unique skills and stats, and choosing the right ones can drastically improve your odds. The Fighter can tank damage while the Gunslinger fires from a range. The skills of some characters are helpful when trying to get out of a pinch, such as the Priestess, who can activate a shield around herself or an ally that negates damage.
The player can unlock additional survivors in the game. Though Days of Doom only allows a team of three, more ally slots are added via upgrades to the shelter or finding a survivor through an encounter. The survivors can also equip gear that is rewarded, found or bought. The gear comes in two types Trinkets and Consumables.
Prepping Your Survivor’s
The Consumables in Days of Doom usually consist of standard items, such as Grenades, Bandages, Mines, and Molotovs. The items are a one-time use, so it’s best to use them wisely. Trinkets found offer survivors passive buffs that will aid them in combat. For example, one might increase the character’s speed, allowing them to go first. Then other Trinkets work like a double-edged sword, offering a buff with a drawback, such as more damage, but the survivor loses one square of movement.
All the equipment in the game seems to have some colour rarity, though I haven’t seen this impact the gameplay in any way. The Trinkets do work better for certain characters than others. I found that most Trinkets which provide higher defence or increased health were best suited for the Fighter or Colossus.
Upgrading The Shelter
Once a run has ended, the player accumulates Renown. The Renown is the only thing kept between runs and is used to upgrade the settlement for extra bonuses. The bonuses will help by giving the player more scrap for spending or allowing your party numbers to increase. It does become a bit tedious, with some upgrades costing a thousand.
While on the road and you decide to visit a trader, they will offer various useful items. To buy these items, you’ll need to use scraps and rations; luckily, encounters and winning battles provide these. The items range from Trinkets, Consumables, resources, and new characters. The characters bought don’t become permanently unlocked.
Graphics & Audio
I love the art style of Days Of Doom. The art style is reminiscent of the old turn-based plants vs zombies game and feels nostalgic to me with the cartoony, almost comic book art style. According to the Steam page, the art is hand-drawn, and I say that it has done the game’s visuals justice.
The music, an original orchestral soundtrack by Jelle Dittmar, is stellar. I love some of the choiring mixed with thundering drums and electric guitar. Bell chimes with violin or the lazy twangs of a banjo. It fits the post-apocalyptic bill and reminds me of music you would hear in other zombie-centric media. The entire game’s visuals and soundtrack give me an incredibly nostalgic feeling from the era of zombie games and TV shows in the best way.
Longevity
The runs in Days of Doom can take nearly an hour and a half, depending on how good the run has been. I never made it to Sanctuary, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying. There are buildings for the player to upgrade that can take some time, and there’s an achievement for getting all characters to Sancutary.
Final Thoughts
Days of Doom is fun for such a small game; I don’t feel I could play it for hours at a time. The overall combat is equally enjoyable and easy to learn, thanks to the skill descriptions explaining how they work pretty well. I think the Bagbile zombie is the most annoying enemy in the game. It has a lot of health, hits hard and can use an AoE move that covers a large area. This would lead to my team dying needlessly due to not killing it quickly, and when there were two, it was more annoying. It would be nice if there were more help when trying to heal, as the game doesn’t offer health items much. The bosses in the game are okay, but nothing to write home about; I was confused that there isn’t a boss at the end of each stage. I did download Days of Doom on my Steam Deck, and apart from the small text, it ran really well.
Days of Doom is an okay game, but I think Slay The Spire would be a better choice if you’re looking for something like this. This is why I’m giving Days of Doom the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
If you enjoyed this review then why not check out Stu’s VR review on Requisition VR
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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