“That’s not a minotaur, that’s just a guy with horns,” yells one of the YouTube commenters on the reveal trailer of Minos. They might be right with their Monty Python-esque accusation, but regardless of how much the maze-building roguelike and its developers Artificer have put the cat amongst the Greek mythology-loving pigeons, the demo that’s currently out for it is good fun.
Announced over the weekend by the devs of Sumerian Six and Showgunners, the premise of Minos is simple, but effective. You play as famed labyrinth architect Daedalus and his pet, the horny guy/minotaur Asterion. Hordes of plucky adventurers with various combat styles wish to slay Asterion, and the only things standing in the way of their waves are squares of maze which you can use your prep time to rearrange and line with sneaky traps.
‘Oh, so it’s like Dungeon Keeper?’ said Edwin upon listening to that explanation in this morning’s meeting of the RPS hivemind. Yes, probably, I answered, going slightly red at the mention of yet another classic game I’ve yet to get around to playing for myself. Regardless of my dungeon keeping credentials, I enjoyed my dip into the demo for the currently release dateless Minos.
You start off by selecting a chamber in the labyrinth, which you’ll have to defend against three or four waves of would-be-slayers with different fighting styles. The first wave enters the maze from one direction, and must be given a route to Asterion’s lair within. Naturally, you’ll want to rearrange walls and break through dirt blockages to send them the long way, having stuffed the route you’re channeling them down full of as many lethal traps and twists as possible. Asterion can fight, but the game’s very clear that it wants you to do the lion’s share of your killing with traps, leaving the relatively vulnerable beast simply to clean up any stragglers.
The traps are suitably Tom and Jerry in nature, a collection of implements that wouldn’t look out of place in Wile E Coyote’s bottomless bag of ACME tricks. There’s a satisfying ping to each backbiter floor panel that can only wipe out the last shuffler in a group. Flame traps crackle and trigger screams from the sizzling soldiers who wander on along their path, gradually burning to death. Balliste snipe sorry souls on sight. Lures are mounted in dead ends rather than on the designated mounting spots other traps have to be placed on, and will cleave through warriors who’re attracted into straying from the beaten path. There are spikes, saws, Medusa heads and all manner of other day-ruiners waiting in the wings that I haven’t had a chance to try yet.
As you progress in a run, typical roguelikery occurs. Mazes get more complex to modify, new variants of adventurer with different strengths and weaknesses join the hunt, and you delve ever deeper into the labyrinth. If Asterion falls, you’ll be rocketed back to square one minus some resources, but having progressed towards upgrades that switch things up by unlocking the likes of new traps and upgrades to the minotaur.
I’ve yet to really get into the upgrading woods, but it all works well thus far. Minos does seem a fair bit drier and lacking in unique character compared to felllow Greek mythology-tinged roguelike Hades, but that’s not necessarily an issue, more just an observation that stuck out to me having recently played a bunch of Hades 2.
I’d say the demo’s certainly worth giving a try, and you can find both it and the wishlist button on Minos’ Steam page, if you’re so inclined. Say hello to the guy with horns on my behalf.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
