Die or Die Preview
Talk about changing things up. Indie developer Ao Norte is known for releasing Tiny Garden, a colorful and exceedingly chill puzzle and farming sim. Die or Die is Ao Norte’s latest project, and it’s absolutely nothing like Tiny Garden. Die or Die is a fast-paced, violent, top-down twin-stick shooter roguelike with a wicked sense of humor and a couple very interesting mechanics.
Crazy Taxi
Here’s the setup: you play as Lil’ Demon, a tired taxi driver with anger management issues, desperately in need of a seaside vacation. So you abandon your taxi and start hoofing towards the beach. The problem is, your father owns the taxi company. He’s a big boss demon and puts out an APB for anyone and everyone to stop you from reaching your destination. It’s a goofy premise that allows for all sorts of humor, monster enemies, and — we’re guessing — a certain paternal showdown at the end.
If you’re a fan of indie cartoons that value color and bizarre juxtapositions, you’ll enjoy the game’s hand-drawn, top-down 2D art style, inspired by cartoons like Ren and Stimpy, Aaahh! Real Monsters and Cow and Chicken. Of course, things move so fast there’s not always time to appreciate the little touches and jokes.
The game’s mechanics are pretty simple. There are five big worlds, divided into small, bite-sized levels. After each level, you have some choices before moving on. Death conditions change but when you die you start all over. Die or Die is one of those roguelikes where there are no permanent upgrades or carry-over gear. However, stuff you find or unlock in one run might appear again. Although the worlds and stages are fixed, just about everything else is randomized. This includes enemies and their placement, items and environmental hazards. Runs can be very different from one another.
What a Bummer, Man
So far, Die or Die sounds a lot like many other roguelikes. Where it steps away from the crowd is in its dice roll and bummer systems. Players earn dice during each run, either by finishing a level, finding dice along the way or completing Contracts (challenges). After a level, you roll you collected dice and you can spend the value in a couple of ways. First, you can upgrade your weapons for the next run, or buy new weapons once unlocked. Second, you can spend the points to clear Bummers. Bummers are randomized modifiers that make each run a little more difficult in some way.
This means you need to choose between better gear, or getting rid of a Bummer. Bummers are pretty inventive distortions of the world like flipping it upside down or adding a grain filter, making it hard to see. Some Bummers add hazards to the world; others give enemies special attacks. Finally, there are Bummers that mess with your dice.
Die or Die is fast, frenetic and there are usually many enemy types crammed into the small levels. Being a twin-stick shooter, controls are simple, but that doesn’t translate to easy. This can be a wickedly challenging little game. Like all roguelikes, the first few runs are typically over too soon until you start unlocking better weapons or gear.
On the Radar
I haven’t played the full game, but what I’ve seen is entertaining and encouraging. A silly plot, lots of humor and some clever mechanics help Die or Die stand out in a crowded roguelike field. It’s quite the pivot from Tiny Garden, but Ao Norte and Die or Die seem to be on track for a strong full game release in 2027.
***PC code provided for preview***
