Looper Tactics aims to combine turn-based strategy and roguelike mechanics, providing an interesting twist on traditional deck building. The core gameplay revolves around navigating a tile-based map, strategically moving your hero across various terrains and encountering both friend and foe. The procedurally generated world every run ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and unpredictable. Throughout the game, you will have encounters with various friendly or neutral beings, many of whom offer you a choice between different bonuses and items to purchase, such as new cards, minions, power-ups, or upgrades.
Encounters with enemies initiate turn-based strategic card battles. The combat system is straightforward. Player cards will attack the enemy card in front of them on the table, taking into account their offensive and defensive stats. If there is no opposing card present, such as when the spot is empty or the opposing card has been defeated, attacks will directly target the opposing hero unit.
At the end of each turn, both heroes inevitably attack each other. The complexity and game-changing factors on the other hand comes from the properties of the individual cards, which determine how the cards respond and impact the battle. For instance, some cards have additional attacks against adjacent cards, while others provide additional health points to neighboring cards. There are even cards with a "revenge" trait, which means that upon dying, they deal a final blow to hostile cards. The ultimate objective is to deplete the health points of the enemy heroes.
As part of the roguelike experience, Looper Tactics ensures that each playthrough is unique, with the procedurally generated world offering fresh challenges and surprises. As players progress through the game, they unlock new cards, minions, and power-ups, allowing for greater customization and strategic depth in subsequent playthroughs. This sense of progression and growth incentivizes multiple replays, as players strive to build more powerful and versatile decks.