There was a point playing Footgun: Underground where I both accepted I liked it but also that getting good at it would require more time than I’d want to put into a demo. The full release, well, that’s a different story.

Any frame of this game out of context could be a side-scrolling roguelike if you see the player character pull a sword off his back. However, instead of imagining that instead of a sword, arrow, or spear, what have you? You have a soccer ball. And this ball can and will damage the monsters you face in the dungeon. Getting powers up as the levels continue and deeper into the dungeon will earn you additional balls to bring into each stage and power-up as well. These can enhance your balls to redirect them instead of hitting walls, grow larger when kicked and more.

As simple as the core premise of ‘roguelike dungeon crawler with small stages and the player uses a soccer ball’ may be, mastering how to kick the ball, just like in real life, requires some patience and practice. You can’t just aim up at the flying enemy; you’ve got to kick the ball on the bounce, and you can’t catch or use your hands. Sometimes, a strong kick is needed; other times, you may need to tap it to the side to collect after dodging some enemy’s attacks. 

There’s quickly a lot going on in Footgun: Underground, and playing it; I felt the pull of “just one more attempt.” Which is the sign of a good roguelike.

You can check out the demo for yourself now by heading over to the game’s Steam Page.