Ever wanted to run around as an old man while you manage your own city and take part in turn-based rogue-lite combat? Well, you can now! Aptly named DotAGE to poke fun at the old protagonist, you play as the village elder who is tasked to protect the city from the oncoming Apocalypse. After having a vision of the future, you decide to take the villagers (called Pips) to a brand-new valley of hope.

Interested in playing DotAGE? Visit the game’s official Steam page where you can purchase the game or try out the demo!

DotAGE is Like a City-Building Board Game!

The city-building aspect focuses on board game-inspired mechanics as you build up your village from scratch. You need to assign the Elder’s workers to certain tasks such as farming, forging, and more. The more workers you have, the better!

As time goes on, and your production increases, you’ll have tons of resources on hand. My favourite part about this feature is the fact that all of this is uniquely turn-based. It means you have to think strategically about what to prioritise in your village to maintain peace and survival.

How DotAGE Utilises Rogue-lite Elements

Like with other rogue-lite games, no two runs are the same. There are 200+ buildings to discover, as well as 70 resources and 30 professions in total. Each run will unlock new content, encouraging you to participate in trial and error.

Don’t be fooled though, while village life seems relaxing, danger lurks around the corner. Domains will attack the village with a wide variety of events – good and bad. This is where you, the village elder, need to make sure your people and buildings are prepared to ensure safety.

Made By a Sole Indie Developer

Plus, the game is pretty darn cute, with a charming pixelated art style and animations. I also love the soundtrack and was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the medieval-style music is actually taken from the Montpellier Codex and rearranged by the talented Luigi di Guida.

I can’t finish this article without mentioning that DotAGE was made by a sole developer named Michele Pirovano over the course of 9 years – and that’s reason enough to try out this labour of love.