PLATFORM: PC, SWITCH (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

One for fans of quirky roguelikes, Ninja or Die is based around a novel idea that involves both traversing levels and attacking enemies by doing little other than jumping – just set your trajectory with the left stick, then press the action button to leap in the desired direction. Your ninja can jump from floors or walls, but plenty of enemies – often (by design or by accident) hidden in the background make things more difficult than it sounds. Luckily, you’re able to avoid attacks by bounding out of the way at the last moment, and enemies show up on a minimap so you’re given warning that danger is approaching (even if you can’t always immediately see it).

Each mission is divided into levels which ask you to meet certain objectives (kill all the enemies, find a specific item, that sort of thing) before reaching the exit door. You’ll pick up tons of items along the way, some of which can be equipped to boost your attributes while others are used as projectile weapons. Being a roguelike, you’re sent back to the very beginning of the game when you die, but any coins that you collect can be used to help make future attempts a bit easier. When you head back to town, either between missions or after dying, you can either deposit your cash so that you won’t lose too much if (or more likely when) you die, or spend it on upgrading your abilities or even the town itself. Any villagers that you rescue can be put to good use by upgrading the facilities to unlock increasingly effective skills, constantly giving you things to work towards and spend your hard-earned cash on.

With its chunky almost Game Boy Color-esque pixel art and eye-catching take on Japanese folklore, Ninja or Die is a simple but effective game with a unique idea that works pretty well. It might not keep you going for hours and hours, but certainly entertains while it lasts!