One thing I can always count on at PAX is that Versus Evil booth will have a diverse roster of games on display. Last year I got to experience the delightful League of Dungeoneering and the apocalyptic Skyshine’s Bedlam, both of which I enjoyed greatly for different reasons. This year I also took on a duo of titles. First up today is Antihero, developed by Tim Conkling.
Antihero is set in a gas-lit underworld where the only way to the top is by thieving, murdering and cheating your way to victory. As such, it won’t surprise anybody that the characters in Antihero are all thieves, hooligans, shysters and assassins. Think of it as Oliver Twist as a tactics game. The demo I played at PAX was pretty focused on teaching you the ins and outs of successful theft, but it did allow you some room to try things out. Every round your Master Thief can scout out areas, claim buildings and generally build an army. You need to make sure you claim several properties that can produce Coins and Lanterns every turn. Coins are used to recruit new units, while Lanterns are used to upgrade your skills and unlock new options.
In the demo, by achieving 3 victory points, you would win a map. It quickly became apparent that there are multiple ways to skin that particular cat, as you can bribe officials, murder prominent personages and even more. Antihero is shaping up to be a rousing little tactical adventure, and I look forward to getting my hands on the finalized version. Also of note is that the game will support asynchronous multiplayer as well as the challenging single player campaign. Antihero is slated to release on PC and mobile sometime later this year.
