Warriors of the Nile

Warriors of the Nile is a turn-based tactical roguelite developed by a two-person team in China, priced reasonably at around $13 USD. Players control a trio of heroes—a warrior, hunter, and mage—battling through grids with strategic positioning and upgrades. The game features a progression system with passive "tablets," equipment, and "carvings" that enhance characters during runs, complemented by meta-progression through building upgrades unlocking more options. While the gameplay loop is enjoyable and fast-paced, balancing issues and RNG heavily influence success, sometimes making runs feel unfairly difficult or easy. The game includes multiple difficulty tiers, character variants, and a hard mode that unlocks after beating the main game. It offers solid replay value, especially for fans of turn-based tactics and roguelites, though some players note repetitive maps and limited strategic depth. Localization and UI have minor flaws but do not detract significantly from the experience. Overall, it is a commendable indie title with room for improvement but good value for its price.

Highlights

Players praise Warriors of the Nile for its engaging turn-based tactical combat and fast-paced battles that focus purely on strategy without unnecessary downtime. The upgrade system with tablets, equipment, and carvings allows for varied builds and strategic depth. The Egyptian-themed art style is well-received for its minimalistic yet appealing design. The meta-progression system adds replayability, unlocking new characters, variants, and harder difficulty levels. Fans of similar games like Into the Breach and Slay the Spire enjoy the blend of roguelite elements with tactical gameplay. The game’s difficulty curve and multiple hard modes provide a satisfying challenge for strategy enthusiasts. Overall, the core gameplay loop and variety of upgrades keep players coming back for more.

Criticisms

Common criticisms include imbalance among the three hero classes, with the warrior often overshadowing the hunter and mage. The game’s heavy reliance on RNG for upgrade drops can lead to frustrating runs where players feel powerless without the right items. Some find the tactical depth limited due to small maps, few characters, and repetitive encounter design. The difficulty scaling is uneven, with early bosses sometimes harder than later ones, and hard mode requiring repetitive builds to succeed. Localization issues and untranslated or poorly fitting text boxes detract slightly from the polish. Several players note a lack of content variety and depth, making the experience feel repetitive after multiple runs. Overall, the game could benefit from better balancing, deeper tactics, and more varied content.