New Steam demo introduces clerics and rogues
The existence ofKnights In Tight Spaces, sequel toFights In Tight Spaces, implies the existence of an unknown quantity or perhaps, aninfinityof follow-up games that rhyme with both of those. Frights In Tight Spaces is the obvious horror spin-off. Sleights In Tight Spaces would be an urban pick-pocketing sim. Fights In Trite Spaces is about arguing with people on social media. Ah, you could spend a whole article, indeed, a series of articles, just fleshing out the iterations. Fortunately, Knights In Tight Spaces has a new demo to distract me.
I didn’t play the original much so can’t draw any granular comparisons, but the basics appear pretty much the same. It’s a turn and grid-based tactical puzzler (hey, I thought people hadgiven up making those?) in which you defeat superior enemy numbers by means of varied ability cards (there are over 300 to unlock), smart positioning and cunning terrain effects. Simply going bevor-to-bevor with opponents won’t cut the mustard; you must delicately work the crowd like you’re setting up dominoes with chopsticks, tricking enemies into bopping their friends and other such comickal shenanigans.
The difference is that this time round, you start with a party of character classes, such as archers and mages. Each has the skillset you’d approximately suspect from the name. This boisterously shoves the game a few grid squares in the direction of non-puzzle tacticsRPGs. There’s more opportunity to batter enemies unscientifically, if you think you have the stats for it. But it’s still more of a puzzler than an attritional exchange of blows/fireballs, and the newly party-led approach suits the choice of a medieval fantasy premise.
“Weirdly, the thing that felt most underdeveloped was the setting,” Jai Singh Bains wrote inour review of the first game. “As integral to the game as it is, there’s not really a story”. It feels like they’ve tried to address that. Beyond the battles, you’ll pick paths through an overworld, undertaking primary and secondary quests and clicking through some sparse but colourful dialogue. They’ve also plumped up the art direction - it’s grittier and slashier of texture than the previous game’s spy thriller whitebox, while still offering up a world of sharp outlines and stark colours.
