Windblown is a multiplayer roguelike that’s worth playing with friends

I confess: I am a rampant bagel uninstaller.

I almost always reach a point in games like Balatro, Dead cellsor Hades when, watching my game ball, I feel the need to get rid of the temptation to play the game. Roguelikes almost by definition have an addictive structure, which reviewers often describe as a “just one more run” feeling where the player feels compelled to start the cycle again (and again, and – you get the idea). Another common phrase you’ll hear is the idea that you’ve “lost time” to the game, as if the game tricked you into giving it more of your life than you were consciously willing to give. For me, this kind of compulsive gaming leads to something I’ve come to call “roguelike horror,” or the feeling that I really need to get away from the potentially endless game so it doesn’t completely take over my life. That’s usually when I delete it.

Now it’s clear that this is my problem. There are undoubtedly people who have better impulse control, and there are undoubtedly people for whom the feeling of “losing” time in a game is experienced not as fear, but as joy. (Endless gameplay for 20-30 bucks? This is theft.) However, a quick Google search reveals that I’m not alone in my experience of fear of bagels, the feeling that these games are so addicting that they consume everything. So, my fellow roguelike uninstallers, I’m here to tell you:

Download by the wind – it’s so good.

windsweptnewest game from Dead cells developer Motion Twin, was released in early access at the end of October. Exchange side-scrolling and pixel art atmosphere Dead cells for a walk from top to bottom along the heavenly islands in the shadow of the villages, windswept it manages to simultaneously feel distinct from Motion Twin’s latest work and congenial enough to easily fall into its loop. At its core, the game is quite challenging and even in Early Access already offers significant meta progression unlocks to keep each playthrough fresh. Combat is the name of the game here, with a new emphasis on chaining different attacks together for maximum damage. The soundtrack is catchy as hell, equal parts synth and rock, with a vocal track that always gives me a buzz when it comes on. Even in what appears to be a very early build, design-wise, windswept clearly has everything you need to keep you playing for days, months and years on end.

However, it’s time for another confession: I don’t like playing roguelikes in Early Access. The reason is probably obvious, given everything I’ve already written. I know myself and I know that I get burnt out on these types of games, so I don’t want to waste time on something unfinished for fear of thinking that I won’t want to come back to it when it reaches version 1.0. . I put Hades 2 earlier this year for exactly this reason. Everything in me wanted to keep moving forward, but whenever I saw a placeholder or read a game balance change log, I felt this nagging feeling that I should save my stamina for when the game was “finished.” Roguelike horror is inevitable for me, so I decided it was best to wait until at least version 1.0 of the game, if not later.

windswept may be a great single-player experience, but as the game’s marketing will readily tell you, that’s definitely not what the game is about. windswept. The point is co-op for two or three players. The point is to team up with a friend or two to tackle the game’s incredible challenge. The point is to waste time together. So once again to my fellow bagel removers, I’m here to tell you:

No, seriously – windsweptcome on, that’s great.

Here’s the thing: by the wind This isn’t the first multiplayer roguelike. Not at all. Somewhere out there Risk of rain 2 The player is pulling his hair out reading this, and if so, please stop. I see you and respect you. Even The Binding of IsaacAfter all these years, they just added online co-op. I’m not here to say that by the wind is the first and not even the best multiplayer roguelike. I’m here to declare that it was my the first multiplayer roguelike, and so came the revelation: the answer to fear in the roguelike is other people.

Usually, when playing a roguelike, I start asking myself questions like: “Is this really a waste of my time?” or “Are there other games I’d rather play right now?” More generally, I may begin to feel a growing sense that I am spending too much time on one thing. Indeed, I get the same feeling when I play. windswept as a single player game. This is a roguelike, after all, and I’ve already laid out my personal mental roadblocks when it comes to the genre. Any loop, no matter how pleasant, eventually gives way to the feeling I want from it. Unless it turns out that I’m not the only one in the know.

I won’t extol the joys of multiplayer gaming to an audience versed in such things, but I will say this: I found it comical how quickly and how completely my worries about “wasting time” or feeling addicted to roguelikes dissipated when this was something I shared with a close friend. I immediately stopped caring if this early build would feel incomplete compared to version 1.0. All I cared about was chatting about our workdays and strategizing about who would pick up which item and when. Suddenly, time spent playing games felt more like an interpersonal investment rather than a personal enjoyment. Why do we care if the game changes tomorrow? Time spent together will be worth it no matter how many digits appear after the preview number. The game was not only a random number generator, but also a social tool, and that made it even richer.

For me it’s a game by the wind was a good reminder for me to open up my gaming experience to other people. The world can feel lonely and cruel sometimes, and so can bagels. But when you walk the path with other people, success seems closer. Or if not success, then at least a valiant effort that you can laugh about together. Even failure feels better when you have someone else there to pick you up again.

Even as a rampant roguelike uninstaller, I still haven’t uninstalled windswept. In fact, I don’t feel obligated to do this in the slightest. Instead, I’m looking forward to the next update and checking it out with a friend to see what new obstacles we can overcome together. My experience lacks fear, replaced by a sense of shared possibility.

windswept released on October 24th in early access on Windows PC. The game was played using a download code purchased by the author. Vox Media has partnerships. They do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. More information about Polygon’s ethical policies can be found here.