A turn-based tactical roguelite, Ex Sanguis carves out its own space in the genre like a mason's chisel. As it gears up for its early access release on Steam (with a planned console release somewhere down the line), the game is already looking great. The vivid scalets and bottomless blacks of Ex Sanguis will look familiar to anyone who led the Daughters to war in Othercide. Given how dramatic and memorable a look it is, it's easy to be excited for the return. Red devil horns, gnarled staves, and alien foes? Sounds like three good reasons to see what else Lightbulb Crew's been cooking up.
It wouldn't be much of a strategy game if it didn't challenge your decision-making, and Ex Sanguis aims to do just that. Is rushing the boss advisable? Perhaps grinding through the procedural levels to farm resources and strengthen your team is better. The choice of how to navigate each deadly run is yours. Victory in battle requires clever flanking and terrain manipulation as much as turn-order mastery. Explosives and line-of-sight blockers help flesh out combat. Players should have no shortage of ways to plan and pulverize their way through each roguelite run. Those eager to see how it all comes together can give the public playtest a go.
Ex Sanguis TactiCon teaser offers a glimpse of glory:
In Ex Sanguis, blood isn't just dumped by the gallon for shock effect. Blood is a symbol of rebellion. It's a rose-colored rejection of the game's otherwise withered and colorless setting. As both a visual and a story aid, it's impactful. Though the TactiCon teaser trailer doesn't give a ton away, it offers an intriguing glimpse at both the plot and combat. Stylized, angular bodies clash in a desert of slate-colored sand. Blows land with the impact and spray of a grenade in a can of paint. How deep the combat and world will turn out to be remains to be seen. From this early taste, however, tactics fans have good reason to salivate.
TactiCon 2025 marks only the beginning of Ex Sanguis's journey. With its early access release date yet to be announced, it'll be a while before PC players can get their hands on it. Still, as first impressions go, they don't hit much harder. New progression system, new mechanics, and that commanding visual style? Lightbulb Crew seems to have had a bright idea indeed. Early access can be a painful growing process, but the hellish heroes of Ex Sanguis don't seem put off by a little pain. Here's hoping players will be the ones to reap the rewards when Ex Sanguis is ready to step out of the shadows at last.