BREACHWAY – “13 Hours In and I Still Haven’t Beaten It”
Developed by Edgeflow Studio and published by Hooded Horse, Breachway is a new roguelike/roguelite deck-builder for those who like to growl in frustration while navigating the galaxy.
As a fan of Hooded Horse’s catalog, I was excited to dive into their latest offering. And while I’ve had my share of defeats, I keep coming back to Breachway, drawn by its unique mechanics, promising narrative, and the developer’s dedication to ongoing improvements.
Story
I didn’t expect much of a story from Breachway. Roguelike’s procedural generation keeps stories from being any more in-depth than “hey, there’s some combat! Go fight.” Breachway’s story revolves around chasing down a mysterious signal, a trope familiar to many sci-fi fans. Yet, this simple objective is layered with surprising depth. As players navigate through various star sectors, they’ll come into contact with different factions – the Solarii, the Starkin, the Deadweights- each with their own goals and allegiances. This faction system isn’t just window dressing—it genuinely influences playthroughs. Players actions can aid or harm their faction alliances, which in turn will affect whether they can dock at space stations for repairs, or get turned away to fend for themselves.
Despite being lightly sketched, there is a sense of a broader world that helps counterbalance the disheartening despair that can accompany the end of a run. I, for one, kept coming back to see if I could get to the next piece of the puzzle.
Gameplay
As a roguelike deckbuilder, gameplay revolves around turn-based combat and the deck of cards accumulated along your journey. But Breachway offers features beyond a standard deck builder—managing the ship’s systems, crew morale, resources, and tactical decisions gives it a level of complexity that adds to the addictiveness factor. It’s hard not to feel like if you can just unlock the right combination of crew, ship, and circumstance, that you’ll be able to fly through the system with ease.
Players start out with a single ship unlocked, but can unlock others (if they only beat the dang game). Each ship comes equipped with different systems—lasers, missiles, shields, and hacking tools—that correspond to different play styles. Ship systems aren’t just about damage; they each have unique effects, and their usage requires careful planning. Lasers are precision weapons that allow players to target specific ship components, allowing players to disable enemy systems temporarily, while flak cannons deal randomized damage but grow deadlier over time, making them ideal for prolonged engagements. Then there are ion bolts for knocking out shields and causing systems to malfunction, disrupting enemy strategies. And of course, there are missiles.
One of my favorite aspects of the combat system is the ability to target individual parts of an enemy’s ship. Taking out their shield generator or weapons can drastically change the tide of battle. This focus on tactical precision adds an element of tension and requires players to read both their own cards and their opponent’s cards carefully. Unlike many deck builders, where your main concern is damage output, Breachway demands that you track what the enemy is doing just as closely as your own actions.
The game’s resource system adds a further layer of depth. You have three main resources: Ordnance, Energy, and Mass, each fueling different cards. While weapons typically consume Ordnance, shields rely on Energy, and managing the balance between them is crucial to surviving tough encounters. Players can upgrade your ship’s generator to produce more of a certain resource, allowing them to adjust your strategy based on your current deck and enemies.
This resource management creates some tough decisions. You can’t simply spam your most powerful cards—you must carefully decide whether to go all-in on offense, play defensively, or perhaps use a combination of both. These choices feel meaningful and are enhanced by the fact that you can see your opponent’s moves in advance. Knowing what’s coming lets you anticipate whether to save up your resources or prepare for an incoming attack.
Also, your crew isn’t just for show—they each have abilities that can turn the tide of battle. These abilities, powered by command points, offer a range of effects: buffing weapon damage, generating additional resources, or providing emergency shielding when you’re on the brink of destruction. Balancing when to use these abilities becomes yet another strategic layer, adding further depth to the combat system.
Breachway is not a game you’ll master in a single run. Like many roguelikes, it has a learning curve. In Early Access, it has been a little bit more than frustrating, it is absolutely punishing.
Thankfully, in the time since its release in Early Access, Breachway has seen rapid-fire updates from Edgeflow Studio. Everyday for a week, the developers released balance changes, bug fixes, and new content. It’s clear that they’re listening to player feedback and are committed to refining the game. I’m reminded of another Hooded Horse game, Clanfolk, where the devs have been providing steady updates for two years, and I’m hopeful Breachway will continue to evolve in a similar fashion.
Overall
Breachway offers a level of depth that sets it apart from other roguelikes for me. The combination of story elements, gameplay progression, and a developer that’s clearly passionate about their project makes it easy to recommend.
Though the game is still in development, there’s already enough content to keep players engaged for hours, and with regular updates, it’s only going to get better. If you’re a fan of roguelikes, deckbuilders, or just space exploration, Breachway is a must-try.
Score: 8/10
With a few more updates, Breachway could easily push itself into the realm of greatness. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s well on its way.
Breachway is available for PC via Steam Early Access.
Related: Reviews by Michelle Jones
I'm a completionist gamer who just needs to find that one last object and clear that final dungeon. I love all video games, from open world sandboxes on a console to a mindless match three on my phone. In addition to gaming and writing, I am a graduate student working on a thesis about the ancient Icelandic Sagas. Feel free to ask me anything about Vikings.
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