Review: Blightstone

Who will fail first, your crystal or your strategy?

Blightstone is a turn-based game that strays far from what is usually expected of the genre. Instead of focusing solely on numbers, predictable grids, and automatic attacks, it emphasizes positioning, environmental awareness, and decisions that can cost you an entire run. Here, we control a group of adventurers in a hostile, corrupted world full of surprises, where every step matters.

Its biggest strength lies in how it blends roguelike elements with turn-based tactical combat, creating an experience that demands constant attention and real planning. This is not a game that forgives carelessness.

GAMEPLAY

In Blightstone, we control a varied group of characters, each with their own roles and abilities. Among them are an archer, a crystal that acts as the core of the team, and even a dog that actively participates in combat. Each unit acts during its turn, and party composition has a major impact on how battles unfold.

One of the most interesting systems is friendly fire. Poor positioning does not just mean reduced efficiency, it can cause direct damage to your own allies. This turns every movement into a calculated decision, especially on smaller and more confined maps.

The crystal is the most important character in the party. It has telekinesis abilities, allowing it to move objects in the environment, push enemies, and even throw traps directly at opponents. This system opens the door to clever combinations and emergent situations, encouraging players to use the environment as a weapon rather than relying solely on direct attacks.

Character movement, however, is not the most refined aspect of the game. It can feel a bit stiff and less fluid than expected, especially for players used to more polished turn-based titles. Even so, this does not significantly harm the overall combat experience.

Progression takes place across a map where players can choose their own path. It is possible to take shorter and safer routes or longer and more dangerous ones that offer better rewards at higher risk. Along these paths, players may encounter ambushes, treasures, unexpected events, and optional challenges.

Each area of the map feels like a small hand drawn board, with few but well positioned elements. This further reinforces the importance of tactical positioning during encounters.

After each combat, players can choose upgrades for their characters, strengthening abilities or refining their overall strategy. Rewards such as coins, valuable items, and food are also obtained, with food playing a crucial role in restoring health during the journey.

Much like Darkest Dungeon, the game allows players to rest at camps between battles. During these moments, provisions carried by the characters are used to recover health and prepare for upcoming encounters. Knowing when to push forward and when to rest is a key part of survival.

During exploration, shops can also be found scattered across the map. In them, players can sell items and buy weapons, equipment, clothing, herbs, and food for camps. Managing these resources is essential, as poor decisions can leave the party unprepared for future encounters.

The game constantly places the player in difficult situations, forcing a balance between risk, economy, and survival.

Among the greatest challenges in Blightstone are the mini bosses and main bosses. These enemies are significantly more powerful and demand a strong grasp of the game’s mechanics. Extremely strong warriors and dangerous creatures appear along the way to test everything the player has learned so far.

At the end of each map, players face complex bosses such as Karantos, who feature unique abilities and require specific strategies. These encounters make it clear that Blightstone is not a game meant to be beaten through brute force. Experience and system mastery make all the difference.

There is also an unforgiving rule. If the crystal is destroyed, the run ends immediately. There is no second chance, reinforcing the weight of every decision and the need for careful play in every turn.

VISUALS AND SOUND

Visually, Blightstone fulfills its role well. The art style is functional and consistent with the game’s proposal, even though character animations fall a bit short. They are simple and not as expressive as they could be, but they never compromise the clarity of combat actions.

The focus is clearly on gameplay and strategy rather than visual spectacle.

TRAILER OFFICIAL

RESUME

Blightstone is a very well designed game that draws inspiration from well known titles in the genre, such as Darkest Dungeon, while adapting those ideas into its own turn-based roguelike experience. It rewards attentive players who are curious and willing to learn from their mistakes.

Even with small technical limitations and modest animations, the game stands out thanks to the creativity of its systems, especially the use of telekinesis and the environment as combat tools. It is a great choice both for newcomers to the genre and for players looking for something deeper and more challenging.

Blightstone does not try to please everyone, but for those who adapt to its rhythm, the experience is intense, strategic, and extremely rewarding.

Review by Gamertag: Scoulz

SCORE: 79/100