Sparklite gives Zelda a wonderful roguelike makeover

With success like Dead Cells and Into the Breach, roguelikes (and tweaking their mechanics, as in Slay the Spire) are becoming a growing trend in indie gaming. Sparklite uses randomized levels and strict death penalties to give The Legend of Zelda formula an interesting twist. I played it at a Microsoft indie games showcase during the Game Developers Conference 2019 in San Francisco this week. It’s coming out this fall for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC from Red Blue Games (which has made some small games like Mini Fish for iOS).

Sparklite casts you as Ada, who uses gadgets like wrenches and hammers instead of a sword and shield. But it has a distinct Zelda look and feel, especially invoking the aesthetic of Link’s 16-bit adventures like A Link to the Past and The Minish Cap.