Howl

Howl (2023) is a turn-based tactical game set in a folktale world where you battle feral beasts. Play involves planning a string of moves and attacks to outwit your enemies. It stands out for the unusual deaf hero and the welcoming forward-planning challenge.

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It's a game set in a medieval world where a sinister Howling Plague has ravaged the land, turning all who hear it into feral beasts. You play a deaf hero who takes on the danger in search of a cure. This involves turn-based battles where you use your weapons and wits to survive. However, unlike other tactics games, here you can plan up to six steps in advance to gain the advantage and outmanoeuvre your enemies.

As you progress you must take on all manner of fiends lurking in the shadows, each with different abilities and levels of vitality. As you slay more wolves, you gain skills like Vault, Smoke Bomb, and Piercing Shot. Survive the battle and you will have also created a dynamic piece of scripture that tells the story of the battle.

The result is a game that not only looks inviting, with its living ink art style but generates curiosity and creativity in players. Carve your way through a dark, fairy-tale world made up of obscure yet magical places where you fight and write to rid the lands of the plague.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Howl 15 months ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 5 weeks ago.