Roguelike can mean a lot of things nowadays, with so many genres crossing over with it in an (exciting) attempt to innovate. But what I like about Morsels, an indie twin-stick roguelike from developer Furcula, is how it feels like a “classic” roguelike. In a run, you collect little creatures called morsels, each with different abilities and attack styles. If they die, you lose that creature from your roster, and you’ll only ever have three — it’s sort of like a game where your weapons are also your lives. It stands out, however, because there’s relatively little macro progression (at least in the opening hours), meaning the only way to progress farther is to just get better. Couple that with a smattering of secret objectives and a general drought of explanation, and it almost reminds me of Spelunky. You learn by doing and dying. Some runs are just unlucky. But when you get a good run with the right amount of skill, the game feels awesome.
