Boneraiser Minions
Released in just the last couple of hours, Boneraiser Minions is sure to gain the post-Vampire Survivors attention it deserves. This is a super-low res NES-like presentation on the format, where you play a little creature avoiding hordes of enemies, gathering up bones from a graveyard to conjure your own supporting team of beasties to fight on your behalf.
It’s a far smaller-scale feel that the traditional wide-open spaces of this burgeoning genre, but far zippier too, requiring a bit more emphasis on reflexes to dodge the enemies right from the start. Beyond this, it offers the very familiar constant progression, but rather pleasingly, with everything being unknown the first time you unlock it. It’s a lovely way to discover all the various creatures you can create, plucking them from “???” obscurity, then having them permanently recognized in your roster from that point on.
Then there are all the unlocks to pay for between runs, that allow you to start elaborating on the core game. For instance, there’s a dash ability that can be added early on, along with the option to cast spells, as well as start constructing more dangerous minions from your bone collections.
It features cheery chiptunes, a pleasantly purple gothic color scheme, and I’m having to force myself to stop playing it to get on with this article. Which, I reckon, is the surest sign of a successful game.
