Backpack Hero

Backpack Hero
Developer(s)	Jaspel
Publisher(s)	Jaspel IndieArk Different Tales
Engine	Unity
Platform(s)	Windows MacOS Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
Release	Windows,MacOS,Switch WW:November 14, 2023
Genre(s)	Roguelite
Mode(s)	Single-player

Backpack Herois aroguelikevideo game developed by Jaspel and published by Jaspel, IndieArk, and Different Tales. Initially funded onKickstarter,it was released forearly accesson August 15, 2022, forWindows,MacOSandSteamOS.The full version of the game was released in November 2023 forSteamandNintendo Switch.Ports forPlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Xbox OneandXbox Series X/S,are in development.

Described as an "inventory management roguelike", its gameplay revolves around how well the player organizes their bag, which is based on a grid system in a similar manner as the briefcase fromResident Evil 4.Critics called the game satisfying even in its incomplete state.

Gameplay

Backpack Hero's"face of the game"and first playable hero is Purse, arat.The game features five different playable characters, each with different gameplay. Resources gathered in dungeons can be spent in a town on theoverworldin order to upgrade buildings and unlock new characters.

Development

The game was funded on Kickstarter for US$223,893, out of a US$20,000 goal. Main developer Jasper Cole stated that the game drew inspiration fromSlay the Spire,Into the BreachandXCOM.He cited the originalDeus Exand its grid-based inventory as an additional inspiration. It was initially created as agame jamgame, but when its popularity drastically increased, he quit some of his jobs in order to work on itfull-time.

Reception

Robert Purchese ofEurogamersaid he was "impressed" byBackpack Hero,calling it "very charming" with "friendly pixelated characters". He called the gameplay initially "a bit awkward", but having a great deal of tactical opportunity once the player learned more about it. He noted his desire for backpacks in video games "to be visible again".Sorrel Kerr-Jung ofDestructoidpraised the game, calling it "one of the most inventivedeckbuilders"she had ever played. She criticized the game's actual combat as" bland and repetitive ", but also noted that" it may feature the best inventory management system ever ", making each pickup feel like a puzzle. She stated that each playable character reinvented the game by drastically modifying the gameplay, saying that the game was" richer and more engaging than plenty of full games "even before its city-building aspect had been added.

Jared Nelson ofTouchArcadesaid that the game's concept was "anything but boring", expressing his wish that the game was released on mobile platforms in the future.Jonathan Bolding ofPC Gamersaid he "quite enjoyed" the game, saying he liked howcomboswere built.