In something like Slay the Spire, these upgrade opportunities would materialize as paths you must choose between battles. As I move up the map, I come across a variety of tiles I can take detours to - so long as I’m confident I can reach my main objective in time.

In an early one, I need to make my way north up a map to seal an oni-spawning summoning pit within 22 turns. Missions, for instance, almost play out like an open-ended roguelike run. There are a lot of similarities to Slay the Spire here if you look hard enough, but entirely deconstructed and reassembled in clever ways. Each turn is a thoughtful juggling act where players have to decide how they want to spend their precious energy. New cards can be acquired by landing on deck spaces or shopping at village tiles, while they can be improved or removed at other spots. When a mission begins, players only start with a deck of basic strikes and defense-granting dashes. All attacks (as well as some defensive and special movement maneuvers) are handled through a hand of cards, which are dealt out at the start of each turn. What’s unique, though, is how naturally cards slot into that format. Others offer buffs for that mission, like health or defense boosts. Each tile has its own specific effect, with something like a forest tile granting a bit of defense on a turn. On each turn, players get four ticks of energy that can be used to move and attack enemies scattered throughout the map. Players take control of a samurai battling their way through the Celestial Islands, a series of detailed, grid-like maps made of hexagonal tiles. At first glance, Mahokenshi might look like a traditional tactics game.

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