The Legend of Perchta is an engaging first-person shooter tower defense infused with roguelite elements, developed by the independent Austrian studio Sleepy Creepy Studio. In this game, players choose their hero to defend their castle against relentless hordes of enemies. And when I say relentless, I mean relentless. Players will need to construct defense towers, traps, and military buildings while also managing their economy to sustain their defenses. We played the demo for Steam Next Fest, and here’s what we found.

Stave off the Apocalypse

Set in a fantasy world ravaged by years of war and famine, the kingdoms have been pushed to desperation. In a misguided attempt to survive, the rulers made a pact with the devil. However, they were each of them deceived. Now, hope rests on a group of heroes who embark on a quest to confront and defeat the devil. To aid them in their journey, the heroes form an alliance with Perchta, a pagan goddess who had the “good” part of her soul stolen. Fueled by her rage, Perchta grants the heroes the power they need to save their world from impending doom.

The Legend of Perchta‘s story gets told in sort of a story book format before each level, and its some good world building. The English is slightly broken, but easy enough to put together. The tutorial is clear and concise, and that’s what really counts. The developers really made sure you knew what you were doing, and once you get the basics its easy to adapt to new building and unit types.

This Base Won’t Defend Itself… Or Will It?

The Legend of Perchta‘s gameplay combines strategic base building with first-person shooting, allowing players to wield various magic types and upgrades. Movement mechanics are fluid and dynamic, featuring dash abilities, double jumps, and a grappling hook to navigate the environment effectively. As players level up, you can customize your builds after each wave. There are powerful synergies that enhance your playstyle, based on the unique strengths and weaknesses of different hero classes. The game also offers persistent unlocks, including new heroes, levels, items, and buildings.

The main buildings you really focus on are the houses, which build income, and the magic towers. The demo has four main magic types available – plasma, fire, metal, and plant. They’re strong against different types of enemies, so it helps to vary your field. Once there are too many enemies for you to stave off on your own, its time to invest in units. Archers and priests provide good backline support, while you’ve got your spearmen, infantry, and the like up front. As long as the enemy don’t sneak past and hit your castle, you’ll probably survive to see the dawn.

The demo only has the first three heroes and maps available, but that’s more than enough gameplay to get a feel for The Legend of Perchta. I particularly like The Charlatan, just for the damage dealt on exp pick up. I was also able to build them so I could continuously cast magic without worrying about overheating, which had been a constant battle in previous levels. Never underestimate the options opened up by a high luck stat.

The full release hasn’t been announced yet, but you can play the demo and Wishlist it on Steam now. Considering the difficulty of the third map, I shudder to think of how large the horde grows!