An Indie Game is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get! Unless they have a diagram on the back… or the label gives it away. Forrest Gump might not know much about chocolates OR video games for that matter, but I think he’d appreciate my attempt. It’s a great time to be in the Indie biz. Whether your game is about dating appliances or playing a deadly slot machine, someone out there will love it. Now imagine my childlike mirth and awe when I came across SorryPoniko and publisher CRITICAL REFLEX’s Gimmiko: a cutesy, high-octane, dice-building action roguelite. Don’t be fooled by the screenshots–beneath its adorable exterior lies a chaotic throw-fest that’ll leave you itching for more. 

Twenty-Sided DIEEEE!!!!

A modern-day Renaissance-person, developer SorryPoniko effortlessly weaves incredible art with pulse-pounding action. As the opening crawl explains, once per year a certain night comes to a standstill, filling the world with fiends. To make matters worse, the vile Jabberwock is born to lord over the eternal darkness. Only Shrine Maiden Gimmiko and her pals at the Gimmick Temple can put an end to the accursed night.

As it usually goes, however, that task is easier said than done.

Armed with magical, editable dice, players charge into waves of malevolent monsters for fun and profit. Every throw of the dice has an effect, or ‘Gimmick’, such as a reckless driver, a bouncing ball. With each foe you fell you gain funds to fuel your fights. There’s no shortage of shops in Gimmiko–some sell Gimmicks, others sell extra dice, and some even offer challenge dungeons, upgrades, and free gifts. Like Milkbar Lads’ spooker shooter roguelite Dead Estate and Edmund McMillen’s devilishly difficult The Binding of Isaac, every run is different, but exciting!

If you can fend off fiends for long enough you can even unlock new characters with their own unique Gimmicks, as well as trading cards and other goodies. Even as a demo, there’s already a lot of ground to cover here, and I’m sorry to say that at the time of writing I didn’t even manage to beat the first boss. Hey, it was my first run!

Roll Them Bones!

To the newcomer, Gimmiko might seem a little strange. Even stranger once they’re introduced to the game mechanics. An aptly adorable tutorial tells all, however, and before long you’ll be rolling like the best of us. (Author’s Note: I am not ‘The Best’ at Gimmiko and probably never will be. Take all subsequent tips and opinions with a giant dice-sized grain of salt.)

Simply put, you start with a dice decked out with two Gimmicks. If the dice lands on one, it’ll activate. Don’t have anything slotted? No problem–each dice has different stats. Some do more damage being tossed into foes, others boost your Gimmick power. Like the name suggests, a Gimmick can be anything: candy soldiers, a time freeze, or maybe even a friendly vampire. As you clear waves you earn money that you can use to buy more Gimmicks to place on each side of the dice. Kitted out on Gimmicks? No sweat! You can purchase even more dice at a separate shopkeeper’s and paste ‘em on that.

Along the way you’ll encounter free gifts, chaotic catacombs where you wager cash for rewards upon completion, and much, much more. The dice/Gimmick combinations are endless, and some Gimmicks might not even show up on your first playthrough, so keep playing. Though it’s only a demo, Gimmiko is a game I can see myself playing for years!

…And losing. Stupid Yuki-Onna…

Art Attack!

Why do games like The Binding of Isaac and Dead Estate have such amazing art? Is there something in the water? I dunno, but I don’t mind either. While it doesn’t affect the gameplay, Gimmiko’s art and sound design is on a whole other level. The environments are crisp, the characters are cute, and it’s hard to get mad at enemies when they look so precious. Even the trading cards you collect are hand-crafted with unique art.

Every part of Gimmiko is jam-packed with care: every shop, every cutscene… it’s a feast for the senses, to say the least. With endearing animations and spiffy sound design, Gimmiko makes it hard to guess what comes next. One glance at the game, however, tells me this is a work of passion–one I can’t wait to see fully-release.

Slow Your Roll…

Though Gimmiko has no slated release date, it already feels pretty ‘finished’ to me. I have boatloads of praise, and only a sprinkle of criticism. The biggest issue I had playing Gimmiko (and it was a small one) was with the dice. You automatically pick it up when you bump it, but sometimes the dice becomes crowded by enemies. You can bounce on their heads to get closer, but there were a few times I had trouble retrieving my weapon. The obvious solution would be to not go through Chapter 1 with one dice, but that’s a smart idea, and I never claimed to be smart.

My only other gripe is with enemy hitboxes. Considering how important it is to conserve health, I think Gimmiko would benefit from more well-defined hitboxes. If I’m gonna get my butt kicked, I always want it to be my fault.

Aside from those two notes, I’ve got nothing but love for this game. So much so that I’ll probably boot it back up after writing this! I have no clue where Gimmiko will end up in the end, but I have a feeling I’ll enjoy it regardless. Still not convinced? Roll the dice and see for yourself!

Gimmiko was part of Steam October 2025: Next Fest. Play it HERE and don’t forget to join the official Discord HERE.