The Serpent Rogue

The Serpent Rogue is an indie roguelike game from 2022, developed by Sengi Games and published by Team17. It launched on April 26, 2022, for Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. The game is notable because its Ukrainian studio completed development during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Players control The Warden, a plague doctor and member of the Keepers—an elite group of alchemists tasked with maintaining the world’s balance and fighting Corruption, a force that can consume all living things. Gameplay involves studying the environment to craft a wide variety of potions, along with real-time action combat. Critical reception was mixed: reviewers praised the game’s visual style and crafting system, but criticized its combat and lack of clear direction. On Windows, it received an aggregate score of 72 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average reviews.” *The Games Machine* gave it 7.2 out of 10, calling it “great fun” when it runs smoothly but extremely frustrating if a common ingredient is hard to find, and dull for players uninterested in crafting. *Eurogamer Italia* rated it 6 out of 10, describing it as a work in progress from an inexperienced studio. They pointed out baffling design choices, such as being unable to cut a rope with a sword or axe—only with pieces of glass—and a durability system so punishing that fleeing from enemies is often better than trying to parry. They praised the game’s ideas and complexity but noted that none of them were adequately developed.