GamesStrategyMy winning tactic in this certified hit Steam Next Fest strategy game is eating as many bananas as possible for Skyrim-style healingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesStrategyMy winning tactic in this certified hit Steam Next Fest strategy game is eating as many bananas as possible for Skyrim-style healingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: PlaywithFurcifer)
I’ve already poured far more time than I expected into Backpack Battles. One of the biggest games ofSteam Next Festso far, I thought I’d check it out quickly last night. Before I knew it, it was midnight, and my friends and I were hyper-optimizing builds for the demo’s ranked mode.
At the start of each game ofBackpack Battles, you start out as a burgeoning adventurer. In true RPG fashion, you’ve little in your pack beyond a wooden sword and a four-leaf clover for luck. With the few gold pieces in your pocket, you’ll be able to visit a merchant and add various items to your inventory. From there, you’ll go out into the world to do battle against other intrepid adventurers.
Thing is, it’s the contents of your backpack, not the strength of your arm, that affects the outcome of those fights. Each battle plays out automatically, the cooldowns on the items in your pack triggering an effect every few seconds. Backpack Battles is, in essence, a combination of the inventory management system that acts as the bones of popular roguelike Backpack Hero, and the autobattler multiplayer system of games like Teamfight Tactics, which I’ve played an enormous amount of over the years.
Just as in Backpack Hero or TFT, it’s synergies between items that drive success in Backpack Battles. For instance, I just ran a healing-focused build, where my hope was to fill my face, Skyrim-style, at the first sign of trouble. Different food has different effects - a banana offers healing, while garlic offers armor and dispels the lifestealing vampirism buff from enemies - and those effects trigger more quickly for each adjacent piece of food. Food also buffs the frying pan weapon, with each piece granting bonus damage, so a strategy can easily start to come together.
But if you don’t find the glut of potassium required for that build, you might opt for a powerful stamina build, allowing you to swing multiple weapons at once. Or you might simply hide behind a huge amount of armor and wait for passive ‘Fatigue’ damage to kill off your opponents towards the end of each round. Poison whittles down enemy health over time, and can turn healing against them, thorns hit back on every attack, or you might simply stitch on as much backpack space as possible as wade into battle to throw everything including the kitchen sink at opponents.
You’ve only got a month to wait before Backpack Battles actually launches on March 8, when it’ll add another two classes in addition to its current ranger and poisonous witch classes. Given the buzz it’s getting during Steam Next Fest, it’s looking like it could be a quiet hit - it’s currently sitting at #4 on both Next Fest wishlist and active player charts, and with major releases likeHomeworld 3,Stormgate, andPacific Driveahead of it on those charts, this definitely isn’t one to ignore.
Keep an eye on the future with our list ofupcoming indie games.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”