Solo developer YuWave makes a simple pitch with Demon Lord: Just a Block, an action-strategy roguelike about navigating a blocky world filled with enemies that only move when you do. "One developer. One computer. One game. One year," they say on Steam. Behind the game's cute, pared-down world is a classical fantasy story that makes smart use of hands-off narrative to steer players through seven chapters and three endings, and with nearly 2,000 Steam reviews averaging 96% positive, this approach has been a hit so far.
"If FromSoftware released the full Dark Souls design document, no one would be debating the lore anymore," YuWave tells me. I agree with their assessment that Demon Lord: Just a Block is a "gameplay-first experience," but in my experience that's often where you'll find some of the most interesting video game narratives – stories designed more as scaffolding, something to be prodded by players rather than carefully conveyed.
