Hoplite

• Title — Hoplite • Developer — Douglas Cowley • Artist — Shroomarts • Platforms — iOS, Android • Released — December 20, 2013 • Genre — Turn-based strategy game

• Illustration — An in-game screenshot showing the hoplite at level 16. The player assumes the role of a Greek hoplite who descends into the underworld, filled with various demonic enemies, on a quest to reclaim the Golden Fleece. Gameplay is turn-based, on a hexagonally-tiled arena of fixed size. The protagonist starts the game armed with a sword, spear and shield, and must reach the exit represented by a tile depicting descending stairs in order to proceed to the next level, by either evading or killing the enemies on the level. The arena tiles consist of rock floor or lava pools, the latter which proves instantly fatal should the player accidentally end up in them. The player can gain various abilities - such as being able to throw their spear further or reducing cooldowns for special abilities - by praying at altars found scattered throughout the ever more dangerous levels. Enemies include footmen, archers, wizards and demolitionists (bomb-throwers), each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Most of the tactical gameplay involves exploiting these attributes while taking advantage of the player's own abilities. The player starts each level with a fixed amount of stamina ("energy" in game parlance), a portion of which is consumed whenever the player performs a leap. Stamina may be regained either by moving next to an enemy, or by killing - if that ability has been unlocked. Numerous ability upgrades ("gifts") may be unlocked, such as improved leaping or throwing distance, improvements to the use and power of the shield (known as bashing), or kill-counters which reset cooldowns or restore stamina, among others. The game unlocks new gifts for new games by way of various achievements, such as retrieving the fleece without taking damage, or killing a certain number of demons within a certain turn limit. Additionally, the registered version adds Challenge Mode, which is a practically infinite list of three-level dungeons with a random set of gifts assigned at the start.