Let's agree that 2020 was a year rich in events - both negative and positive. As far as the gaming industry is concerned, everything is good - almost every released project, if not impressive, then at least gets praise. This applies not only to AAA-class games, but also to low-budget indies in the roguelike genre - remember Hades, Star Renegades, Rogue Legacy 2... The hero of the current review - Crown Trick - completes this list.

We have played the colorful roguelike Crown Trick by Friv2Online Studio and we hasten to share our impressions. Spoiler - the game managed to shoot, though not very loudly.

The plot is centered around a girl Ellie, who in her dreams finds herself in the Nightmare Dimension. And to get out of it will not be so easy, because a certain villain "Duke Vlad", hiding in his chambers, sends misfortunes and the real world. The girl will have to stop the villain, and in this she will be helped by a strange creature in the form of a talking crown.

Like any roguelike, Crown Trick doesn't bother the player at the beginning of the friv game and immediately sends him into the thick of the action. Ellie will have to roam the floors of the tower, clean up separate rooms, search for reinforcing items, stumble upon trials, challenge strong bosses... In terms of gameplay structure everything is the same as in other projects of the genre. But there are some unique features, of course, and we will talk about them further on.

Crown Trick is not only a roguelike, but also a tactical strategy. The heroine moves not in real time, but step-by-step, on the cells, into which all locations are divided. And this is the key feature of the friv game.

God with it, with moving - well, the girl jumps, let her jump. Another thing is when it comes time for battles. Time in the room freezes until the player makes a move - and only then the opponents take their actions. Obviously, you can't run around - you have to think through your moves, keep an eye on your enemies' intentions, and make your moves with caution.

Weapons, abilities, consumable items - all of them, due to the described feature, have a range of action. That is, the spear strikes two areas forward, and the hammer hits everything around, but in a small radius. There is even a firearm that hits far, but not critically. The rich selection of weapons will allow players to implement their tactics, whatever they may be.

On each floor of the tower Ellie will definitely get into a room with a mini-boss - here they are called "familiars". They are a variety of fantasy creatures - the dragon Firebreath, the demon Abaddon, the screaming Mandragora, as if from Harry Potter, the warlike rooster Voidbringer and others.

After victory, Ellie can make them her "companions", and in return get two abilities - a kind of analog of "magic". There are defensive, attacking, stunning, summoning... In general, as you have already realized, Crown Trick has no problems with the variety of content.

And sometimes in the adventures of the girl will meet strangers imprisoned in cages. They are not a threat, and after release will go to Ellie's cozy room, in which she sleeps and has nightmares.

After "awakening" (or rather - death), the heroine will wake up in the room, will be able to talk to the rescued strangers and use their services. For example, strengthen the flask that restores health and mana, pump weapons... These improvements will remain with Ellie forever, and already in a new adventure will not be so difficult. Yes, after defeat you will have to start all over again - that's the essence and charm of roguelike.

And more precisely, about the technical side of Crown Trick. In terms of visual design, graphics - everything is more than okay here. The picture pleases the eye, as well as the effects, and the musical accompaniment fuels the atmosphere of adventure.

As for bugs, malfunctions and other moments that can immediately nullify the good impressions - there is nothing to quibble with. No bugs, crashes, FPS drops, critical errors - all this was not revealed in the process of passing.

But you can throw in a spoonful of tar. I didn't like the enemies - there is no question about the variety, but they are not particularly distinguished by their abilities and characteristics. They're like mobs that will do for regular training. But this is only so, a nag, not a serious flaw that can push away.

As a result, we have another excellent project in the genre of "roguelike", which even though it does not seek to revolutionize the genre, but has on its side quite strong features that make it stand out.

What's most interesting is that the friv game doesn't yearn to commit the subversion of the gamer's fifth point like some other roguelike. The difficulty is balanced in such a way that after death you don't want to break anything under your arm, but on the contrary - there is a desire to dive back into the world of nightmares and see what random has prepared this time. Definitely recommended not only for fans of the genre, but also for those who are just beginning to get acquainted with it.