Quick Hits and Chill Vibes: How 'He Is Coming' Is Rewriting the Roguelite Rulebook
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Jeff dives into the refreshing brevity of 'He Is Coming,' a bite-sized roguelite that cleverly sidesteps the frustration of overly long runs, proving that quick, engaging gameplay can be just as satisfying as epic ventures.
Right, so we've all been there, haven't we? Diving headfirst into a new roguelite, all hyped up like a wizard who just found a legendary scroll, only to realise that scroll is actually a meticulously crafted receipt for 40-minute runs that almost inevitably end in soul-crushing failure. Bloody hell, it's a gut punch, especially when you're just trying to beat that one boss who's clearly taken notes from your worst nightmares and multiplied them by ten.
I’m looking at you, *Hades 2*. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adored the original *Hades* – the characters, the story, the sheer mythological charm of it all. When the sequel finally dropped, my excitement was through the digital roof, ready to dive back into the Underworld like a demon on a caffeine high. But then, as the runs grew longer, and every glorious, hard-fought death was followed by the stark realisation that I’d have to do *everything* again, that initial spark started to fizzle faster than a miscast fire spell. Another forty minutes, maybe an hour, just to see if – and only if – I could *maybe* finally beat that bloody boss I was stuck at. It made me wonder if roguelites, for all their supposed addictive charm, weren't quite my cup of digital tea.
Now, game designers have this truly Herculean task of managing our frustration. Think about it: from the soul-crushing, parry-based dance of death in games like *Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice* (where every mistake is a brutal lesson) to the spiritual, calming retreats found in titles like *Journey* (where the friction is almost nonexistent), every game sparks a discussion about the 'right' amount of adversity we, as players, actually want to experience. I’m certainly not against feeling frustrated in games; sometimes, that struggle is the whole point, the crucible that forges skill. But, speaking as someone who tends to get a bit *over-enthusiastic* (read: anxious) about progress, I often prefer a more straightforward path, one that quickly puts me back on track towards my main goal.
Which brings me to *He Is Coming* – a revelation, honestly. My hope of genuinely enjoying the roguelite genre has been magically restored, all thanks to this perfect, bite-sized experience. This absolute gem, cooked up by the two-person studio Chronocle and published by Hooded Horse, is like a magical antidote to the roguelite bloat. It’s an autobattler roguelite where, instead of endless grinding, you just open chests, scavenge the graves of past heroes (probably poor sods who tried a 50-minute roguelite run), and kill monsters to farm gold during three cycles of day and night. Then, *boom* – boss fight. You fight them. If you die? No worries, mate. Every run takes no longer than 10 minutes. Often less, with cycles lasting around five minutes.
That’s right, ten minutes. You heard me. In *He Is Coming*, I can quickly recover from my past failures, making the entire experience far more pleasant and a whole lot less soul-destroying. Of course, there’s more to it than just the lightning-fast runs. As an autobattler, it feels surprisingly like playing chess. You’re constantly choosing pieces of gear, strategising, and trying to predict how the fight will unfold, which adds a clever layer of tactical depth beyond just mindless clicking. Plus, *He Is Coming*'s retro visuals, with their charmingly small colour palette, and an irresistible, catchy chiptune song playing in the background, bring the kind of comfort that those fuzzy memories of playing games as a kid usually do. But I can't deny, the best aspect of the game is absolutely how quick and short each run can be.
Think about it: I don't mind having my digital backside kicked multiple times in a game like *Dark Souls* because, when I die, I can respawn at the nearest bonfire, sprint back to the arena, and start the fight again. It’s a rapid-fire re-engagement. On the other hand, having to play through long parts of a game, relying too much on having a solid, flawless run between multiple rooms just to get another crack at a powerful boss, is a far cry from the fun I crave. Roguelites, by their very nature, are a gamble. Every try holds the potential to lead you to victory — or not. A run in *Hades* can take anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes, and even though you technically become 'stronger' the more you play, we're still talking about almost an hour that can go south faster than a rogue portal if you make one wrong move in the first stages.
I could spend an hour grinding in *Dragon Quest XI*, hunting those infamous Silver Slimes who quickly flee fights and are ridiculously hard to hit, and I would still feel more satisfied with only a couple of levels conquered. As roguelite games became more complex – with runs packed full of more mechanics, harder enemies, and larger areas to traverse – the price of failure became too high for me. The anxiety was just too much, like waiting for a critical spell to backfire.
While *He Is Coming* still makes you go through its three-day cycles to face bosses, the stakes in each run don't feel so incredibly high. There's no anxiety involved in making my way to the next boss because of how the runs are structured. A cycle of day and night usually lasts around five minutes for me, in which I can focus only on searching for better gear and avoiding enemies when I'm not looking for gold. It’s like a micro-adventure, perfectly contained. Don't mistake 'short' for 'easy,' by the way. *He Is Coming* is far from a walk in the park; I've only been able to beat a couple of bosses before having to start a new run. Even so, since the boss you face at each end of a cycle rotates, I don't feel that my chances of enjoying what the game can offer are being taken from me and hidden behind an insurmountable wall with a long HP bar and an annoying sequence of attacks.
And this, mate, is the real magic trick. While not every roguelite game should have only five-minute cycles, they absolutely *should* be designed so that the process is as satisfying as the final outcome of a boss fight. Simply walking around, killing minor enemies, or searching for loot *is* fun in itself. So, it doesn't matter if I spend 10 minutes or two hours lost in this world; if the journey is enjoyable, I will still wish to come back for one more run. *He Is Coming* understands that fundamental truth. It's a testament to the idea that sometimes, less is genuinely more. It reminds us that good game design often comes down to respecting the player's time and making failure feel like a nudge, not a full-blown existential crisis. And frankly, that's a spell I reckon we could all use a bit more of.
Tags: Roguelite, Indie Game, Game Design, Player Experience, Quick Runs
Original article: Polygon