Developer/publisher Nolla Games

Format PC

Release Out now

As kids, we were told not to play with fireworks. Well, Nolla Games’ incendiary Roguelike doesn’t so much smash that childhood taboo as gleefully obliterate it, in a pyrotechnic show as dazzling as it is dangerous. Chaos reigns in these sprawling subterranean environments, where the physics of every pixel is simulated. In simple terms, that means each action has the potential to cause a reaction that can be as fatal to you as to the many enemies that patrol these murky depths. As a diminutive hooded witch dwarfed by your environment (but given great power to conquer it) you feel like a delinquent kid letting off firecrackers in an underground lab full of volatile chemicals. Your chances of making it out alive are slim, but you’re definitely going to have a lot of messy fun trying.

Each action has the potential to cause a reaction that can be as fatal to you as to your many enemies

It’s sensational stuff, organically generating oohs and aahs like a Bonfire Night display - the difference being that you’re (usually) the one providing the bangs and the accompanying lightshow. The tiniest spark can set half the stage ablaze, which is no surprise considering the number of pools of oil, gas canisters and booze barrels you’ll encounter. And these are just a small part of Noita’s reactive, unpredictable chemistry set. Discovering new combinations of environmental features and dynamic fluids is fascinating: when a group of enemies is waiting below, you might bomb a container of poison hanging tantalisingly above, or conjure a raincloud to drench them before launching an electrical bolt to shock the life out of them.

HIDDEN DEPTHS

Though there are secrets hiding even in the upper levels - head left rather than down at the beginning and you may well find a surprise or two - Noita reserves some of its best toys for the lower biomes. As if recognising that some players might give up before they get there, Nolla Games considerately gives you a chance to get your hands on the good stuff with a daily practice run that starts you off from a random point with randomised items. The trade-off is that these runs don’t count towards any of your tallies, whether you’re aiming to beat your deepest depth or most gold. But these glimpses of raw, untrammelled power - and the various otherworldly horrors to use it on - provide extra impetus to get there without cheating.