In the past few years, many popular video games have been funded on Kickstarter, from Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night to Mighty No. 9 and beyond. Of all these projects, Shovel Knight certainly stands out as one of the greatest, and there is an ever-growing number of games set in the universe established by this enormously popular title.
Despite the massive success that the Shovel Knight has already enjoyed, developer Yacht Club Games is not even close to done with the series, and a brand new game was recently announced in Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. While there are currently many unknowns about the game, including its release date, rating, and even what platforms it will be on, a gameplay trailer has been released that shows what players can expect to encounter.
As revealed by this new trailer, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon will be a roguelite puzzle game that mixes genres in a way not often seen. The trailer shows Shovel Knight and members of the Order of no Quarter progressing through battles that bear some resemblance to falling block puzzle games like Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, though it looks like Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon may set itself apart by letting players control the characters walking around inside the puzzle space.
These characters appear to interact with the blocks, either unlocking, destroying, or battling them, and presumably the roguelike elements emerge in what players will finds between these segments. While the block structure and dungeon theme may remind some fans of Shovel Knight Dig, another game in the works from Yacht Club Games, the art style in Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is quite different.
With the specific mechanics of Shove Knight Pocket Dungeon still up in the air, the time is certainly ripe for speculation. Who is the mysterious Puzzle Knight? How punishing will the roguelike elements be? Will there be another canon crossover with God of War? How can players unlock the other Knights?
For now, players must wait for further updates, although fans of puzzlers and of Shovel Knight in general will want to keep an eye on this one to see if it measures up to other entries in the series. Perhaps this time players will be able to take control of cameo characters like the Battle Toads, similar to how they could in Shovel Knight: Showdown. Only time will tell for sure.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is currently in development for unspecified platforms.