Poly Fighter Is a Roguelike Fighting Game With a Retro Aesthetic

Poly Fighter is a single-player roguelike fighting game heading to PC, and an alpha playtest will go live soon.

Mixing modern roguelike gameplay with a retro aesthetic, Poly Fighter is a 2D fighting game where you learn new moves after defeating an opponent. Climbing through the leagues as you adjust your style, this promises the ability to turn your fighter “into a zoning tactician, a grappling powerhouse, or a rushdown menace” as you battle through 1v1 duels across a city map.

We missed covering the initial announcement two weeks ago and unlike most modern fighting games, Poly Fighter is specifically designed for single player gameplay with no ranked online matches. Over 40 unlockable fighters are included with the promise of “beginner-friendly controls,” clearing through the ranks against increasingly powerful foes and secret bosses.

It's the debut project from Heartloop Games, a new Canadian indie studio based in Montreal. It's co-founded by former Brass Lion Entertainment design director Osama Dorias, who's working as creative director on Poly Fighter. He's joined by strategy and product director Elaina Gusella, formerly at Artifact 5, alongside game designer Kyra Hedley-Cain.

Poly Fighter is coming to Steam, though a release window is unconfirmed. You can request access to the upcoming alpha playtest here, and we'll update the article when this goes live.