Pixel Shinobi: Nine Demons of Mamoru , Assassination and Crafting

Disclosure: This game copy was bought by the reviewer.

20 levels (Act 4 still labeled as Work In Progress), 4 Bosses and RNG crafting ingredients make up the bulk of this game's content. Each level is generated using templates for the Act's theme and has several objectives that can be completed for extra money at the end. You get docked for being seen, taking hits or retrying. This is why assassinations help remove the risk of losing points (which baffles me it is locked until you return to the master for the first time). As far as difficulty goes, some generated levels can leave you with a key behind a rotating trap that cannot be traversed back, so restarting the game to re-roll the level helps. Bosses can be an absolute joke thanks to bombs, but they are fine if you stick to melee weapons. The main issue is the central balance of enemy number, type, and overall placement made difficult by the random generation. It doesn't help that if your sword breaks, you need to finish the level in order to return to town to either buy or make one. Translation is a bit off, music is rather fitting (if limited in terms of total tracks), and the aesthetic design is satisfying to look at. It isn't bad for the price point, but I would still wait for them to add another Act before jumping in.