Ex Sanguis is the most stylish XCOM-style roguelike I've ever played

Steam Next Fest is upon us. It's my favorite time of year, when I can check out countless new games. Some I've been watching carefully as they grow, playing various demos throughout development - the likes of Disco Elysium-like Esoteric Ebb immediately spring to mind. But others appear out of nowhere, surprising me with what they have to offer. Ex Sanguis falls into this category, and its blood-soaked demo is as stylish as it is satisfying.

Ex Sanguis is a turn-based strategy game played on a grid system, very much like XCOM. Your soldiers - known as Stillae - execute their actions by spending AP and utilizing their unique abilities. There's some kind of storyline about saving a dying planet, but mostly I'm here to see my Stillae execute their orders while dripping in style. And blood. There's a lot of blood.

Blood should be expected with a title like 'Ex Sanguis,' but that could go in all manner of directions. It could be Tarantino-esque sprays like Mortal Kombat or the hyperrealism of The Last of Us Part 2, but Ex Sanguis opts for a stylized effect, and it pays off big time. The whole game has a sleek white and red color palette, reminding me of hit VR game Superhot. But this is a turn-based strategy game, not a time-bending shooter.

Too few games put an emphasis on style. While I love the turn-based action that Ex Sanguis provides, it's emphasized by how cool the characters look while performing their attacks. They don't run across the battlefield like an XCOM soldier ducking for cover in a grimy cityscape, they glide through maps and slash through bulbous enemies with balletic grace.

I always appreciate it when games lean hard into an interesting art direction. Sable's Moebius-inspired style comes to mind. Ori and the Blind Forest. Cuphead. However, you've got to have the gameplay to back it up. While I'm not going to say Ex Sanguis is on a par with these indie classics from a demo alone, its sleek presentation certainly adds to its appeal.

That would be nothing without gameplay to back it up. Each battle is a combination of smooth action and careful precision. The destructible environments add another element of strategy - and gory explosions to boot. The roguelike elements and RPG-esque builds offer layer upon layer of depth. The demo alone is nowhere near enough to get properly stuck into these systems, but it gives enough of an impression for me to be intrigued about the full game.

Ex Sanguis will be released in early access soon. You can wishlist it and check out the demo on Steam here.

Merely browsing the pages of Steam Next Fest could help you to discover your next favorite game, and if you want something stylish to scratch that turn-based itch, Ex Sanguis might be the game for you. You've got nothing to lose with a demo, after all.