GamesRoguelikeShiren the Wanderer’s simple graphics disguise a systems-dense roguelike full of the emergent stories I love the genre forWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRoguelikeShiren the Wanderer’s simple graphics disguise a systems-dense roguelike full of the emergent stories I love the genre forWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
Shiren The Wanderer didn’t quite invent the traditional roguelike genre, but this long-running, rarely localized Japanese series sure as heck came to define it:
That means everything carried is lost upon death, and all of Shiren’s experience must go down the drain with it. Every single floor must be navigated in full again—no shortcuts—and their randomised layout and loot means they’re exactly as dangerous and unpredictable as they were the first time.
The latest entry in the 30-year-old series,The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, is no exception to these harsh rules. Its freeform nature, heaps of weird items, and expansive ruleset make it an intimidating and often deadly experience at the best of times, and its minimalistic approach to Shiren himself, a silent avatar-hero of the classicDragon Questvariety with few real opinions or even expressions of his own, leaves enough room for my imagination to get to work. I get to decide if he’s bravely facing down a horde of monsters, panicking at the sight of them, or reaching into his pack for some table-turning item.
Every game is as unique as a fingerprint. A new run is a chance to do something different and surprising, to build a very personal story out of lucky finds, near misses, and brilliantly stupid ideas.
I honestly didn’t mind watching Shiren crumple in a heap a minute later. I’d invented the problem myself, after all, and for one whole second felt really clever about it too. Besides, Shiren the Wanderer knows it’s tough—itexpectsme to fail. Many, many, times. And just like everyone’s favourite Grecian roguelike, Hades, many of the game’s engaging plot threads only move forwards when I hit the dirt. But unlike Supergiant’s god-bothering dungeon loop, the flexibility and wilful absurdity of Chunsoft’s game (thieving seals, anyone?) allows me to invent new stories of my own, something fun and meaningful that happens between the bouts of dialogue boxes.
Nothing is more confidence-boosting than a great start after a hard fall. I was only a few floors in and already carrying around armfuls of great equipment, meaning everything from cute critters to colour-coded ninjas fell without a fuss. It was almost relaxing.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
So when I came across a courier—someone prepared to take one item (or magical pot filled with items) back to town so I can use it on a later run—I cheerfully handed over the shiny sword that had carried me this far. No problem, I’d just fall back on one of my many more ordinary spares for a short while and, thinking with my current luck I’d find something even better than what I’d given up. I had plenty of scrolls and items and so many tasty restorative onigiri stuffed in my inventory I’d had to munch down a few just to free up some space.
Image1of3(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
Image1of3(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
Image1of3
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
It was around this point the game started to introduce Hoppin' Hitters—samurai grasshoppers wielding bamboo baseball bats—and without that powerful sword I wasn’t quite as tough as I should have been. And those things hithard. Hard enough that one hit was unpleasant, and two could be fatal.
But this was my story, and Shiren had supplied all the tools I needed to shape it to my liking. A Windblade scroll could do enough damage to kill these menaces before they got too close, and Jittery scrolls forced any that came within hitting distance to waste their turns attacking the space to their rear, as if they were afraid someone was sneaking up behind them.
When those ran out I switched to staves, magical items capable of paralysing enemies on the spot, amongst other things. I just had to point and shoot the right thing at the right monster. It was more than just another way of staying alive—it felt like I’d reached the second stage of Shiren-ing. I’d gone from simply dealing damage to anything that got in my way to outsmarting them with an almost bewildering selection of interesting status effects. I was learning how to hold my own in a relentlessly unforgiving game, and do it creatively too.
The feeling didn’t last long. The Hoppin' Hitters' baseball bat wasn’t just a funny weapon, it actually functioned as a bat. I’m not sure why I expected anything less of a game so mechanically dense it differentiates between tapping the side of a pot, putting something in it, throwing it against a wall, or placing it gently on the ground, but it still surprised me when they casually batted away everything I tried to hurl at them.
Image1of4(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
Image1of4(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
Image1of4
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
(Image credit: Spike Chunsoft)
Magical shots included. I even tried to throw a rotten onigiri at one just because I was that desperate to keep it away, and all it did was neatly smash it straight back in my face. The damage and status effects that came with that blow didn’t really matter, because I was too busy having an improvised food fight with a violent grasshopper to care.
With renewed confidence and a shiny katana in hand, I bravely set forth on the next leg of my epic adventure.
And died to the first enemy I ran into.
Same again next run? Shiren wouldn’t let me even if I tried.
More about roguelikeHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterThis bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spinesLatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
More about roguelikeHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterThis bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spinesLatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
More about roguelikeHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterThis bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spines
More about roguelike
Hyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterThis bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spines
Hyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of Drifter
Hyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of Drifter
This bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spines
This bizarre roguelike has a new take on the Vampire Survivors formula: letting you build your own custom weapons out of brains, eyeballs, and chimpanzee spines
LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
Latest
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
See more latest►
Most Popular
The Witcher 3’s now 2-year-old bonus quest is our first taste of the ‘vibe’ CD Projekt is going for in The Witcher 4
2024 was the year updates for old games beat out all the new ones for me
Train like you game with this adventure-inspired workout
‘It’s simply impossible to make a difficulty level that’s just right for all players’: How Final Fantasy 14’s lead battle designer has been playing a precarious balancing game for Dawntrail’s dungeons and raids
Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)
Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun
Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing
These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre
Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)
I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1
Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2
Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3
Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4
Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5
Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits
1
Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback
2
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3
WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4
Ikea Utespelare desk review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5
Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
