GamesRoguelikeYawnoc is a new wave-based roguelike where killing your enemies the wrong way could send them growing out of control, and it’s dirt cheap right nowWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesRoguelikeYawnoc is a new wave-based roguelike where killing your enemies the wrong way could send them growing out of control, and it’s dirt cheap right nowWhen 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: DaFluffyPotato)

Fighting foes in Yawnoc.

If you have no idea what that means, then you are my brother and comrade, but I’ve spent a solidseveral minuteslooking at a Wikipedia page and a bit longer actually playing Yawnoc, and I think I’ve just about figured it out.

Basically, imagine a big old grid of squares, then colour as many of those squares in as you like. Start the clock, and the squares adjacent to the ones you colour in will fill, then the ones adjacent to those, then the ones adjacent to those, while older ones die off.

Some starting positions will produce stability—a set of squares moving according to a predictable pattern that neither grows nor shrinks. Some will grow infinitely. Some might disappear? Maybe? Not actually sure about that one. You can see a few examples ofthe principle in action hereand in a gif I’ve embedded below.

(Image credit: Maxgyisawesome via Wikipedia)

A set of squares evolving according to the rules of Conway’s game of life.

Which is a great way to generate untold chaos and to punish me, specifically, for not actually thinking abouthowI blast away foes. Even in my limited time with the game—I’m yet to surmount the first boss—I’ve had a couple of instances where an enemy has suddenly gotten absurdly big because I’m a big dumb idiot who should not be trusted with firearms or responsibility. Or responsibility for firearms.

If that sounds like your kind of weird jam, Yawnoc is out today, and is currently running a 10% launch discount that brings it down to a trifling $4.50 (£3.86). You can find it onSteam, and its free demo-ish “jam version” onItch.io.

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