UPDATE:
I ported a lot of my game mechanics from my bigger Playdate game to this over the last couple weeks, the feedback has been real helpful. Expanded version can be found here:
RALAsutura
https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=159721
https://solmare.itch.io/ralasutura
Thank you all.
CREDITS
Made by Solmare with PICO-8.
Art is Gustavo Vituri's [8x8] Isometric TRPG Asset Pack, recolored for PICO-8's palette.
RALA-8 © 2026 Solmare. All rights reserved. Art © Gustavo Vituri, used under license.
@solmare - I feel like you need a toggleable key in which it shows us what direction we go in as isometric is good but its hard to navigate in.
@JamesWoodwright thank you for taking the time to check it out! That's a good suggestion, I'm going to see if I can find a sprite and color that won't make things look messy; there's already quite a lot going on on-screen!
Great game! It has some similarities to Shogun Showdown, which I also enjoyed.
The mechanics are solid, and after a few waves, become intuitive. This leads to a nice fluid flow state, which is rare in a turn based game.
Playing well requires understanding how each type of enemy behaves, as well as sometimes looking a few turns in advance. The variable terrain provides an additional layer of tactical play and challenge.
Though it can be challenging, the game encourages bold play at times, with score multipliers and bonus reloads given for dangerous moves. Dashing is a lifesaver.
The relatively large number of controls are handled well with the limited inputs, though it may require a brief learning period.
A great entry in a microgenre that I'd like to see more of; I look forward to seeing how it develops, and trying the daily challenges!
@SaltySalticid thank you! This is magazine-quality level review material right here, haha. I have 7 tokens left on this cart so I think I'm going to start work on the multi-cart "sequel" to allow for some of the feature requests I'm getting, like saves between runs, selectable upgrades, more varied bosses, etc.
@solmare - You can toggle it with menuitem and a function within the menuitem then have the up and down on one side and left and right on the other. I like the idea of having sprites.
One thing i would add to this since your going to do this is, make the player option stick with the next cart load. (make it so the toggle is kept on or off with the cart being restarted)
@JamesWoodwright sadly I think I need to skip on this one, I tried a few different ways to implement this and it just became a mess when things got real crowded on the screen! I'm wondering if maybe I could implement an orthogonal view or version of this game to help with this, but I'd need to redo quite a lot of sprites! Food for thought!
So after a lot of excellent player feedback across a few different forums (thank you VERY much!!!!), I implemented a ton of changes and made a multi-cart followup to this game. It's been greatly expanded to include an unlockable archetype, saving mid-run, a Starfox 64-style map you can choose your next set of waves, choices for boons, and secret levels and a secret boss fight! Same combat and rules as RALA-8 but a bit more refined, if you feel so inclined it's posted on itch before I post it on BBS:
https://solmare.itch.io/ralasutura
Thank you all.
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