8.0
Hexguardian doesn’t represent a revolution for the tower defence or the rogue-lite genres but its mechanics are polished. The lack of world-building is a little disappointing and the presentation is adequate and not much more. But the title creates that just one more try feeling, based on the wide variety of unlockable tools and upgrades and the many ways in which tile work can affect survival time.
The core loop will become repetitive. The game does all it can to spice it up with opportunities to test new strategies and a general sense of progression, but it depends on the players whether they find it meditative or boring. I had fun with Hexguardian’s mix of ideas but I’m unsure how often I will return to them.
