I Think I Already Have Top Pick of 2026.
Following my time with in excess of 200 new releases this year, I'm formally closing the book on 2025. My annual roundup is live, and I am at peace with the concluding selections, accepting that a host of fantastic releases may have dropped by the wayside. Currently, my only nothing for me to do other than unwind, disconnect briefly, and maybe enjoy a pleasant stroll in the— well, shoot, found another great game. So much for my peaceful respite!
A Premature Favorite Surfaces
During my casual gaming time, often set aside for a selection of unusual games, I've discovered what might become my first favorite game of 2026. Sol Cesto is an unusual roguelike for Windows PC that deconstructs a traditional dungeon crawler into a chance-driven game of significant risk peril and prize. Take this as a hipster's insider tip: If you enjoy in knowing about a game before it's popular, give Sol Cesto a try so you can burn a spot in your wallet for unique titles.
A Strategic Roguelike Twist
Sol Cesto is a tactical roguelike that's different from everything I've previously experienced. The setup is that you need to explore a dungeon, going down level by level on a quest for the sun, which has disappeared from the fantasy world. In practice, that makes for some familiar roguelike structure. Choose an adventurer possessing unique stats and abilities, clear floor after floor of monsters, collect some passive buffs (in the form of teeth), and overcome a few biome bosses. Straightforward, right!
The Distinctive Core Mechanic
The way you effectively complete a chamber, is unique. Whenever you start another stage, you're shown a four-by-four matrix of boxes. Each square holds a monster, a loot box, a trap, or a health-restoring fruit. To proceed, you just select on one of the horizontal lines, but which square you end up on is a matter of probability.
You might see a row with multiple foes, a strawberry, and a reward box in it. You begin with a one-in-four probability of landing on any given square in a row.
After that, the probabilities change. The question becomes: Do you take the risk, or do you click on a different row first and attempt some less risky choices early? That's the risk-reward dynamic in action in Sol Cesto, and it's engrossing once you get its rhythm.
Manipulating Probability
The meta-layer is that your odds can be manipulated through a run by gathering teeth that change what things you're drawn toward. To illustrate, you might get a perk that will lower your chances of hitting a trap, but will also decrease the odds of landing on a reward too.
- Creating a build is about manipulating math optimally to have a improved likelihood at landing where you want.
- During one attempt, I invested my stat upgrades toward melee prowess and picked as many teeth I could that would improve my probability of landing on monsters with that damage type.
- On a different attempt, I developed my adventurer around reward boxes and combined that with a perk that would weaken adjacent enemies each time I secured loot.
The build options are somewhat constrained, but they are sufficient to engage with to enable you to influence numbers the way you want.
An Ever-Present Risk
Naturally, at its heart, it's a game of chance. There's always the possibility that you have a likely outcome to hit the preferred space but ultimately choose on an enemy that would eliminate your final hit point. All selections is a gamble, so there's a constant tension as you clear a floor out and choose whether to keep clicking or to advance to the subsequent stage rather than pushing your luck.
Consumables including enemy-killing bombs assist in minimizing the chance, similar to some hero powers. One hero's special power, charged after making four moves, lets gamers to click on a column in place of a horizontal line on a turn. Should you use this strategically, you can reserve that option for a crucial point to circumvent a perilous selection. You'll find an astonishing amount of nuance in the basic action of clicking.
Future Development
Sol Cesto is still in its preview phase, and it has a final update to go before the final game is unleashed. A new character and a fresh guardian are expected to drop before the conclusion of January. The official version may not be long after, but the game's developers haven't committed to a specific release window yet.
A Concluding Thought
Regardless of when its 1.0 launch occurs, you might want to put Sol Cesto on your wishlist. I've been thoroughly captivated with it, finding all of small details and banking my earned gold every session to reveal a continuous trickle of permanent unlocks, including additional heroes and items available for acquisition mid-attempt. I still haven't reached the bottom, and I have a sense I will remain attempting that goal when the full version launches. Sign me up for the long haul.
