WANE is a tactical roguelite that blends strategy, role-playing, and adventure elements on PC. Players assume the role of Declan Wayne, an archaeologist whose past excavation of Ravelle unleashed horrors that fractured his mind. The core experience centers on assembling and leading expeditions into this shifting mental labyrinth to confront trauma, recover memories, and secure a cure before mental decline sets in.
Gameplay
The gameplay revolves around recruiting a roster of distinctive occultists and mercenaries to form parties of three. Each recruit brings specialized abilities, backstories, and personal motivations that influence group dynamics. Players must manage loyalty through decisions that can spark infighting or foster alliances, as characters pursue goals beyond simple payment. Expeditions proceed descent by descent through Ravelle, where every room presents high-stakes turn-based combat on a grid. Positioning, cover, and line of sight matter in encounters against horrors reshaped by Declan's memories. Builds emerge from party synergies and trinkets collected along the way, with environmental factors and chance elements adding layers of risk. Attrition builds naturally as injuries mount, supplies dwindle, and party members face permanent loss if they fall.
Between runs, players return to an antiquarian shop to appraise and sell relics recovered from the depths. Proceeds fund upgrades to facilities, paychecks for the team, and preparations for subsequent expeditions. Permanent progress includes unlocked safe rooms, opened shortcuts, and deeper familiarity with enemy patterns that allow more efficient navigation on later attempts. The three biomes, Ravellian Sanatorium, Palace of Arvanshah, and Death Pilgrimage to Erabel, each tie into Ravelle's history and Declan's fractured psyche, reshaping layouts and threats across runs while preserving narrative threads that unfold through repetition.
Game Modes
WANE operates as a single-player roguelite focused on repeated expeditions into Ravelle. Each run carries the same objective of reaching the heart of the site to excise the source of mental decay, yet the procedural reshuffling of rooms and resurrection of defeated threats ensure fresh challenges. The structure emphasizes a marathon of incremental advancement rather than isolated sessions, with meta-progression through shop upgrades and character insights carrying forward. Narrative elements advance across multiple descents as players uncover recruit motivations and resolve or exploit personal conflicts. No separate competitive or cooperative modes exist beyond this core loop of expedition management and tactical survival.
Story and Setting
Ravelle originated as Declan's discovery of three long-dead civilizations, intended as his defining achievement. Hubris led to broken seals and an indelible scar on his mind, prompting years of futile searching for a cure elsewhere. Return to the source becomes the only path forward. The setting mixes industrial noir aesthetics with occult themes, where hired hands confront manifestations of regret, obsession, and trauma. Character interactions add depth, revealing why each expedition member joins beyond financial incentive and how choices affect group cohesion over time.
Is It Worth Playing?
WANE targets players who appreciate deliberate turn-based tactics, roguelite risk management, and stories revealed through repeated play rather than linear progression. Its emphasis on party composition, resource attrition, and permanent meta-advancement suits those drawn to games that reward careful planning and adaptation across multiple attempts. The developer background in tabletop RPGs informs the character-driven elements and mechanical depth, suggesting strong potential for engaging narrative payoffs and strategic variety. As an unreleased title with a planned demo in 2027, it currently appeals most to enthusiasts willing to follow development and wishlist for future access. Those favoring high-stakes grid combat and expedition-style loops will find the described systems align closely with proven genre strengths.
