Summary
For every indie game that seems to break through and have some mainstream success, there are dozens (if not hundreds) of titles that go relatively unnoticed by the masses. One such title isArco, which despite some early praise from a very promising Steam Next Fest demo and an incredibly strong critical reception, is already serving as yet another cautionary tale of the dangers of indie game development. WhileArcois already garnering plenty of nods from tactics fans as one of the year’s bestindie games, the title’s small team of developers has recently spoken out regarding the game’s commercial performance, prompting other indie devs to follow suit.
Speaking on the volatility of indie game development and the inherent risks that studios or individuals take on by releasing games into an increasingly crowded marketplace,Arco’s developer Franek vocalized disappointment with the game’s sales despite glowing reviews from both players and critics. Currently,Arcosits at an impressive 98%“Very Positive” on Steamacross 294 user reviews, and getting a chance to go hands-on with the real-time tactics title makes it easy to see why. Between its gameplay and narrative elements,Arcois the exact kind of indie experience one would expect to have major breakthrough success, and it might be this year’s most criminally overlooked game.
Arco Blends a Gripping Wild West Revenge Story With Unique Tactical Gameplay
While not as prevalent asMetroidvaniasor Roguelikes, Tactics games have seen a bit of a resurgence in popularity thanks to a slew of newer indie games looking to revive the genre, andArcobrings plenty to the table to earn itself a seat among the classics. The first thing that players will notice after booting up the title is how effective its minimalist pixel art visuals are at conveying a sense of scale and gravity.Arcotakes place in the Wild West and features a characteristic tale of blood-soaked revenge, but it does so while highlighting both the desolation of the landscape and the Mesoamerican perspective, something wholly uncommon among most games using the setting.
But it’s arguablyArco’s combat where things truly begin to shine, combining elements of real-time combat such as positioning and timing along with the tried-and-true mechanics that will be familiar to fans ofgames likeXCOMor other genre classics. One area whereArcoexcels is in its difficulty curve, gradually introducing more and more complex scenarios for players to tackle but never presenting the player with anything beyond their current abilities. The “real-time” tactical combat inArcoimmediately sets it apart from other tactics games, turning each encounter into a puzzle for survival.
Arco’s Positive Critical Reception Has Yet to Translate to Commercial Success
The indie game development space continues to serve as fertile ground for some of the best gaming experiences available, but the harsh reality is that attainingHollow Knight,Slay the Spire, orBalatrolevels of successis becoming increasingly rare. Unfortunately, positive critical reception doesn’t often equate to strong commercial success, which forces indie developers to favor making games that they know will sell over passion projects.Arco’s developer Franek touched on this issue when he recently noted that “Our game has been well rated by critics and players but it sold badly. We’d get more sales copying an already well-established genre,” going on to then remark that their next game will be focused on something that will sell.
It’s a shame that more eyes are not currently onArco, as the title ticks all the boxes of similar titles that have gone on to be critical darlings and sweep up plenty of honors during awards season. Between the title’s gritty and mature narrative, pitch-perfect art direction, and unique spin on theturn-based tactics genre,Arcois one of the indie games that players who experience it will talk about for the rest of the year and beyond. Hopefully, the coming weeks will see more of those players joining the fold for one of 2024’s hidden gems.
