Chasing the Dawn

It's not much more than a clone of Sol Cesto that's poorly translated into English.

Chasing the Dawn / CTD is an indie roguelike that embraces the idea that every choice matters. Developed and published by Wave Games, the title combines dungeon exploration, probability-based strategy, and town restoration mechanics into a surprisingly addictive gameplay loop. Rather than focusing on flashy spectacle or cinematic storytelling, the game leans heavily into thoughtful decision-making and repeatable adventures. Its premise is straightforward: venture into dangerous territories, gather resources, survive against unpredictable threats, and use your successes to help rebuild a struggling settlement. The result is a game that feels modest in scope but remarkably focused in execution. One of the most notable aspects of Chasing the Dawn is its emphasis on randomness and player agency. Dungeon expeditions are shaped by numerous variables, including enemy encounters, rune effects, item discoveries, and environmental conditions. This creates a constant sense of uncertainty that keeps each run fresh. Players are encouraged to weigh risks carefully, as a seemingly harmless decision can quickly lead to disaster. At the same time, the game avoids making failure feel unfair. Succes…

A stage takes place on a 4×4 grid filled with tiles that can contain enemies, treasure, or traps. How you move across the grid depends on your movement cards. These let you move within an entire row, a column, or a 2×2 area. The movement cards available to you depend on the character you choose, so the examples above are only available to the first character. What makes the game stand out is that while you always know the area you'll move within because you choose the row, column, or 2×2 section yourself, you never know the exact tile you'll land on. That part is completely random. Sometimes luck is on your side and you find treasure, while other times you have to deal with the consequences of an unlucky landing. Some movement cards have a cooldown, so you can't use the same one twice in a row. Your odds of landing on a specific tile also change over time. Whenever you land on a tile, it becomes inactive and can't be selected again. For example, if you've already landed on two tiles in a row, only two remain active, giving each of them a 50% chance of being chosen. Tiles can contain chests with gems, food that restores health, traps that deal damage, or enemies. What happens whe…