Invictvs

Invictvs is set centuries before the common era and casts the player as an unnamed gladiator slave with no freedom of movement or choice. The only path forward is to keep winning in the arena, with the prospect that the master may one day grant release. Each run lasts roughly one to two hours and ends permanently on defeat.

Before each set of games there are eight days of preparation. On each day the player picks a single action from a branching map, such as training to improve physical attributes, purchasing gear from a merchant, or gambling. Every gain comes with a cost. Combat itself takes place in real time, and each attack technique is tied to its own action input, so the accuracy of the player’s inputs determines the effectiveness of a strike. Fights also involve managing stamina, focus, bleed, and EP.

There are four fighting styles: Murmillo, an all-rounder focused on defence; Retiarius, built around single high-damage critical strikes; Dimachaerus, which relies on a high volume of attacks; and Thraex, which stacks bleed to wear opponents down. The class tree resets at the start of each run, gear is generated with random traits, and an Oath drawn at the beginning of a run provides benefits that alter how the character fights. The game includes a range of events along the branching map, distinct bosses, and a story following a single gladiator. It has been released on Steam and at the time of writing has three user reviews.