Invictvs

Invictvs is a roguelike set several centuries before the common era. The player takes the role of a nameless gladiator slave who has no freedom and no choice of path; the only way forward is to keep winning in the arena in the hope that the master eventually grants release. Each run lasts roughly one to two hours, and losing a fight ends the run outright.

Every run begins with eight days of preparation before the games. On each day the player chooses a single action from a branching map, such as training to improve the body, buying equipment from a merchant, or gambling. Each choice carries a cost as well as a benefit. The map also contains a range of events, and the run leads towards distinct boss encounters while following the story of one gladiator.

Combat takes place in real time, with each attack technique tied to its own action input, so the player’s precision determines how effective a strike is. Stamina, focus, bleed and EP must all be managed during an exchange. There are four fighting styles: Murmillo, an all-rounder built around a strong guard; Retiarius, which commits to single 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 rolls with random traits, and an Oath drawn at the beginning of a run grants benefits that alter how the character fights, so builds differ from one run to the next.