Backpack Hero is one of the standout roguelikes to come out in 2022. It takes the usually tedious and, honestly, archaic art of inventory management and turns it into a fully-fledged feature. Not only that, it is the focus of the game, and you may actually spend more time messing with placements than actually killing monsters.
Taking cues from the likes of Slay The Spire and Dicey Dungeon, Backpack Hero has a telegraphed combat system with a heavy emphasis on decision making and risk vs reward gameplay. It’s highly replayable and genuinely fantastic. It’s also difficult, and some things aren’t necessarily obvious to the first-time Backpacker.
5 Rearrange You Inventory Constantly
Whilst we don’t mean this literally, as you probably don’t want to be messing with your pack during combat (well, not every turn at least), you should absolutely rearrange your whole back after most combats. You will be getting hodds of new items after every victory, and every item has its use. Picking up, twisting, turning, moving, and even yeeting items are all part of the game.
Optimizing your positioning so you can hold as much as possible is only ever a positive for your progression. In a similar vein, when you level up and expand your Backpack, try to add space that will best accommodate your desired growth. Just expanding in a perfect square does not always yield the best results.
4 Look For Synergies
One aspect of Backpack Hero that gets the noggin turning is the synergy system. In short, most items interact with other items in the game, or, they interact with their positioning in your pack. For example, Helmets tend to enjoy being at the top of your pack, and they often like to boost other pieces of armor near them.
You can gain massive bonuses to both damage and defense by mixing and matching your synergies. You could gain no new items, rearrange your pack to optimize your synergies, and suddenly, you are an unkillable murder machine. On the flip side, many items also have negative traits. Going back to the helmet, don’t put a helmet next to another helmet - it won’t go well. You only have one head after all.
3 Understand The Benefits Of Consumables
Consumables tend to exist in a perpetual state of paradox within the minds of just about every gamer. That inherent need to hoard overtakes us, and we just stockpile endless trinkets, baubles, and potions. This is a mindset you need to get out of in Backpack Hero. You want to use your consumables because they are amazing.
Consumables can do all sorts, often they will increase the effectiveness of a specific action. For example, you may get to attack without using Energy, or you may just gain additional Energy on consumption, etc. Whatever the case may be, the effects are nearly always powerful, and using those effects can win you games. Despite their benefits, however, don’t overstock on them - you still need space in your pack for weapons and armor.
2 Weigh Risk And Reward
Enemies in Backpack Hero are a nightmare to deal with. Sure they telegraph their attacks, but you still have to make constant decisions as to how you are going to deal with that attack. In combat with multiple enemies, this gets even trickier, and this is where the addictive risk vs reward combat system comes into focus.
Sometimes you will fight enemies that need to die - and they need to die quickly. Playing overly defensively may hinder you in the long run as you are ravaged by multiple enemies who you aren’t really equipped to defend against. Sometimes, you just need to drop your guard and go in for the kill and accept the hit. Take some HP damage now to prevent greater HP damage later. It’s all about practice, experience, and knowing what you are up against.
1 Accept Defeat
This is the big one. You aren’t going to get through Backpack Hero on your first attempt. Heck, you might not get through it on your 100th attempt. Death is an inevitability, and Backpack Hero will deliver it unto you in droves. Don’t get disheartened, however, this is all part of the gameplay loop.
This is a roguelike - you are meant to die repeatedly, but grow in knowledge after each death. Knowledge is power, and the more you learn, the further you will go. The further you go, the more you need to learn. It’s a cycle, and it’s damn satisfying if you let yourself be pulled in. Death sucks. Losing sucks. Coming out the other end victorious is euphoric.