🔗 Share this article

Following my time with well over 200 recent games this year, I am officially wrapping things up on 2025. My annual roundup is out in the world, and I'm satisfied with the concluding selections, even knowing a host of stellar titles likely fell under the radar. At this point, it's nothing for me to do other than unwind, unplug a little, and maybe enjoy a refreshing hike in the— oh no, stumbled upon a great game. There go my intentions!

A Surprising Front-Runner Appears

During my casual gaming time, usually reserved for a selection of unusual games, I've encountered what might become my first favorite game of 2026. Sol Cesto is an unusual roguelike for Windows PC that breaks down a conventional dungeon crawler into a probability-fueled game of major consequence risk and reward. Consider this an early adopter's heads-up: If you enjoy discovering a game before it's popular, give Sol Cesto a try so you can punch a hole in your gaming budget.

A Strategic Dungeon-Crawling Innovation

Sol Cesto is a strategy-focused dungeon crawler that's a departure from all I've previously experienced. The concept is that you must venture into a dungeon, going down level by level on a quest for the sun, which has gone missing from this mythical realm. In practice, that makes for some familiar roguelike structure. Pick a hero with their own parameters and powers, defeat enemies on every stage of enemies, pick up some permanent upgrades (represented as teeth), and vanquish a few stage-ending champions. Simple enough!

The Novel Central System

The method by which you effectively complete a chamber, is unique. Whenever you enter a new floor, you're shown a four-by-four matrix of boxes. Each square either contains a monster, a loot box, a trap, or a life-giving berry. To explore a room, you simply click on one of the horizontal lines, but the specific tile you land in is determined by luck.

You could encounter a row with multiple foes, a strawberry, and a treasure chest in it. You initially will have a 25% chance of landing on a particular space in a row.

After that, the odds shift. The question becomes: Do you go for it, or do you click on a different row first and aim for less risky choices early? That's the tension between chance and safety on display in Sol Cesto, and it's captivating when you acquire an understanding of it.

Shaping the Odds

The procedural hook is that your probabilities can be influenced during an attempt by gathering teeth that modify the types of squares you're more attracted to. For example, you may obtain a perk that will reduce the probability of hitting a trap, but will similarly reduce the odds of getting a reward too.

• Developing a strategy is about tweaking the numbers to the utmost to have a improved likelihood at getting your desired outcome.
• On a particular session, I put all my stat upgrades toward brute force and selected all the teeth I could that would boost my chances of attracting me toward monsters aligned with that strength.
• During a separate session, I built my character around treasure chests and combined that with a perk that would weaken adjacent enemies whenever I claimed a reward.

The customization choices are somewhat constrained, but it provides ample to experiment with to let you manipulate the odds the way you want.

A Constant Tension

Naturally, it's still a game of chance. There remains the chance that you have an 80% chance to select the square you want but ultimately choose a foe that would eliminate your final hit point. Each click is a gamble, so you feel ongoing pressure as you navigate a level and determine if to press onward or to proceed to the next floor as opposed to testing fate.

Consumables including enemy-killing bombs help cut down the chance, similar to some special skills. One hero's unique ability, activated once making four moves, allows players to click on a vertical column in place of a horizontal line during that action. If you play this move wisely, you can hold that ability for the right moment to circumvent a perilous selection. You'll find an astonishing amount of nuance in the simple act of clicking.

The Road to 1.0

Sol Cesto is remaining in development, and it has a final update scheduled until the complete edition is unleashed. Another playable adventurer and a new boss are scheduled to arrive by the end of January. The official version probably isn't much later, but the creators haven't set a specific release window yet.

A Parting Thought

Regardless of when the complete game arrives, you might want to put Sol Cesto in your sights. I have been completely engrossed with it, discovering its hidden nuances and banking my earned gold in each run to unlock a steady stream of permanent unlocks, including fresh adventurers and items available for acquisition mid-attempt. I still haven't completed the dungeon, and I have a sense I'll continue working on that task when the official release drops. I'm committed for the complete journey.