ROUNDS

Introduction

ROUNDS is a PvP game focused on controlling a “round” avatar and shooting it to the death against an opponent. The rules of the game are fairly simple:

  1. At the start of the match, both players choose a card that enhances the gun.
  2. Each round is a Bo2, and whoever loses chooses another card.
  3. Whoever has 5 cards and loses another Bo2 is the loser.

Player Mechanics

Skill Expression: Even though the game houses a pretty simple set of controls, the shield mechanic heavily enables a wide range of possibilities along with the floaty yet snappy, fast-paced movement. Mastering these mechanics is pretty rewarding when you can be flying across the map on round start or flipping the match around via a well-timed shield to deflect bullets.

Jump

Shield

Game Mechanics

Power-ups: After each Bo2, the loser gets to select an enhancement from a set of 5 cards. These power-ups add and modify the existing mechanics while stacking with previously selected cards. The combination of power-ups makes each match unique and incentivizes the player’s creativity to generate an effective build.

Maps: Each round within a match sets the two players in one of many unique maps and environments. What makes them so fun is the fact that each map sets the battleground and environment for different player builds to fight in. The maps force the player to recognize how to maximize the efficacy of their build.

Human Opponent: An interesting aspect of ROUNDS is that there is no AI mode for you to play against—for better or worse. The human element of an opponent adds a lot in making the game dynamic and pulls in the player more. There is something beautiful about the PvP aspect, where players continually adapt to each other’s builds to see which one ultimately prevails.

Player Customization: ROUNDS allows you to customize the character before heading into a match. It’s a simple feature, but it does so much to make PvP exciting.

Notable Design Choices

Combinatorics: ROUNDS is not the only indie game that uses combinatorics to enable expression in the gameplay. However, it is interesting to highlight how effective this design choice is for generating player possibilities by allowing for synergistic modifications to the player character.

Themes and Player Experience

Competition: It goes without saying that the main point of a 1v1 game like ROUNDS is to destroy your opponent. The underlying depth lies in the fact that within each match, you are put into mind games against the opponent and assess the skill differences in not only technique but also strategy.

Expression: The combinations of power-ups available in a match and the niche interaction of mechanics allow players to creatively invent themselves between different matches. Whether it is a one-shot glass cannon, rush-down shield explosion, or bullet-hell shotgun, ROUNDS mechanics let people explore and express their tactical and strategic creativity.

Narrative and Immersion: ROUNDS is a 1v1 shooter that puts the player in dialogue with the opponent via the gameplay mechanics and its core gimmick of power-ups. The addition of character customization adds another layer of immersion, which helps produce broader narrative elements like rivalry, conquest, and trickery.

Conclusion

ROUNDS is the type of game you look for when wanting a quick fix of fun against a friend. Its mechanics are simple, and the skill ceiling isn’t that high either. Simply put, the game gives what is advertised: “shenanigans and fun.”

I usually reflect deeply on the game and its values, but the most intriguing thought I had from this was on AI in games. I wanted a satisfactory answer to the question: “Why play games vs. AI when you have real players?”

Like what would take away from—say—WoW if it were entirely NPCs even if it were an advanced AI. What I came to the conclusion was a real opponent contributes something that allows for nuanced narratives and deeper immersion. 

Playing against an AI makes it harder to construct the notion of a rival or really see the opponent as a “person” with whom to have that dimension of interaction.

Even in the extreme case of, say, the best state-of-the-art RL agent, there seems to be something missing, knowing that everyone else around you are bots. That isn’t to say an AI is bad by any means. Solo-player games have immense potential in utilizing advanced AI to create better and more effective challenges for players.

Here are some clips of some cool kills:

If you want to play the game: https://landfall.se/games/rounds