Okay, We Judged Lort By Its Name – And We Were SO Wrong

Let's be upfront: the first time "Lort" crossed our editorial desk, we assumed it was a typo. Or perhaps a very bad joke. Yet, as veterans of countless early access launches and more digital battlefields than we care to count, we know better than to judge a game by its, well, peculiar moniker. And in the case of Lort, an action roguelite that just hit Steam Early Access, our initial skepticism quickly gave way to a cautious, yet undeniable, intrigue.

Make no mistake, Lort aims squarely for that sweet spot carved out by titles like Risk of Rain 2. It's an affordable co-op experience built on a foundation of escalating chaos, power-up synergy, and wave after wave of increasingly challenging foes. However, Lort immediately distinguishes itself with a vibrant fantasy setting and a delightfully unhinged approach to weaponry and character design. While it's early days, our initial assessment suggests this could be a sleeper hit, offering a fresh, silly take on a beloved genre.

Gameplay Loop: Chaotic Co-Op & Unorthodox Arsenal

Lort's core loop will feel familiar to anyone who's sunk hours into a modern roguelite. Players choose from different adventurers and then dive into arenas, battling hordes of enemies. The key to survival, as in its genre brethren, lies in the power-ups you acquire throughout each run. These offer significant boosts, allowing for diverse build strategies and truly over-the-top character scaling as you progress.

Where Lort truly leans into its "silly time" promise is its arsenal. We've seen everything from:

• Fancy, ornate swords
• Surprisingly conventional firearms
• A staff inexplicably topped with what appears to be a sentient squid
• An absurd contraption of three guns taped to a stick

This variety suggests the developers are embracing player creativity and a playful approach to combat, which we appreciate. It's a clear signal that the meta-game for finding absurdly powerful weapon/power-up combinations will be a core part of the grind.

Co-operative Mayhem: Up to 8 Players

The primary draw for Lort is undeniably its robust co-op. While solo play is an option, the game truly shines in its multiplayer aspect, supporting up to **eight players**. This immediately sparks questions for us regarding enemy scaling and overall difficulty balance. Successfully managing threat levels and boss mechanics with that many moving parts is a significant challenge for any developer, and historically, titles with such high player counts can struggle with encounter design that feels equally rewarding and challenging for all participants. However, if the developers nail the scaling, an eight-player roguelite could usher in a new era of frantic, communal fun, far beyond the typical four-player limit we've come to expect.

The "Memey" Misstep and Early Access Promise

Now, let's address the elephant in the room: the aesthetic and linguistic choices. The game leans heavily into contemporary internet slang, with terms like "swole," "chad," and "muscle mommy" sprinkled throughout. While understandable in a bid for viral appeal, this kind of language ages quickly. Many of these terms are already feeling dated, and their overuse risks pulling players out of an otherwise entertaining experience. We've seen countless games try to ride these waves, only to find themselves narratively stagnant a year or two down the line. A touch less reliance on ephemeral memes would serve Lort better in the long run.

That said, if we look past the superficial language, the core gameplay loop, as showcased in the launch trailer, appears genuinely goofy in an engaging way. The physics, enemy designs, and general combat look to be chaotic, over-the-top, and genuinely fun – exactly what we want from this subgenre.

Crucially, Lort is launching in Early Access, but the developers affirm it's "playable from start to finish." This is a significant positive signal for us. Unlike many Early Access titles that launch as glorified tech demos, a complete gameplay loop from day one suggests a solid foundation and a developer committed to building upon a stable core experience. It fosters trust, allowing players to invest knowing there's already substantial content.

Lort Early Access Roadmap Highlights:

• First Major Update: Introduction of a new, froggish adventurer, a dagger weapon type, and more system refinements.
• Future Plans:
  • More playable adventurers, expanding class diversity and team composition.
  • An "Endless Mode" for ultimate replayability and leaderboard potential.
  • New biomes, offering greater environmental variety and new enemy types.
  • Additional quest types to vary objectives and challenges.

Our Verdict: A Risky Bet That Might Just Pay Off

Lort is a gamble. Its name, its memey language – these are choices that could easily alienate as many players as they attract. Yet, our analysis suggests that beneath these eccentricities lies a genuinely promising action roguelite. The core gameplay loop looks solid, the weapon variety is inspired, and the prospect of eight-player co-op provides a unique selling point that sets it apart from its contemporaries. If the developers can refine the rough edges and deliver on their ambitious roadmap, Lort might just be the next chaotic co-op obsession to dominate our game nights. We'll be keeping a close eye on its progress.