Pathway

Pathway is a fun and interesting adventure tactics game. The main premise is in getting ourselves a group of adventurers with various skills and perks, and having them traverse the hostile desert areas of Middle East and Africa of the 1930s to complete several campaigns. Think the kind of setting from Indiana Jones and The Mummy. As we move through the desert, we try to uncover secrets of the ancients, whilst battling German Nazis and some supernatural enemies too, such as zombies and the cultists that engage in mysticism.

The gameplay has us go through nodes on the map of an area. Each node represents a location. Each time we move to the next node, we use up fuel, of which we have a limited supply. The nodes give us various story events, which are randomized on each attempt. You may come across a combat encounter, some loot, a merchant, or a story event with a skill check that could yield some rewards. If we engage in combat, it's grid-based and turn-based (though not isometric), and utilises simple cover system that we're all familiar with.

The fun is in experimentation by trying different teams of adventurers. We initially have 6 available, but over time get to unlock many others, and each have their weapon type of choice, as well as special perks and loadout options. For loadout options, some can equip grenades, some can equip medkits, etc. As for perks, these are mainly useful during skill checks. For example, an engineer perk would allow a character to fix something during a story event. And of course the main challenge, besides combat, is in managing your resources - fuel, ammo and supplies (these enable use of medkits and other items). Fuel perhaps is the hardest one to manage as it gets used up every time you move to the next node on the map, so you likely won't be able to visit all the side paths. And if you run out of fuel, you have to walk on foot, which damages party's HP.

It really is a neat and fun adventure game with tactics and management elements, so I'm not sure why it's sitting at "Mostly Positive" rating, as it offers a lot of fun gameplay elements and is well-polished. Sure, it can feel a bit repetitive over time, but most games of this type do. I personally think the campaigns (beyond the first one) can feel quite lengthy, and most combat encounters start to feel samey. But the game allows you to choose some options prior to starting a campaign. You can choose to start with more or fewer supplies for example. And you can make combat encounters shorter or longer (by having fewer or more enemies in each one). The most unfair thing that you *might* feel during the game is running out of fuel and being unable to find any nearby for a while.

The visuals use a charming pixel art style, and the music is pretty much of the heroic adventure style like we heard in Indiana Jones films. Sound effects and UI all work well together to convey the information and other important aspects.

I'm yet to complete all the campaigns, but I'm enjoying the game. It's really worth playing for anyone who is a fan of management and turn-based tactics.

A fun casual game that can be made more challenging using sliders for each adventure for those who want it. The art style is nostalgic and lends to the trope of Indiana Jones-esque adventure. I enjoyed getting into the flow of the mechanics and playing while watching sitcoms or another friend playing their own game. Also a game that doesn't demand much of your attention if you want to play it in the background during workhours.

See a Nazi, punch a Nazi!

It's not Brendan Fraser's The Mummy or Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but gosh darn it, every campaign is like a little head cannon movie.

Pathway is a turn-based tactical RPG that blends roguelite progression with pulp adventure storytelling, creating a game that feels like a playable homage to classic 1930s serials. Developed by Robotality and published by Chucklefish, it places you in a world of hidden temples, desert expeditions, and Nazi occult conspiracies, where a group of adventurers races to uncover powerful artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands. The premise is familiar but effective, and the game leans fully into its adventurous tone, presenting each mission as part of a larger journey filled with danger, discovery, and occasional unpredictability.
The structure of the game revolves around a series of campaigns, each presented as a branching map of nodes that represent encounters, events, and combat scenarios. Movement across this map is limited by resources, particularly fuel, which forces players to make meaningful decisions about their route. Choosing whether to take risks for potential rewards or play it safe to ensure survival becomes a constant balancing act. This layer of strategic planning outside of combat is one of the game’s strongest elements, as it gives each run a sense of tension and unpredictability. No two journeys unfold exactly the same way, and the procedural elements help maintain a feeling of exploration even after multiple playthroughs.
Combat takes place on grid-based battlefields where positioning and cover are essential. Each character can move and perform actions within a turn, and success often depends on careful planning rather than brute force. The system is easy to understand, making it accessible to newcomers, but it still offers enough depth to reward thoughtful play. Characters have unique abilities that can be used to gain an advantage, whether through offensive attacks, defensive positioning, or tactical support. The pacing of combat is brisk, keeping encounters engaging without becoming overly drawn out. However, while the mechanics are solid, they do not evolve significantly over time, which can make battles feel somewhat repetitive during longer sessions.
A key part of the experience is the cast of characters, each with their own abilities and roles within the team. Rather than rigid class systems, the game emphasizes individuality, encouraging players to experiment with different combinations to find effective strategies. Characters can be recruited, leveled up, and equipped with new gear, providing a sense of progression that carries across multiple runs. This persistent development helps soften the impact of failure, as even unsuccessful attempts contribute to long-term growth. Over time, players build a roster of adventurers that can be adapted to different challenges, adding a layer of customization to the experience.
Narratively, Pathway takes a more episodic approach. Instead of a single, continuous storyline, the game presents a series of loosely connected adventures, each with its own objectives and encounters. Along the way, players are presented with text-based events that offer choices, sometimes leading to rewards and other times to unexpected consequences. These moments add flavor to the journey, reinforcing the sense of adventure and unpredictability. However, the writing, while charming, can begin to feel repetitive after multiple playthroughs, as events and scenarios are reused across campaigns. The lack of a strong central narrative may also leave some players wanting a deeper, more cohesive story.
Visually, the game stands out with its detailed pixel art, enhanced by lighting effects that give environments a sense of depth and atmosphere. The desert landscapes, ancient ruins, and interior locations all contribute to a cohesive aesthetic that captures the spirit of classic adventure tales. The presentation is further supported by a fitting soundtrack that complements the tone without overpowering the gameplay. Together, these elements create a strong sense of identity, making the game visually and thematically memorable.
Despite its many strengths, Pathway does face issues with repetition and limited variety. The procedural nature of its design means that encounters can begin to feel similar over time, and the range of enemy types and combat scenarios is somewhat restricted. Progression can also feel uneven, occasionally encouraging players to replay missions to gain better equipment or experience. While these elements do not detract from the overall experience, they do prevent the game from reaching its full potential in terms of long-term engagement.
Even so, Pathway succeeds in delivering a cohesive and enjoyable experience that combines strategy, exploration, and storytelling in a way that feels approachable and rewarding. It does not aim to overwhelm players with complexity, instead focusing on a streamlined design that emphasizes decision-making and adaptability. The result is a game that is easy to pick up but still capable of providing satisfying moments of tactical play and discovery.
In the end, Pathway is a strong example of how a clear vision and consistent design can create an engaging experience without excessive complexity. It captures the essence of adventure while providing a solid tactical framework, offering a game that is both accessible and replayable. While it may not have the depth or variety of the most expansive titles in the genre, it remains a memorable and well-crafted experience that stands out through its style and execution.
Rating: 8/10

Basically, a fun little tactics game---not as difficult as the DOS X-COM or Jagged Alliance titles, not as simple as one of the JRPG tactics variants. I liked the overall setting, the event writing, the pixel art and the soundtrack. Still, I'd rather give a mixed rating if I could, because there's quite a few nitpicks:
- The main one: Cover mechanics are counterintuitive and at odds with the environment art. Units may benefit from directly adjacent cover even though an attacker ostensibly has an unobstructed firing line, while conversely, cover on non-adjacent tiles doesn't count, even if it should probably add up to entirely obscure a target.
- Next to the weird cover mechanics, late-game combat is a little too repetitive and too simple for my taste: No proper overwatch, no running, no going prone, distance doesn't influence to-hit rates or damage, very limited skills, and so on.
- After the first three adventures, you'll probably have seen everything Pathway has to offer: Overworld events start to repeat a lot, as do the combat scenarios---it's either kill all random cultists or kill all random Nazis, never anything else. There's just about 10 same-ish enemy types, in later stages with more health and damage, but without any new skills or surprises. Insult to injury, the endings of the later four adventures are a letdown: no unique boss encounters (I wanted to fight the Black Pharao), and pretty similar, elusive events where the McGuffin explodes before you get your hands on it.
- From the outset, the game appears to feature an end-to-end storyline over five adventures. However, unless I missed some in-game events, the actual missions are just loosely connected. Together with the previous point, I think I'd have preferred one full game with pre-decided maps and encounters instead of five repeatable, rogue-lite missions.
- The UI is rather glitchy. For example, the action buttons remain clickable while units move (animation and click SFX included), but the clicks just don't have any effect. Likewise, I managed to get scrolling stuck once, and if you hastily click on pick-ups during their revealing animation, the pick-ups just don't appear (but can still be taken). Finally, auto-changes of units on exhaustion of actions accidentially made me move the next unit every now and then.
- While the orchestral score is great (could well come from a lost Indy movie), the score repeats so often that it becomes mind-numbing. It doesn't help that the in-game music choice seemingly doesn't consider context (i.e. which theme plays on which event).

fun, witty, rewarding, nice plot lines, too

Fun turn-based combat game. Love the athmosphere, exploring Morocco and other places with referencers to local cultures (berber, bedhouin, etc)