Though it may not be quite as atrocious as the Nintendo Switch eShop, Steam's Early Access page can be an absolute horror-show sometimes, dishing out countless shovelware titles that are unashamed cash-grabs. But thankfully, Steam has gotten increasingly better over the years at highlighting genuinely great early access titles, often putting them right at the top of the page, or just a scroll or two underneath it. Right now, hugely popular titles like Palworld, Lethal Company, and Phasmophobia top Steam's Early Access list, but right next to them is a little auto battler that's already making waves: Backpack Battles.

Released in early access on March 8 2024, Backpack Battles is a highly addictive game with a simple, intuitive, yet deceptively complex premise, and it deserves its current top spot on Steam's Early Access page. A PvP auto battler that revolves all around inventory management, Backpack Battles takes a staple of the RPG genre and really hones in on what makes it such an iconic part of the gaming experience.

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Backpack Battles Puts a Fresh Spin on a Classic RPG Feature

Backpack Battles Revolves Around Inventory Management

The core gameplay loop of Backpack Battles is simple and easy to understand, but hides a great deal of depth beneath the surface. When starting out in Backpack Battles, players will be given a fairly small backpack and a pocketful of cash. Players can then use that cash to purchase a vast array of items ranging from weapons to shields to armor to potions and a whole lot in between. It's then up to the player to try and wedge in as many items as possible into their backpack, though this is where Backpack Battles' core feature comes into play.

While players can just jam all of their items into their backpack randomly, Backpack Battles features a unique system in which items placed next to one another are combined to grant special bonuses or to craft higher tiers of weapons, armors, or potions. For instance, placing a thorny vine next to a sword will see the two items combine, creating a special vine-wrapped sword that delivers more damage, which is where Backpack Battles' second gameplay phase comes in.

Battlepack Battles Features Surprisingly Relaxing PvP

After organizing their backpack, players engage in a PvP battle. Being an auto battler, players don't actively control their character during the fight, but instead sit back and watch as their uniquely-crafted items wage war against another player's. The battle ends when a player's health reaches zero, and the victor receives some cash that they can then spend on more items back at the shop. It's a simple loop, but a highly addictive one, with battles taking mere moments and the game delivering a constant, satisfying sense of progression.

Backpack Battles also currently features four distinct RPG classes, each based around what items the player purchases from the shop. While players can mix and match all the game's 200+ items, they'll discover that certain items or weapons have synergies with one another, often based on what class they belong to. So, while Backpack Battles offers a great deal of build variety, it also encourages not just strategic placement of items, but strategic purchasing.

Despite being a PvP game that sees players face off against actual real-world player builds, Battlepack Battles is a surprisingly calm experience. With the player not actually controlling the action on-screen, there's much less pressure on the player to be actively paying attention to every minute detail of the match, and paired with the game's minimalist music and sound design, Backpack Battles is a fairly chill experience overall.

Backpack Battles is available now on PC.

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