Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree Debuts — Charming Roguelike, But Hades 2 Steals the Spotlight
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree launched on Sept. 18, 2025. Developed by Brownies Inc. and published by Bandai Namco, it is a roguelike that pairs up two guardians per run, centers around a hub village, and is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
- Basic premise: stop the Magatsu villain and their Magatsu-hi beasts.
- Core loop: clear rooms, earn upgrades or augments, face bosses.
- Unique mechanic: pair one Tsurugi sword-wielder with one AI or player-controlled Kagura staff wielder.
- Progress and extras: Shinju Village hub for crafting, buying upgrades, and conversations.
- Platforms and review: out now on Switch, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X; reviewed on PS5 with a prerelease code from Bandai Namco.
What the game is
The story sets up a threat called the Magatsu, which spawns corrupted creatures named Magatsu-hi. Players control a hero called Towa alongside one of eight guardians to stop that threat. Between runs, you return to a hub area called Shinju Village, where you can talk to villagers, buy upgrades, and craft swords.
How it plays
Gameplay follows a room-by-room roguelike structure. After clearing rooms you get upgrades or augments, and repeated success leads to boss encounters that end a run or push you forward.
For each run you pick two guardians: one as the Tsurugi (the sword you directly control) and one as the Kagura (a staff wielder who provides support spells). The Kagura can be controlled by the game’s AI or by a second player in co-op.
Combat systems and weapons
Each guardian carries two swords and a durability system forces frequent swapping between them. For example, one sword might be slower and stronger while the other is faster with different charged moves. Support spells from the Kagura include offensive attacks and brief defensive shields.
Upgrades come from room rewards and augments, and many of them are passive stat boosts. There are also a limited number of active spells tied to guardians rather than a vast pool of random boons or modifiers.
Pacing, dialogue, and run length
Run lengths can vary. In one report, the first level could be cleared in under 15 minutes, while the second level sometimes took 35–40 minutes to reach its boss. Therefore, session length is not fixed and depends on encounter pacing and how quickly you clear rooms.
Additionally, the game contains repeated character lines during fights and extended village conversations. Campfire-style chats occur before a level’s final boss, and village dialogue appears frequently between runs.
Platforms, availability, and review note
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The game launched on Sept. 18, 2025, and in one review the game was examined on PlayStation 5 using a prerelease download code provided by Bandai Namco.
