one of my favorite niche little genres of game is “spell-to-attack,” where it’s usually a more or less turn-based environment with you playing letters from a grid or a hand to spell a word to attack your opponent. This genre is TINY. Previously, i was aware of only a handful of good entries (Word Realms, Bookworm Adventure 1 and 2, the long-departed and dearly missed PVP game Bookworm Heroes), a decent one (Grimm’s Journey), and two or three bad ones whose names I’ve forgotten, and that’s IT. (Don’t say Typing of the Dead or Cryptmaster. Those are different.) But! Earlier this week, we got a new entry in the form of Pronoun Palace, and I’ve loved the few hours I’ve put in so far.

We’ve got a bunch of different characters, and the three that I’ve played so far have all felt very different from one another. We’ve got customization between runs. We’ve got what looks like a whole pile of difficulty levels. We’ve got offense/defense mechanics (block, à la Slay the Spire and many Spirelikes, is extremely important, and so choosing offensive letters versus defensive letters is a core part of the gameplay). We’ve got a vocally, explicitly queer and very pro-trans agenda (you help the characters transition over the course of the game! You unlock new pronouns!). We’ve got a setting that is simultaneously dystopian and whimsical. It’s so good!