Pico Underlords

"Pocket-sized tactics, massive Alliances. Build your army and claim the throne in the ultimate 8-bit auto-battler."

---

The 8-Bit Battle for Whitespire Begins!

Pico Underlords is a faithful 8-bit demake of the auto-battler genre. You are the Commander. Your goal: hire a team of legendary heroes, master powerful alliances, and out-maneuver your AI Rival in a high-stakes game of economic management and tactical positioning.

Key Features

  • Dynamic Unit Cap: Your power grows with your level. Manage your gold to buy XP and increase your board capacity—just like the big leagues.
  • Persistent AI Rival: You aren't fighting random monsters. Face a dedicated AI opponent that buys, sells, and upgrades its own team alongside you.
  • Creep Wave Simulation: Survive the early rounds against neutral creeps to build your bank. To keep things fair, your AI rival simulates its own creep battles too!
  • Alliance Preview System: Hover over any unit to instantly see their Alliance (Beast, Mage, or Knight) and a visual preview of their teammates.
  • No Hero Permadeath: In true Underlords fashion, your heroes reset after every round. Focus on the long game—only your Commander's health matters.
  • Interactive Tutorial: New to the genre? The built-in 8-step guide will teach you how to buy, sell, level up, and dominate the board.

---

How to Play

Position your heroes during the Prep Phase and watch them fight automatically during the Combat Phase. If you lose a round, your health drops. If your rival loses, theirs drops. Last one standing wins!

Controls

  • D-Pad / Arrow Keys: Move Cursor
  • (X) Key: Select Unit / Buy from Shop
  • (Z) Tap in Shop: Reroll Pool (Costs 2G)
  • (Z) Hold in Shop: Buy XP (Costs 4G)
  • (Z) Hold on Bench: Sell Unit (Earn 1G)
  • (Z) Hold on Board: Start Combat Phase

---

Technical Specs

  • Platform: PICO-8
  • Resolution: 128x128 (Upscaled)
  • Palette: 16-color Retro
  • Genre: Auto-Battler / Strategy

Created as a tribute to the Auto-Battler genre.

Published 5 days ago
StatusIn development
PlatformsHTML5
AuthorJesse Wood
GenreStrategy
Made withPICO-8
TagsAuto Battler, auto-chess, dota, Tactical

Leave a comment

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.