I’ve been eyeing autobattlers lately, looking for something with some depth to it with interesting builds and itemization. I think I’ve finally found what I’m looking for: Astronarch
There is a lot going on in this one. Each character you can pick from has a passive and an active ability. These can be upgraded. Items can also be upgraded (and there’s a ton of variety with plenty of synergies). You start with three characters and add one more after each boss.
There’s also a morale system that represents the overall health of the party. You lose a point each time a hero is knocked out. Game over occurs when morale hits zero, so you can party wipe and still keep going (unless you lose to a boss).
The art style is goofy and animations nonexistent, but I really like the variety and interplay of systems here. I know some people don’t like a ton of metaprogression in games. I think the only unlocks May be new characters.
Got rolled by the first boss on my first run and can’t wait to try again. Trying to decide which rewards to pick and what to upgrade was already making for tough decisions, which I love.