Unless you’re a fan of them like myself, turn-based dungeon crawlers usually elicit moans and groans. Especially now that both Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight have helped usher in an age where they are not only common, but also at risk of flooding the market and wearing out their welcome. This is why when I see something exciting in the genre, I like to report on it. Such is the case with Napoleon Games’ new gridder, 7 Mages.

What may pique the interest of gridder fans is that 7 Mages’ combat lets the player deliberately split their party up in order to flank enemies or simply get into a better position. At any time, you can send other party members away from the main group and have them circle around to the enemy’s rear guard, giving you an opportunity to take out well-protected mages who normally hide behind several rows of cannon fodder.

Strategy is naturally of key importance! The company can split up, and this is what we often do, especially in battles. I usually go ahead, but then someone else always joins me. We keep enemies away from the elemental mages and musicians. These either provide support or attack with spells with a greater reach. Some enemies try to do the same thing, and this is when things get complicated. Here is a simple example: if you encounter a necromancer, she is going to try to keep her undead between herself and you. One possibility in this case is to split up the company and surround her. Other enemies have different tactics. Moreover, spells can be combined to achieve maximum synergy. There are plenty of options in this case.

7 Mages also boasts some impressive visuals, as the videos on its Steam Greenlight page prove. The animation of each monster rivals even Legend of Grimrock, with enemies climbing over walls and bridges to engage you in battle.

One final thing to note: as the title suggests, your party is made up of seven different mages, so you will not be able to choose from classes in a traditional sense. Instead, you have to rely on the strength of your magic to survive, which also includes manifestation of magical weapons instead of the more mundane idea of simply picking up a new sword and equipping it.

There’s no release date set, but 7 Mages is currently looking for votes on Steam Greenlight, so if you’re excited to see this game from the Czech Republic get made, be sure to vote for them.