🔗 Share this article

Following my time with more than 200 new releases this year, It's time to closing the book on 2025. My best-of compilation is published, and I'm satisfied with the concluding selections, even knowing a host of fantastic releases likely fell through the cracks. Now, there's nothing for me to do other than unwind, disconnect briefly, and possibly go for a pleasant stroll in the— ah crap, discovered one more amazing experience. There go my intentions!

A Premature Contender Emerges

In my more laid-back sessions, usually reserved for a selection of unusual games, I've encountered potentially my first favorite game of 2026. Sol Cesto is a peculiar procedural dungeon crawler for Windows PC that deconstructs a traditional labyrinth explorer into a probability-fueled game of high stakes risk and reward. Take this as an early adopter's heads-up: If you relish being aware of a game before it's cool, give Sol Cesto a try so you can burn a spot in your gaming budget.

A Calculated Dungeon-Crawling Innovation

Sol Cesto is a thought-provoking procedural game that's different from everything I'm familiar with. The setup is that you are tasked with descending into a dungeon, going down level by level in search of the sun, which has disappeared from its world. When you play, this results in some standard crawl progression. Select a character possessing unique stats and abilities, clear floor after floor of monsters, acquire some permanent upgrades (in the form of teeth), and overcome a few biome bosses. Easy to grasp!

The Unique Gameplay Loop

The way you effectively complete a dungeon room, is unique. Every time you begin a fresh level, you're shown a 4x4 grid of boxes. Every tile holds a monster, a reward cache, a trap, or a healing strawberry. To explore a room, you simply click on one of the four rows, but which square you select is a matter of probability.

You could encounter a row with a pair of enemies, a strawberry, and a treasure chest in it. You start with a one-in-four probability of landing on a particular space in a row.

After that, the chances are recalculated. So do you take the risk, or do you click on a different row first and attempt some more cautious selections early? This is the push-your-luck gameplay in action in Sol Cesto, and it's absorbing once you get its rhythm.

Shaping the Odds

The meta-layer is that your odds can be manipulated during an attempt by collecting teeth that change what things you're more attracted to. For example, you may obtain a perk that will decrease your odds of hitting a trap, but will similarly reduce the odds of finding a treasure chest too.

• Developing a strategy is about tweaking the numbers optimally to have a better shot at landing where you want.
• During one attempt, I focused my attribute improvements toward brute force and selected all the teeth I could that would improve my probability of landing on monsters with that damage type.
• On a different attempt, I built my character around loot caches and combined that with a perk that would weaken adjacent enemies each time I secured loot.

The build options are somewhat constrained, but there's enough to engage with to let you manipulate numbers according to your strategy.

An Ever-Present Gamble

Naturally, at its heart, it's a game of chance. There's always the possibility that you have a high probability to select the square you want but ultimately choose a foe that would eliminate your last bit of health. Each click is a gamble, so there's a constant tension as you clear a floor out and choose whether to press onward or to proceed to the following level instead of risking it all.

Items like destructive ordnance aid in reducing the chance, just like some hero powers. An adventurer's special power, charged after selecting four tiles, allows players to choose a column instead of a row on a turn. By employing your cards right, you can reserve that option for a crucial point to avoid a risky decision. You'll find an astonishing level of strategy in the simple act of clicking.

The Road to 1.0

Sol Cesto is remaining in early access, and it has a final update to go until the full version is released. An additional hero and a new boss are scheduled to arrive by the end of January. The official version likely won't be far behind, but the creators haven't committed to a final date yet.

A Concluding Thought

Whenever it's fully released, you should consider put Sol Cesto on your radar. I've been completely engrossed with it, uncovering each of little secrets and storing my run rewards in each run to reveal a continuous trickle of permanent unlocks, including additional heroes and items I can buy during a run. As of now, I am yet to found the deepest level, and I suspect I'll continue attempting that goal when the official release drops. I'm committed for the long haul.