| Pit People | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | The Behemoth |
| Publisher(s) | The Behemoth |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | March 2, 2018 |
| Genre(s) | Tactical role-playing,strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Pit People is atactical role-playing game by indie game developerThe Behemoth. An early access version forMicrosoft Windows andXbox One was released in January 2017 and the full version was released in March 2018.
Pit People is a turn-based strategy game inspired by classicJRPGs. Players build parties to fight enemies they encounter in the overworld and story missions. The battles take place in hexagonal arenas, where characters have a limited range of motion per turn. All player actions in the game are related to distance. Obstacles are present within the arenas to add another layer of strategy in party placement.
Parties can be any combination of customized units. The player selects a single character as the "leader" and receives buffs accordingly. Equipment can be given to units that modify their attack abilities, including range and movement options. Random encounters and story missions net the player loot for their party, ranging from weapons, equipment, and cosmetics. Certain characters are able to trap enemies and recruit them to your party pool, a necessary gameplay loop for growing your parties' abilities.[1]
The Behemoth, founded in 2003 and based inSan Diego, California, is known for making games with offbeat humor and a signature cartoon art style. The success of their prior games—Alien Hominid,Castle Crashers, andBattleBlock Theater—established their reputation as an indie game developer.[2] AsBattleBlock Theater approached its April 2013 release, the company began work onPit People[3] under the codename "Game 4" (the studio's fourth game). The new game was designed to continue its predecessor's story, and both prominently feature a "space bear".[4] Its original arena-centered concept was titled "Pit People".[5] Behemoth set out to make a team-based game, and developed itsstrategy gameplay elements over time—the grid-based combat was raised several months into development.[4] This was a new genre for the company, which had established itself withaction games.[6] By 2014, the game had become a "fast-paced, turn-based, co-op adventure with management and role-playing game elements" in development forXbox One andSteam. While the genre was new for the developer, the game retained their signature style.[7][4] The team teased its reveal in August 2014, when it debuted as aplayable demo at thePAX Prime exposition.[3] They released its first trailer a year later,[8] and ran a private beta test in September 2016.[9]Steam Early Access andXbox One Game Preview program versions were launched on January 13, 2017.[10] In a blog post, The Behemoth announced that they are aiming to release the game in the first few months of 2018.[11] On February 21, it was announced that the game would release March 2.[12]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 78/100[13] XONE: 79/100[14] |
In an early 2015 preview,Polygon wrote that the game's control scheme appeared to balance accessibility for newcomers and tactical options for veterans. They added that it was the funniest title at thePAX East expo.[4]PC Gamer noted the game's zaniness and the enjoyment of playing it.[15]GameSpot described its gameplay and style as "chaotic" and "unabashedly lowbrow", in light of an objective based on destroying fecal matter.[6] The game received positive reviews upon release according toreview aggregatorMetacritic.[13][14] It was nominated for "Writing in a Comedy" at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards.[16]
