Similar to last week’s pick of Tallowmere 2, I’m continuing my trend of picking a Game of the Week for this week that actually came out last week, as Momentum: Turn Based Roguelite launched last Friday. But don’t let these small technicalities distract you! There were some very good games that launched this week, but Momentum is something that feels like a hidden gem that shouldn’t be overlooked, and its clever mixture of gameplay mechanics works extremely well on a mobile device.

So in case you couldn’t guess from its full title, Momentum: Turn Based Roguelite is in fact a turn-based roguelite. Its combat-focused, and in this case the combat is actually a hybrid of turn-based and real-time mechanics. Think of something like the combat from the Mario & Luigi RPGs where you need to time a button press perfectly to pull of an attack. Except in this case the combat system is built around parrying and you’ll need to tap at exactly the right time to parry a variety of different attack types from a variety of different enemies. There’s also a very satisfying combo system and plenty of nuances to uncover the more you play.

All of this is tied together with an extensive equipment upgrading and leveling system, and throughout each run you’ll be able to choose from various new attack types and helpful equipment items. Oh, I should mention that this game is stupidly hard at first. There is a Beginner mode you can choose when you first start the game and I highly, HIGHLY recommend starting there. Once you come to grips with the flow of everything though, the gameplay in Momentum becomes extremely hard to put down and its progression loop really ticks that part of my brain that likes to see numbers increase.

Momentum is free to download initially, with some opt-in ads for extra bonuses and in-game currency IAP which you can also earn while playing. Then there’s a whole Battle Pass thing which works how most of those do: Lots of good stuff unlocked for free players but tons of better stuff for those that pay. Also, there’s a one-time ad-disabling IAP if you want to just earn the rewards from the opt-in ads without having to watch them. It’s all a bit confusing, but overall nothing too crazy, and you can for sure get full enjoyment out of the game even without paying anything or watching any ads. I suggest at least checking out the free portion of the game because Momentum: Turn Based Roguelite is a very unique experience that feels like a perfect fit for your phone.