Rook's Quest

I The city

Karachi, at golden hour.

Your hub is a walkable slice of the city. Saddar's yellow arcades, Frere Hall behind its railings, stained old flats, rickshaws, carts, paan and a sky full of wires. The day turns to night around you, and past the last street a cursed aandhi swallows what's left.

In game · walking the street, with the truck-art side menu

Saddar: colonial arcades, a paan shop and tangled wires — **Saddar** · colonial arcades, a paan shop and tangled wires

Frere Hall: and its lawn, behind the iron railings — **Frere Hall** · and its lawn, behind the iron railings

The old flats: stained concrete and a transformer on every pole — **The old flats** · stained concrete and a transformer on every pole

Rickshaw parking: with the dhaba just across the road — **Rickshaw parking** · with the dhaba just across the road

The aandhi: a cursed sandstorm swallowing the outskirts — **The aandhi** · a cursed sandstorm swallowing the outskirts

After dark: street lights on, windows lit, Frere Hall in shadow — **After dark** · street lights on, windows lit, Frere Hall in shadow

II The side hustle

Chai, anda, paratha.

Open the dhaba for a two-minute shift and the street sits down. They shout their orders, and you keep up.

PourHold to fill the cup and let go in the gold band. Overfill it and the chai is gone.
CarryUp to four cups on a steel tray. Rush and they slosh, spill or slide off the edge.
ServeParatha and anda paratha come off the tawa next door, ready for you to take to the table.
WipeTables need clearing before the next customer sits. Every plate and cup pays in Club Points.

Chai shift · pouring at the counter

Chai shift · carrying the tray to waiting customers

The paratha cook: anda and paratha on the tawa — **The paratha cook** · anda and paratha on the tawa

The chai wala: with the owner, Sultan Khan, watching from the post — **The chai wala** · with the owner, Sultan Khan, watching from the post

III The streets

Two wheels, three wheels.

Hop on a bicycle or the trash collector's cargo tricycle and pedal the city. Hurry, brake, even cheer from the saddle.

Bicycle · riding past the Saddar kerb

Cargo tricycle · the trash collector’s ride

Neighbours: they stop to say salaam — **Neighbours** · they stop to say salaam

The ginger cat: answers a scratch with a slow blink — **The ginger cat** · answers a scratch with a slow blink

The street dog: happy wag included — **The street dog** · happy wag included

A city that minds its own business.

Townsfolk run errands, sit at the dhaba between shifts and gossip with neighbours.
Two neighbourhood women live their own day, strolling and stopping to talk.
Walk up to anyone and they'll greet you. Cats and dogs roam the street, and yes, you can pet them.
Trees sway and litter skips along the kerb on the same wind.

At night: the same street under its lamps — **At night** · the same street under its lamps

IV Tactical

Then hold the board.

When you're ready, take a match. It's chess at blitz speed: no turns, every piece on its own clock, and waves coming down the board for nine minutes.

In game · a kill streak on the grid, wave four

Pick a buffBounty, Veteran or Second Wind. One choice for the whole run.
DeploySpend gold from a shifting hand of pawns and drop them on the grid.
GrowPawns level up mid-run. Every five waves the upgrade shop opens.
SurviveClear a wave early and the next comes sooner. Lose your squad and it's over.

Starting buff: one pick per run — **Starting buff** · one pick per run

Deploy: a hand of pawns to place — **Deploy** · a hand of pawns to place

Run upgrades: buy, save or re-roll — **Run upgrades** · buy, save or re-roll

V The Atelier

Dress for it.

Seamour's Atelier dresses you head to toe: skin, hair, beard, top, pants, shoes and extras. Browse on the fitting platform, give it a spin, and walk out in it.

In game · browsing skin, hair and tops in the Atelier

Skin: nine tones to choose from — **Skin** · nine tones to choose from

Hair: a buzz cut, for a start — **Hair** · a buzz cut, for a start

Tops: the red Jersey 96 — **Tops** · the red Jersey 96

VI Before and after

It didn't start in Karachi.

Two weeks ago this was a park and a neon town. Drag across the picture, use the arrow keys, or flip between the two.

The first steps of the game: a suburban park two weeks ago, a Karachi street at golden hour now, with the side menu redrawn in truck art.

Coming to Steam.

For PC, tuned for Steam Deck, with full controller support. In development at Kreedthestudio.