
Release Date: September 19, 2025
A combination of an action game and a roguelike, created in cooperation by Bandai Namco Entertainment company and Brownies studio. Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree features a female protagonist, tasked with saving the Shinju village. She can use the help of the titular Guardians.
The Japanese development studio Brownies has existed since 2012. Over the years, this team has delivered a number of titles, the most recognizable of which is the game Doraemon Story of Seasons, co-created by them.
One of its next works, developed in cooperation with Bandai Namco Entertainment, is Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree described here. We are talking about an action game with clearly defined roguelike elements. We play as the titular female protagonist, leading the guardians of the sacred tree. We must face the threat looming over the Shinju village from the sinister deity Magatsu and take responsibility for its further fate.
In Towa and the Sacred Tree we watch the action in an isometric view. During the game, we take control of Towa, who goes through fantasy locations and engages in dynamic battles with opponents, fighting in a duo with one of the titular Guardians. We have at our disposal the holy sword Tsurugi and the Kagura staff. Towa's assistants have been diversified in terms of fighting style, preferred weapon, and unique abilities.
We progress step by step, eliminating the servants of Magatsu. Over time, we increase our combat potential, which allows us to face increasingly greater challenges. Our progress is also reflected by the changes taking place in Shinju village, which is our base of operations. We can train in the dojo here, benefit from divine graces, forge swords in the smithy, or get to know the villagers.
The graphic design of Towa and the Sacred Tree is maintained in a manga style.
Platforms:
PC Windows
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X/S
Developer: Brownies
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
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Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree leans further into the story-driven elements than any roguelike or roguelite I’ve come across so far, and I would say it’s to the game’s overall detriment.
Opinions
Matt Buckley
August 18, 2025
System Requirements for Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree Video Game:
PC / Windows
Minimum System Requirements:
Intel Core i3-8100 / AMD Ryzen 3 3100, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 650 / Radeon R7 250, 8 GB HDD, Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Recommended System Requirements:
Intel Core i3-8100 / AMD Ryzen 3 3100, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 650 Ti / Radeon R7 250, 8 GB HDD, Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Game Ratings for Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree Video Game.
Video Chums: 8.4 / 10 by A.J. Maciejewski
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a roguelike where the more you play it, the better it gets. With so much variety in its combat thanks to an awesome cast of characters and flashy unlockable spells, those who love to experiment will be downright hooked. ??
Life is Xbox: 70 / 100
A soulful journey marred by punishing peaks and shallow progress. Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree dazzles with painterly visuals, rich sound design, and heartfelt voice acting, but its roguelike loop wears thin fast. Combat starts strong but suffers from brutal difficulty spikes and clunky twin-stick controls. The emotional twist of losing a guardian after each run adds weight, yet limited progression and muddled combat feedback dull the impact. Gorgeous, soulful, but often frustrating.
Analog Stick Gaming: 5.5 / 10 by Jeff M Young
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree does a lot of things right with its story, character moments, and the time hijinks of the village itself. While the roguelite systems are what we’ve come to expect, with the studio rarely coloring outside the lines, the combat can often feel underbaked and a chaotic mess of trying to find your character in the chaos, especially in co-op, where a tether can result in some unfortunate hits. I don’t think Towa is a bad experience, but it needs some refinement to be something I want to keep coming back to.
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