Shogun Showdown review: an exceptional roguelike that hits different

Spend your daimyo on this one

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Goblinz Publishing/Gamera Games

• Developer: Roboatino
• Publisher: Goblinz Publishing, Gamera Games
• Release: Out now
• On: Windows, Mac, Linux
• From: Steam , GOG
• Price: £12/€15/$15
• Reviewed on: Intel Core i9-9900KF, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3080, Windows 11

Like a samurai poised patiently for an opening in their opponent’s defences, Shogun Showdown understands that focus and finesse are the means to delivering an impactful blow. This rare roguelike distils the genre down to its purest components, all in favour of amplifying its dizzying combat that plays gracefully with the concepts of positioning and patience. Highly refined, stylish and complex, Shogun Showdown is a delight.

Here’s the pitch: you are on a quest to kill the Shogun. The Shogun is a Bad Dude, corrupted by some kind of cataclysmic event that has shaken the earth, dark forces gushing free from the resulting cracks. At least, I think that’s what’s going on? Shogun Showdown is pretty light on story, to be honest, and outside of a few small cutscenes, there’s not much to chew on here. At first, I found this decision concerning, before it became apparent after a few hours of play that like most aspects of the game, this was simply more evidence of developer Roboatino’s careful intent.

Shogun Showdown is a roguelike in the most traditional sense of the term. All the genre staples you’d expect are here: a node-based map, shops, and bosses. Unlockable characters, weapons, and skills. There’s no fat to trim here, no additional runes that dole out minute percentage boosts or fancy narrative conceits to incentivise or reward death. You get a single currency used to buy more stuff, and that’s it: everything is in service of the combat, repeatedly funnelling you into its excellent clashes.

Combat is crunchy and satisfying, your attacks carrying a weight that makes each takedown feel like an event. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Goblinz Publishing/Gamera Games

A turn-based twist on the genre, positioning is your most important weapon against the Shogun’s hordes. At the start of a run, you are placed in the centre of a row of tiles. Movement is locked to single hops left and right, but you can also flip around to face the other way. Attacks, stylised as cards at the bottom of the screen, can be dragged above your character’s head to define the order in which they’ll be performed. Once a card has been used, you’re forced to wait a brief cooldown period before it can be primed again.

Every action (except for specific cards) takes up a turn. Whether you decide to move to your left or prime your bow for an attack, the baddies chilling around you will also make a decision at the same time. Their actions are visualised on screen alongside your own, their upcoming movements or combat abilities displayed on their body or above their head. Attacks that will be performed after your next move, meanwhile, flash yellow to encourage you to get out of their way, lest you be diagnosed with a terminal case of Large Sword In The Chest Disease.

Considering all of your attacks are tied to cooldowns, and the arenas you fight within are as cramped as a London house share (often stuffed full of as many people, too), every choice you make becomes the difference between life and death. Thankfully, your options are plentiful, the result of a rich and diverse selection of weapons and perks handed over with generous frequency as you pick your way through the game.

Although some weapons are pure damage dealers, most could be better described as movement modifiers. A dash that flings you across the arena. A smoke bomb that switches your character’s position with that of your closest opponent’s. A grappling hook that pulls an enemy into the tip of your blade. Combined with character abilities (starting character Wanderer can swap places with whoever she’s facing, whereas the unlockable Ronin shoves enemies into their allies, the impact reducing them to a fountain of blood) weapons encourage you to consider your broader strategy every single turn. You can’t coast by on brute force alone.

Spears can strike across two tiles in front, making them trickier to avoid when the arena becomes cramped. Thankfully, my spear is also primed, meaning both the attacker and the swordsman relaxing behind them are about to get a horrible surprise (death). |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Goblinz Publishing/Gamera Games

It’s astonishing stuff. Despite being turn-based, the drama it generates is a testament to the breadth of imagination on display within the design of these weapons. After only a few hours of play, it becomes apparent that no two encounters will ever be dealt with in the same way. You begin each run with two default weapons, but can only pick from your unlocked pool after specific rounds. You’ll rarely have access to more than a handful of attacks, basically, and although during a run they can be upgraded to boost their power, reduce their cooldown or become imbued with a helpful ability, the volume of fiddling you can do to each one is capped.

In practice, all this creates a huge amount of spectacle despite being locked to a single 2D plane. To play Shogun Showdown is to find yourself stuck between two enraged fighters with no clear solution on how to avoid certain death. Do you jump out of the way of the Ashigaru’s katana, only to be pierced by his friend’s spear instead? Do you loosen a crossbow bolt, knowing that its ability to cut through multiple enemies at once would be more beneficial once you’re able to turn around to face the group behind you? Ah! Wait! What if you swap places with katana boy using a smoke bomb instead, causing him to strike down his pal in the resulting confusion? Brilliant!

It’s here, amid this process of fraught decision-making, that Shogun Showdown reveals its breathless, exhilarating core. Ducking and weaving. Pushing and pulling. Slicing, dicing, bludgeoning and cursing. This is combat at its most exciting, despite its relative simplicity. Battles are either hard-won (with defeat averted at the last minute by a well-timed health potion or the slice of a sword that cleaves your two remaining enemies into chunks) or achieved with such ferocity and speed that the game has no choice but to plaster the words “Obliterated” over the screen (which, just as a side note, feels really good).

Who needs real-time action when turn-based battles like this can conjure such moments of brilliance? After one particularly memorable battle, I shouted so loud that I received a gentle text from my partner asking me to keep it down. In her defence, it was 2am. Such is the time-deleting joy this game provides in abundance.

Floating enemies can mimic one of your attacks at random, leading to some nasty situations where your best weapon is used against you. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Goblinz Publishing/Gamera Games

I’ll tell you what, it helps that it’s a looker. With most aspects of the game pruned to perfection, the art is no exception. Each stage is framed beautifully, with multiple layers providing a sense of depth that, combined with the combat, lends it an effective cinematic quality. Fights play out surrounded by silhouetted flora, splintered pagodas bathed in sunset-hued light, scattered loosely behind the bloodshed. Backgrounds in particular are a highlight - detailed vistas convey a sense of rot and corruption that has tainted this sparse world - but in truth, all aspects of the game, from its characters to its UI, are readable and pretty.

And when it’s done? Well. A good roguelike is never truly done, is it? All I’ll say is that defeating the Shogun is far from the end, with more difficult challenges awaiting those brave enough to venture forth after the titular ruler is toppled. Even then, there are always new tactics to discover, new toys to play with, and new characters to be trialled on the battlefield. I fear my time with the game is far from over (complimentary).

2024 has been such an excellent year for roguelikes that I was convinced I had already had my fill. How, in a year that has already provided both Balatro and Hades II , could something of equal quality make a genuine attempt to steal the crown? More fool me, I suppose. After playing Shogun Showdown, it comes as no surprise that it has ducked and weaved its way into my life with such grace that I barely even noticed the blade it slipped into my heart. This is a dazzling gem of a game you simply cannot miss, even if you do get smoke-bombed.

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Shogun Showdown

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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