iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Volatiles is an action game with roguelike runs in which the arena is built during play. Each run starts with a single tile and an enemy wave. Win the wave, place another tile beside the existing map, and the next wave arrives on the expanded layout. Every tile also changes the character you are fighting with, so the map you build and the fighter you become develop together.
What Volatiles is
According to the Rock Paper Shotgun report that covers the game, Volatiles is set in a strange facility where the protagonist has little memory of how they arrived. Scientists say they are there to help, but the protagonist is repeatedly placed in a sensory deprivation tank and made to fight monsters inside their own mind. The game’s director, Ian Dovhan, describes the design goal in these terms: “What if you had an action-survivor-like game where you built the map yourself?”
The report frames the game as a blend of board-game-style map reveal and a gory survival shooter. The shooter part is the combat loop; the board-game part is the way the arena takes shape one piece at a time.
Recommended Free Tools
How a run builds the map
The report describes the core loop as a sequence that repeats for the length of a run:
- Start with one tile. The run opens with a single tile and an enemy wave fought on it.
- Clear the wave. Defeating the wave earns the right to add another tile next to the first.
- Place the new tile. The tile expands the map and may award a weapon or improve a particular stat. Its physical layout matters as much as its reward, because it sets the geometry of the next fight.
- Fight the next wave on the larger map. Earlier placements stay in place, so the arena you fight in is shaped by every decision you have made so far in the run.
The report does not say how many tiles a run contains or how a run ends, so those details should be checked against the game itself once it is available to play.
Tiles shape both the character and the battlefield
A tile does two jobs at once. It can change what your character can do, and it changes where you will have to do it. That dual role is the central design idea the report highlights.
Rank #2
- Standard Issue Size: Each sticker measures 5" for maximum visibility without cluttering your vehicle's profile.
- High-Impact Material: Constructed from premium vinyl with a heavy-duty adhesive backing, ensuring a professional, rugged look that lasts.
- Rapid Deployment: Applies instantly to any clean, dry surface — just peel, stick, and you're ready to roll.
- Precision Engineering: Designed to maintain a secure, lasting bond at highway speeds and through diverse environmental conditions.
- Weatherproof Resilience: Built to withstand harsh indoor and outdoor conditions, ensuring your colors stay sharp through heat, rain, and everything in between. Made in USA
Abilities described in the report include moving toward a point of interest, healing, and an ability that makes bullets bounce off walls. Environmental features include autonomous turrets and exploding barrels, which players may prioritise depending on the layout they have built. The report presents these as examples it describes, not as results of independent testing.
The report also offers an interpretation of the mechanic: because the map grows as the character develops, the map works as a visual reflection of the protagonist’s character sheet, showing their strengths and weaknesses as the run progresses. This is the reporter’s reading of the design, not a statement from the developers about narrative intent.
Rank #3
- VERSATILE FOR ALL SHOOTING GAMES - Compatible with a wide range of titles including Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3, Crysis Remastered Nintendo Switch, Big Buck Hunter Arcade, Hunting Simulator 2, and The House of the Dead
- DURABLE CONSTRUCTION - Crafted from high-quality materials, this gun accessory is built to last, ensuring a robust and reliable performance during hunting gaming sessions
- REALISTIC GAMING EXPERIENCE - Elevate your gameplay with a true-to-life experience. This Switch gun accessory provides a more immersive and realistic feel compared to using Joy-Cons directly
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN - Designed with a comfortable grip that follows the natural contours of your hand, this accessory offers an intuitive layout for Joy-Con placement, enhancing your control and comfort
- PERFECT FOR KIDS & FAMILY TIME - Designed with fun, this accessory gun is perfect for children and adds a layer of excitement to family game nights, making gaming sessions more interactive and enjoyable for everyone
Layout trade-offs: maze or open arena
Because you choose where each tile goes, you also choose the shape of the fight. The report points to two broad directions, each with a cost.
| Layout direction | What it can do for you | Tactical risk |
|---|---|---|
| Labyrinth (a maze of narrow spaces) | Can channel enemies and create chokepoints, shaping how a wave reaches you | May trap you, as the director’s colleague puts it, “at the risk of trapping yourself” |
| Open arena (wide, few walls) | Gives room to move and manoeuvre freely | May leave you short of cover and escape routes |
Lead software engineer Fritz Copes sums up the maze option in the report: “You can decide to make a labyrinthine hellscape, at the risk of trapping yourself.” The report presents this as a design choice the player weighs against the abilities and pickups available on each tile, rather than a fixed right answer.
Rank #4
- Standard Issue Size: Each magnetic decal measures 5" for maximum visibility without cluttering your vehicle's profile.
- High-Impact Material: Constructed from premium vinyl mounted on heavy-duty magnetic backing, ensuring a professional, rugged look.
- Rapid Deployment: These will stick instantly to any flat steel or magnetic surface, allowing for quick application and removal.
- Precision Engineering: Designed specifically to maintain a secure hold at highway speeds and through diverse environmental conditions.
- Weatherproof Resilience: Built to withstand harsh indoor and outdoor conditions, ensuring your colors stay sharp through heat and rain.
Where the map-building idea came from
Dorfromantik
Dovhan says the original tile-placement idea arose around March 2023 while he was playing Dorfromantik. He states that: “The inspiration for the map building originally came from playing Dorfromantik.” He also says the team had not heard of Blue Prince at that point, so the influence he credits is the tile-placement game rather than the puzzle game that shares some of its appeal.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsBetrayal at House on the Hill as an analogy
The report compares the gradual reveal of rooms to Betrayal at House on the Hill, the board game whose house is assembled tile by tile as players explore. That comparison is the reporter’s, and it is useful for understanding the feel of the reveal. It is not a claim that the developers drew on that game.
Best Value
- 50 MILITARY-THEMED STICKERS PER SHEET – Each package includes one sticker sheet loaded with 50 patriotic and military-inspired designs, featuring iconic imagery such as stars, flags, dog tags, camouflage, military emblems, and more — everything you need to bring your military scrapbook to life
- PERFECT 1-INCH SIZE FOR VERSATILE CRAFTING – Each sticker measures 1 inch, making them ideal for scrapbook pages, photo albums, memory books, bullet
- HONORS ALL BRANCHES OF SERVICE – Celebrate and commemorate the brave men and women of the armed forces with designs that reflect true military pride, perfect for deployment books, homecoming albums, and Veterans Day projects
- ACID-FREE & ARCHIVAL QUALITY – Made with archival-safe materials that are acid-free and lignin-free, ensuring your cherished military memories stay bright, vivid, and preserved for years to come without fading or yellowing
- EASY PEEL-AND-STICK APPLICATION – Self-adhesive backing makes these stickers effortless to use with no glue, scissors, or extra tools required — simply peel, place, and press for a clean, professional finish every time; great for crafters of all skill levels
Other comparisons in the report
The report also compares the gradual revelation of spaces to Blue Prince and Into The Restless Ruins. Like the Betrayal comparison, these are the reporter’s points of reference and do not describe the developers’ influences.
What the report does not establish
The Rock Paper Shotgun piece does not state a release date, the platforms the game will run on, or where it can be bought. It also contains no numerical figures about the game’s mechanics. Everything above reflects the reporter’s description of the game rather than independent hands-on testing, so readers should treat the mechanics as reported detail until they can be checked against the finished game.
If you are comparing Volatiles with Betrayal at House on the Hill or the digital games above, the fair comparison points are whether map construction is the main engine, whether each placed piece changes character abilities, and whether the map is built during a solo combat run or shared between players.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
The clearest summary the report supports is this: Volatiles uses player-built terrain inside a survival-shooter run, and what you place determines both how strong you become and how the next wave will try to kill you.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
