This quirky roguelike JRPG brings some deck building to the Pokemon formula I didn't know I needed until now

Serial World takes the Pokemon formula as you know it, but adds roguelike and deck-building elements in a way that pulls my attention more than the myriad of other Poke-likes that come across my screen.

As you'll see from a new trailer shown at the Future Games Show at gamescom, the start is fairly familiar. You're a kid in a sleepy town who is about to pick a pocket pal and set out on an adventure.

Wishlist Serial World on Steam now

But then, things start to look different. Something strange is going down and we're here to get to the bottom of it. Doing that involves taking to dungeons with your trio of 'Anima' and navigating ever-changing map systems with skills and traits you pick up along the way, offering a card-based element to all the turn-based battles you'll be doing. From Pokemon to the likes of Temtem, I do enjoy a turn-based bout but the addition of cards is a cute nod to Pokemon's own trading cards.

Here's the story blurb from Steam:

"When Milo discovers a monstrous door on the outskirts of Bricktown, he’s thrown into a strange new world full of fantastical creatures, zany enemies, and seemingly endless dungeon mazes. Each time he finds an exit, he suddenly wakes up at home in bed, and the journey begins again.

"Little by little, things in Bricktown begin to change, and as the days repeat, Milo slowly begins to unravel the truth of these otherworldly experiences."

If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.