Erosion Revealed as an Open World Roguelite Spaghetti Western Shooter Where Every Death Reshapes Time
Polish indie studio Plot Twist has officially unveiled Erosion during the Xbox Partner Preview, and the announcement immediately stood out as one of the event’s most intriguing reveals. The title blends open world exploration with roguelite progression, all wrapped in a surreal sci fi spaghetti western setting where time itself becomes the ultimate consequence.
In Erosion, players enter a distant future threatened by the Pillar, a sentient rock formation that is slowly consuming civilization. The protagonist descends into this colossal structure to rescue his daughter, navigating a relentless cycle where every decision alters the narrative and every death brings time forward, reducing his chances of saving her. Unlike traditional roguelites, death is not just a setback but a shift in the timeline that permanently transforms the world.
Gameplay in Erosion is built around two interconnected experiences. The first is the dungeon run, featuring fast paced twin stick action inside procedural dungeons where players battle enemies across fully destructible environments. The second is the overworld, a handcrafted open world spaghetti western landscape that supports exploration, quests, and long term progression. These two halves blend into a single evolving experience anchored in choice and consequence.
Visually, the game adopts what Plot Twist calls a low voxel aesthetic. This style enables complete physics driven environmental destruction and gives both the dungeons and the overworld a distinctive identity. Players will explore varied biomes, from sun baked deserts and gloomy swamps to ancient ruined cities above ground, as well as shifting subterranean environments within the Pillar. Each area brings its own atmosphere and its own roster of threats.
The combat system is supported by a wide range of weapons, skills, and orbitals that can be equipped to create specialized builds. Boss encounters draw inspiration from retro arcade games such as Snake, Dance Dance Revolution, Pong, and Tetris, sometimes incorporating bullet hell elements, sometimes functioning more like puzzles. Outside of combat, players can participate in side activities including poker, racing, hunting, and even sand fishing.
The most distinctive mechanic in Erosion is its time jump system. When the player dies, time advances and the world changes accordingly. Factions may seize control of settlements, characters may lose faith or turn hostile, and quest lines may permanently evolve or vanish. Decisions made in one timeline carry weight far into the future. Later in the game, players will gain the ability to travel backward in time, allowing them to revisit earlier branches, fix broken relationships, or experiment with entirely new choices. This mechanic creates a dynamic narrative structure that rewards exploration across multiple timelines.
Plot Twist plans to begin early access for Erosion in Spring 2026. The game will arrive first on PC through Steam, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass, with console versions to follow. The developers expect a relatively short early access period with rolling updates that will introduce new biomes, skills, and eras within the timeline system. The team is also exploring two person cooperative play and substantial post launch content inspired by acclaimed roguelites such as Dead Cells.
What do you think of the time shifting concept in Erosion? Does the mix of genres and styles elevate your interest? Share your thoughts in the comments.
