It seems we’re in store for a resurgence of classic Blizzard modifications. Dota Reborn’s updated Source 2 engine is towing a vastly improved capacity for the sort of user mods that birthed the game to begin with. At least one of these brought back fond memories of hosting Starcraft lobbies, though most will understandably harken to the storied annals of Warcraft 3 custom games.
Bear in mind that these suggestions are young. You’re venturing into rocky and unfinished territory that may or may not require the Dota Reborn beta that’ll be fostering the swell, but here’s a few of the best works in progress.
Pudge Wars
Two banks of a chasm are stocked with mobile mountains of meat. They’d desperately like to mince each other into smaller bits, but the only way to cross is by way of remarkably clean retractable hooks. Pudge takes excellent care of his equipment.
Hone your jukes and polish that needle threading, or hope to absorb skill from literal professionals with this example of career Dota 2 players enjoying some Pudge Wars. The rest of us will content ourselves with the toss ‘n’ pray method.
Invoker Wars
The titular hero normally trades the standard kit of three basic and one ultimate ability for the capacity to manipulate and combine elements for a total of ten permutations. Old abilities would be pushed off your tool belt as new ones are invoked, but this game sets our haughty friend out with a much larger palette of permanent selections. Without the threat of mana depletion, things become rather chaotic. Race the enemy team to 50 tow heads to claim victory.
Adventure Mode
This here is an initial version of an effort to place the Dota cast in an open adventure environment. Roam around at your leisure, fighting monsters and gathering items as you go. Special emphasis appears to have has been placed on exploration, and the creator hopes to add boss battles, scripted events, sort-of dungeons, and co-op at some point in the future. Perhaps most alluring is the occasional over-the-shoulder perspective the game swings down to, resembling something akin to a regular third-person action game.
Dynasty Warriors
Legend has it that a Koei series inspired the first custom map of Dota 2’s ilk. If so, we’re at a custom map for a sequel of a custom map that succeeded an earlier game’s custom map that was based on a PlayStation title that is itself based on a Warcraft 3 adaptation of that same PlayStation title.
More simply, the player-vs-the-rabble action game Dynasty Warriors served as inspiration. The description is sparse (and absent of letters), but this 5v5 alternative has rated well enough to give it a fair shot.
Bomberman
Is it time to enjoy a series that hasn’t seen a significant release in a while? You can already find him in phones and small-scale outings, but now you can play a Dota-flavored incarnation of Bomberman without spending a cent.
There’s a grid full of unbreakable pegs alternating with boxes that may contain powerups. Your explosives burst down whichever lanes they have access to, blocking the movement of and incinerating any foes sharing the board. Outplay and demolish your friends or set them up for deadly mistakes to take home a win.
Overthrow
Okay, so this is cheating. Overthrow is an official release from the Dota 2 team that follows the basic deathmatch premise of competing for kills. Choose a standard hero and hop in for some messy, incessant brawling against a varying number of teams. The prospect of greater gold and experience gains draws action toward the center of the map, diverted only when coin, item drops, or prey offer rewards elsewhere.
Curse of River’s End (DotA)
Curse is just good ol’ regular Dota with heroes you’re familiar with, albeit on a completely original map. In what may be the best alternative board currently available, teams square off in the ruins of a blighted town where symmetry is mirrored, rather than rotationally similar. This means the off lane for Dire is also the off lane for Radiant. Where the stock map straddles a river in the wilderness, River’s End is populated by ruined buildings and cobbled pathways.
Warlock Brawl
Think of Warlock Brawl as the Smash Brothers of custom maps. The objective isn’t simply to annihilate your friends, but to shove them into the molten stone drink. Making matters more interesting is the fact that the stage will continually shrink until one team has been thoroughly immolated. Each player takes the same model, but your spell loadout is customized and built from a grimoire full of options. Find a kit that works for you.
Touhou Defence of the Shrines (THD2)
The Touhou series appears to be a lengthy string of self-published games primarily of the vertical “shoot ‘em up” variety. This offering is a transplantation of existing characters in the series into what is essentially the team’s own take on Dota 2.
While the aesthetic and concepts may not appeal to you, the wealth of custom assets and original production is impressive. The comment section appears to be bumping, so finding games may not be a trial.
Green TD Reborn
While the Dota style of games has seen a relative palmful of successful titles, tower defense spread like wildfire. Green TD carries that Dota 2 charm lacking in other examples.
Surges of beasts will march stubbornly toward the end of their track. If enough escape the trail, you lose; fortunately, you’re armed with mass-producible, upgradeable defensive structures. Strike your potent combination and obliterate the oncoming horde.
