Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Mar 2, 2021
    90
    If you just want an old-school roguelike to test your mettle, you can't go wrong with Curse of the Dead Gods. It's the right mix of challenge and experimentation, providing dozens of hours of playtime before it starts to wear. After that, you may even find self-imposed challenges and the chase of perfection enough to keep you delving back in for another run.
  2. Feb 23, 2021
    90
    Even without the curses themselves, Curse of the Dead Gods would be a standout roguelite with excellent combat, a smart structure that eases you into its difficulty, and a great variety of enemies, traps, and bosses across its three distinct temples. That strong foundation is only made better by the fun randomization curses bring to each run, on top of the added strategic element that comes with having to balance the need to gear up quickly with the fear of taking on more corruption than you can handle. Its between-run progression systems didn’t do much to hook me compared to the simple drive to best its hardest challenges, but even without that carrot on a stick, Curse of the Dead Gods is a blessing in disguise.
  3. CD-Action
    Nov 15, 2021
    85
    My first impression of Curse of the Dead Gods was that someone mixed Hades with Darkest Dungeon. However, such a simplification would be unfair, because the game does more than just borrow successful mechanics. It adds its own interesting ideas to the mix and the result is a pretty dungeon crawler with an intuitive and satisfying combat system. The environments could use more variety and I would welcome a story to follow while hacking and slashing, but overall Curse of the Dead Gods is a great, highly addictive game. [05/2021, p.46]
  4. Feb 23, 2021
    85
    Curse of the Dead Gods is fantastic. The gameplay, while incredibly challenging, is still fun and immensely rewarding. It's so satisfying to finally complete a dungeon after spending hours grinding there. It's a roguelite in nearly the best sense of the word, with the only downside being that there's no established story; no tangible endgame.
  5. 81
    Curse of the Dead Gods is a roguelike hack'n'slash with fast-paced action, and an immediate but also very deep combat system.
  6. Feb 23, 2021
    81
    This morbid kid brother of Hades offers motivating combat and reward mechanics, numerous fighting styles, yet no storyline.
  7. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 12, 2021
    80
    Another great "one more run" game. The variability of weapons, environments, enemies and traps will not bore you. So take the gun and the whip in your other hand. The Curse of the Dead Gods is already waiting. [Issue#310]
  8. Apr 12, 2021
    80
    Part of the appeal of roguelikes is the depth. Since static maps aren’t developed and a linear (or non-linear) story doesn’t unfold in typical RPG fashion, a generous serving of content is almost required. Curse of the Dead Gods feels like a proof of concept in this way, because what’s here is tight, enticing, and consistent, but it needs more. Without meaningful changes across runs, everything just kinda bleeds together. Maybe that’s okay. Maybe Curse of the Dead Gods was always intended to be a 15-hour game. If that’s what you’re after, then by all means, but a game like this needs teeth and a degree of chaos oftentimes found in other roguelikes. With this hybrid genre hotter than ever, maybe it came out of development just a little too late.
  9. Mar 18, 2021
    80
    Curse of The Dead Gods stands out for its combat system, phenomenally supported by a set of mechanisms that will have you constantly second-guessing your decisions. The curses' randomness gives it a lot of flexibility and transforms every attempt into a frenetic head-scratcher. The sum of all parts of the game results in an experience that will keep you playing just because you want to beat it again and again.
  10. Mar 11, 2021
    80
    It may end up being a little too simple and repetitive once you figure out the secret sauce but by that point I think the combat, exploration, and initial challenge should have already satiated any interested party’s appetite. The end game is for sure disappointing, basically just increasing enemy and trap damage, and the daily single-play events only really permanently cursing the player with whatever old status effect means there isn’t much replayability once you reach the end, but it is still there if you want it. For everybody else I’d say check it out, get your 25-hours of exciting action, and get out. Oh! – and nerf the bow!
  11. Mar 5, 2021
    80
    Curse of the Dead Gods shines on top of the myriads of roguelikes (the recent indie fad) thanks to its focus on its combat system and the vast number of weapons and synergies between them. It may not bring an evolution to the genre as Hades did, but nevertheless its developer has a great understanding of the intricacies of roguelikes.
  12. Feb 24, 2021
    80
    Curse of the Dead Gods is a great action roguelite title that let you balance risk with precise control and complex gameplay mechanisms. PassTech Games will need to flesh it out a bit in the coming months though.
  13. Mar 9, 2021
    75
    Curse Of The Dead Gods is an ideal option for those people who have already completely spent other roguelikes and are left wanting more.
  14. Feb 23, 2021
    75
    Curse of the Dead Gods is another good game that joins the over competitive market of the roguelikes.
  15. Mar 19, 2021
    73
    Overall, Curse of the Dead Gods is a solid roguelite, though it doesn’t attempt anything revolutionary or ambitious. Its familiar approach to genre-specific structure makes it easy to dive right into without fearing a loss of the challenge. The different strategic approaches available with the upgrades system also makes progression feel rewarding. The art, the variety of curses, and the overall formula that Curse of the Dead Gods follows make it a tale worth exploring, even if the moral of the story is that greed equals painful and agonizing death.
  16. Mar 12, 2021
    73
    Great battles, but not much to back it up. Curse of the Dead Gods puts its focus on the brutal and challenging skirmishes and offers too little on the side.
  17. Mar 10, 2021
    70
    There is a lot about Curse of the Dead Gods that ticks the familiar boxes of a solid roguelike. A cool art style, engaging combat, some fun twists on the genre, and a sense of progression are key to making it engaging and addictive. Without a meaty story driving the experience, though, Curse of the Dead Gods relies heavily on its gameplay to keep players coming back for more. Motivation is ultimately going to be the driving factor for players. If they believe they can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, Curse of the Dead Gods will feel like a rewarding experience once they complete a full run.
  18. Mar 3, 2021
    70
    This is absolutely a quality game, you won't miss your $20, but is it high art to be revered among the greats? Probably not. It's a fun, stylized roguelike with just enough variety to get by, but lacks the substance it needs to make a lasting impression. Most will probably get about 25 hours out of it and move on to something else. Great value for the price, but likely not something you'll come back to time and again.
  19. Feb 23, 2021
    70
    Curse of the Dead Gods' combat system is extremely rewarding, and the challenge will keep you on your toes. Unfortunately, it lacks a lot in terms of content and it can be repetitive within a few hours. It's worth playing in bursts, but it doesn't have enough to satisfy long-term engagement.
  20. May 7, 2021
    69
    At a first glance, Curse of the Dead Gods offers enough variety and exciting nuance to take a deep dive, but quickly loses steam and devolves into tedious chaos.
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  1. Mar 23, 2020
    Curse of the Dead Gods is an interesting game for me. It’s super tough on a keyboard and mouse. Some of the actual gameplay mechanics felt odd to me and at times off-putting and frustrating, and the visuals were really wonderful to look at. You’re probably telling yourself now that I would probably pull apart this game, give it a like rough score and move on. Well, you’re totally wrong in that regard. This game was addicting. I kept telling myself while playing, ‘OK just one more room, then dinner’ after every room. I kept wanting to go deeper and deeper to each level. I just wanted to keep going and going. It was fun to go through and just destroy the monsters and find what lay in the next room Curse of the Dead Gods isn’t a perfect game, but it’s a fun game that is really worth the time. [Early Access Score = 83]
  2. Mar 5, 2020
    Quotation forthcoming. [Early Access Score = 75]
  3. Mar 3, 2020
    Curse of the Dead Gods has some interesting ideas, but must improve in controls and variety. [Early Access Score = 69]
  4. Passtech Games have established solid groundwork within Curse of the Dead Gods, but right now, it’s a game best viewed as an investment whilst in early access. It’s highly rewarding and features great combat mechanics but there just isn’t enough content within the current development build, though what is available presents a high degree of polish. With two further temples on the way and a March update promising new weapons, room variations, relics, curses and more, it’s certainly one to keep an eye out for. [Early Access Score = 80]
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 54
  2. Negative: 7 out of 54
  1. Mar 9, 2021
    10
    I'm actually gobsmacked on how mindless the negative reviews are being. This is NOT Hades. We get it, you love Hades, we love Hades but thisI'm actually gobsmacked on how mindless the negative reviews are being. This is NOT Hades. We get it, you love Hades, we love Hades but this isn't the same game though. There's alot to love here and there's clearly a good amount of passion put into this title. Give this game a chance! Watch independent reviews on YouTube if you have to before buying this game. Full Review »
  2. Mar 1, 2021
    9
    This is not Hades! This game will get a lot of negative reviews from people that expected the casual experience and the mirror-upgrade + storyThis is not Hades! This game will get a lot of negative reviews from people that expected the casual experience and the mirror-upgrade + story loop of Hades.

    The core game play of Curse of the Dead Gods is much deeper, but it doesn't have story content or that many rougue-lite elements. You have to improve your skills instead of mirror upgrades in this game - it's much more skill based and if you know how to play and how to handle the controls and enemy attack patterns you could easily win without any permanent upgrades.

    If you're looking for a great rogue-lite dungeon crawler with game play focus instead of Hades 2.0, you can't go wrong.
    Full Review »
  3. Feb 28, 2021
    10
    This game gets a bad wrap because of hades. Imo, its' better, but honestly it should be in its own category. Cool unique aesthetic and lightThis game gets a bad wrap because of hades. Imo, its' better, but honestly it should be in its own category. Cool unique aesthetic and light mechanics, slower combat system and more soulslike vibe. If you enjoy difficult roguelite games that feel smooth, polished and have a varied loot progression system then I'd be surprised if you didn't dig this game. Full Review »