Dead Cells

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 734 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 585 out of 734
  2. Mixed: 101 out of 734
  3. Negative: 48 out of 734

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  1. Mizuru
    Aug 10, 2018
    10
    If you're an oldschool gamer whose like pixel art, you will become completely passionate for Dead Cells! It's a metroidvania-like game, with randomized levels! (which is somekind innovative). The soudtrack is gorgeous as well for the graphics!

    Progression - 11 Impeccable level design. Soundtrack - 11 Really superb the amount of depth nuances of the soundtracks. Gameplay - 9 Such    If you're an oldschool gamer whose like pixel art, you will become completely passionate for Dead Cells! It's a metroidvania-like game, with randomized levels! (which is somekind innovative). The soudtrack is gorgeous as well for the graphics!

    Progression - 11 Impeccable level design.
    Soundtrack - 11 Really superb the amount of depth nuances of the soundtracks.
    Gameplay - 9 Such variety and nice mechanics like parry, evade and throwables.
    Graphics - 10 Retro pixel graphics very detailed, both landscapes and sprites.
    FunFactor - 8 Slow progression but it's fun and rewarding to play, each upgrade on the same criteria diminish the HP potential whose incourage the use of mixed set progression

    Final Score: 9.8/10
    One of the best games of 2018 for sure!    … Expand
  2. kjf
    Aug 25, 2018
    10
    oh boy. i don't even know where to start. gorgeous graphics. tight fighting and traversal. perfect fast travel locations. early access development was a treat and there will be a free update. lots of work has gone into balancing to satisfy willing casual gamers and masochist veterans. the timed door mechanic is very well implemented - there is the option to go slow even on the hardestoh boy. i don't even know where to start. gorgeous graphics. tight fighting and traversal. perfect fast travel locations. early access development was a treat and there will be a free update. lots of work has gone into balancing to satisfy willing casual gamers and masochist veterans. the timed door mechanic is very well implemented - there is the option to go slow even on the hardest difficulty, but still rewards going for them.

    the amount of valid character builds is staggering: two bows, two shields, spamming grenades or turrets, pulling your enemy with a chain like scorpion from mortal kombat and teleport behind him to use the backstabbing ability of your dagger and the list goes on. every weapon or skill has a different feel and caters to a certain play style without restricting the combinations too much.

    regarding progression there is an early game, adding movement options that also open up different paths to the final boss. mid game consists of unlocking permanent upgrades and weapons on the one hand and getting the skill as a player to be able to survive in the higher difficulties. there are many subtle mechanics that help the player to advance in skill what in my mind smoothens out the grinding curve very nicely. the end game is pretty meaty with daily competitive daily runs ( accessible from early game on ), tons of stuff to finally unlock and play around with and a hardest difficulty setting that deserves its name, unlocked by repeated new game +.

    while the normal difficulty setting is very forgiving and allows to refill the health potions after each level, there will be only the possibility to buy one swig ( of four ) for a ridiculous amount of gold, severely hurting the build, later on. the same principle is employed for enemy types and numbers. the game shapes the player from trading hits to sweeping through the levels looking like a piece of art.

    it's a must buy for any seasoned gamer for the amount of more or less well hidden references on other games, often nodding to its predecessors. the game oozes motion twins love for their project. in my humble opinion it is a milestone for the genre improving in many aspects on the already very good 'the binding of isaac'.    … Expand
  3. Idare
    Feb 27, 2019
    10
    A masterpiece, and they keep adding new content for free! Roguelite game that fixes all of the problems Roguelite have.
  4. jintapia
    Aug 8, 2018
    9
    Muy buen juego algo frustrante cuando mueres y pierdes todo pero quieres seguir jugando con lo poco que te queda
  5. LightNova
    Oct 21, 2019
    10
    Quite possibly the greatest Rogue-lite game on the market. Dead Cells is beautifully animated, feels incredibly responsive and has enough variety to keep it feeling fresh for countless hours.

    Each run typically lasts 20-60 minutes, during which you'll earn enough resources to unlock brand new weapons and powers for the next one. It's a formula that keeps introducing new content and    Quite possibly the greatest Rogue-lite game on the market. Dead Cells is beautifully animated, feels incredibly responsive and has enough variety to keep it feeling fresh for countless hours.

    Each run typically lasts 20-60 minutes, during which you'll earn enough resources to unlock brand new weapons and powers for the next one. It's a formula that keeps introducing new content and leaves you with that "one more run" mindset that keeps you playing for hours.

    Performance is great - it feels silky smooth, runs well on most machines and works natively with a wide variety of controllers (though keyboard and mouse controls are supported and work perfectly fine).

    On top of a branching campaign with metroidvania elements, there's a daily challenge mode (complete with global leaderboards) and a recent update has also introduced a sandbox mode that allows you to play with a large collection of settings and modifiers.

    Since the initial launch on Early Access the developers have released a steady stream of updates and even released free DLC that introduces lots of new content and endgame challenges. There's plenty to sink your teeth into!    … Expand
  6. aditya1101
    Aug 19, 2020
    8
    I'm a big fan of rogue-likes in general, especially ones that have progression across runs, and this game is one of the better examples of that type of game. I really enjoyed the overall gameplay, although my one complaint about the combat was that it was a little too centered around cheesing enemies for my liking. I also really enjoyed the process of unlocking new items through collectingI'm a big fan of rogue-likes in general, especially ones that have progression across runs, and this game is one of the better examples of that type of game. I really enjoyed the overall gameplay, although my one complaint about the combat was that it was a little too centered around cheesing enemies for my liking. I also really enjoyed the process of unlocking new items through collecting cells, although I didn't like the fact that you were discouraged from buying every item in order to not dilute the item pool - the completionist inside me was cringing about that T_T… Expand
  7. Phalanx_1988
    Feb 12, 2019
    10
    The art is beautiful. The gameplay is tough, fair, and the controllers are very tight. It's a rougelite game but you unlock plenty of stuff keeping you motivated for one more run.
  8. Varsov
    Jun 14, 2019
    10
    A master piece, I love it. Gives you that sense of constant love/hate, incredibly addictive!
  9. Vood
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    This game is awesome, what more i can say? Ah, yeah... Carl! Where are my nuggets?
  10. lalochea
    Jun 17, 2022
    9
    Goddamn is it ever hard, unforgiving and frustrating, but I absolutely love it!
  11. MaxQjust
    Aug 7, 2018
    8
    There are amazing cutscenes and dialogues with yourself and with other characters in the game worth seeing. This reminds me of the past when gamers used to be determined to complete a level stage to unlock the next cutscene feeding you more from the story of the game.
  12. Mandulum
    Aug 27, 2018
    8
    Haiku Review: With such great combat / Procedural is a shame / Wash, rinse, repeat gets old
    Favorite Thing: The combat is fun. There's a decent selection of weapons and equipment to allow a lot of tinkering.
    Least Favorite Thing: Dead Cells has not changed my mind about the rouge-like genre. Replaying levels over and over got boring fast and after 16 hours I was more than ready for it to    Haiku Review: With such great combat / Procedural is a shame / Wash, rinse, repeat gets old
    Favorite Thing: The combat is fun. There's a decent selection of weapons and equipment to allow a lot of tinkering.
    Least Favorite Thing: Dead Cells has not changed my mind about the rouge-like genre. Replaying levels over and over got boring fast and after 16 hours I was more than ready for it to be over.

    Date Completed: 2018-08-26
    Playtime: 16h
    Enjoyment: 8/10 (for the first dozen hours, at least)
    Recommendation: Whether or not you're a fan of rogue-likes I think you'll still find a lot of enjoyment here.    … Expand
  13. michaelb1928
    Aug 31, 2018
    9
    ead Cells is nothing less than a quintessential roguelike platformer. All of its individual elements are of top quality, from the highly responsive controls to the well-thought randomization of its varied leve
  14. hamsta007
    Nov 18, 2018
    8
    On of the greatest metroidvanias existed. And it's constantly updating. Very beautiful art design and interesting game.
  15. reviewer5522
    Sep 30, 2018
    10
    Probably the best game this year! Didn't play it in early access, but have been playing it a lot since it got released. No wonder why this game is the highest rated game in the last 90 days and the second highest PC game in 2018.
  16. JonsGone
    Jun 7, 2020
    8
    Insanely dynamic.
    Controller basically required.
    Many multiple and diverse playstyles that all work to the same degree of efficiency in their own way. Rewards fast and clean gameplay, cannot be said as much for thoroughness. Enemy design is great enough to be mentioned. Bosses are a little too few and far between. Artstyle is ingenious and great to look at even if it can get messy in    Insanely dynamic.
    Controller basically required.
    Many multiple and diverse playstyles that all work to the same degree of efficiency in their own way.
    Rewards fast and clean gameplay, cannot be said as much for thoroughness.
    Enemy design is great enough to be mentioned.
    Bosses are a little too few and far between.
    Artstyle is ingenious and great to look at even if it can get messy in some places.
    Great roguelike, ok metroidvania, awesome game.    … Expand
  17. nichi
    Jan 25, 2020
    8
    One of the best Indies games and Games in general that I've played!.
    Graphics: 10/10. Art/Design/: 10/10. Music/Soundtrack: 9/10. Gameplay: 10/10. Story: 8/10 Interface: 10/10 World: 9/10;
    Cutscenes: 9/10
  18. Naedeslus
    Jul 6, 2019
    9
    I usually don’t like Souls Bourne games, but I saw this one on sale and I figured that if I hated it, I could just request a refund via Steam. What ended up happening was I played it about 5 hours straight through in one sitting. It has a complexity and a charm to it that is amazing. The game is hard, don’t get me wrong but never felt unfair. As someone who is more of a casual gamer, II usually don’t like Souls Bourne games, but I saw this one on sale and I figured that if I hated it, I could just request a refund via Steam. What ended up happening was I played it about 5 hours straight through in one sitting. It has a complexity and a charm to it that is amazing. The game is hard, don’t get me wrong but never felt unfair. As someone who is more of a casual gamer, I play games for fun, not to be challenged but this never felt unbeatable or so frustrating that I couldn’t continue.

    The beauty of it is that unlike other roguelike games of this nature, you get to keep some things, anything you unlock is yours. While you really can’t choose a weapon from the beginning, unless you use Custom Game mode which I’ll get into later, the skills you unlock, you keep. What this means is that you won’t defeat everything on your first run. You’ll probably get past the first few areas, thinking it’s not too hard but then get destroyed on the third area.

    Yet, what makes this not a bad thing is that each build has its strengths and weaknesses. There are some builds that will make the game easier. There is also a custom game mode which you can edit variables. It doesn’t make it too easy, but you can also choose different starting equipment with this mode and even level it up before the game starts so that can give you a good advantage. Since I’m typically not a hardcore gamer, I used it and even with it, I felt it was challenging but while I experimented with different builds, eventually victory was mine and did it feel good.

    The game never felt unfair and that’s the point. It’s challenging but not so that you’ll hate it and give up. I feel anyone who plays video games with average reflexes could beat this. The enemies don’t swarm you; you can easily pace yourself and there are traps you can use to lure the enemies too. If you take your time and think about it before you jump into it, it is a beatable game. The satisfaction of beating a run is great.

    If you need more of a challenge, each time you beat the game, you can unlock harder difficulties until I think up to 5 runs. For myself, being more of a casual gamer, it took me about 7 hours until I had the right equipment and strategy that I won the first run. The run itself is short, about an hour or less but the prep getting there will make this game well worth the money.

    Don’t be put off by its hard difficulty that’s been advertised. It’s a damn good game with great visuals and a great soundtrack. The story, while very minimalistic was also full of atmosphere. I fully recommend this, even if you’re used to more easier games.    … Expand
  19. bluebeardtattoo
    May 5, 2019
    10
    Самый крутой рогалик с офигенным визуальным исполнением за которым можно убить целую кучу времени.
  20. Kalili
    May 11, 2020
    9
    Perfect for those looking for a fast, hard, satisfying, and most importantly: fun Roguevania game.

    The movement and combat of this game are absolutely incredible, the enemies are original and fit the game and its levels, and every moment feels extremely satisfying, especially when you learn how to overcome the difficulty of the game and finally get further than you could last time.    Perfect for those looking for a fast, hard, satisfying, and most importantly: fun Roguevania game.

    The movement and combat of this game are absolutely incredible, the enemies are original and fit the game and its levels, and every moment feels extremely satisfying, especially when you learn how to overcome the difficulty of the game and finally get further than you could last time.

    In spite of that, i wish there was more lore and character development, even though it's understandable that this wasn't the main focus of the game.

    Overall a very fun and satisfying experience.    … Expand
  21. Asttrox
    Aug 29, 2019
    9
    Dead cells is a very enjoyable yet challenging 2d platformer game. The art style is incredible along with the creatively designed monsters you face whilst traversing through the game. The most interesting feature is the way that the progression system works; once you die you restart from the very beginning of the game yet you unlock new items on each run so that the more you play theDead cells is a very enjoyable yet challenging 2d platformer game. The art style is incredible along with the creatively designed monsters you face whilst traversing through the game. The most interesting feature is the way that the progression system works; once you die you restart from the very beginning of the game yet you unlock new items on each run so that the more you play the easier the game becomes. However by no means is the game easy, to be able to beat the game on 5 cell mode (the hardest difficulty) you must be very comfortable with the mechanics and be very aware on how each monster functions. Personally I highly recommend this game and is probably one of my favourite games I've every played, Dead Cells is a game that everyone deserves to play at least once.… Expand
  22. Movgto98
    Sep 16, 2019
    10
    Desafiante y muy adictivo. Al principio podrá sentirse un poco frustrante, pero a pesar de todo no se siente repetitivo, y es bastante satisfactorio sentir como cada vez vas adquiriendo más experiencia (literalmente), perfeccionado el uso de las habilidades y armás, viendo cuales más se adaptan a tí. Los enemigos son variados y se siente el aumento de la dificultad de estos mientras másDesafiante y muy adictivo. Al principio podrá sentirse un poco frustrante, pero a pesar de todo no se siente repetitivo, y es bastante satisfactorio sentir como cada vez vas adquiriendo más experiencia (literalmente), perfeccionado el uso de las habilidades y armás, viendo cuales más se adaptan a tí. Los enemigos son variados y se siente el aumento de la dificultad de estos mientras más avanzas , no son predecibles, por lo que no por lo que tendrás que aprender nuevas formas de enfrentarlos cada vez. Totalmente recomendado!… Expand
  23. Great_Dragon
    Oct 30, 2019
    9
    It really stands out from the crouds of pixel art games we have last years.
    Absolutely worth it.
  24. tiago_tm
    Jan 31, 2020
    9
    This game is what I always wanted on a rogue-like: a fair amount of randomness, and a very nice amount of set rules.

    Dead Cells has great (really great) controls, very nice looks (always subjective ofc), decent soundtrack and lots of replayability. There is a lot of random weapons to unlock, some permanent unlocks that make the game easier and give a sense of progress. The learning    This game is what I always wanted on a rogue-like: a fair amount of randomness, and a very nice amount of set rules.

    Dead Cells has great (really great) controls, very nice looks (always subjective ofc), decent soundtrack and lots of replayability. There is a lot of random weapons to unlock, some permanent unlocks that make the game easier and give a sense of progress. The learning curve feels great for the first difficulty.

    The only negative I can thing of is that at a certain point in difficulty, the final boss becomes way too hard compared to reaching it, making it some kind of impassable progress point.

    If you like a 2D game with action, great controls, nice pace and even if you don't like some rogue-likes give this one a try. Feels more like the old rogue legacy in terms of progress, although for different reasons.    … Expand
  25. Racoon_DUH
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    These feels when you have the best weapons but you died from the curse...Its AMAZING!
  26. S3XU4LH34L1NG
    Oct 2, 2022
    8
    Really loved that game. Reminded me alot of enter the gungeon but in side scroller style. THe challenge and mechanics were great but theres one anoying catch: Half the game is locked behind a plethora of DLC's. If you play this game via GamePass though luck you have to buy every DLC...
  27. PThonk_Man
    Sep 24, 2020
    9
    This game is absolutely awesome, despite a few balancing flaws (timed rooms giving items of II+ to IV+ quality, maybe slashers). The Bad Seed DLC is difficult on hard mode, but not too difficult, Mama Tick being one of the only problems with this DLC (at least on hard mode, never played it on normal). This game is an adrenaline inducing fast paced Roguelite game that has a wide variety ofThis game is absolutely awesome, despite a few balancing flaws (timed rooms giving items of II+ to IV+ quality, maybe slashers). The Bad Seed DLC is difficult on hard mode, but not too difficult, Mama Tick being one of the only problems with this DLC (at least on hard mode, never played it on normal). This game is an adrenaline inducing fast paced Roguelite game that has a wide variety of weapons, mutations, and ways to play the game, almost all playstyles are viable. Even without DLC, this game is amazing with a few map progression paths where you can take different paths to make it to High Peak Castle, and then the throne room. This game has replay-ability to the point where you could do a nonstop no death 1-5 bc run with the 5th boss cell fighting the true final boss. In short, you should buy this game.… Expand
  28. Karlsefniy
    Jul 23, 2022
    8
    Smoothness in gameplay, great pixel art and banger music make Dead Cells a pretty good rogue-lite.
  29. TitaniumDragon
    Jul 13, 2020
    8
    Dead Cells is a 2D roguelike metroidvania. You play as a disgusting little blob of cells that globs itself onto the “head” of a beheaded body. Every time you die, you go back to the start of the game and start over again, fighting your way through, finding and buying upgrades, and making your way through a series of branching levels to get to the final boss.

    The core gameplay is decent    Dead Cells is a 2D roguelike metroidvania. You play as a disgusting little blob of cells that globs itself onto the “head” of a beheaded body. Every time you die, you go back to the start of the game and start over again, fighting your way through, finding and buying upgrades, and making your way through a series of branching levels to get to the final boss.

    The core gameplay is decent enough – you move, you jump, you double jump, you have some attacks, ect. It starts out pretty bog standard, and while there’s a handful of permanent “metroidvania”-esque upgrades that let you unlock additional paths, like a wall climbing ability, a lot of these unlocks are just things you use on specific locations to open up new paths.

    That being said, the actual items you find help to mix up the gameplay more.

    There’s a nice variety of weapons you can find, and they all have their own attack patterns and animations, and own strengths and weaknesses. Some are swift, some hit like trucks, and of course, as is common for such games, some are just a lot better than others, so you really want to find them. There are both melee and ranged weapons, and there’s a pretty good variety of each. Some apply status ailments that freeze enemies in place, or set them on fire, or spawn little biting monsters that run around and attack your enemies.

    On top of this, you have skills with cooldowns that do things like throw grenades, launch knives in all directions, let you make a super fast slashing attack that puts you on the far side of your foes, or drop turrets that attack your enemies.

    These are all things you pick up and can sometimes upgrade as you go through the game.

    In each of the levels, there are also “scrolls” which give you what amount to level ups – they let you upgrade one of three different colors, which correspond to different weapon types, and they also get you additional hit points. The more you choose from each color, the less bonus hit points you get, so it pays to mix it up – but you can maximize your damage by only picking a single color during your run.

    After each of the levels in the game, you reach an area where you can spend “orbs” – little glowy things – on permanent upgrades, like unlocking new weapons and skills that will drop in levels, or getting additional healing, or saving more of the gold money that you use in in-game item shops to buy items during your runs when you die. Additionally, if you can get through a stage without taking damage while killing enough enemies, or get through a stage fast enough, alternative doors open up in there with additional loot drops and orbs.

    It is here you can also take “mutations”, which give you some sort of permanent static bonus during your run. These are varied, ranging from dealing extra damage when no enemies are near (ideal for abusing ranged attacks) to things that cause you to regain health when you kill enemies to dealing extra damage and taking less damage after being hurt. One will even save you from death one time, bringing you back to life and allowing you to continue a run.

    When you die – as you inevitably will, sooner or later – you lose all the items and most of the gold and orbs you’re carrying at death, and start over from the beginning. Each run through the game, you have the option of going into several different levels, and there are even multiple boss options, with bosses appearing every 2-3 levels, and presenting a significantly higher level of challenge. The stages and bosses vary considerably, which helps to keep the gameplay fresh and varied.

    Fortunately, the game isn’t overly long, so you’re never more than an hour away from the end of the game. If you’re going through the game quickly – which is often the best strategy due to the speed run bonuses – a full run may only clock in around 45 minutes, or less if you die sooner.

    Once you beat the game, you can play through it again on a higher difficulty, which unlocks new paths through the levels and new enemies to fight. This, again, lends the game more replay value, and indeed, you won’t be able to see the whole game until you’ve beaten it on five of its six difficulty levels.

    It’s likely you’ll get tired of the game before that point, but honestly, that’s okay. The game doesn’t need to go on forever, and after beating it for the first time on my seventh run, I am still feeling like there is more stuff to find and more levels to explore. I’ll probably give up before I 100% the game, but as it is so far, it’s been pretty fun and varied.

    All in all, this is a game that is worth playing if you like roguelikes and metroidvania style games.    … Expand
  30. Grafer
    Jan 4, 2020
    8
    Engaging combat, beautiful graphics, huge variety of weapons, bonuses and special powers. Great game for many hours.
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 2018
26
#26 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018
29
#29 Most Shared PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 31, 2018
    100
    Dead Cells is an adrenaline duty for every player. It gets you not only with a beautifully crafted dark world and countless weapons, but mostly with elaborated gameplay. [Issue#288]
  2. IGN Japan
    Sep 27, 2018
    97
    As one of the best 2D action games to date, Dead Cells is a game people will be talking about for a long time. A true masterpiece.
    Read full review
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Sep 26, 2018
    79
    Combat is very satisfying: strikes have proper weight behind them, hitboxes are where you expect them to be and controls are very responsive. Procedural generation, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired: from playthrough to playthrough, levels feel too similar. [Issue#232, p.68]
See all critic reviews »