Curse of the Dead Gods

Curse of the Dead Gods is by no means an easy roguelike. It is often brutal, punishing, and hopeless. The game flings curses at the player meant to transform how they adjust to established mechanics by throwing in new gameplay wrenches that can potentially drown the unprepared in obstacles. It’s up to the player to decide how to adapt and persevere. A wealth of tools makes combat difficult, yet exciting and varied. Using light as a boon to further test your mettle allows an outpouring of creativity in how a potentially terrifying or simplistic room can be turned on its head. Curse of the Dead Gods is a stylish, confident dungeon crawler that incorporates the right amount of reward into its teeth. Rarely did I feel absolutely overwhelmed, punished by the gods who tested me. Eventually, with a firm grasp on my torch, I burned them all down with ease.

As visually striking as it is addictive, Curse of the Dead Gods blends together satisfying combat with a few unique mechanics, making for a roguelite that will eat away at your free time in a big way.

Curse of the Dead Gods is certainly not a perfect or top-of-the-range title, but it is a production of those tasty ones, which with intelligence, application and good ideas prove to be able to go beyond their natural limits.

This is no Hades but if you like to die a lot, you’ll love it anyway. The innovative curse system is a lot of unpredictable fun, every single run is different and, what’s more, it all looks really pretty.

Curse of the Dead Gods is one of the most varied and gripping roguelikes that I've ever played so if you enjoy challenging combat with a wide variety of melee and ranged weaponry set in a dark and eerie game world then you'll love what it has in store.

As Rogue-likes go, Curse of the Dead Gods is up there with the best of them. It’s got brilliant combat, dastardly traps to overcome if you want their riches, and numerous unique systems layered on top that add considerable depth. With the prospect of death (or at least grave misfortune) around every corner, it keeps you on your toes, uncertain of what the future holds. But you’ll find yourself going back time and time again, ever hopeful that soon, the temple that’s been holding you back will be conquered. It’s not for the faint of heart, but Rogue-like fans would be mad to give this the cold shoulder.

Curse of the Dead Gods' mechanics work together and mesh excellently, with the dark oppressive narrative and atmosphere really creating a unique gameplay experience, with the features on offer. A lot of variation and the ability to tune your character helps it stand out during the less enjoyable difficulty spikes the game suffers with towards the end.

Curse of the Dead Gods is a fun, polished, and mechanically-sound roguelike with a few smart twists. Unfortunately, a lack of personality and variety means it’s also a game that gets less interesting the longer you play it. Hardcore roguelike fans will enjoy their time with these Dead Gods, but less dedicated players may find themselves praying for relief.

After a handful of runs you may feel as if you’ve seen everything. The combat system still makes this worth a try if you’re itching for more roguelikes. [Issue#186, p.82]