Dead Cells PC

RogueVania: The advanced exploration of an interconnected world, with the replayability of a rogue-lite and the adrenaline-pumping risk of permadeath.

Souls-lite combat: Pattern-based bosses and followers, weapons, and spells with exceptional gameplay. Manage with what you have and don’t forget to roll.

Nonlinear progression: Unlock new levels with each death and explore unexplored parts of the castle as you prepare for certain bosses.

Exploration: Secret rooms, concealed passages, delightful landscapes. Death is the new backtracking.

Roguelike, Rogue-lite, roguelike-like, rogueschmike!

No matter what you call them, the world might always use another! By itself, we'd like to present for your contemplation, the illegitimate child of the roguelike and the metroidvania, the RogueVANIA. Anywho, plenty with the sales pitch, let’s take a closer look.

By metroidvania, we’re certainly talking about a fixed, hand-designed, interconnected world.

The game takes place on an enormous island that never changes. All of the biomes, bosses, and pathways amongst them are present right from the beginning. Getting to them is another story...

Nevertheless, in Dead Cells, death replaces the traditional backtracking mechanic of a metroidvania.

In the beginning, apparently unreachable zones will be scattered across your path, but answers to these mysteries will look as you discover the island. Be it a key, a new athletic skill, or a forgotten spell. Once revealed, this knowledge will remain with you, letting you unlock new paths to your goal. Sick of the smelly sewers? Head over the battlements and take a breath of fresh air! It’s your ability, playstyle and of course the wealth you find that will determine your path.

Moreover, as the term "RogueVania" might (not so) finely imply, we were also pretty heavily influenced by the current wave of roguelites.

When there are no frontiers to save you from your screw-ups, the adrenaline kicks in. And when you lose, you lose big, so you’ve got to make it out active. In its place of relying on the classic formula of remembering the level design and opponent placement, procedural generation allows us to reward your instincts, reflexes, and ability to adapt to developing situations.

Having said this, we’re aware that the words “procedural generation” conjure up images of crappy levels and boring gameplay in a lot of gamers’ minds.

So, we’ve selected a hybrid solution, with each run being a mashup of sensibly designed “chunks” of level. The idea is to give you the feeling of a precisely handcrafted world while making sure you have a new experience each time.

Don’t assume it to be a walk in the park though.

Pattern-based monsters and challenging boss fights will teach you to select your battles and build your strength. Each weapon has its own exceptional feel and rolling and evasion will become second nature, as you acquire to manage the crowds of monsters that will devastate the unprepared. We’re going subsequently that “tough, but fair” feeling.

Tired of the violence and death? Discover a bit, take a stroll, love the view from the ramparts, and find a secret room.

Thomas and Gwen, our graphic artists, never miss an opportunity to amaze with their pixel art and shape a world worth discovering. You might even learn a little more about the wisdom of the place, who knows?