Dead Cells

Last updated

Dead Cells
Dead cells cover art.png
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)
  • Brad Fay Jr.
  • Barbara Johanhoff
Producer(s)
  • Donovan Westerson
  • John Crow
Designer(s) Sébastien Bénard
Composer(s)
  • Yoann Laulan
  • Thomas Chastagnol
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
  • August 7, 2018
  • iOS
  • August 28, 2019
  • Android
  • June 3, 2020
  • PlayStation 5
  • June 29, 2023
Genre(s) Roguelike, Metroidvania
Mode(s) Single-player

Dead Cells is a 2018 roguelike-Metroidvania game developed by Motion Twin and Evil Empire, and published by Motion Twin. The player takes the role of an amorphous creature called the Prisoner. As the Prisoner, the player must fight their way out of a diseased island in order to slay the island's King. The player gains weapons, treasure and other tools through exploration of the procedurally-generated levels. Dead Cells features a permadeath system, causing the player to lose all items and other abilities upon dying. A currency called Cells can be collected from defeated enemies, allowing the player to purchase permanent upgrades.

Contents

Production of Dead Cells began after Motion Twin planned development for a follow-up to their previous browser game Die2Nite . The developers decided to replace the cooperative gameplay of Die2Nite with a single-player experience focused around combat and action. They took inspiration from the Engineer character class from Team Fortress 2 , and remade Dead Cells into an action platform game where the player would utilize a variety of combinations of weapons and skills.

The game was released for Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on August 7, 2018. A mobile port for iOS was released on August 28, 2019, and an Android port was released in 2020. A version for PlayStation 5 was added on June 29, 2023. After release, Motion Twin supported the game with several updates and expansions. The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its combat style and level design, with specific praise being directed towards the randomized levels and weapons. By March 2021, the game had sold 5 million copies.

Gameplay

A GIF of the Prisoner using the jump and dodge mechanics to get behind a charging enemy. Dead cells jumping May 2022.gif
A GIF of the Prisoner using the jump and dodge mechanics to get behind a charging enemy.

Dead Cells is a 2D side-scrolling "roguevania", a combination of the roguelike and Metroidvania genres. [2] [3] The player controls the Prisoner, an amorphous creature who journeys across an island full of mutated monsters. [4] When the player dies, they lose all weapons and upgrades obtained in a playthrough, excluding a few permanent items. [5] [6] Weapons primarily include swords, bows, shields, and placeable traps that harm enemies that come near them. In combat, the Prisoner can dodge across the ground to avoid the attacks of enemies, or jump over the attacks. Dodging into an enemy's space allows the Prisoner to move through them and attack from behind. [7] When falling from a height, the Prisoner can slam into the ground, allowing them to stun enemies, or allow the Prisoner to fall from heights without getting stunned themselves. [8] [9]

The game's combat is comparable to the Dark Souls series, with difficult enemies possessing certain behaviors the player can learn, and where frequent player-character death is a fundamental part of the game. [10] As they explore a series of levels and fight the creatures within, the player can collect an in-game currency called Cells from defeated foes. Cells can be used to purchase permanent upgrades, such as potions that restore hit points or additional weapons that may be randomly obtained during a playthrough. [6] [10] These Cells can only be spent at the end of a dungeon section; if the player dies before then, they lose all collected Cells. [11] New upgrade options can be found by locating blueprints inside dungeons, which must be taken out of the level to be collected. [12]

Levels are procedurally generated by the merging of predesigned sections in a random configuration, creating dungeons with many different placements of enemies and items. [10] Between dungeons, the player can obtain a limited number of mutations, benefits which grant unique bonuses to the Prisoner's capabilities that last until they die. [8] The player can reforge weapons during this time, giving the reforged weapons new effects during combat. [9] Inside the dungeons, the player can find hidden Power Scrolls, which increase the Prisoner's hit points and increase the damage of weapons depending upon the tool's classification of Brutality, Tactics, or Survival. [5] [7] The player can also find multiple permanent upgrades called Runes, which allow for new methods of travel in the game's levels. Runes can be obtained by defeating powerful Elite enemies, which are located inside the game's levels. [9] Each upgrade requires the previous Rune in order to obtain the next one. [8]

Plot

Premise

Taking place on an unnamed island, the player character is the Prisoner, an amorphous creature capable of possessing dead bodies located in the depths of the island. While the "head" of the Prisoner is immortal, the bodies it possesses are not, and "dying" will force the Prisoner to return back to the Prisoners' Quarters to find another corpse. The Prisoner itself does not speak, limiting its interactions with non-player characters (NPCs) to gestures and body language alone. The player is occasionally shown the thoughts of the Prisoner through dialogue boxes.

Story

The Prisoner awakens in the depths of the island's prison, suffering from amnesia. A soldier encounters the Prisoner, and mentions that they can no longer die. The Prisoner tries to escape the prison, but their head is forced back to the depths as soon as its body is destroyed. Between subsequent escape attempts, the Prisoner learns that the island was once a mighty kingdom that fell when a plague known as "The Malaise" transformed most of the kingdom's citizens into mutated monsters.

After escaping the Prisoners' Quarters, the Prisoner decides to kill the island's reclusive King, believing that his death will cause something on the island to "change". While leaving the Quarters, the Prisoner meets with the Collector, a hooded figure that trades Cells in exchange for items and weaponry. After fighting through the island's Malaise-infected locales, the Prisoner reaches the King's throne room and succeeds in slaying the comatose monarch. However, the King's corpse violently explodes in the process, destroying the Prisoner's host body. The Prisoners' head crawls out from the burning fragments of the destroyed throne, where it exits the throne room through a fountain's drain. The drain leads back to the Prisoners' Quarters, where the resurrected Prisoner ponders the consequences of the King's death.

Rise of the Giant

The Rise of the Giant downloadable content expands the plot of Dead Cells, providing the game with alternative endings. The Prisoner gains access to a new area of the island, the Cavern, which houses a titanic undead Giant. Upon his defeat, the Giant reveals that the Prisoner is actually the King himself, and blames him for the destruction of the kingdom. After defeating the final boss, the Prisoner can collect Boss Cells, in-game modifiers that are used to increase the difficulty of the game. If the player collects all five Boss Cells and reaches the throne room, they are able to gain access to an additional level called the Astrolab. At the top of the Astrolab, the Prisoner meets the Collector; he tells the Prisoner that he has been trading for Cells in order to create the Panacea, the ultimate cure for the Malaise. Upon producing the Panacea and drinking it, the Collector goes mad and attacks the Prisoner. The Prisoner manages to ingest some of the Panacea before the Collector's defeat, which causes their host body to disappear. Disappointed with the Panacea, the head returns to the Quarters to possess another corpse.

When the Prisoner reaches the throne room again, they discover that the King's body has reappeared undamaged. The head of the Prisoner abandons its host body and attaches to the King's, restoring the Prisoner's memories and allowing him to speak. However, the King's body is infected with the Malaise, and he continues to the Astrolab to face the Collector. This time, upon the Collector's defeat, the Panacea cures the King and "binds his body and soul". The King returns to his throne, where he is confronted by a look-alike of the Prisoner intent on slaying him. The King and the look-alike battle each other in a duel.

The Queen and the Sea

The Queen and the Sea downloadable content adds three additional levels to the game, as well as an alternative ending. The Prisoner finds a letter inviting them to a meeting in the sewers beneath the prison. When the Prisoner arrives, they meet an aquatic creature called the Fisherman, who offers them a way to escape the island through the kingdom's lighthouse. After the Prisoner finds the Lighthouse Key and meets the Fisherman again at the King's castle, the latter uses his boat to take the Prisoner to the lighthouse. Inside, the Prisoner accidentally knocks over a flaming chandelier, alerting three hostile warriors named Calliope, Euterpe, and Kleio, who are the servants of the island’s Queen. The three chase the Prisoner to the top of the now-burning lighthouse, where the Prisoner defeats them in combat. The Prisoner enters the upper chambers of the lighthouse to light its beacon, but the Queen reveals herself and challenges them to a duel. The Prisoner defeats the Queen before throwing her off the lighthouse's balcony, causing a catastrophic explosion that activates the structure's beacon. The Prisoner uses the beacon to attract a ship passing by the island.

Development

Dead Cells' developer Motion Twin had been developing games for the browser and mobile gaming market since 2001. The studio found that competition in the mobile market required more investment to make profitable games, and decided to switch focus to develop what they considered their "passion project", a game that was "something hardcore, ultra-niche, with pixel art and ridiculous difficulty" that they thought would be a potential risk for gaining player interest. [13]

Initially, Motion Twin had set out to make a follow-up to their browser game Die2Nite , [14] which was a cooperative tower defense game for up to forty players released in 2008; for most of the game, players would work together to form defenses around a town, and then during the game's night phase, wait to see if the town survived waves of attacks by zombies. Motion Twin wanted to have improve the sequel by allowing players to take actions and fight during the night phase, while implementing free to play mechanics. While this version worked well with large number of players, Motion Twin found it was not very exciting for single players. In 2014, they stripped down the game to a single-player experience between preparation and combat, and took it to an event called the Big Indie Pitch, where the idea came in second place in a contest. Motion Twin decided to remove the preparation phase and focus the game around constant action. The process of figuring out how to keep and work with combat elements took a year up through the end of 2015. [15]

To tighten the gameplay, Motion Twin took inspiration of the Engineer character class from Team Fortress 2 , where the use of turrets and other buildable items helps to strengthen the character's abilities, and remade Dead Cells into an action platform game where the player used weapons along with a variety of skills. They did not want players to get used to having a single weapon/skill combination that they used indefinitely, and arranged the roguelike elements to require the player to try out new combinations of weapons and skills as they progressed. Motion Twin's producer Steve Filby cited The Binding of Isaac as a significant influence, highlighting its item-driven gameplay. To give the player enough options, the developers crafted about 50 different weapons, using an iterative process in gameplay, graphics, and art to ensure each of these weapons exhibited unique animations or behavior. [16]

Motion Twin opted to use Steam's early access approach to both gauge player interest and to obtain feedback on game features. [13] The team feared the stigma around indie games at the time, fueled by industry speculation of an "indiepocalypse" where too many indie games would cause a collapse of the video game market around 2015, an event which never occurred. [17] Motion Twin did not want to release too early within early access, and made sure the first version available, while about 30 to 40% complete, had tight combat and gameplay controls that players would appreciate. [15] This allowed the team to address balance issues, as the developers did not want to punish players for a specific style of play, and used feedback to address this. [17] Motion Twin planned for the game to spend about a year in early access before its full release, during which time the content was created and incorporated after player feedback on both bug reports and feature suggestions. [15] Lead designer Sébastien Bénard estimated that 40 to 50% of the features in the final game were drawn from feedback during early access. [18]

The plot of Dead Cells was not intended from the beginning. Motion Twin felt that the addition of a story would take away from the action, and wanted to include the most basic narrative possible. As the game progressed through early access, the developers decided to include a minor story after players found their world compelling. Over time, the plot was compiled into a half-French half-English document, and became more and more complex. Although the levels have a number of hints towards the story, Motion Twin withheld some of the details and utilized the nonlinear gameplay to keep the narrative vague, hoping players would piece together the story for themselves. [19]

Release and expansions

Release timeline
2017Early access
2018Dead Cells
2019Rise of the Giant
2020The Bad Seed
2021Fatal Falls
2022The Queen and the Sea
2023Return to Castlevania

The early access period was launched on May 10, 2017, with support for Windows. Additional support was added for macOS and Linux on June 26, 2018. [20] In November 2017, the game was released on GOG.com as part of their drive to provide an alternate way to purchase games that are in development. [21] In January 2018, Motion Twin announced their plans on console development for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with a release predicted in August 2018 to correspond with the Windows' version leaving early access. [22] [23] Motion Twin does not anticipate creating a sequel, and instead focused on adding a robust modding system for the PC versions to allow players to expand the game following release. [18] Dead Cells was released on August 7, 2018, for Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. [24] Retail editions were released in August 2018. [24] [25] The base game included Twitch integration at launch, allowing viewers, via the stream's chat, to influence the game, such as voting for which Power Scroll weapon class option the player should take. [26]

Motion Twin released a free downloadable content update to the game called Dead Cells: Rise of the Giant in mid-2019. [27] The developers announced plans to port Dead Cells to mobile devices running iOS and Android, modifying the game's interface to support touch controls as well as remote controllers. The iOS version was released on August 28, 2019, and the Android version was released on June 3, 2020. [28] [29] [30] The game's first paid expansion, Dead Cells: The Bad Seed, was released on February 11, 2020, adding two new biomes, as well as a boss for early game content. The new content included weapons, enemies and game mechanics. [31] On the same day, a new physical special edition of the game, the Prisoner's Edition, was announced for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, which in addition to the game and DLC, includes the soundtrack, an art book, and a figurine of the player-character. [32] A second paid DLC expansion, Dead Cells: Fatal Falls, was released on January 26, 2021, which added new levels, weapons, and a boss. [33]

Around January 2019, Motion Twin started work on their next title while still developing Dead Cells. When they expanded by hiring more developers, Motion Twin wanted to keep the Dead Cells development team to between eight and ten people in order to stay a manageable worker cooperative. The team then spun-off a new studio called Evil Empire to help co-develop the game. [34] Motion Twin released a free update on September 16, 2021, titled "Practice Makes Perfect" which added a training room, world map and many other quality of life changes. [35] A free Everyone Is Here update released on November 22, 2021, which introduced character skins and mechanics based on characters from other indie games as "guest characters". These games included Hyper Light Drifter , Guacamelee! , Curse of the Dead Gods , Blasphemous , Skul: The Hero Slayer , and Hollow Knight . [36] [37] Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Motion Twin, the developers revealed the third paid expansion titled Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea, which released on January 7, 2022. [38] Another free content update, Break the Bank, released in March 2022. The update added a new level that can be randomly encountered while playing, which grants the player an opportunity to earn significant sums of gold. [39] On October 26, 2022, Motion Twin released a free boss rush update, which allows the Prisoner to fight the bosses of the game one after another in a new game mode. [40] A free Everyone is Here Vol. 2 update in November 2022 added more homages to other indie games, including Terraria , Hotline Miami , Slay the Spire , Shovel Knight , Risk of Rain , and Katana Zero . [41] [42]

A fourth paid expansion, Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, was released on March 6, 2023. It features characters, weapons, and enemies from the Castlevania series, under license from Konami. [43] This expansion includes a secret level inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and allows the player to play as Richter Belmont with a move set more akin to the Castlevania series. [44] A port for PlayStation 5 was released on June 29, 2023. [45] With the game's 35th patch due in 2024, Motion Twin and Evil Empire announced that they had stopped further creative work on Dead Cells, with Motion Twin transferring their development towards their next game, Windblown, and Evil Empire starting work on their own new title. They stated they will continue to support improving quality of life and bugs within Dead Cells. [46]

Reception

Dead Cells received positive reviews from critics. The Xbox One version received "universal acclaim", and the PlayStation 4, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS versions received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator website Metacritic . Brandin Tyrrel of IGN praised the game for its engaging gameplay premise, and randomized layout declaring "The placement and order of its levels are Dead Cells' skeletal frame, but the ever-changing layouts and enemy and item placements are the blood that pumps through its heart." [4] The action and combat of Dead Cells received acclaim as "distinct", "fluid", and "agile". [66] [5] [67] Reviewers compared the game to the Dark Souls , Diablo , and Castlevania series due to its difficulty and constantly changing levels, while giving specific praise to the visuals and sound design. [68] [69] [70]

The plot of Dead Cells was criticized, with critics calling it lacking and vague. [71] [72] [73] Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku found the story disappointing, stating "Aside from some sparse worldbuilding, the only story here is the story of moving forward, killing things, and gradually getting better at it". Some commentators considered progression beyond the first few hours as "nebulous", and the game's difficulty "callous". [74] [73] Chris Carter of Destructoid noted the game's difficulty, stating "There's those moments where you have a perfect run with all of the items you prefer. Then you get to a boss you've never seen before and bam – he smashes you to a pulp." [69]

Other critics drew attention to the permadeath feature as a rewarding system, as it provided the player with permanent upgrades, the opportunity to experience all of the game's content, and gain full knowledge of its systems. [67] [74] [75] Neal Ronaghan of Nintendo World Report enjoyed the permadeath feature, saying "Every run is engrossing and fun and when I die, the only thought rushing through my brain is to start over and try again, pushing as far past my previous run as I can." [76]

Sales

About a year from its early access release, Dead Cells sold over 730,000 units, [77] and exceeded 850,000 units just prior to its full release. [18] By May 2019, within ten months of its full release, Dead Cells had accumulated sales of two million units. [78] In March 2021, Dead Cells had sold 5 million copies during the announcement of their third DLC. [79]

Awards and accolades

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
20172017 Ping AwardsBest Indie GameNominated [80]
IGN Best of 2017Best Action GameNominated [81]
2018 2018 Golden Joystick Awards Best Indie GameWon [82]
Best Visual DesignNominated [83]
Ultimate Game of the YearNominated [84]
The Game Awards 2018 Best Action GameWon [85]
Best Independent GameNominated [86]
Gamers' Choice Awards Fan Favorite Indie GameNominated [87]
Australian Games AwardsIndependent Game of the YearNominated [88]
New York Game AwardsBest Indie GameWon [89] [90]
National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers AwardsControl Design, 2D or Limited 3D.Won [91]
15th British Academy Games Awards Original PropertyNominated [92]
2019 SXSW Gaming Awards Excellence In GameplayNominated [93]
Most Promising New Intellectual PropertyNominated
Italian Video Game AwardsBest Indie GameNominated [94]
2020Pégases AwardsBest Mobile GameWon [95] [96]
Best Game-as-a-ServiceWon

Legacy

In June 2023, developer Motion Twin announced that an animated series of the same name in the works by French animation studio Bobbypills, the studio that has made its animated trailers, and is set for release in 2024. [97]

Notes

  1. iOS and Android

Related Research Articles

<i>Castlevania</i> Video game series

Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early systems to modern consoles, as well as handheld devices such as mobile phones. The franchise has expanded into several spin-off video games and other media, including comic books and an animated television series.

Alucard (<i>Castlevania</i>) Fictional character in Castlevania video games

Adrian Fahrenheit Țepeș, better known as Alucard, is a character in Konami's Castlevania series of video games. His first appearance in the series was in the 1989 game Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, but he is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, released in 1997. His design in Symphony of the Night was created by Ayami Kojima, marking her first contribution to the Castlevania franchise.

<i>Castlevania II: Simons Quest</i> 1987 video game

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is a 1987 action role-playing game developed and published by Konami. It was originally released in Japan in 1987 for the Famicom Disk System, and in North America in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second Castlevania game released for the NES, following the original Castlevania (1986). Set seven years after the events of the first installment, the player once again assumes the role of vampire hunter Simon Belmont, who is on a journey to undo a curse placed on him by Dracula at the end of their previous encounter. Dracula's body was split into five parts, which Simon must find and bring to the ruins of Castle Dracula in order to defeat him. The game deviates from the traditional platforming of its predecessor, incorporating role-playing and open world elements.

<i>Super Castlevania IV</i> 1991 video game

Super Castlevania IV is a platform video game developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been re-released multiple times, including for the Super NES Classic Edition.

<i>Castlevania Judgment</i> 2008 video game

Castlevania Judgment is a 3D fighting video game developed by Konami and Eighting for the Wii. The game is based on the Castlevania series of games, and is the series' first fighting game.

<i>Castlevania</i> (1986 video game) 1986 video game

Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a platform game developed and published by Konami for the Family Computer Disk System video game console in Japan in September 1986. It was ported to cartridge format and released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in May 1987 and in Europe in 1988. It was also re-issued for the Family Computer in cartridge format in 1993. It is the first game in Konami's Castlevania video game series.

<i>The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth</i> 2014 indie video game

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a roguelike indie game designed by Edmund McMillen and developed and published by Nicalis. Rebirth was released for Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in November 2014, for Xbox One, New Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in July 2015, for iOS in January 2017 and for Nintendo Switch in March 2017. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions were released in November 2021.

<i>Crypt of the NecroDancer</i> 2015 video game

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a roguelike rhythm game by Brace Yourself Games. The game takes fundamental elements of a roguelike dungeon exploration game and adds a beat-matching rhythm game set to an original soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky. The player's actions are most effective when moving the character set to the beat of the current song and are impaired when they miss a beat, so it is necessary to learn the rhythmic patterns that the various creatures follow. The mixed-genre game includes the ability to import custom music, and the option to use a dance pad instead of traditional controllers or the keyboard. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows in April 2015, being co-published by Klei Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4 and Vita in February 2016, for the Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch in February 2018. Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, developed for iOS, was released in June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motion Twin</span> Video game developer

Motion Twin is an independent studio specializing in online video games. Founded in 2001 the company is a worker cooperative enterprise based in Bordeaux, France.

<i>The Escapists</i> Strategy video game

The Escapists is a strategy game played from a top-down perspective. The game was developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and following a Steam Early Access release in 2014, was released in 2015 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It was released on iOS and Android in 2017. A Nintendo Switch version of the game containing all downloadable content was released in 2018. The game was launched on the Epic Games Store on 23 September 2021, with the weekly free game campaign of Epic Games. Players assume the role of an inmate and must escape from prisons of increasing difficulty.

<i>Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night</i> 2019 video game

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a Metroidvania-styled video game developed by Japanese indie studio ArtPlay and published by 505 Games. The game's development was led by former Castlevania series producer Koji Igarashi and is considered a spiritual successor to the series. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, in June 2019, for Amazon Luna in October 2020, for Android and iOS in December 2020, and for Stadia in July 2021.

Enter the Gungeon is a 2016 bullet hell roguelike game developed by Dodge Roll and published by Devolver Digital. Set in the firearms-themed Gungeon, gameplay follows four player characters called Gungeoneers as they traverse procedurally generated rooms to find a gun that can "kill the past". The Gungeoneers fight against bullet-shaped enemies, which are fought using both conventional and exotic weapons. Enter the Gungeon features a permadeath system, causing the Gungeoneers to lose all obtained items and start again from the first level upon death. Between playthroughs, players can travel to an area called the Breach, where they can converse with non-player characters and unlock new items randomly encountered while playing.

<i>Dicey Dungeons</i> 2019 video game

Dicey Dungeons is a roguelike deck-building game developed by Irish game designer Terry Cavanagh. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in August 2019, for Nintendo Switch in December 2020, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in November 2021, and for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in February 2023. Ports for iOS and Android were released in July 2022.

<i>Deaths Gambit</i> 2018 video game

Death's Gambit is a side-scrolling action role-playing game developed by White Rabbit and published by Adult Swim Games. It was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 in August 2018. An expanded edition of the game titled Death’s Gambit: Afterlife released in September 2021 for Windows and Nintendo Switch, in November 2021 for PlayStation 4 and in May 2022 for Xbox One.

<i>Cadence of Hyrule</i> 2019 video game

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda is a rhythm game developed by Brace Yourself Games and published by Nintendo. The game is a crossover of Crypt of the NecroDancer with The Legend of Zelda, combining the rhythm-based movement and fighting mechanics with elements reminiscent of earlier games in the Zelda franchise. The game was released for the Nintendo Switch on June 13, 2019 to generally positive reviews from critics.

A roguelike deck-building game is a hybrid genre of video games that combines the nature of deck-building card games with procedural-generated randomness from roguelike games.

<i>Curse of the Dead Gods</i> 2021 video game

Curse of the Dead Gods is a 2021 roguelike video game developed by Passtech Games and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game was released via early access in March 2020, and in full in February 2021 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

<i>Vampire Survivors</i> 2022 video game

Vampire Survivors is a 2022 roguelike shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Luca Galante, also known as poncle. Following an early access period from December 2021, it was released for macOS, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, and iOS in late 2022. A port for Nintendo Switch was released on August 17, 2023.

<i>Little Noah: Scion of Paradise</i> 2022 video game

Little Noah: Scion of Paradise is a 2022 action role-playing game with roguelike elements developed by Cygames and Grounding for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows. Versions for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S released in 2023.

<i>Kingdom Two Crowns</i> 2018 video game

Kingdom Two Crowns is a 2018 strategy video game developed by Thomas van den Berg and Coatsink and published by Raw Fury. It is the third entry in the Kingdom series. Players control a mounted monarch as they attempt to defend their kingdom from a race of monsters called the Greed. The monarch can recruit villagers to perform certain jobs while building defenses such as towers and walls to fend off waves of Greed attacking the kingdom at night. Kingdom Two Crowns features single-player and cooperative multiplayer modes, with cooperative play enabling two monarchs to join via a split screen.

References

  1. Gilligan, Shawn. "Dead Cells". Game Informer. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  2. Foxall, Sam (April 22, 2017). "'Roguevania' Dead Cells comes to Steam Early Access on May 10". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  3. Grubb, Jeff (July 10, 2018). "Dead Cells' 'roguevania' action launches August 7". VentureBeat . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Tyrrel, Brandin (August 11, 2018). "Dead Cells Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Vogel, Mitch (August 6, 2018). "Review: Dead Cells (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Rivera, Joshua (August 9, 2018). "'Dead Cells' Is the Gross, Addictive, and Quick Game You Need to Play This Week". GQ. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Edward, Rhy (July 15, 2021). "Dead Cells: 10 Things Beginners Should Do First". TheGamer. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 Hamilton, Kirk (August 7, 2018). "Tips For Playing Dead Cells". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Plagge, Kallie (August 17, 2018). "Dead Cells Guide: Weapons, Doors, And Tips We Wish We Knew Before Starting". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 Caldwell, Brendan (May 16, 2017). "Premature Evaluation: Dead Cells". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  11. Williams, Mike (March 11, 2017). "Dead Cells Is A Roguelike That Wants You to Use Death". USGamer . Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  12. Frushtick, Russ (August 7, 2018). "Dead Cells beginner's guide". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Chan, Stephanie (April 19, 2017). "Studio abandons free-to-play web and mobile games for passion project: Dead Cells". Venture Beat . Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  14. "Hordes". Deepnight Games. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 Macgregor, Jody (August 11, 2018). "Dead Cells is a perfect example of Early Access done right". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  16. Couture, Joel (July 7, 2017). "Designing each of the 50 weapons in Dead Cells to feel distinctive". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  17. 1 2 Velocci, Carli (August 31, 2018). "Tuning Dead Cells to appeal to players both fast and slow". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  18. 1 2 3 Horti, Samuel (August 1, 2018). "How player criticism helped make Dead Cells the game it is today". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  19. Conditt, Jessica (April 3, 2019). "The rich and mysterious story buried in 'Dead Cells'". Engadget. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  20. O'Conner, Alice (June 26, 2018). "Dead Cells loots mod support, leaps onto Mac and Linux". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  21. "In Development: Dead Cells". GOG.com . November 13, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  22. Sarkar, Samit (January 25, 2018). "Dead Cells confirmed for PS4, Switch, Xbox One". Polygon . Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  23. Wales, Matt (May 10, 2018). "Superb "roguevania" action platformer Dead Cells leaves early access in August". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Lao, Shannon (July 10, 2018). "Roguelite action-platformer Dead Cells launches in early August on PC and consoles". Destructoid . Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  25. O'Conner, Alice (August 7, 2018). "Dead Cells has now oozed out of early access". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  26. Grubb, Jeff (August 7, 2018). "Dead Cells' Twitch integration is great". Venture Beat . Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  27. Chalk, Andy (February 25, 2019). "'Huge' free Dead Cells DLC coming this spring". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  28. Holt, Kris (May 7, 2019). "Indie hit 'Dead Cells' is coming to mobile this summer". Engadget . Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  29. Statt, Nick (April 7, 2020). "Dead Cells is finally making its way to Android on June 3rd". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  30. Grubb, Jeff (August 28, 2019). "Dead Cells launches on iOS with multiple input modes". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  31. Wakeling, Richard (January 29, 2020). "Dead Cells The Bad Seed DLC Gets Release Date And New Trailer". GameSpot . Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  32. Paget, Mat (February 11, 2020). "New Dead Cells Prisoner's Edition For Nintendo Switch, PS4 Announced". GameSpot . Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  33. Beckhelling, Imogen (January 12, 2021). "Dead Cells Fatal Fall DLC arrives later this month". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  34. Wright, Steven (September 16, 2019). "Too Big to Bail: Why Dead Cells' Creators Built an Evil Empire". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  35. Craddock, Ryan (September 17, 2021). "Dead Cells 'Practice Makes Perfect' Update Makes The Game Easier, But Only If You Want That". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  36. Nelson, Will (November 19, 2021). "'Dead Cells' free update includes six game crossover next week". NME . Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  37. Devore, Jordan (November 22, 2021). "Dead Cells has a bunch of indie game guests with the Everyone is Here update". Destructoid . Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  38. Thorn, Ed (January 6, 2022). "Dead Cells' latest DLC The Queen And The Sea is out now". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  39. Bailey, Dustin (March 31, 2022). "Free Dead Cells update brings a money biome to the roguelike". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  40. Reynolds, Ollie (October 25, 2022). "Dead Cells Is Getting A Free Boss Rush Update This Week". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network . Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  41. Allsop, Ken (November 6, 2022). "Dead Cells update adds Terraria, Hotline Miami, Slay the Spire, more". PCGamesN . Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  42. Wheeler, C. J. (November 7, 2022). "Free Dead Cells update adds goodies based on Hotline Miami, Slay the Spire and more". Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
  43. Wales, Matt (December 8, 2022). "Dead Cells is getting paid Castlevania DLC next year". Eurogamer . Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  44. Wales, Matt (February 23, 2023). "Dead Cells' Return to Castlevania DLC will let you play as Richter Belmont". Eurogamer . Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  45. Square, Push (June 27, 2023). "Dead Cells' Free PS5 Upgrade Promises Next-Gen Features This Week". Push Square. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  46. Allsop, Ken (February 9, 2024). "Dead Cells update 35 marks the end for one of Steam's best roguelikes". PCGamesN . Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  47. "Dead Cells for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  48. "Dead Cells for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  49. "Dead Cells for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  50. "Dead Cells for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  51. "Dead Cells for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  52. Carter, Chris (August 6, 2018). "Review: Dead Cells". Destructoid . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  53. Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (August 7, 2018). "Dead Cells review - one of the slickest dungeon-crawlers you'll ever play". Eurogamer . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  54. Reiner, Andrew (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells". Game Informer . Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  55. Starkley, Daniel (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells Review: Rise From Your Grave". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  56. Huertos, Alejandro Alcolea (August 16, 2018). "Análisis de Dead Cells para Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One y PC". HobbyConsolas (in Spanish). Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  57. Tyrrel, Brandin (August 10, 2018). "Dead Cells Review". IGN . Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  58. "Review: Dead Cells (Switch)". Nintendo Life. August 6, 2018. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  59. Croft, Liam (August 6, 2018). "Review: Dead Cells (PS4)". Push Square . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  60. Jarrard, Chris (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells Review: Dying never felt so good". Shacknews . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  61. Hoggins, Tom (August 7, 2018). "Dead Cells review: Much more than a 2D Dark Souls". The Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  62. Meer, Alec (August 20, 2018). "Dead Cells review – lightning combat with a fatal attraction". The Guardian . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  63. Wyndcliffe, James (August 29, 2019). "'Dead Cells' Review – Zombies, Kings, and Unstoppable Killing Machines". TouchArcade . Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  64. Williams, Mike (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells Review". USgamer . Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  65. Wise, Joshua (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  66. Webster, Andrew (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells is the best Castlevania game in years". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  67. 1 2 Croft, Liam (August 6, 2018). "Review: Dead Cells (PS4)". Push Square. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  68. Thursten, Chris (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells review". pcgamer. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  69. 1 2 Carter, Chris. "Review: Dead Cells". Destructoid. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  70. GameCentral (August 8, 2018). "Game review: Dead Cells is another classic indie Metroidvania". Metro. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  71. McElroy, Justin (May 19, 2017). "Dead Cells review". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  72. Hamilton, Kirk (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  73. 1 2 Wise, Josh (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells review". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  74. 1 2 Grubb, Jeff (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells review — the apotheosis of the Roguelike". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  75. Meer, Alec (August 20, 2018). "Dead Cells review – lightning combat with a fatal attraction". The Guardian . Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  76. Ronaghan, Neal (August 6, 2018). "Dead Cells Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  77. Capel, Chris (May 1, 2018). "This metroidvania indie game has sold 730,000 units in a year". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  78. Minotti, Mike (May 23, 2019). "Indie hit Dead Cells sells over 2 million copies". Venture Beat . Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  79. Stockdale, Henry (March 19, 2021). "Dead Cells Has Now Sold 5 Million Copies Worldwide". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  80. "Nommés aux Ping Awards 2017". Ping Awards (in French). 2017. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  81. "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Action Game". IGN . December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  82. Hoggins, Tom (September 24, 2018). "Golden Joysticks 2018 nominees announced, voting open now". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  83. Andronico, Michael (October 26, 2018). "Golden Joystick Awards: Vote for Ultimate Game of the Year". Tom's Guide. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  84. Sheridan, Connor (November 16, 2018). "Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners: God of War wins big but Fortnite gets Victory Royale". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  85. Crecente, Brian (November 13, 2018). "'God of War,' 'Red Dead Redemption II' Tie For Most Game Awards Noms". Variety . Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  86. Grant, Christopher (December 6, 2018). "The Game Awards 2018: Here are all the winners". Polygon . Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  87. Glyer, Mike (November 19, 2018). "2018 Gamers' Choice Awards Nominees". File 770. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  88. "Your 2018 Winners". Australian Games Awards. December 19, 2018. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  89. Keyes, Rob (January 3, 2019). "2018 New York Game Awards Nominees Revealed". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  90. Meitzler, Ryan (January 23, 2019). "The New York Game Awards Reveals 2019 Winners; God of War Earns the Top Prize". DualShockers. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  91. "2018 Awards". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. March 13, 2019. Archived from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  92. Fogel, Stefanie (March 14, 2019). "'God of War,' 'Red Dead 2' Lead BAFTA Game Awards Nominations". Variety . Archived from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  93. Trent, Logan (February 11, 2019). "Here Are Your 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards Finalists!". South by Southwest . Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  94. "Italian Video Game Awards Nominees and Winners". Italian Video Game Awards. April 11, 2019. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  95. "All the categories (2020)". Pégases Awards. February 7, 2020. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  96. "Pégases 2020 : La liste des vainqueurs par catégorie". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). March 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  97. Stewart, Marcus (June 14, 2023). "Dead Cells Animated Series Premieres Next Year". Game Informer . Retrieved June 14, 2023.