Dead Cells is a strange delight of an action platformer

Dead Cells is a hybrid of roguelike and Metroidvania-style action platformer in which you take on the role of a blob of cells inhabiting a decapitated corpse. You’ll battle your way through a series of levels, confronting different types of enemies and collecting weapons and power-ups along the way. You’ll die a lot and be thrown back to the beginning of the game, but the challenge level is more roguelite than roguelike.

Blob into battle

Dead Cells is a beautiful game that combines a retrogame-inspired pixel art style with a grisly, Gothic aesthetic. The controls are simple and the procedurally-generated levels are challenging but enjoyable. Although the levels are slightly different each time, the basic concepts are the same; each level leads to the same subsequent level, and each includes the same challenges, but the precise details differ. Bosses and minions use pattern-based attacks, prompting comparisons to the Dark Souls games, but Dead Cells lacks their tooth-grinding difficulty. Playing the levels over doesn’t feel as frustrating as it might, thanks not only to the procedural regeneration but also to the many hidden secrets.

Get slashing today

Fast-paced, good-looking and a little ridiculous, Dead Cells is a fun roguelite dungeon-bashing experience that incorporates the skill, timing and excitement of a Metroidvania action platformer. It’s not too long or deep, but it’s fun and compelling.