Roguelike Have a Nice Death starts strong — but does it have a long game?

Are roguelikes the defining video game genre of today? It’s a hard argument to argue against.

Indie sweetheart turned multiplatform powerhouse Hades almost dominated the 2020 awards season; Return demonstrated the stamina of the PlayStation 5 in 2021; Cult of the Lamb, Vampire survivors, Rogue State 2And Nobody saves the world mixed roguelike mechanics with a range of other genres last year. And just this week, Dead cellsone of the first staples in the roguelike resurgence, has received new DLC in conjunction with one of the medium’s most respected series.

Now, here it is Happy death, a project from Magic Design Studios, which will be released in full on March 22 after a year of early access. The protagonist is none other than Death himself, shrunk to a core by burnout and boredom thanks to the grind of endless paperwork and office politics. I played three hours of the game this week, working my way through the first two parts of Magic Design’s bureaucratic hell, collecting macabre new weapons and combating dark but cartoonish manifestations of corporate culture. Happy death hooked me early on with its tight combat, slick platforming, and slew of creative enemy types. But I’m still not sold on the long-term progression loop. And in an increasingly crowded genre, a lengthy progression loop can make or break a game.

As Death, your goal is to travel through the various departments of Death Incorporated, reprimanding (read: beating up) unruly employees and correcting corporate clusterfucks. On each run you start with Death’s trusty scythe and build gear from there. (The scythe appears to be, appropriately, a permanently equipped item.) Over the course of a run, you can find a spear whose attack doubles as a sprint past larger foes; you could then supplement that spear with a duo of hornets that will take the nearest bad guy. After dying and starting a new run, you can switch to a weapon combination consisting of a huge hammer and a fire attack with an area of ​​effect. Weapon stats shift from run to run, as well Through every run, so you’re encouraged to be flexible with your arsenal and swap out any weapon that doesn’t get the job done. As Death, you’re agile, able to chain blows from your scythe into airborne dashes that take you to the next flying foe, before smashing the ground below and crushing an otherwise stubborn opponent (decked out in a Dwight Schrute-esque outfit , of course).

On a mechanical level, Happy death is instantly responsive and satisfying. Most of the combat in the first area (the Hall of Eternity) was a breeze every time, including every encounter with Brad, the Chad in charge of office security. Even the second area, the Industrial Pollution Department, doesn’t seem to have any major challenges apart from the area’s final boss, one Mr. Gordon Grimes. There are upgrades called “curses” that can enhance a weapon or ability, but also give it a debilitating nerf, along with challenges and modifications that can make future runs more difficult – but all in all, I’ve found Happy death be a little at forgiving, to the point where it’s relentlessly tough. It’s possible I just need to change my mindset regarding my loadouts in future runs, but as it stands, Gordon is an unwelcome difficulty at the end of an alternate cruise.

Image: Magic Design Studios/Gearbox Publishing

Speaking of shocks: Happy death‘s humor ranges from satirically bold (trainees are not allowed to use powers or acquire useful skills) to downright cringy. An example of the latter: I came across a mini-boss named “W. Hung,” and as it turns out, the name wasn’t an attempted innuendo, but a reference to being an office worker hanging from a real noose. But wait! If you read the journal entry on Mr. Hung after beating him, it turns out that he is the ropeand not the man it strangled, and the misconception was a constant thorn in his side.

I intend to continue my trek Happy deaththe gloomy corridors of Death Incorporated, the better to understand the upgrades, discover the secret rooms, and improve Death Incorporated’s various vending machines and employee shops. But as of now, I feel like my journey so far has been unremarkable. The roguelike genre is a competitive space these days, and although I appreciate it Happy death‘s wonderfully tight combat mechanics, I’m not optimistic they’ll be enough to set the game apart. The long term progression loop has failed to grab me and the humor pushes me away. But maybe Death has something else in store.

Happy death will be released out of early access on March 22nd on Nintendo Switch and Windows PC. The game was played on PC using a pre-release download code from Gearbox Publishing. Vox Media has partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy here.