For all the overlap between roguelikes and soulslikes, surprisingly few games have managed to blend the two successfully. Even fewer have gone on to become breakout indie hits.
Looking to bridge the gap between these two genres is Cursemark, the newest title from Into the Necrovale developer CLYDE Games. Launching first in Early Access, the game sets itself apart with its isometric perspective, deep build variety, and spell-focused combat.
Out today on PC, I’ve spent the last few days exploring the shadowy and unforgiving world of the Unknown Lands.
What is Cursemark?
As mentioned above, Cursemark is a hybrid of soulslike and roguelike design, combining many of the defining elements of both genres. Playing as a nameless knight, you’ll carve a path through the Unknown Lands, battling through hordes of monsters while gradually unlocking shortcuts that make future journeys through the world a little less perilous. As to be expected with a soulslike, there are also punishing boss encounters that make for quite the visual spectacle and will push your skills to limit.
Combat in Cursemark feels simple yet fluid, blending melee attacks with spellcasting in a way that’s easy to pick up but satisfying to master. You can dodge incoming attacks with the space bar, strike with your primary melee attack using the left mouse button, and unleash spells with the right. In addition, a protective ward ability can be activated with the E key, while a powerful ultimate skill triggered on cooldown with Q can be unleashed to help get you out of a difficult spot.
Stringing these attacks together to dispatch different enemy types is satisfying enough on its own, but things get more interesting with the addition of elemental variants for each ability that can be unlocked and equipped. These range from fire to ice and rot and can be switched out at the hub world before you embark on your next run.
Endless build variety
One area where Cursemark distinguishes itself from many soulslikes is its emphasis on build variety. Throughout each run, you’ll discover ability-altering runes that can be socketed into your weapons and spells, dramatically changing how they behave. Because these runes can be swapped at any time, the game actively encourages experimentation, opening the door to powerful synergies between your equipped abilities.
Their effects range from inflicting status ailments and boosting attack power or critical hit chance to providing valuable sources of healing. As a result, I rarely felt compelled to repeatedly farm resources or brute-force my way through difficult encounters. Instead, success often came from carefully crafting a build that complemented my playstyle and gave me the edge in battle.
You start with a set number of runes slots for each attack and weapon and you permanently unlock more by defeating bosses and visiting new key areas on the map. This helps to reward exploration and makes it that much more satisfying when you topple a fearsome boss.
You’ll also get the chance to improve your build by spending your gathered essence on upgrades along the way. These include increasing your flasks, your overall health, and upgrading your items and runes. With essence being a scarce resource that you slowly gather on runs, it’s important to carefully consider where you’re best to invest.
The Verdict
Cursemark has launched with a strong Early Access foundation that successfully blends the deliberate combat of soulslikes with the structure and experimentation of roguelikes.
Its greatest strength lies in its buildcrafting, with rune combinations and elemental abilities encouraging constant experimentation and offering multiple ways to approach encounters. When it clicks, runs feel flexible, expressive, and rewarding in a way that makes each attempt feel meaningfully different.
I’m excited to see how the game continues to grow in Early Access with the devs stating that they plan to add more areas, spells, and runes in future updates.
Cursemark is out now on PC via Steam Early, and I played by access kindly provided by the publisher and friends.
