Being a big fan of The Running Man and Stephen King’s books and films in general, I was especially pleased to see another roguelite take on its dystopian premise.
Following in the footsteps of Kiborg, which launched last year, Dash Dash Dead is another take on inmates fighting for their freedom in a brutal, morally corrupt reality TV show.
Unlike Kiborg, however, the game is a fast-paced, turn-based experience where you’re forced to make quick decisions or suffer the consequences. The longer you wait, the more enemies scale in difficulty, but acting too hastily can also leave you unable to properly read opponents and exploit their movements.
According to a press release we received, the game will feature 100+ items that players can use to create unique and chaotic builds. Eight inmates will be playable, each with their own unique abilities. There will also be 100+ procedurally stitched arena stages, where you’ll face off against 20+ enemy types, 10 mini-bosses, and six main bosses.
No release date has been announced for Dash Dash Dead, but we know it will be launching on Steam at some point later this year. Sign ups for a playtest are now live, however, and if you request access, the devs will be able to notify you when they are seeking participants.
If you like what you see, you can also join the game’s official Discord for the latest updates from developer and publisher Virtual Void Studio.
You can check out the reveal trailer for Dash Dash Dead below:
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Still with us? Of course you are! If you want to keep reading about great hand-picked rogues, the following articles represent a huge collection of the best roguelike games ever made.
Next, there are genre-specific lists that delve into the best roguelike games of all types. I’ve pulled out the best examples from each category, alongside the links to more in-depth articles!
The best turn-based roguelikes: Caves of Qud | There are some seriously incredible turn-based roguelikes out there. Of all the modern games, these are the closest to the original Rogue.
Awesome first-person rogues: Gunfire Reborn | We almost went with Blue Prince for this spot, but most people checking out first-person rogues probably want to wield a gun, you know?!
Cool roguelike deckbuilders: Balatro | Sorry, Slay the Spire fans, but this poker-solitaire deckbuilder has stolen Mike’s heart and won’t give it back.
Exciting roguelike platformers: Spelunky | Now, don’t get us wrong, Dead Cells is an incredible game, especially with all the DLC switched on. But when it comes to impact, you just can’t beat Spelunky.
Amazing action-roguelites: Hades 2 | And finally, let’s wrap things up with our favourite of them all. There’s no beating the original Hades, although Hades 2 comes pretty close!
