We have seen a lot of rogue-like games passing the revenue, some good, some bad, some very special and extremely good. Crypt of the Necrodancer definitely belongs to that last group.
It’s a dance game
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a dungeon-crawler rogue-like dance game. The last part is what makes this game special. You see, everything you do, moving, attacking, using potions and so on, you have to do it on the rhythm of the sound. You are actually “dancing” through the game. Not only is your movement rhythmic based, but also that of the mobs. Some mobs only move up and down on each beat, others only move every second beat or some every fourth beat. So you have to learn each mob’s pattern, their rhythmic moving, so you can attack them first or get out of the way if they are about to attack. This makes Crypt of the Necrodancer actually a huge puzzle game, where you have to focus on their dance pattern, move and attack on the rhythm.
The dance floor is open
The game exists of 4 zones, each zone has 3 levels, with each level containing harder mobs and a faster rhythm. To advance to the next level, you need to beat a mini boss. Each level has a shop with temporary items that you can buy with gold, which you receive from killing mobs. If you kill more mobs and move and kill all on the rhythm, you get a gold multiplier. Keep all your actions in pace with the rhythm, and your multiplier gets higher and higher, allowing you to buy more and more items to get a bigger advantage. You’ll need it, because this is a rogue-like game. Any mistake can have severe consequences, with death lurking at each corner. So you will be glad that you have bought that better sword and extra protection.
The end is near
The last level is a boss fight. It’s here that you’ll need all your cunning ‘dance moves’ to survive. Each boss is a dance battle which his own theme. For example, King Conga is a boss that you fight while dancing on the conga, Death Metal has a faster rhythm and Deep Blues is actually a game of chess.
What do we say to the God of Death?
You will die quite often in Crypt of the Necrodancer. When you die, you lose all your items and gold. The only thing you can take with you to your hub, are the diamonds that you find in each level. You use these to buy permanent upgrades (more health, bigger multipliers), or to upgrade the items that you can buy/find in the levels. What I love about this game, is that you have training grounds in your hub. Can’t beat that specific mob or have problems with a certain (mini-)boss? If you have any diamonds left, you can use these to unlock a training ground for that specific enemy and train them until you manage to defeat them.
Dance, die, cry, repeat
This game offers a huge replay factor. You can play the game with ten other characters, each one with his own unique challenge. Dove, for example, is a pacifist who doesn’t kill mobs; and the Monk dies when picking up gold. You also have Eli, the bomberman of the group, and the Bard. The Bard has the nicest challenge, he isn’t a slave to the beat. When playing with the Bard, Crypt of the Necrodancer becomes a turn-based game. You don’t have the rhythm that you have to follow, instead it’s you who makes the beat. If you move, the mobs move, if you don’t move, they won’t move. This means you have the time to think before acting, giving Crypt of the Necrodancer a nice twist. But the game offers more than just other characters, it also has a level editor and mod support with steam workshop. And there is more, there is local co-op, daily challenges, the option to play the game with a dance mat (not kidding!). The game has three versions of the soundtrack, from which you are free to choose to use them. You can even use your own music as soundtrack. You sure get value for your money!
| The good: | The bad: |
| + Gameplay | – Your fingers will hurt |
| + Better puzzle work | – Not a lot of upgrades |
| + Replay options |
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a wonderful puzzle dungeon-crawler rogue-like game. An absolute must-have for lovers of this genre.
