Curse of the Dead Gods

Play it on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, Windows
Current goal: Settle an old score

I had a restless night the other day. What kept me up, you ask? Financial or family stress? What the AQI will be this week? I mean, sure, yes all of that, but mainly how I have yet to beat the Dark Avatar of the Jaguar boss from 2021 hidden gem roguelite Curse of the Dead Gods

From French developer Passtech, Games Dead Gods has a distinct pulpy comic book aesthetic (think Mike Mignola’s Hellboy), and is a fairly brutal experience. Mix Slay the Spire-esque progression, with Hades’ frenetic top-down combat and Dark Souls’ stamina system, and you’ll begin to get an idea of what makes Gods so challenging.

The titular curses are modifiers you pick up throughout your run when your corruption meter fills up which happens by progressing from chamber to chamber but also as damage from enemy attacks. Some are helpful, like making your dodge roll intangible, while others are absolutely crippling, like the curse that continually drains your life until you dispel it—which can only consistently happen after defeating a boss, three for each temple, again very Slay the Spire structure here. There’s even a curse that hides the other curses you have. Should you get a shitty curse leading into the third and final Dark Avatar fight, your run essentially ends. Hence why I have yet to beat the Dark Avatar of the Jaguar. This cat’s been lucky until now, the plan is to make a pelt out of him through sheer repetition. Foolproof!

Curse of the Dead Gods is frequently on sale, like right now as part of Steam’s big summer blow out. I’d recommend it to roguelite fans who want a steeper challenge than Hades with less (and really I mean almost zero) story and after it’s crossover “Curse of the Dead Cells” free update got some much needed balancing for the hellacious Eagle temple along with a slew of new weapons and a new Dead Cells-themed curse. — Eric Schulkin