Dead Cells is a 2D side-scrolling action platformer combining roguelike and Metroidvania design. Players control the Prisoner, an immortal creature that possesses corpses and fights through procedurally generated levels filled with mutated enemies. Combat centers on melee weapons, bows, traps, and dodging, with enemy patterns that reward careful observation. Death is permanent for each run, stripping the player of most collected items, though an in-game currency called Cells allows for purchasing upgrades that persist between attempts. Levels are assembled from pre-designed sections in randomized configurations, and progression through the game unlocks new traversal abilities via collectible Runes.
And as painful as the end of a run can be, “Dead Cells’” steady introduction of new mechanics made it easy for me to pine for one more go. In my view, that’s the hallmark of a successful arcade experience.
‘Dead Cells' is a chaotic, punishing, and rewarding indie game that cannot be missed.
Dead Cells is a candidate for the best indie game of 2018. It does everything right: it's a well-made mix of genres that has personality and is capable of entertaining us for hours
Dead Cells fuses breakneck motion with an emphasis on risk-and-reward for an incredibly engaging action-platformer.
One of the best made Metroidvanias of recent years, but despite all the clever inspiration taken from other games it's a shame it doesn't have more unique ideas of its own.
