Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse Announced

I love a good Metroidvania. I also happen to love witches and witch-related media. Luckily, Tokyo-based indie developer Pocket Pair Inc has announced a brand-new game for Steam that seems to satisfy both of those cravings. Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse is a new Metroidvania that appears to incorporate Roguelike elements, wrapping the mechanics in a cute, witchy art style.

The developers for Never Grave, who officially unveiled the Steam Page for the game on Saturday, also released a brand-new trailer. You’ll play as the titular witch, exploring procedurally generated dungeons while using a “cursed hat” to possess enemies, turn them against their allies, and use their abilities to gain an edge in combat. Over time, you’ll bring back materials to rebuild destroyed villages and gain new facilities.

Additionally, according to the press release, Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse will support up to 4-player co-op, allowing you and 3 friends to take on the dungeons together. The press release also mentions things like using terrain to your advantage in battle, solving puzzles, and even collecting artifacts that give you new traversal abilities like a double jump.

Admittedly, I have some reservations about a Metroidvania game whose environments change every time you play. However, games like Rogue Legacy (and its sequel) as well as Dead Cells utilize procedural generation without issues. There is also always the concern about a multiplayer-focused game being too difficult for a single-player.

Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse will be released into Early Access sometime soon. The developers are aiming for a six-month Early Access period, but they are being very transparent about that possibly taking more time. With the number of systems in place (the possessions, base management, and multiplayer), they know that it might take more time to iron out bugs, polish things, and generally make the game presentable for players.

Overall, I’d say I’m very curious about Never Grave. I’m not immensely excited like I am for other upcoming Roguelikes like Hades II, but I am definitely curious. An official Early Access release date hasn’t been confirmed, but I’m sure we’ll know more soon.