In Celebration of Violence

In Celebration of Violence is a fantasy action roguelike about exploration and murder. Its combat is methodical, asking you to plan attacks, dodges, blocks, and parries while reading both your opponents and the environment. Death is permanent, but stats and purchased items carry over to aid future lives, and up to four local friends can grab controllers to play as the monsters, zombies, and bandits opposing the hero.

The developer describes it as The Binding of Isaac and Dark Souls smushed together, with traces of Rogue Legacy and Hammerwatch. The combat is weighty and deliberate, the story is purposely vague, and a full run through one of the branching paths can take around three hours. The game is meticulously unclear: you get the basic controls and nothing more, and figuring out items, secrets, and systems is much of the challenge.

Large, procedurally generated, interconnected lands run from plains and swamps to cities and trap-laden dungeons, offering multiple routes to a variety of final bosses. Elements interact, with fire reacting to weather and flammable objects and electricity arcing toward water, and shrines to many gods grant favors at a price, with rivals among them who take offense at worship. Scattered weapons, spells, and rule-bending mementos support many paths to victory, from stealth to raising an undead army.