Deal | Steam: "Beautiful every time anew" – this hyped roguelike has never been more affordable (144K reviews, 97% positive)

In Dead Cells, you play as a failed alchemical experiment – a green, shapeless mass that escapes from a slime tank and takes control of a dead body. The goal is simple: escape from a cursed island. Players fight their way through procedurally generated levels using weapons like swords, bows and electrified fists. The combat system stands out with tight controls, satisfying hit feedback and enemies that demand tactical precision – as highlighted in the review by the German gaming magazine GameStar. However, the game has faced some criticism for its repetitive level design and a limited number of boss fights – only four in total.

Dead Cells blends roguelike mechanics like permadeath, random loot and unlockable upgrades with the exploration-driven design of a Metroidvania. The game's branching level structure encourages exploration, with certain paths and hidden areas only accessible after gaining abilities such as double jump or ground smash. These upgrades remain unlocked across runs, shifting backtracking from a single playthrough to the broader roguelike loop and helping to keep players motivated over time. The magazine 4Players even called Dead Cells “beautiful every time anew.” Still, GameStar noted that the repeated early sections can feel a bit stale over time.

Overall, Dead Cells earned strong reviews across the board. GameStar gave it a solid 80 out of 100, while Metacritic shows a more glowing reception with a Metascore of 89 and a User Score of 8.2. On Steam, the response is even more enthusiastic: 97% of over 144,000 user reviews are positive, placing it among the highest-rated roguelikes on the platform. The game also picked up several major awards, including “Best Action Game” at The Game Awards 2018 and “Best Indie Game” at the Golden Joystick Awards the same year.

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