I’ve been playing roguelites for years now, and I know the frustration. You spend hours learning patterns, building the perfect run, only to lose it all in seconds.
Dead Cells gets that pain point. It takes the best parts of Metroidvania exploration and mixes them with roguelite mechanics that actually respect your time.
This Dead Cells review will show you exactly why this game works so well.
I’ll break down the combat system, explain how progression keeps you coming back, and help you decide if this fast-paced indie hit deserves a spot in your library. Let’s get into it.
What is Dead Cells? The Roguevania Basics
Dead Cells is a 2D action game that mashes together two popular genres. It’s part Metroidvania, part roguelite. That’s where the term “roguevania” comes from.
You play as a blob of cells that takes over a dead prisoner’s body. Your goal? Fight through a cursed island filled with monsters and traps.
The Metroidvania side shows up in the exploration. You’ll find interconnected levels with shortcuts and secrets.
New abilities let you reach previously locked areas.
The roguelite part means permadeath. When you die, you start over from the beginning. But you keep making progress. You unlock new weapons, upgrade options, and permanent abilities.
Each run feels different because levels change. The game generates new layouts every time you play.
Story & World – A Dark, Humorous Lore Dump
Dead Cells doesn’t throw story in your face. Instead, it hides lore in item descriptions, random notes, and environmental details.
You’re a mass of cells possessing corpses on a plague-ridden island. The kingdom fell apart, and now everything wants you dead. That’s the basic setup.
The tone mixes dark themes with dry humor. You’ll find notes from dead guards complaining about their jobs. Item descriptions crack jokes while hinting at deeper mysteries.
The world feels lived-in despite being mostly ruins. Each biome tells its own story. The prison where guards turned on prisoners, sewers filled with failed experiments, and a clock tower that broke down years ago
The story never stops your momentum. You piece together what happened as you play, and that works perfectly for a roguelite.
Dead Cells Review – Metroidvania Mayhem Meets Roguelite Bite
Dead Cells pulls off something special. It takes two genres that shouldn’t work together and creates a game that feels fresh every single run.
The Core Gameplay Loop
You start each run in a prison. From there, you fight through levels, collect weapons, and gather cells from dead enemies. These cells are your currency.
The loop is simple but addictive:
- Kill enemies and collect cells
- Spend cells on permanent upgrades between levels
- Die and lose your cells
- Start over with new weapons and layouts
Every death teaches you something. You learn enemy patterns, find better strategies, and improve your reflexes.
Combat That Demands Your Full Attention
The combat system rewards aggression. You can’t just hide behind a shield and wait. The game wants you to move, dodge, and strike fast.
Your arsenal includes:
- Melee weapons like swords and whips
- Ranged options like bows and throwing knives
- Traps and turrets for tactical play
You can equip two weapons and two skills at once. Switching between them mid-fight becomes second nature. The controls feel responsive, and when you die, it’s usually your fault.
Progression That Keeps You Hooked
Here’s where Dead Cells gets smart. Even when you lose a run, you’re making progress.
Permanent upgrades include:
- New weapons added to the random pool
- Health flask refills between levels
- Gold reserves that carry between runs
- Shortcuts that skip earlier areas
You also unlock runes. These give you abilities like ground pounds and wall climbs. They open up new paths in levels you’ve already beaten. It keeps the early game interesting even after dozens of runs.
Graphics, Sound, & Immersion
Dead Cells nails the presentation. Every visual and audio choice supports the fast-paced gameplay.
Pixel Art That Pops
The pixel art style looks gorgeous in motion. Characters animate smoothly, and effects carry real weight.
Blood splatters across the screen when you land a critical hit. Environments range from dank sewers to golden rooftops, each with its own distinct color palette.
Sound Design That Hits Hard
The audio feedback is satisfying. Each weapon has a unique sound. You hear the crunch of bones, the swish of blades, and the thud of bodies hitting the ground. The soundtrack shifts based on your location, keeping things tense.
Immersion Through Gameplay
This Dead Cells review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the immersion. The game pulls you in through tight controls and constant feedback. You feel every dodge, every parry, every successful combo.
Pros & Cons
Every game has its strengths and weaknesses. Here’s what Dead Cells does right and where it stumbles.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Combat feels fast and responsive | The early game can feel repetitive after many runs |
| Tons of weapons and a variety | Some biomes are harder to enjoy than others |
| Permanent progression keeps you motivated | Difficulty spikes can feel unfair at times |
| Beautiful pixel art and smooth animations | The story is too hidden for some players |
| Great soundtrack that fits each area | RNG can ruin runs with bad weapon drops |
| Regular updates add new content | Learning curve is steep for newcomers |
| Multiple paths and branching levels | Boss fights lack variety compared to regular enemies |
The positives far outweigh the negatives. Most complaints fade once you understand the systems better.
Conclusion – A Must-Play Masterpiece – 9.5/10
Dead Cells earns its place among the best indie games of recent years. The combat stays fresh, the progression respects your time, and each run teaches you something new.
I’ve lost count of how many hours I’ve spent chasing that “one more run” feeling.
This Dead Cells review covered the basics, but there’s so much more to experience. Different builds, hidden secrets, and multiple difficulty levels await.
Ready to test your skills? Grab Dead Cells and see if you can escape the island.
And hey, let me know in the comments how your first few runs go. We’ve all been there.
