Crypt of the NecroDancer

Genre-defining but still better to get it on sale. The majority of the game is pretty difficult, so be prepared for that. You can still be kind of casual if you don't mind not clearing all of it.

Edit: Should mention that the most important feature of this game is the MUSIC.

Randomness makes it a frustrating experience

good game it is cheap and fun for aslong as you want to play it

Its fun, but MY GOD is it challenging. XP

bought because i liked the rift demo, i suck at this but i can play as miku so its worth it

This game is incredibly difficult, which can lead to some high highs, but can also easily lead to frustration/burnout. If you can deal with the initial grind of learning all the items and enemy behavior, it can be a really rewarding experience, and all the different characters add a nice amount of variety in playstyles and challenges. Also plenty of item variety to keep things fresh. I've been playing on and off since 2017, but only recently have started trying to dive deeper into the game, and it's been a blast.

There's also a lot of detail and thought to make the game actually playable/readable, with pretty much every enemy having some tell on when they're about to move/attack. The difficulty comes from managing multiple enemies, all that move on different intervals and methods of attacking, while moving in time with the rhythm. The OST is also good, and they even give you the option to substitute the tracks for each level with your own if you want to.

If you like roguelikes and rhythm games, this is definitely something to look at, but the difficulty curve could be a turn off. If you're fine with difficulty though, I would 100% give it a shot. This game really is a labor of love, as they've been adding updates/DLC to the game all the way up to 2024, nearly 10 years after the game initially launched, though I think they're pretty much done with the game now.

I slaughtered entire deep blues' family and he went BLARRGGRR!

TLDR; For every enjoy-er of dungeon crawlers & difficult rhythm games, this is a must have. The disco floor is calling you. 9/10
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The Good

[ + ] movement/attacking/skills/item are all actions tied to the beat, bringing a refreshing take to both the dungeon crawler & rhythm genres in one go
[ + ] clever mix of the two genres; all movement is directly tied to the beat & a coin multiplier that have replaced a predetermined step chart and needing Perfect steps, the directional combat system replicates the standard arrows with multiple layers of unexpected complexity, everything has heavy emphasis on not getting hit/messing up your combo & the more you mess up, the harder it is to recover.
[ + ] DOPAMINE ~\(≧▽≦)/~
[ + ] multiple boss & mini-boss fights, with exclusives that give you motivation to venture out into All Zone clears
[ + ] the in-game pixel art is clean and well done
[ + ] wide variety of characters that each bring their own flavour to the table
[ + ] while it does require a DLC to access, has fully functional multiplayer (both PVP & co-op)
[ + ] in-game built in level editor, mod portal & custom rules
[ + ] digital gods be praised, there's a fully functional Save & Quit that lets you pick up a run from anywhere at anytime
[ + ] in-game option to stagger start when you un-pause that counts you in AND plays back 1-10 seconds of the track, allowing you to pick up the beat again once without having to attack your keyboard in panic
[ + ] absolutely stellar techno soundtrack(s)
[ + ] soundtrack not your thing? tired of hearing the same beats? no problem, game has its own built-in system for you to replace every single track with ease
[ + ] while it does require a DLC to access, mods are both fully supported and easy to do/control; large & relatively active mod community
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Worth Mentioning

[ -/+ ] Zone runs are around 7 to 15 minutes each & an All Zone around 25 to 60 minutes.
[ -/+ ] I'd definitely describe this game as chaotic; there's a LOT of visual noise that can get extremely distracting/confusing
[ -/+ ] Don't let the "Roguelite" tag in there fool you; the majority of the game is Roguelike & fully expects nose to grindstone. There is a "regular" mode where you can go play just 1 of the 4/5 zones at a time, but the available permanent upgrades are very limited and both those and the items you can purchase for diamonds found in said mode do not effect/carry over the mode you'll be in most frequently (All Zone). Death does not progress you and you have to start from the beginning, at square zero, each time.
[ -/+ ] Accessing the practice areas for specific mini-bosses/bosses requires both seeing them first & diamonds (a currency earned from playing regular Zones), and that requires some hammering away.
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The Bad

[ - ] Steep learning curve with, outside of the tried and true nose to the grindstone, little ability to alleviate the burden even when inside a grace period
[ - ] RNGesus is a cruel mistress.
[ - ] Albeit not as difficult as two or three of the optional/DLC characters, one of the main story characters is extremely unforgiving.
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I thought I'd find this game really fun but it's utter pain.

Movement is tied to the beat which feels frustrating to play with, especially when you have to travel a far distance and there's nothing between you and your destination. Each floor has it's own single song so the music can get repetitive rather quickly if you're stuck on the first few floors.

There's permanent upgrades which is nice, but you can't carry your currency over between runs so you have to play harder floors to continue to unlock things. So if you suck like me, you'll hit a steep difficulty curve unless you can push through.

There's a coin multiplier (also sometimes tied to damage or defensive items) that falls off if you miss a single beat. So it seems like you're encouraged to move with every beat and never stop. But then it's incredibly hard to read enemy patterns or do things like read item descriptions.

Basically the game feels more stressful than fun. But I think it's a really unique gameplay concept, so if you're into difficult roguelites and rhythm-based games, it's definitely worth a try.

My Rating: 2/5

Such a gem, I slept on this game for so many years but after buying it I can confidently say it is one of the most fun games I have played in a long time. Would 100% recommend the game for anyone who enjoys music and a good challenge. Its online multiplayer added in synchrony is also implemented perfectly and seamlessly. For such a low price on sale, this game is an absolute must-buy.

It's probably one of a kind game where you combine a rhythm game with a dungeon crawler.
And that's a great idea!

You'll probably like Crypt of the Necrodancer if (but not only if!): You were a 80s/90s kid who played early PC games that used the four-directional numpad arrow keys for movement; and you appreciate rhythm games with great music.

This game is tough as hell, to the point where it can actually be quite frustrating. I could see this turning some people off. However, Crypt of the NecroDancer offers a unique experience and gameplay loop. I really can't say there is another game like it. If it's on sale for a few bucks ($2.99 as I wrote this.) You should give it a try. I wouldn't recommend it at full price unless you know what you are getting yourself in to.

just started but i can already say the gameplay is great and soundtrack is 10/10. the narrative sometimes feels a little forced in but i don't really mind since it doesn't seem to be a big focus.

Todo el juego te obligan a entender como funcionan los patrones de enemigos mientras estas tomando decisiones y le seguís el ritmo a la música, no es malo el juego, mi mayor problema es el NecroDancer con Cadence ya que todo el juego te enseña la mecánica principal ya enseñada, me fume a todos los enemigos me fume demasiada mugre en cada zona (desde caballos que te eliminan los pisos para que no veas nada - desde monos que te joden la vida y dragones que si aparecen con ciertos enemigos es GG salvo el verde) y cuando llegue a NecroDancer.... se sacan una mecánica inventada de la nada donde dice " 2 JUGADORES" y ya esta perdiste porque el juego te hace jugar como si fuese JACOB Y ESAU (por tirar un ejemplo) como si fuese Isaac y tenes que seguir el ritmo de la canción

Y aunque pueda practicar el jefe no cambia nada porque el juego se le canta que CADENCE tenga la misma vida, si llegaste con poca vida gg

La música es un 10/10


Tenia ganas del RIft of the NecroDancer pero seguramente tiene malas mecánicas también y aunque no le gane al mencionado final boss, siento que para mi complete el juego

It was really difficult at first but once you pass that barrier, you start to see how in-depth the game can be! One of the most unique rogue-likes I've played!

The negative reviews are mostly *I bought a skill-based rhythm game and I'm not good at it, so the game as a whole is a negative.*

It's an amazing game.

unplayable game impossible to play unfun do not buy it is not possible to play this game its fukkd up sdiitggn fkng sdhti tgmame

The music fucks. Also there's miku now so the music fucks even more for more people, think about that vocaloid fans. Game is really fun and doesn't stop being fun. There's so much to master but if you don't wanna do all that you can just play the story mode and have a good time

I want to love this game, but some details about it really prevent me from getting hooked on it

this game is very cute and has a great soundtrack
im not a fan of roguelikes and this one is incredibly difficult but power to ya if thats ur cup of tea

Incredibly fun, but incredibly difficult. It's a game that really rewards you for playing well, but can just as easily punish you.

I think this is my first roguelike I've really played, and I gotta say it's quite a unique experience.

Now this is a game, dying in less than a minute over and over and over and over and over has never been more fun! One day I might even unlock coda

+even has hatsune miku

I love how it implements rhythm game elements into the traditional roguelike format. Soundtrack and item variety are also fantastic!

The game is pretty fun, but I'm not very skilled and often have my hands full. It's my problem, not the game's.

I bought this game because Hatsune Miku DLC and to be honest; this game is like a gem for me even without DLC. I love how this game choose the music and how they design theirs characters both player and monsters. I enjoy the game even after dying so many times and I'll continue to enjoy this. thank you so much for such a fun game. 10/10

A very pleasant rhythm game, which has no alternatives

I've spent all this time playing multiplayer and had tons of fun with it, but this is only the beginning....

• Unique challenging gameplay
  
• Great music
  
• A variety of monsters, bosses, weapons, items, characters
  
• Pleasant art style and a harmoniously presented plot
  
[*]And the icing on the cake - is the opportunity to play your own music

atcion rythme game much goood n very addicting with many replayability

The game is satisfyingly difficult and while the learning curve is a bit steep it's so fun to play after some time.

wow just wow what can i say about this game other then it is completely awesome i love being able to put your own music in and its just a really fun game in general the soundtrack is absolutely fire and the characters are sick i have the miku dlc and i love her character so much any game could be better with a miku dlc now if your still reading this and havent decided to buy it then im kind of dissapointed that you would miss out on such PEAK.

took me 800 hours to get 100% on this game. highly recommend, there's nothing quite like it

Increible juego, muy entretenido, yo no suelo jugar mucho por cuestiones de trabajo y familia, pero cuando quiero distraerme un rato con algunas runs, este juego es el indicado,
lo recomiendo ampliamente, el estilo visual es muy bonito y el estilo de juego es único, nunca había jugado algo así.

After picking this back up again after several years since the release, I remembered why I loved this game. The simplicity of the system rewards the tactics of the player so delve right in and find out your path through trial and error!

This game requires a lot of willpower. If you can't keep calm, you're practically dead. Learn enemy patterns and you're good to go.

Very cool game concept in general.

The game is too hard for me to actually finish, but the two zones I managed to beat were a fun experience. I don't know if I'll ever get to the end.

this is the game that i like but i am terrible at playing. great soundtrack

This game is PERFECT. Combining rhythm mechanics with roguelite mechanics is such a genius idea, it's hard to believe there aren't more games like this. You want to retry runs just to hear the songs again.

This game is very difficult, but it's FAIR. Naturally there's plenty of variance with procedural generation, but (almost) every single enemy is perfectly predictable. With such a small health pool, you really feel as though you're dancing on a razor's edge between victory and defeat in every floor. This game takes hundreds of hours to master - the skill ceiling is unbelievably high and provides endless replayability.

10/10.

Hot Take: I hate that in order to get the full story of some rogue like games, I have to complete multiple runs.


Anyway.....

This is one of the most charming yet brutal games i've ever played. It's got the 8 bit art style and music to make you feel like this is gonna be a grand ole' easy time.....

BUT IT AIN"T THAT ONCE YOU HIT ZONE 4

Zone 4 made me question my manhood.

Zone 4 made me realize I need therapy.

Zone 4 made me realize I might die alone someday.

Zone 4 is god's way of saying "Life's not fair, he's an expired coupon for free mac and cheese at your local Walmart." after you were murdered in a double homicide.

Regardless, this game is amazing.

9/10

This game is fun but I'm shit at it, I'm glad they added Miku!

I haven't played a rhythm before and found this incredibly fun. It's very satisfying to get incrementally better while listening to phenomenal music. Really scratches the Binding of Issac itch for me

Amazing music, beautiful art, challenging gameplay. Zone 3 dual music is fire.

Synchrony DLC were modders that was approached by devs.

Plus hatsune miku

Very good game. Don't try to import the song Bonetrousle from Undertale into it. 8/10.

This game is hard as nails, but absolutely fantastic, fun, and rewarding. I highly recommend for anyone that likes a roguelike challenge and/or rhythm games.

This game has a long learning curve, but is entirely worth the pain you will suffer on the path to perfection!

Really fun and addicting! The soundtrack is the best part as I often will just listen to its soundtrack while I work. The game is fun too and the gameplay is a fun experiment of rhythm mixed with 2d action. the game gets absurdly difficult really fast so you'd have to be a masochist to try to complete it, but its fun as a casual game

A really nice roguelike, the rhytm aspect is easy to learn but hard to master, there is a wide variety of possible builds you can have with all the equipment
The enemy variation is enough to keep you on your toes :D

This game goes from Easy mode if you're playing casually to Asian mode if you're going for all achievements. I'm Asian so obviously I got all the achievements, and this is the hardest thing I've ever done in a video game by far. This game made me feel emotions I didn't know existed on both ends of the spectrum. I'm literally going to see a therapist to recover from the emotional trauma inflicted when going for completion of this game.

10/10 would recommend.

This game is, simply put, a masterpiece. It holds up 10 years later as one of the very best in its genre. This is coming from somebody who generally dislikes rhythm games. It pushes you into a generated world full of different enemies that you must master planning your moves around. The predictable moveset means that at each turn, you have the chance to plow through the competition, given you have the skills required. Each world is full of a new set of enemies, all coming with their own beautiful character art to match the scene. I will definitely by coming back to this game in the future.

Verdict: 10/10 - Must Play

If you're good at rhythm games, fine. If no, this game is very punishing and the normal way that games like this tend to help you progress when you're struggling (i.e. getting upgrades in the lobby area so that you're stronger on your next run) don't make much impact here. The result was a really steep difficulty curve, particularly since the rhythm movement prevents you from ever being able to stop and read the description for items/upgrades being offered.
My experience was frustrating and disappointing

this game is so genuinely fun, it feels so nice to play and it's unironically addicting, I love it