Curse of the Dead Gods

Curse of the Dead Gods launched into Early Access in March 2020 and hit 1.0 in February 2021 from Passtech Games and Focus Home Interactive, a roguelite dungeon crawler where you raid cursed temples for treasure while managing light, stamina, and an escalating curse meter that both empowers and dooms you. The game mixed Hades-style isometric combat with Dark Souls-inspired difficulty and a unique corruption mechanic—every action builds curse, and at 100% you gain powerful buffs but trigger devastating penalties. Critics praised the risk/reward systems, tight combat, and atmospheric temples but noted it launched into Hades' shadow, a comparison it couldn't escape. StreamerHouse's 510-viewer peak in 2021 came post-1.0 launch when the game was feature-complete and polished, but Hades had already dominated the roguelite conversation for a year. Steam reviews were Very Positive (80%+), with players appreciating the challenge and unique mechanics even if the game lacked Hades' narrative charm. Curse of the Dead Gods was a victim of timing—a great roguelite that launched months after the genre's 2020 masterpiece, ensuring it would be forever known as "that game that's like Hades but darker." It deserved better, but the roguelite market is Darwinian and Supergiant had already claimed the throne.