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Crypt of the NecroDancer

Crypt of the NecroDancer

|Canada, Japan|Role-playing (RPG), Adventure

9.0 /10

Aww Amazing!

Very hot

26.6k ratings
Time to beat
Main + extras
24.5h
Complete
100h
Rating sources
Steam · Player score9.5/1026.5k ratingsIGDB · Critic score8.8/109 ratingsIGDB · Player score7.7/10165 ratings
Trailers & screenshots
Why play it

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a hardcore roguelike rhythm game. Can you survive this deadly dungeon of dance, slay the NecroDancer, and recapture your still beating heart? Or will you be a slave to the rhythm for all eternity?

Story and worldbuilding

In the main game, the player controls Cadence, the daughter of a famed treasure hunter who has gone missing. In searching for him, she falls into a crypt controlled by the NecroDancer, who steals Cadence's heart and forces her to challenge his minions to retrieve it. She is forced to fight through the crypt's dungeon with her actions tied to the beat of the music and her heart, so as to stay alive and defeat the NecroDancer. Near the heart of the crypt, Cadence finds one of the NecroDancer's minions named "Dead Ringer". She defeats him, revealing that it was her missing father and frees him from the NecroDancer's control, allowing him to help her defeat the NecroDancer. They take the NecroDancer's magical golden Lute and use it to kill him, and then use its power to resurrect Cadence's dead mother, Melody. However, they discover that the lute is cursed; Melody must keep playing it forever to sustain her life, but the lute will gradually consume her humanity just as it did to the NecroDancer. Melody enters the crypt in search of answers and a way to break the curse of the lute. When Melody reaches the end of the crypt, she uses the Golden Lute to resurrect the NecroDancer and find answers, but he attacks and Melody defeats him. The NecroDancer tries to flee but is cast into a crevice by Aria (Melody's mother) who was lying in a coffin with a dagger in her chest and is brought back to life by the Lute. Aria reveals that she knows how to break the curse of the lute, but was betrayed by the NecroDancer and left for dead. Intending to finish what she started, she begins her ascent out of the crypt in search of a shrine that will destroy the lute once and for all. When Aria reaches the shrine, she is attacked by the lute itself, which mutates into a large monster in an attempt to save itself from destruction. After defeating the lute's monster form, Aria sacrifices her life to destroy the cursed instrument, returning Melody to full life and allowing her to return to her family, who later bury Aria together.

Game highlights
Rating momentum

Aww Amazing!: 9.0/10 across 26.6k ratings. This score says: bump it to the top of your backlog.

Play style

Leans into Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie, with a main story around 24.5h. Check if that style and time commitment fit you.

Reviews

20 media reviews

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IGNCam Shea · 21 Apr, 2015
8.8/10

An inspired rhythm-action roguelike powered by an excellent soundtrack. You'll dig it.

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GameSpotBritton Peele · 26 Apr, 2015
8/10

Rhythm and roguelike sync up in a fun twist on a common concept.

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PC GamerChris Thursten · 12 May, 2015
8.7/10

A beautifully designed, tough, and cheerful roguelike that rewards perseverance with a singular feeling of finesse.

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Game InformerTim Turi · 21 Apr, 2015
8/10

Finding your flow in the music feels incredible – until you're crushed by some procedurally generated monstrosity for the umpteenth time

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GuardianAlex Hern · 13 May, 2015
10/10

Crypt of the Necrodancer may not be for everyone, but if the idea of a steamy love-in between two seemingly incompatible genres turns you on, you're gonna love it.

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DestructoidPatrick Hancock · 4 May, 2015
9.5/10

Crypt of the NecroDancer accomplishes what few games even attempt to do. It merges together two completely different genres: rhythm and roguelike. The frustrations of both come as part of the package, but some intelligent design decisions help to alleviate the issue. For those looking for the next gaming obsession after the likes of Spelunky, Binding of Isaac, or Rogue Legacy, look no further than Crypt of the NecroDancer.

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Push SquareSimon Fitzgerald · 8 Feb, 2016
8/10

Crypt of the NecroDancer offers a groovy twist on traditional rouguelikes, and its sick beats make for some very satisfying dungeon crawling. Although the rhythm-based gameplay can make the basics very difficult to grasp, the title does a good job of teaching you everything that you need to know – and it offers more than enough content to keep you foxtrotting back for more.

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Nintendo LifeMorgan Sleeper · 26 Feb, 2018
9/10

CA roguelike at heart with a rhythm-game soul, Crypt Of The NecroDancer is a sublime experience that's a must-play for fans of the genre(s). Its upbeat, uptempo take on dungeon crawling is infectious, and there's enough content here to last even the savviest of spelunkers for many, many dance-fuelled dives into the depths — if you've never tangoed with the COTN, this fully-featured Switch edition is the perfect way to jump in.

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RPG FanBob Richardson · 5 Jul, 2015
9.2/10

A seamless and exhilarating meshing of two entirely different genres.

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ShacknewsAndrew Zucosky · 22 Apr, 2015
8/10

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a fast paced dungeon crawler that brilliantly blends rhythm based mechanics into a chimeric roguelike that can entertain you for hours. If you manage to master the music you will be rewarded with engaging combat, a plethora of items to use and an addictive adventure that you can sink your teeth into. However if the beat breaks you down then this game is nothing more than a heartache.

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