Dead Cells (2025) - Is This Roguelike Still Worth It?

Dead Cells, the acclaimed roguelike metroidvania, is currently available as a Steam special, boasting a significant discount. But with so many new games releasing, does this 2018 title still hold up in 2025? This review dives deep into the gameplay, value, and lasting appeal of Dead Cells to help you decide if it's worth adding to your library, especially with its various DLC offerings and the continued support from Motion Twin. We'll explore the core mechanics, performance, and overall experience to determine if this action-platformer still deserves a spot on your must-play list.

Dead Cells: A Deep Dive into the Roguevania Experience

Dead Cells masterfully blends the challenging permadeath mechanics of roguelikes with the intricate level design and exploration of metroidvanias, creating a unique genre hybrid dubbed "Roguevania." Players take on the role of the Prisoner, a reanimated corpse attempting to escape a cursed island. The core gameplay loop revolves around exploring procedurally generated levels, battling enemies, collecting loot, and ultimately, dying and starting over. However, unlike traditional roguelikes, Dead Cells allows players to retain certain upgrades and unlocks between runs, providing a sense of progression even in the face of constant setbacks. This balance between challenge and reward is crucial to its addictive nature.

The combat in Dead Cells is fast-paced and fluid, demanding precise timing and skillful maneuvering. Players have access to a wide array of weapons, skills, and items, each with its own unique properties and playstyle. Experimentation is key, as players must discover the optimal combinations to overcome the game's diverse roster of enemies and bosses. The game features a "souls-lite" combat system, meaning that enemies hit hard and require careful planning to defeat. Mastering the dodge roll and parry mechanics is essential for survival, and players must learn to read enemy attack patterns to avoid taking unnecessary damage. Dead Cells offers several difficulty modes to cater to a wide range of players, and various accessibility options can be toggled to help tailor the game to player preferences.

The game's world is interconnected, with branching paths and hidden areas to discover. As players progress, they unlock new abilities and upgrades that allow them to access previously unreachable areas, encouraging exploration and rewarding curiosity. The map is procedurally generated, ensuring that each run feels fresh and unique. While some may find the lack of a persistent world disappointing, the ever-changing layout keeps the gameplay exciting and unpredictable. With frequent updates and DLC releases that introduce new biomes, weapons, and enemies, there's always something new to discover in Dead Cells. Ultimately, Dead Cells appeals to gamers who enjoy challenging action games with a high degree of replayability, especially those who appreciate the blend of roguelike and metroidvania elements.

Performance, Value, and the Enduring Appeal of Dead Cells

Despite being released in 2018, Dead Cells remains remarkably well-optimized for a wide range of hardware. The game's minimum system requirements are quite modest, making it accessible to players with older or less powerful PCs. Even on integrated graphics, Dead Cells typically runs smoothly at 60 frames per second with only occasional dips. The game also offers a variety of graphical settings to further fine-tune performance, ensuring a playable experience even on low-end systems. For those with high-end gaming rigs, Dead Cells can be enjoyed at higher resolutions and framerates, showcasing the game's detailed pixel art. The game also boasts excellent controller support and plays wonderfully on the Steam Deck, making it perfect for portable gaming sessions.

Currently priced at 9,99€ as a Steam special (60% off its original price of 24,99€), Dead Cells offers exceptional value for money. The base game provides hundreds of hours of gameplay, and the numerous DLC expansions add even more content, including new levels, weapons, and enemies. Even without the DLC, Dead Cells is packed with content, offering a deep and rewarding gameplay experience. Compared to other roguelikes on the market, Dead Cells strikes a good balance between challenge and accessibility, making it a great entry point into the genre. Games like Hades and Enter the Gungeon are similar in gameplay and overall design, but Dead Cells stands out with its unique blend of metroidvania elements and its focus on fast-paced, visceral combat. The game has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and players, cementing its status as a must-play title in the roguelike genre. Furthermore, the constant updates and active community demonstrate the developers' commitment to supporting the game long-term.

Dead Cells' enduring appeal can be attributed to its addictive gameplay loop, its challenging but fair difficulty, and its constant stream of new content. The game is easy to pick up and play, but difficult to master, offering a satisfying sense of progression and accomplishment. Whether you're a seasoned roguelike veteran or a newcomer to the genre, Dead Cells has something to offer. For those seeking a challenging and rewarding action-platformer with a high degree of replayability, Dead Cells is an excellent choice, especially at its current discounted price.

Dead Cells in 2025: Community, Content, and Continued Relevance

Dead Cells continues to maintain a vibrant and active community in 2025, a testament to its enduring appeal. Online forums, Discord servers, and dedicated subreddits are filled with players sharing tips, strategies, and fan-made content. The community is incredibly supportive and welcoming to newcomers, providing a valuable resource for those looking to improve their skills or learn more about the game's intricate mechanics. The community's enthusiasm for Dead Cells is further fueled by the developers' continued commitment to supporting the game with regular updates and new content. Motion Twin has consistently released free updates that add new weapons, items, and gameplay features, ensuring that the game remains fresh and exciting for long-time players.

Beyond the free updates, Dead Cells also boasts a substantial amount of paid DLC content. These expansions introduce new biomes to explore, new enemies to fight, and new weapons to master, significantly extending the game's lifespan. The DLC packs are reasonably priced and offer excellent value for money, providing hours of additional gameplay. The quality of the DLC content is consistently high, with each expansion seamlessly integrating into the base game and enhancing the overall experience. Whether it's exploring the dilapidated botanical gardens of the The Bad Seed DLC or delving into the depths of the Queen and the Sea expansion, the DLC packs offer unique and compelling reasons to return to Dead Cells. The game also features extensive modding support on PC, allowing players to customize their experience with new weapons, items, and gameplay tweaks. The modding community is active and creative, constantly producing new content that further expands the game's possibilities.

In conclusion, Dead Cells remains a highly relevant and engaging title in 2025, thanks to its active community, its constant stream of new content, and its enduring gameplay appeal. Whether you're a new player or a returning veteran, Dead Cells has something to offer. Its blend of roguelike and metroidvania elements continues to set it apart from the competition, and its challenging but fair difficulty ensures a rewarding experience. For those seeking a deep and replayable action-platformer, Dead Cells is an excellent choice, and with its current discounted price, there's never been a better time to jump in. "Dead Cells review" searches remain consistently high, showing gamers are still trying to decide if it's worth playing.

Our Final Verdict

Dead Cells, even in 2025, stands tall as a must-play title for fans of roguelikes and metroidvanias alike. Its blend of challenging gameplay, rewarding progression, and constant stream of new content ensures a captivating experience. The game's fluid combat, diverse weapon options, and intricate level design create a sense of depth and replayability that few games can match. Whether you're a seasoned veteran of the genre or a newcomer looking for a challenging and rewarding experience, Dead Cells has something to offer.

For those who enjoy fast-paced action, challenging combat, and a high degree of replayability, Dead Cells is an excellent choice. However, those who prefer a more relaxed or story-driven experience may find the game's permadeath mechanics and procedurally generated levels frustrating. With the Steam special discount, the game becomes an even more enticing purchase, offering hundreds of hours of gameplay for a fraction of its original price. Ultimately, Dead Cells is a triumph of game design, a testament to the power of blending genres and creating a truly unique and unforgettable experience. We give it a solid 9/10, a near-perfect score that reflects its lasting appeal and enduring quality.

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