Crypt of the NecroDancer

Hop, step, and fight your way through a series of rhythmic mazes.

94%Game Brain Score

music, gameplay

grinding, stability

96% User Score Based on 14,111 reviews

Critic Score 90%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About Crypt of the NecroDancer

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a single player and multiplayer casual role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Brace Yourself Games and was released on April 23, 2015. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Crypt of the NecroDancer is an award winning hardcore roguelike rhythm game.

+18

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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 14,111 reviews

music3.5k positive mentions

grinding71 negative mentions

Outstanding, diverse, and energetic soundtrack that integrates deeply with gameplay and includes multiple remixes and custom music options, enhancing immersion and replayability.
Unique and innovative rhythm-based roguelike gameplay combining tactical combat and exploration with music-based mechanics, offering a high skill ceiling and engaging challenge.
Charming pixel-art graphics with bright, colorful visuals and well-animated characters, complemented by a humorous and lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.

Occasional syncing issues with tempo, especially when using custom music, leading to frustrating gameplay feel and control challenges.
Steep learning curve and punishing difficulty spikes, including RNG elements and grinding that can feel tedious or unfair, potentially deterring casual players.
Stability problems reported by some players, such as bugs, crashes, and freezing related to gameplay and custom music, which can disrupt progress and enjoyment.

music
7,377 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions
The music in Crypt of the Necrodancer is universally praised as outstanding, featuring a diverse, catchy, and energetic soundtrack primarily by Danny Baranowsky, with multiple remixes and alternative soundtracks that keep the experience fresh. The music deeply integrates with gameplay, setting the rhythm for player and enemy movements, enhancing immersion and challenge, and it remains enjoyable even outside the game. Additionally, the option to import custom music vastly increases replayability, though syncing can occasionally be tricky.
- “The soundtrack of Crypt of the Necrodancer is a standout feature that greatly enhances gameplay. Composer Danny Baranowsky created six exceptional soundtracks for the base game that span a wide range of genres and styles: metal remix with driving electric guitars and intense percussion, pulsing EDM with synth melodies and thumping basslines, retro chiptune utilizing synthesised MIDI sounds, 80s-inspired synthwave awash in arpeggios and analog tones, exotic Dang and Rampa featuring eclectic world instruments, and additional stellar tracks like the epic boss battle theme. The variety suits every musical taste while keeping the energy up-tempo. The soundtracks motivate you to keep trying through the randomized dungeon levels. Beyond fantastic composition, the music also dynamically adjusts. With six distinct soundtracks packed with replay value and adaptive tempo matching, Crypt of the Necrodancer goes above and beyond in the audio department. As a rhythm-based roguelike dungeon crawler, it innovates on the traditional genre with its musical focus and beat-matching movement. For an inventive take on dungeon crawlers centred around dynamic music, Crypt of the Necrodancer delivers a deep, entertaining experience worth checking out.”
- “The game requires you to move and attack in time with the beat of an absolute banger soundtrack. Every action you take must be in line with the beat of the soundtrack, making the rhythm and music an integral part of the experience. The soundtrack itself is phenomenal and keeps the pace going, pumping you up for each level. Each boss has its own unique soundtrack that matches their theme, from blues to metal to even rap styles. The music and beats add a new layer of depth to the game, and jumping/slaying enemies by the beat is incredibly satisfying. The variety of soundtracks, including electronic, rock, and chiptune versions, means the music never gets old and adds extensive replay value. Additionally, the option to use custom music greatly enhances the game's longevity and enjoyment.”
- “The music in Crypt of the Necrodancer is nothing short of phenomenal. Danny Baranowsky, known for his work on Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac, composed a killer soundtrack that perfectly integrates with the gameplay, providing a solid beat for movement and cues for remaining time. The soundtrack is catchy and infectious, often getting stuck in players’ heads long after playing. There are multiple remixed soundtracks by various artists, including metal, synthwave, and chiptune versions, allowing players to switch styles or even use their own music. The shopkeeper's operatic singing adds charm and uniqueness to the music experience. Overall, the soundtrack not only sets the tone but actively shapes the player's experience, making each run feel like a carefully choreographed dance of survival.”
- “Tempo doesn't change with the music accurately, much worse with custom music.”
- “Gameplay is akin to tap your head, rub your belly and hop on one foot... every time you mess up you lose half your health, now listen to annoying music and wander through an 8-bit dungeon.”
- “The music and gameplay feels out of sync, leading to terrible game-feel.”
gameplay
2,421 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions
Crypt of the Necrodancer offers a unique and innovative gameplay experience by combining rhythm-based mechanics with roguelike dungeon crawling. Players must move and attack on the beat of an engaging, dynamic soundtrack, resulting in a challenging but rewarding "easy to learn, hard to master" gameplay loop that deeply integrates music with tactical combat and exploration. The variety of characters, weapons, and progression systems adds significant replayability, though the steep learning curve and punishing difficulty may be overwhelming for some.
- “Crypt of the Necrodancer is an inventive blend of rhythm-based gameplay and roguelike mechanics that offers a unique, pulse-pounding experience.”
- “The rhythm-based mechanics aren't just tacked on to the well-tread genre of roguelikes; they form the core pillar of the game, through which all other aspects are bolstered.”
- “The gameplay revolves around learning the various enemies’ patterns and striking at the right moment in their “dance.””
- “The gameplay is pretty unfair in its random room generation and crazy enemies, and when you combine that with the rhythm action mechanic, it ends up turning the combat into a tedious, time-consuming, unrewarding experience very quickly.”
- “Having to learn how all the different game mechanics work while also keeping time with the music was overwhelming when I first started, so much so that I actually gave up for ~6 months.”
- “There's a huge difference between the leap from 'regular gameplay' to 'alternate weapon gameplay' and 'alternate weapon gameplay' to 'weakest weapon only, 1 health cap, die on missed beat, start on the hardest area gameplay'.”
story
687 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28% positive mentions, 69% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions
The story in Crypt of the Necrodancer is brief and serves primarily to frame the rhythm-based roguelike gameplay, following three main characters with modest cutscenes revealing a simple, somewhat intriguing narrative about a family quest. However, many players find the story overshadowed by a steep difficulty curve, especially the challenging third character required to complete the main story, which can deter casual players from fully experiencing the plot. While the story is charming and well-executed for its scope, it is generally considered lightweight and secondary to the game’s core rhythm and gameplay mechanics.
- “The game is also surprisingly story-rich, following three generations of women in a family of musicians trying to break a curse set upon them by an evil bard and a magical lute.”
- “Each of the alternate characters outside of a few lack a story of their own but add a unique twist to the gameplay.”
- “The story, told through cutscenes, is unremarkable but not bad.”
- “The conclusion to the story is locked behind a challenge character who dies in one hit, can't miss a beat, is locked to the awful starting weapon, and starts at the hardest zone.”
- “The biggest thing is that playing one of the hardest characters is a decent part of the game's story; most characters aren't "easy," but dying in one hit to anything, including missing a beat, is a little extreme to have to go through to progress the story, even if you don't take the hardcore route and do it by playing the zones individually.”
- “The difficulty spikes drastically once you unlock the final story mode character, who can only survive two hits or missed beats.”
graphics
511 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52% positive mentions, 46% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions
Crypt of the Necrodancer features charming pixel art graphics with a retro 16-bit aesthetic that perfectly complements its rhythm-based roguelike gameplay. While some find the art style simple or familiar, most praise its bright, colorful visuals, well-animated characters, and cohesive design that enhance the game's unique atmosphere. The graphics, combined with an outstanding soundtrack, create an engaging and stylistically consistent experience, though the style may not appeal to those seeking high-fidelity visuals.
- “Visually, Crypt of the Necrodancer adopts a charming pixel-art style that perfectly complements its indie roots and fast-paced gameplay.”
- “The sharp, bright visuals bring the levels to life in a way that serves the gameplay perfectly, the vibrantly animated enemies movement (and dancing) to the beat in beautiful detailed fashion.”
- “The 16-bit graphics and art style are beautiful and charming, and animations very well executed and the beat.”
- “The graphics are terrible.”
- “The downside: the graphics.”
- “The character and enemy graphics are fine, but some of the level graphics are not so good (zone 2, I'm looking at you especially).”
replayability
494 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55% positive mentions, 44% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions
Crypt of the Necrodancer offers exceptional replayability driven by a large roster of unique characters, procedurally generated dungeons, multiple game modes, daily challenges, and extensive unlockables. Its high skill ceiling, diverse playstyles, and customizable soundtracks—including the ability to use players' own music—ensure varied and engaging runs that keep the experience fresh. Combined with mod support and ongoing updates, the game provides virtually endless replay value appreciated by both rhythm and roguelike fans.
- “This game takes hundreds of hours to master - the skill ceiling is unbelievably high and provides endless replayability.”
- “If that wasn't enough, Necrodancer also provides endless replayability in the form of achievements, unlockables, speedrunning, daily challenges, and different gameplay based on character choice.”
- “No matter your skill level, this game has a ton of replay value when you take into account the different characters and their modifiers, different soundtracks, different builds, different modes.”
- “Ultimately, for me personally, each individual run feels a bit too similar for it to be truly engaging as a roguelike with a lack of enemy variety and the weapons/items not feeling like they deeply affect the build (besides wanting to get the weapon of your preference), so it did lack the classic level of replayability of this type of game.”
- “The replay value sits on the challenges created by the character you're playing to do the zones, with each character you will have a distinct experience in gameplay, some harder than others, this is fine but I still need to feel that I'm making real progress so I keep on going, not play for the sake of playing, getting achievements when I'm not having the most fun in the world, this with the fact that it can be full of RNG at times makes it tough to continue playing.”
- “Tl;dr combat nuances and music make this game well worth buying in its current state, only problems I have with it right now are lack of progression after unlocking all the characters, less replayability than other roguelikes, and the difficulty with learning new things and feeling in control early on.”
humor
129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98% positive mentions, 1% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its clever puns, quirky characters, and amusing animations, creating a lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere. The integration of rhythm-based gameplay with humorous enemy movements and funny sound effects, like the singing shopkeeper, enhances the comedic experience. Overall, the humor is seen as a standout feature that complements the challenging gameplay and memorable soundtrack.
- “The premise is hilarious, and seeing all of the zombies and skeletons shimmy and dance around to the beat still makes me laugh.”
- “The funny theme of dancing slimes, skeletons... well basically dancing everything, combined with great and satisfying sound design as well as an amazing soundtrack make this game a very memorable and recommendable experience with a lot of replay value.”
- “The cutscenes could have done a lot more with the hilarious yet thrilling concept of an unflappable hero taking on legions of undead in a fight/dance-off.”
grinding
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4% positive mentions, 5% neutral mentions, 91% negative mentions
Grinding in the game is a polarizing aspect, with some players finding it tedious and repetitive due to forced rhythm-based movement, RNG-dependent progression, and challenging difficulty spikes. While hardcore fans appreciate the skill-based challenge and addictive nature of the grind, others feel it leads to frustration and artificial padding that detracts from the experience. Overall, grinding is integral but can be either engaging or wearisome depending on player preference and tolerance for repetitive play.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “What a true roguelike game looks like - no grinding, unlocking, and no boosted character advantage (all zones mode).”
- “No grinding no problem; just get used to the rhythm.”
- “Some really nice music here and the highlight is tapping in tune, but listening to the same 2 tracks and grinding zone 1-2 for hours until you've memorized every enemy movement is just too tedious.”
- “These exist for novelty rather than natural progression, leading to the scenario of endlessly grinding for the perfect run while at the mercy of RNG.”
- “Crypt of the Necrodancer's gameplay is pretty unfair in its random room generation and crazy enemies, and when you combine that with the rhythm action mechanic, it ends up turning the combat into a tedious, time-consuming, unrewarding experience very quickly.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 91% negative mentions
The game’s stability is inconsistent, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and frequent freezing—especially related to custom music, gameplay interactions, and exiting the game. While some players experience minor issues or smooth performance, others face severe crashes that disrupt progress and require hard resets. Overall, stability remains a noticeable downside affecting the gameplay experience.
- “I do not have any significant flaws with this game - it provides what it says it will - a different approach to rogue-like dungeon exploring that is enjoyable and not buggy at all (I didn't encounter any bugs while playing).”
- “However, the current maps are plenty playable, plenty fun, and not buggy at all.”
- “Enjoyable premise, and runs great on Linux.”
- “Buggy garbage from a publisher who prioritizes DLC over keeping their game fun.”
- “I love this game, however recently the game crashes whenever I reach the cutscene after the first floor during full runs; it freezes my computer and forces a hard shutdown.”
- “Freezes happen quite often when grabbing a chest, breaking your rhythm and ruining "the run".”
atmosphere
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48% positive mentions, 39% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions
The atmosphere of Crypt of the NecroDancer elicits mixed reactions, with many praising its unique blend of rhythmic music and dungeon-crawling themes that create a compelling, often cheery yet dark ambiance. While its soundtrack and sound design are widely acclaimed for enhancing mood and immersion, opinions on the art style and visual atmosphere vary, with some finding it generic or lacking depth, and others appreciating its pixel art execution and stylistic transitions. Overall, the game's distinct audio-visual fusion is a key strength, though some feel it doesn't fully compensate for gameplay difficulty or detailed world-building.
- “The atmosphere is wonderful and the themes of each floor are conveyed further by the mood of the game.”
- “Soundtrack is excellent, art creates the perfect atmosphere for every zone, bosses are fun and challenging.”
- “The sound design and OST are phenomenal and really add to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “Contributing to this feeling is the rather bland aesthetic and atmosphere of Necrodancer.”
- “Even games released around the same time like Binding of Isaac and FTL are iconic for their grimy and isolated atmospheres respectively, but Necrodancer has what is initially a generic fantasy art style that transitioned to something more anime inspired over the course of 2 DLCs (now Hatsune Miku is even in the game).”
- “There is no sense of atmosphere or immersion due to the extreme lack of detail or any distinct stylization with the art and thus it never feels like an experience or a world, just a game.”
emotional
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game evokes a powerful emotional rollercoaster, blending intense frustration with deep joy and accomplishment, often moving players to tears from both challenging gameplay and its immersive music. Its high difficulty and unique character mechanics create a gripping, emotionally charged experience that resonates strongly with players on multiple levels.
- “This the hardest thing I've ever done in a video game by far, and it made me feel emotions I didn't know existed on both ends of the spectrum.”
- “No other game has ever made me feel more torn between 'this is so hard, it hurts, make it stop' and 'again!'”
- “It doesn't stop at becoming emotionally invested in the music and sound design of this game; you're made a part of the music and the sound design, driven and enveloped by these things.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15% positive mentions, 70% neutral mentions, 15% negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on low-end PCs and the Steam Deck, with minimal lag or stuttering. Its simple 2D art style supports consistent performance across platforms, though some users note minor UI optimization could improve the experience. Overall, the game maintains solid performance without major technical issues.
- “Steam Deck optimized and plenty to discover.”
- “I have not found any bugs and it is very optimized so there is no lag at all and I don't regret buying the game at full price even though below the review box as I am typing it says on sale 75% from 14.99 to 3.74.”
- “Performance-wise the game never misses a beat.”
- “Edit: It helps a bit but the game runs slowly (audio stutter) in zone 4 despite easily meeting the requirements as stated on the store page.”
- “The only complaint, or rather nitpick, I have is that the UI stands to be a bit optimized.”
- “There's not as much detail optimization as Boi, aside from a few things like how to find hidden passages without a torch and what to do with excess bombs.”
character development
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56% positive mentions, 27% neutral mentions, 17% negative mentions
Character development in the game is closely tied to its impressive and charming character designs, which blend well with the musical and roguelike elements. As players progress, they gain better equipment and stats, enhancing gameplay variety and challenge. Overall, the art style and evolving character content contribute significantly to an engaging and dynamic experience.
- “I love the character design as well as how the development team continues to provide more content and DLC to offer new items, characters, and levels, adding challenge and variety.”
- “The visuals, character design, enemy design, music, audio design, and game design all mesh together into one very fun rhythm-based game.”
- “I would have loved to see it used in level design, as well as character design.”
- “Character development - the more you play, the better equipment and stats you have access to.”
- “I love the character design as well as how the development team continues to provide more content and DLC to provide more ways to play the game with added challenge and variety with new items, characters, and levels.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game offers substantial post-launch content additions that feel like free DLCs, providing good value without relying heavily on microtransactions.
- “Enough has been added to the game since its launch that it feels like it got a free DLC or two, which is always welcome in this era of non-stop microtransactions.”

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Critic Reviews

90%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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Play Times

25h Median play time

83h Average play time

14h Main story

363h Completionist

6-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 75 analyzed playthroughs

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Switch Indie Title 'Crypt Of The NecroDancer' Receives A Switch 2 Fix

December 5 on nintendolife.com

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Frequently Asked Questions

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a casual role playing game with fantasy theme. Common tags for Crypt of the NecroDancer include indie, trading, roguelite, pixel graphics, soundtrack and others.

Crypt of the NecroDancer is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

The main story can be completed in around 14 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 363 hours to finish. On average players spend around 83 hours playing Crypt of the NecroDancer.

Crypt of the NecroDancer was released on April 23, 2015.

Crypt of the NecroDancer was developed by Brace Yourself Games.

Crypt of the NecroDancer has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Crypt of the NecroDancer for its music but disliked it for its grinding.

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Wizard of Legend, Enter The Gungeon, Risk of Rain, Heroes of Hammerwatch, Crawl and others.

Crypt of the NecroDancer

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Reviews

music

gameplay

story

graphics

replayability

humor

grinding

stability

atmosphere

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optimization

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