Crypt of the NecroDancer

A seamless and exhilarating meshing of two entirely different genres.

91%Game Brain Score

music, gameplay

grinding, stability

96% User Score Based on 26,920 reviews

Critic Score 86%Based on 21 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $2.99

Buy NowGet on Steam$2.99 Buy NowGet on Play Store Buy NowGet on Apple Store

About

Crypt of the NecroDancer is an innovative fusion of rhythm game and roguelike dungeon crawler, where players move to the beat while fighting enemies and collecting items. Gameplay demands quick reflexes and musical rhythm as players navigate through procedurally generated levels. With its award-winning design and challenging gameplay, Crypt of the NecroDancer offers a unique twist on two popular genres.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 26,941 reviews

music6.9k positive mentions

grinding134 negative mentions

The exceptional soundtrack, featuring a variety of music and remixes, enhances the gameplay experience and adds to the game's replayability.
The unique blend of rhythm-based mechanics and roguelike elements creates an engaging and challenging gameplay experience that rewards skill and persistence.
The charming pixel art and character designs, along with continuous content updates, contribute to a nostalgic and enjoyable atmosphere.

The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, with some players finding the grinding and memorization of enemy patterns to detract from overall enjoyment.
Frequent crashes and bugs, particularly when using custom soundtracks, can disrupt the gaming experience for many players.
The story is considered simplistic and serves mainly as a backdrop, which may not satisfy players looking for a deeper narrative.

music
14,430 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The music in "Crypt of the Necrodancer" is widely praised for its exceptional quality and variety, featuring a standout soundtrack composed by Danny Baranowsky, along with remixes from various artists. Players appreciate the integration of rhythm into gameplay, where every action must be timed to the beat of the music, creating a unique and engaging experience. Additionally, the option to use custom music enhances replayability, allowing players to personalize their gaming experience while enjoying the catchy and addictive tunes.
- “The soundtrack is fantastic, and it has a host of alternative soundtracks by now that are amazing, too.”
- “An extremely fun and engaging roguelike with the creative twist of having to play to the beat of a killer soundtrack.”
- “The music is phenomenal and the idea is fantastic, and the game got me thinking in new ways I thought I never could.”
- “Well, apparently me, a professional musician who plays numerous instruments for decades and recorded dozens of albums, can't get the rhythm right to the beat.”
- “The same music over and over gets boring after doing a level like.. 3 times (needs a better random song mode or something).”
- “The music/beat didn't line up very well with the movement at times.”
gameplay
4,644 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The gameplay of "Crypt of the Necrodancer" is a unique blend of rhythm-based mechanics and roguelike elements, requiring players to move and attack in time with the music, which adds a layer of strategy and challenge. While the controls are simple and easy to learn, mastering the game involves understanding enemy patterns and timing, making it both accessible and difficult to master. The game features a variety of characters, each with distinct mechanics that enhance replayability, alongside a fantastic soundtrack that complements the gameplay experience.
- “The core gameplay seems simplistic at first - after all, you just press left/right/up/down - but it derives a ton of depth from that simple premise.”
- “Great game, fun gameplay with a difficult but rewarding skill curve and very high skill ceiling.”
- “Packed to the brim with amazing music and engaging gameplay!”
- “The core mechanic of moving and attacking to the beat is novel, but the monotonous beat and repetitive gameplay gets old real quick, like 3 rounds quick.”
- “The gameplay gets very stale very fast.”
- “Crypt of the necrodancer's challenging difficulty spikes, lack of clear information, and often tedious combat mechanics can overshadow its innovative concept, making it a less appealing choice for players seeking a balanced and enjoyable roguelike experience.”
story
1,326 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
69%
3%
The story in "Crypt of the Necrodancer" is generally considered light and somewhat simplistic, primarily serving as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point. Players engage with a narrative that unfolds through short cutscenes as they progress through the game with three main characters, each offering unique challenges, particularly the final character, Aria, whose high difficulty can deter many from completing the story. While some players appreciate the charm and thematic elements of the story, others find it overshadowed by the game's challenging mechanics and rhythm-based gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about its overall significance.
- “Cadence's base story and those in the DLCs are accessible for more casual gamers, but for those of us who like more of a challenge, there's a lot to get better at and overcome for those nice dopamine hits.”
- “The story is short but sweet, but definitely worth it as the difficulty in getting the cutscenes by using specific characters increases, making it all the more worthwhile to reach the ending.”
- “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.”
- “In order to complete just the main story (aria) could take you up to 100 hours of practice.”
- “The conclusion to the story is locked behind a challenge character who dies in one hit, dies on a missed beat, is locked to the awful starting weapon, and starts at the hardest zone.”
- “The story is fairly bare-bones - you get a cutscene when you finish one of the four zones with cadence, melody and aria, and that's about it.”
graphics
995 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
47%
2%
The graphics of "Crypt of the Necrodancer" are characterized by charming pixel art that evokes a nostalgic retro aesthetic, appealing to fans of classic gaming. While many players appreciate the vibrant colors and engaging character designs, some critiques highlight inconsistencies in the art style, particularly between original and DLC content. Overall, the visuals complement the game's rhythm-based mechanics and are often praised for their ability to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Visually, the pixel art style complements the retro, arcade feel, and the enemy designs are both charming and menacing.”
- “The graphics are beautifully unique for its kind and the music is so amazing (especially the alternate versions you can play in-game).”
- “The graphics hit you right from the get-go with its gorgeously bright pixel art, which serves far more purpose than simply being a retro aesthetic.”
- “Contributing to this feeling is the rather bland aesthetic and atmosphere of Necrodancer.”
- “The graphics feel a little rough around the edges.”
- “If you think I’m going to be sitting here tapping the arrow keys in sync to some beat while risking an epileptic seizure from the horrible visuals, you got another thing coming.”
replayability
955 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
44%
"Crypt of the Necrodancer" boasts exceptional replayability, driven by its roguelike mechanics, diverse character options, and procedurally generated levels. Players appreciate the ability to customize soundtracks, engage in daily challenges, and explore various gameplay modes, which significantly enhance the game's longevity. While some note a lack of enemy variety, the overall consensus is that the game's depth and challenge make it endlessly engaging, appealing to both casual and hardcore gamers alike.
- “Despite its steep learning curve, Crypt of the Necrodancer rewards persistence with deep mechanics and endless replayability, making it a must-play for fans of unique, challenging indie games.”
- “The sheer depth of gameplay, replayability, skill ceiling, soundtrack, and so much more just make it one of the games that I can't help but just keep coming back to all the time.”
- “The huge variety of weapon and item combinations and enemy movement patterns means that no two runs are ever the same, giving the game basically limitless replay value.”
- “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, 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.”
- “Definitely has a bit less replayability than most roguelikes, but all the new characters the devs have added do a great job of bolstering it.”
humor
256 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
1%
1%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both clever and entertaining, featuring a mix of puns, quirky character designs, and amusing animations. Many reviews highlight the hilarious interactions between gameplay and music, as well as the comedic elements of the characters and enemies, making for a fun and engaging experience. Overall, the game's humor adds a unique charm that enhances its addictive and challenging gameplay.
- “The results were often hilarious - my character frantically bouncing around the screen, trying desperately to match the music.”
- “The music is just so good, the monsters dancing are hilarious, the game is hard enough, but super rewarding once you get through a difficult part.”
- “The premise is hilarious, and seeing all of the zombies and skeletons shimmy and dance around to the beat still makes me laugh.”
- “You need a sense of rhythm before playing it, or you can develop it while you play, but it won't be funny since this game requires more than just rhythm (lots of patience, for example). The only problem I can find are the clumsy controls (and the weirdness that can result from the reassignment of these), especially because you use the same four buttons for a lot of actions like using items, throwing weapons, or casting spells.”
grinding
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
7%
89%
The grinding aspect of "Crypt of the Necrodancer" is a mixed bag, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly when it comes to memorizing enemy patterns and backtracking through levels. While some appreciate the challenge and the rhythm-based mechanics, others feel that the grinding serves as an artificial barrier to progression, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. Ultimately, the experience can vary significantly depending on individual preferences for difficulty and gameplay style.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The music isn't tedious and can be switched out.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “I get it that some amount of grind is a core part of any RPG experience, but when you combine that with perma-death and upgrades that objectively enhance your character, then you're just grinding to pay the 'artificial game padding toll' and not to put in more effort to get an extra edge, like in traditional RPG games.”
stability
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs, particularly when interacting with chests or using custom soundtracks. While some players have experienced minimal issues, others have faced significant disruptions, including complete system freezes and crashes upon exiting the game. Overall, the game appears to be a "big terrarium for bugs/glitches," impacting the overall experience for many players.
- “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, but I really just want to attack when I want to attack, not miss because I'm only allowed to attack on the beat.”
- “The game crashes whenever I reach the cutscene after the first floor when doing full runs; to the point that it freezes my computer and I must do a hard shutdown.”
- “It's all about the beat, and when the beat continues while the game freezes you essentially lose your beat multiplier, and if you think you can keep pushing left-right to keep the multiplier you'll just end up wasting consumables when the game eventually unfreezes later on.”
- “Except... the game freezes my entire computer upon 'exit game' every time.”
atmosphere
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
45%
7%
The atmosphere of "Crypt of the Necrodancer" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its unique blend of medieval dungeon crawling and modern disco elements, enhanced by a catchy soundtrack that complements the gameplay. However, others criticize the initial bland aesthetic and lack of immersion, feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the game's sound design and rhythmic focus create a compelling atmosphere that stands out in the rogue-like genre.
- “The atmosphere is wonderful and the themes of each floor are conveyed further by the mood of the game.”
- “The music, atmosphere, and gameplay all culminate into a masterpiece of retro dungeon crawling with a unique rhythm element thrown into the mix.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Extremely intriguing concept, but not enough depth of gameplay or atmosphere to justify the difficulty, plus some features not fully functional.”
optimization
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
Overall, the game's optimization is well-received, with many players noting smooth performance even on low-end PCs and a lack of significant bugs or lag. While the UI could use some refinement, the simplistic 2D art style contributes to its optimal performance across various platforms, including the Steam Deck. Some users experienced minor issues, such as audio stuttering in specific zones, but these did not detract significantly from the overall gameplay experience.
- “I have not found any bugs and it is very optimized, so there is no lag at all. I don't regret buying the game at full price.”
- “The simplistic 2D, top-down, 16-bit art style of the game allows for optimal performance on any platform, not to mention it looks great.”
- “Performance-wise, the game never misses a beat.”
- “The only complaint, or rather nitpick, I have is that the UI stands to be a bit optimized.”
- “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.”
- “There's not as much detail optimization as [game name], aside from a few things like how to find hidden passages without a torch and what to do with excess bombs.”
character development
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
Character development in the game is highly praised for its engaging and charming character designs, which are complemented by a cohesive art style and music. Players appreciate the continuous content updates that introduce new characters, items, and challenges, enhancing gameplay variety. The progression system allows players to improve their equipment and stats, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding.
- “I love the character design as well as how the development team continues to provide more content and DLC to offer more ways to play the game with added challenge and variety with new items, characters, and levels.”
- “The visuals, character design, enemy design, music, audio design, and game design all mesh together into one very fun rhythm-based game.”
- “Character development - the more you play, the better equipment and stats you have access to.”
- “I would have loved to see it used in level design, as well as character design.”
- “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.”
emotional
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, experiencing a rollercoaster of feelings ranging from frustration and despair to joy and achievement. The challenging mechanics and character dynamics evoke strong reactions, with moments that can lead to tears of joy or frustration, highlighting the game's ability to immerse players in its music and sound design. Overall, the emotional investment in overcoming obstacles and the rewarding sense of accomplishment contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “One of the best and most fun rhythm games I've tried ever; the skill ceiling is on the roof, but when you finally beat one of the harder characters, you almost want to cry for joy.”
- “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.”
- “An emotional rollercoaster from pure hate and frustration to a feeling of superiority and achievement.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players appreciate the game's substantial updates since launch, likening them to free DLCs, especially in a gaming landscape often dominated by microtransactions. This positive sentiment highlights a welcome departure from the trend of excessive monetization.
- “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.”

86%Critics’ scoreBased on 22 critic reviews

Buy Crypt of the NecroDancer

25h Median play time

73h Average play time

14h Main story

363h Completionist

6-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 142 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

85%8.9kreviews

Wizard of Legend

2018

Arcade Hack and Slash

+15

93%45.9kreviews

Dead Cells

2018

Casual Hack and Slash

+18

93%121.5kreviews

Slay the Spire

2019

Role Playing

+16

90%41kreviews

Enter The Gungeon

2016

Casual Role Playing Shooter

+14

86%5.7kreviews

Heroes of Hammerwatch

2020

Hack and Slash

82%11.7kreviews

BPM: Bullets Per Minute

2020

Arcade Shooter

84%21.1kreviews

Risk of Rain

2013

Survival Hack and Slash

95%3.6kreviews

Crawl (Horror Game)

2024

Survival Action Adventure

85%7.1kreviews

One Step From Eden

2020

Role Playing Shooter

+10

85%3.7kreviews

Crawl

2017

Arcade Hack and Slash

Crypt of the NecroDancer Tweets

Crypt of the NecroDancer

Platforms

About