The Deadly Path

About

The Deadly Path is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Owlskip Enterprises and was released on March 25, 2025. It received neutral reviews from players.

The Deadly Path is a roguelike real-time strategy game where you play as the Custodian trapped with vengeful gods of the Dread Pantheon. Your task is to gather resources, build, and perform rituals to keep these gods appeased and drive their ascension. Success demands strategic planning and tough choices in a dark, unforgiving underworld.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

54%

Audience ScoreBased on 35 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The core gameplay loop is engaging and offers a fun mix of resource management and strategy.
The game features interesting lore and a unique horror theme that adds to its charm.
The fast-paced nature of the game allows for quick runs, making it easy to jump in and out of gameplay.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, some of which can be game-breaking, leading to frustrating experiences.
The user interface is clunky and poorly designed, causing issues with controls and visibility during gameplay.
There is a lack of quality-of-life features, such as a save system during runs and a reliable pause function, which detracts from the overall experience.

gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The gameplay is generally well-received, with players enjoying its blend of roguelike elements, building management, and real-time strategy. However, there are notable design flaws, particularly with the pause mechanic, which detracts from the overall experience. While the core gameplay is fun and engaging, some users have reported bugs and issues that suggest the game may still need further refinement.
- “There are some questionable design choices around the pause mechanic, but otherwise the gameplay is stellar.”
- “The Deadly Path is a roguelike that combines building management, occult deities, survival mechanics, and some real-time strategy elements.”
- “Good graphics and artwork, great music, and fun, frantic gameplay.”
- “Even without the pause bugs, the pause mechanic is poorly conceived and doesn't work fully in the real-time strategy sense.”
- “As each entrance requires a raft of attention to deal with, it has the effect of making the players kettle themselves up and only explore one tile at a time, which works against the rapid expansion and resource-gathering mechanic.”
- “I feel it's lazy and an egregious way of padding out the gameplay, and it's the sole reason I haven't racked up more hours in The Deadly Path than I have.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
Overall, the music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise it as fantastic and enjoyable, others find it unfitting for the game's atmosphere and note issues with the short music loop. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the music enhances the gameplay experience.
- “Good graphics and artwork, great music and fun, frantic gameplay.”
- “First of all: the music slaps!”
- “Enjoying this game, the music is fantastic.”
- “The art is decent, but the music is very unfitting for the atmosphere.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find grinding in "The Deadly Path" frustrating, particularly when lengthy sessions can be undermined by bad luck, such as drawing unfavorable tiles that lead to missed opportunities.
- “Nothing was more infuriating to me while playing the deadly path than grinding through a tough fifteen minutes only to miss my upkeep because I kept drawing the wrong tiles.”
- “The constant grinding feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, only to realize that the rewards weren't worth the time invested.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users experiencing frequent bugs and startup problems. Despite these challenges, players find the gameplay enjoyable when they can access it.
- “Still buggy as well.”
- “It's pretty fun and can be a little difficult at times; the only issue is the game is pretty buggy. Even now, I can't get it to start up, but when I did get to play, it was great!”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its light-hearted and playful tone, with players finding amusement in quirky mechanics like managing "bone" and "meat" intake, which adds a comedic twist to resource management. However, some users feel that the overall experience is marred by a lack of quality-of-life features, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
- “You've got to keep your bone intake (stop laughing) up to make sure you can build replacements for all the buildings that expire. You've got to keep your meat intake (ok, I laughed at that one) up so you can continue to explore to find places for all those replacements. You've got to keep your gold intake up to enable you to build the mid-tier buildings and maintain your defenses. You've got to keep your knowledge intake up to enable all the higher-tier buildings, and you've also got to make sure you've enough surplus of all of these every minute or so to meet your upkeep quota or you'll fail the level.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are praised for their quality and artistic style, featuring a vibrant 80's cartoon aesthetic that complements the engaging music and fast-paced gameplay. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's fun and immersive experience.
- “The graphics and artwork are impressive, complemented by great music and fun, frantic gameplay.”
- “The audio is excellent, and the game features a vibrant 80's cartoon aesthetic.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story aspect of the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its depth and engaging narrative. Reviewers highlight the compelling character development and intricate plot twists that keep players invested throughout the experience. Overall, the storytelling is considered a strong point of the game, enhancing its overall appeal.