Death plays a strange role in videogames. You’re always trying to avoid it, but at the same time, it’s basically inconsequential. You might lose a bit of progress, but mostly, it just means hitting quickload (and maybe deploying a few cuss words). Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and the rest of the FromSoftware oeuvre frame death differently. Every time you’re killed, it’s canon. You come back to life, but as per the games’ conceits and lore, you did die. Roguelikes have a similar approach, except its mechanical rather than narrative - in Dead Cells, The Binding of Isaac, et al, every failed run teaches you something new, and maybe grants you some fresh abilities and gear next time around. Combining all these sensibilities, and an original take on turn-based combat, Blightstone is an upcoming indie RPG with a twist. Continue reading Elden Ring and Darkest Dungeon inspire punishing new roguelike RPG MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Best roguelikes, Best soulslikes