This game is one of those shooty action-rogue-likes, with gameplay similar to Binding of Isaac, Enter the Gungeon or Nuclear Throne. The only difference is that this game is way cooler, it's the secret weird hunchback cousin of those games, and your family keeps it hidden away in the attic.. but if you have the courage to peer through the trapdoor, you'll soon be dragged into this strange new world and you won't want to leave!

Razenroth's style and 2D artwork is a bit retro, and it is dark, bloody and gruesome, clearly Lovecraft-inspired. I like this game because it takes itself quite seriously: it's a dark horror game, it's not cartoony or sprinkled with little jokes or references. The impressive intro cinematic sets this dark, eerie tone. The game itself has a gloomy, foreboding atmosphere: the "music" during gameplay is this haunting ambience, accented by the wind, the rustling of the trees, your muffled footsteps and the strange cries of the lurking enemies. These creatures in the game aren't the typical zombies or aliens, they're more surreal than that, the kind of creatures you'd find in Bloodborne. Warped masses of flesh, feathers or spines, tentacled, shapeless things advancing through the dark.

The story is introduced in the opening cinematic: you find yourself in this secluded cabin and you're trying to locate your lost grandfather. You control the character with WASD and aim your spells with the mouse, like a twin-stick shooter (though controller support is not available). Your effectiveness can be improved with items, potions, new spells, armour/clothing and levelling up (which will give you perks and stat upgrades). There is also permadeath. As you explore the levels you can also find weird NPCs that will offer you quests to do, shrines for temporary boosts, and there are followers who will assist you and fight along with you.

The levels, items and other properties are all randomly generated. The game consists of five areas, and each area has its own theme (forest, underground/caves, moonlit graves/wasteland), mini boss and final boss, whom you must defeat to progress to the next area. The bosses are also randomly selected so you'll never know what to expect, and many of the boss fights are really creative and unique requiring some light puzzle solving. In each level you start off in an old wooden cabin and explore outward across the large, open map, trying to kill the enemies and collect upgrades, spells and magical items. The cabin is like a central hub which you can upgrade, adding merchants and other fixtures, making your the hub more useful and impressive-looking. These cabin upgrades remain even if you die, giving a sense of progression over multiple playthroughs.

There's not much to complain about with this game. It was developed by just two guys (I think they're brothers) using Unity Personal (free) Edition. I think they knew their limitations and worked with them very wisely. For example, the generated levels aren't really elaborate and the enemy AI isn't always particularly smart. But the game is still ridiculously fun and addictive, and the amount of content and variability contained within is very impressive given the tiny team and lack of budget.

I picked up this game for 50 cents on sale but I've had so many hours of fun with it. The game gets the two most important things right. First: the dark, mysterious atmosphere of the game is perfect and the art, story and sound create a totally enthralling and immersive experience. Secondly, the gameplay is just really fun and exciting, and the procedural content delivers new surprises with each game. I would say Razenroth is less-difficult than other rogues-likes: I progressed through the five areas and beat the final boss on my third or fourth attempt. But that's not where the game ends! Once you've completed that, you begin to unlock different modes (hard, hell, etc.) and new playable characters with different abilities. You are also able to continue upgrading your cabin, becoming more powerful and resourceful. You will meet totally new bosses, mini-bosses, NPCs and followers too. And finally the game also has a leaderboard system allowing you to challenge your friends or to see your global rank

Ultimately I was pleasantly surprised by this endearing little hidden gem. They nailed it perfectly on the atmosphere, appearance, originality, the pure addictive fun and the boundless amount of content. I would highly recommend Razenroth to anyone who likes games of this genre, or to individuals who enjoy a dark Lovecraft-inspired setting.