The Game Awards brings a mixture of prestigious accolades and exciting reveals, and the 2021 ceremony was no different. With plenty of world premieres and additional glimpses at upcoming titles, it would be easy for gamers to become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of new games on the horizon. One such game was Have a Nice Death, a new 2D rogue-lite that follows the CEO of Death Inc. as they attempt to restore order after their employees run rampant.
With its combat, design, and game mechanics, Have a Nice Death looks reminiscent of Team Cherry's Metroidvania action-adventure game Hollow Knight. With only a brief glimpse given of the game to date, there have still been a few details revealed to give fans a taste of what to expect when Have a Nice Death releases next year.
Welcome To The World Of Have a Nice Death
With an announcement trailer released during The Game Awards 2021, players were given an insight into the world of Magic Design Studio's upcoming title. Have a Nice Death sees gamers play as Death, the beleaguered CEO of Death Inc., whose holiday plans are derailed after their employees throw off the balance of souls with some cavalier reaping. This forces the big boss to emerge from their office and sort out their employees themselves, as they travel through the procedurally-generated departments of Death Inc. with their trusty scythe in hand.
Players will be aided along the way by Death's equally overworked pumpkin-headed assistant Pump Quinn, who is always on hand to provide the latest office gossip. The department heads that the player encounters act as bosses that Death will have to defeat and put in their place in order to restore order, as well as the multitude of diverse minions they meet along the way. With a deliciously dark and quirky sense of humor, Have a Nice Death looks like a fun game with plenty of fast-paced action and could scratch that Hollow Knight itch alongside its sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong.
How The Game Compares To Hollow Knight
In an interesting coincidence, the Metroidvania roguelike Dead Cells recently had a crossover update called "Everyone is Here" which featured new weapons and skins from other iconic indie games, including Hollow Knight. It just so happens that Sébastien Bénard, a developer on Dead Cells, acted as a consultant on Have a Nice Death, but this isn't the only connection between Hollow Knight and Have a Nice Death. Fans of the game may have noticed some other similarities from the trailer, and these have only added to the anticipation for the upcoming title.
From the tiny, caped character that leaps about the screen, to the muted color palettes and hand-drawn elements, Have a Nice Death has some undeniable Hollow Knight vibes. Both games have a focus on hack and slash melee combat, but also feature spells that the player can learn in order to engage in ranged combat as well. The darkly charming aesthetics of both games combine the cute with the macabre to create a quirky and cartoonish art style, and the unique and fantastical environments make for some fun exploration.
However, where Hollow Knight focused on the nameless Knight's nail for the majority of combat, Have a Nice Death will reportedly feature up to 30 unique weapons that players can combine with spells to create the most effective combinations to take out enemies. However, Hollow Knight's Deja Vu approach to combat, as players were forced back to the last bench they visited after every death to redo the section again, is also echoed in Have a Nice Death. In keeping with the setting (and the concept that Death can't die), the game makes players use what they've learned after each "death" again and again to eventually defeat bosses and minions.
To reiterate the workplace comedy aspects of the game, players will receive performance reviews after every run, which will also help them to unlock new items and upgrades to improve on their previous attempts. This points to some potentially challenging gameplay typical of the genre, and will no doubt provide players with a frustrating yet rewarding experience once they can get their hands on Have a Nice Death.
Have a Nice Death releases on Steam Early Access in March 2022.