Craftopia and Palworld developer Pocket Pair has announced their next game – Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse, their very first 2D title.

The new sidescroller with roguelike and metroidvania mechanics is coming to Windows PC (via Steam) and unspecified consoles sometime this winter.

Here’s a rundown on the game, plus its reveal trailer:

Authentic 2D action

Identify enemy attacks, fight with magic, and sometimes use the terrain to win! Dungeons such as ruins and botanical gardens are auto-generated and change each time you play. Furthermore, there are obstacles and puzzles waiting to block the player’s path in the dungeons.

Possession system

Possess enemies using a cursed hat. Use unique abilities from your possessed enemies to open up avenues of action and gain an advantage in battle!  Rebuild a ruined village
Use materials collected in the dungeons to clear the rubble of ruined villages, build new facilities and cultivate crops in the fields. Produce food and potions in the village to prepare for the next battle!

Multiplayer

Multiplayer support for up to four players. Call your friends from other worlds and conquer dungeons together!

Game features

• Metroidvania x Roguelite with an emphasis on exploration.
• Sophisticated and tactilely designed player character controls.
• Possession system where hats can possess enemies and use their unique abilities.
• Traditional Japanese hand-drawn limited animation is used for character 2D animation.
• Thickly painted backgrounds with depth, as if you are travelling through a world of picture books and cut-out pictures.
• Learn actions such as double-jump from artefacts to explore new areas.
• Constantly changing play style depending on the synergy of “traits” associated with magic and items.
• Intense battles with tough bosses. It will take more than just memorizing boss patterns to defeat them without taking damage…
• Rebuild your village. Strengthen yourself through building and production to prepare for the next adventure.
• Explore different terrain each time you play through procedurally generated dungeons.
• Multiplayer support. Up to four players can delve into the dungeon together!