Death by Scrolling launches October 28—keep scrolling, it might save your life
Well, if there’s one thing we can all relate to in 2025, it’s that feeling of endless, potentially fatal scrolling. MicroProse and Terrible Toybox NZ are taking that modern dread and turning it into a fast-paced roguelite called Death by Scrolling, and it officially launches on Steam on October 28, 2025. It’s also coming soon to Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, so console owners, take note!
From adventure classics to pixelated chaos
This is one of those projects with serious pedigree. It’s coming from the creator of classic adventure games—that is, the legendary Ron Gilbert—but this time, he’s focused on dying.
A lot.
The title is absurdly honest, telling you everything you need to know: you fight, you die, you try again. It’s a pixelated spiral of chaos that combines wave fighting and power-ups with what we’re promised is sharp writing and sardonic humour — much like Gilbert’s The Secret of Monkey Island and its recent sequel.
The developers have dropped a new trailer to show off the combat and the game’s irreverent sense of humour, which is exactly what you need when you’re being repeatedly dispatched by the game’s systems.
Why you’ll keep coming back for more doom
Death by Scrolling ticks the boxes for a great modern roguelite while leaning hard into that retro feel:
- Fast, Funny, Furious: This is an action roguelite that sounds like it actively laughs at your pain.
- Retro Vibes, Modern Pace: It features crisp pixel art and a killer soundtrack, but with tight controls and a pace built for a modern audience.
- Infinite Replayability: The nature of the roguelite genre means “no matter how good you are, the game’s better.” You’re here to descend and try to conquer.
If you enjoy a game that blends retro aesthetics with an unforgiving difficulty loop and a cynical meta-narrative, you should absolutely wishlist this one on Steam now before it launches later this month. (Within a few days of play, it should become evident if the Steam Deck is supported.)
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.