Everything we know about Have a Nice Death

The afterlife is a concept, re-imagined more times than I can count on dozens of gaming platforms since the inception of video games. From MediEvil to God of War, what happens after we die has been an open playground of imagination for game designers. Gearbox Publishing have come up with a beautiful-looking melding of the two with the upcoming Have a Nice Death.

This hand-drawn, 2D Action Rogue-Lite will allow player to take on the mantle of Death, Founder and CEO of Death Incorporated, and do what he does best, reap souls. But, there’s a comedic, bureaucratic spin on everything. So here’s everything we know so far!

Who Knew There’s be so Much Paperwork AFTER You Die?

Death Inc is a sprawling corporate empire that processes souls for the afterlife. But Death, the robbed reaper who started it all, currently finds himself facing burnout. After eons of collecting souls himself, he began to outsource the job to the Sorrows. This proved to be a mistake, as these top executives are now running rampant across the globe, ignoring company protocol, and leaving Death mired in an underworld-sized mountain of paperwork.

Now, he must regain control of his company and ‘soul-ply chain,’ because he’s got a much-needed vacation coming that he is NOT going to miss. To make it on time, Death will need to traverse the various departments of his corporate empire and and put the Sorrows (and anyone else who gets in his way) back in their place.  

Death has Many Corporate Levels

As Death, you’ll explore the darkly-charming, procedurally-generated departments that make up the many levels of Death Inc. The game includes a diverse cast of characters, chiefly the over-zealous pumpkin-headed assistant, Pump Quinn.

Using your trusty scythe, the player will face 2D, platformer-like hack n’ slash combat scenarios at a fast-pace. You’ll be able to utilize over 30 unique weapons as well as discoverable spells. You can upgrade all of the attacks to create devastating combinations that earn the player a higher score.

Each morbidly-themed level is run by a specific Sorrow who commands a host of loyal minions. Early images of these levels and bosses appear varied enough that it does not seem to be the same level just reskinned again and again (I still have nightmares of the repetitiveness of the GameCube’s WarioWorld…). Each department not only featuring its own unique look but its own challenges the player will have to match the skillset to.

Death Never Sleeps

Since Death can’t die, this gives the player a unique chance to use what you’ve learned, as well as earned in previous attempts at play to overcome the multitudes of enemies that must be faced. The game includes a performance review after every level run which guarantees unlocking interesting items and upgrades that will help you progress, make the journey easier, and level up Death himself. 

But the game doesn’t seem to be just a level-up platformer. As the game’s official website lays out, there are repercussions for certain choices you make in the game. For instance, adopting a Curse upgrade for Death might result in the Labor Inspector granting your subordinates enhanced powers, or worse, raising the cost of ‘koffee’ and other items that are vital to playthrough. This could lead high re-playability, based on how difficult or easy you want to make your game.

Reap What You Sow

Have a Nice Death is scheduled for a March 8, 2023 release on the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Store. Are you excited for this fun, artistic look at the afterlife? Leave us a comment!