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Crypt of the NecroDancer
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Crypt of the NecroDancer
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a 2015 roguelike rhythm game created by Brace Yourself Games. The game takes fundamental elements of a roguelike dungeon exploration game and adds a beat-matching rhythm game set to an original soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky. The player's actions are most effective when moving the character set to the beat of the current song and are impaired when they miss a beat, so it is necessary to learn the rhythmic patterns that the various creatures follow. The mixed-genre game includes the ability to import custom music, and the option to use a dance pad instead of traditional controllers or the keyboard. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows in April 2015, being co-published by Klei Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4 and Vita in February 2016, for the Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch in February 2018. Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, developed for iOS, was released in June 2016.
A crossover title, Cadence of Hyrule, featuring music and elements from The Legend of Zelda, was released in June 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. A DLC pinball table for Pinball FX was released on April 13, 2023. A spin-off game, Rift of the NecroDancer, was released on February 5, 2025.
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a top-down 2D game in which the player controls one of a selection of characters to explore several levels of an underground dungeon that are procedurally generated, similar to roguelike games.
The player can manipulate their character by using either a dance pad, a keyboard, or a gamepad. Unlike traditional roguelikes, the player can only move their character or attack if they perform the action on the beat of the music. Enemies drop coins when killed, and killing successive enemies without taking damage or missing a beat increases a coin-scoring multiplier. Failure to match the beat does not directly harm the character in most situations, but does reset the scoring multiplier and may cause the character to be damaged by a nearby monster if they are in their attack path. The character can also be harmed by moving into a monster's path. When the character's health meter empties, the game is over. Monsters move according to predetermined patterns that the player must learn to attack and avoid damage. For example, skeletons target the player directly, but only move and attack on every other beat.
As the player explores, they will collect new weapons, armor, usable items, and treasure. The player's inventory is automatically managed by the game. Defeating monsters yields several coins that can be used to purchase items from shops within the dungeon. Some diamonds are used for purchasing permanent enhancements to the character's abilities in the game's lobby. The dungeon is divided into four zones of four levels each. The first three levels of each zone require the player to find the exit and defeat a mini-boss to unlock it. The fourth level is a larger boss character that must be defeated to progress further. The player is also limited to the length of the song to complete the level. When the song ends, the player is automatically sent to the next level through a trapdoor, landing close to powerful enemies if the boss from the previous floor was not defeated.[citation needed]
The player returns to the game's lobby area after dying, losing their items, gold, or other equipment, though retaining any diamonds they have found. The lobby features shops where the player can spend the diamonds on permanent upgrades before restarting the game or, if they have completed any zones, accessing the next available zone. Other game modes can also be accessed, such as "All Zones Mode", in which the player must make their way through the entire crypt without dying. The player initially has access to the main character, Cadence, but new characters with different modes of play also become available as certain goals are completed. For example, the monk character receives one free item in each shop, but immediately dies if he touches gold. Special trainers and other beneficial non-player characters can be rescued from certain zones, and once rescued, will provide services to the player from the main lobby. This includes letting the player train against enemies and bosses, or providing items that can be purchased with diamonds and used on the next journey into the crypt.[citation needed]
The songs in the soundtracks are ordered in ascending tempo across zones and levels, making deeper levels more challenging than earlier ones. The player additionally has the ability to set custom music for each of the levels.
In the main game, the player controls Cadence, the daughter of a famed treasure hunter who has gone missing. In searching for him, she falls into a crypt controlled by the NecroDancer, who steals Cadence's heart and forces her to challenge his minions to retrieve it. She is forced to fight through the crypt's dungeon with her actions tied to the beat of the music and her heart, so as to stay alive and defeat the NecroDancer.
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Crypt of the NecroDancer AI simulator
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Crypt of the NecroDancer
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a 2015 roguelike rhythm game created by Brace Yourself Games. The game takes fundamental elements of a roguelike dungeon exploration game and adds a beat-matching rhythm game set to an original soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky. The player's actions are most effective when moving the character set to the beat of the current song and are impaired when they miss a beat, so it is necessary to learn the rhythmic patterns that the various creatures follow. The mixed-genre game includes the ability to import custom music, and the option to use a dance pad instead of traditional controllers or the keyboard. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows in April 2015, being co-published by Klei Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4 and Vita in February 2016, for the Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch in February 2018. Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, developed for iOS, was released in June 2016.
A crossover title, Cadence of Hyrule, featuring music and elements from The Legend of Zelda, was released in June 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. A DLC pinball table for Pinball FX was released on April 13, 2023. A spin-off game, Rift of the NecroDancer, was released on February 5, 2025.
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a top-down 2D game in which the player controls one of a selection of characters to explore several levels of an underground dungeon that are procedurally generated, similar to roguelike games.
The player can manipulate their character by using either a dance pad, a keyboard, or a gamepad. Unlike traditional roguelikes, the player can only move their character or attack if they perform the action on the beat of the music. Enemies drop coins when killed, and killing successive enemies without taking damage or missing a beat increases a coin-scoring multiplier. Failure to match the beat does not directly harm the character in most situations, but does reset the scoring multiplier and may cause the character to be damaged by a nearby monster if they are in their attack path. The character can also be harmed by moving into a monster's path. When the character's health meter empties, the game is over. Monsters move according to predetermined patterns that the player must learn to attack and avoid damage. For example, skeletons target the player directly, but only move and attack on every other beat.
As the player explores, they will collect new weapons, armor, usable items, and treasure. The player's inventory is automatically managed by the game. Defeating monsters yields several coins that can be used to purchase items from shops within the dungeon. Some diamonds are used for purchasing permanent enhancements to the character's abilities in the game's lobby. The dungeon is divided into four zones of four levels each. The first three levels of each zone require the player to find the exit and defeat a mini-boss to unlock it. The fourth level is a larger boss character that must be defeated to progress further. The player is also limited to the length of the song to complete the level. When the song ends, the player is automatically sent to the next level through a trapdoor, landing close to powerful enemies if the boss from the previous floor was not defeated.[citation needed]
The player returns to the game's lobby area after dying, losing their items, gold, or other equipment, though retaining any diamonds they have found. The lobby features shops where the player can spend the diamonds on permanent upgrades before restarting the game or, if they have completed any zones, accessing the next available zone. Other game modes can also be accessed, such as "All Zones Mode", in which the player must make their way through the entire crypt without dying. The player initially has access to the main character, Cadence, but new characters with different modes of play also become available as certain goals are completed. For example, the monk character receives one free item in each shop, but immediately dies if he touches gold. Special trainers and other beneficial non-player characters can be rescued from certain zones, and once rescued, will provide services to the player from the main lobby. This includes letting the player train against enemies and bosses, or providing items that can be purchased with diamonds and used on the next journey into the crypt.[citation needed]
The songs in the soundtracks are ordered in ascending tempo across zones and levels, making deeper levels more challenging than earlier ones. The player additionally has the ability to set custom music for each of the levels.
In the main game, the player controls Cadence, the daughter of a famed treasure hunter who has gone missing. In searching for him, she falls into a crypt controlled by the NecroDancer, who steals Cadence's heart and forces her to challenge his minions to retrieve it. She is forced to fight through the crypt's dungeon with her actions tied to the beat of the music and her heart, so as to stay alive and defeat the NecroDancer.