The roguelike genre is known for high difficulty, wide-ranging play options, and deep mechanics that require losing over and over again before progress can start being made. With Have a Nice Death, the latest 2D action roguelike from Magic Design Studios and published by Gearbox, players embarking on their journey through Death Inc. have a host of new trials to learn and overcome.
Have a Nice Death puts players in the role of the Death, the overworked, burned out CEO of Death Inc. The player must fight through the divisions of the company, righting wrongs and reigning in Sorrows, executives who have run rampant and disrupted the flow of souls. Like other roguelikes before it, Have a Nice Death doesn't hold players' hands, instead putting them up against difficult enemies and a wide range of weapons, spells, and upgrades that they'll have to figure out through trial and error. For those just getting into the game or looking to get an edge over the Sorrows, here are some tips and tricks for mastering Have a Nice Death.
Know Which Floors Are the Best to Visit
Like most roguelikes, Have a Nice Death gives players the choice of where to visit as they go through various departments of Death Inc. Each offer their own rewards, and while they all have their benefits, some are generally better than others. Top of the list for floors to visit are the Prismium Depot, Equipment Storage, and Thanager's Offices. Prismium acts as a premium currency on each run, giving the player the chance to upgrade the shop, and improve weapons at far better rates than the standard Soulary currency. Equipment Storage lets players gain new spells or weapons to fight with. Finally, Thanagers are mini-bosses that provide Soulary and various upgrades, as well as a guaranteed visit from T. O'Shah, the coffin-dwelling creature that gives players passive upgrades in the form of curses.
Players should always make choices based on their best discretion, though. If low on HP, a visit to the Refreshments floor or Vitam-Mana Department can boost HP. Health loss contributes to injuries that lower total max HP, not unlike Dark Souls II's controversial health penalties for dying, so making sure to avoid damage means more chances at getting to valuable rooms instead of diverting to keep Death going.
Learn the Enemies and Bosses' Movesets
It might seem obvious, but knowing how to handle the enemies in Death Inc. is easier said than done. Most standard minions faced by Death will have one or two main methods of attack that are easy enough to recognize, but the Thanagers and Sorrows can have some complex movesets. In a similar vein to Hollow Knight, every boss players has a distinct moveset to learn, meaning they'll require individual strategies to overcome. When facing off against a new boss, take time to watch their animations to see how their attacks play out.
Longer fights can mean changing movesets. Sorrows will typically add a more dangerous action to familiar attacks when their health is low enough, while Thanagers may suddenly unleash brand-new attacks that can throw a wrench in strategies. Caution is helpful in a fight, but it's best to defeat foes as quickly as possible to avoid these more difficult attacks.
Specialization Is Better Than Spreading Out Upgrades
Death has three main options when it comes to fighting: his scythe (which he starts each run with), Cloak Weapons (unique and powerful weapons with individual cooldowns and effects), and Spells (magical abilities that require mana to cast). During a run, players will likely use a combination of all three, but the key to success is building a run around perfecting one or two of these options.
T. O'Shah's curses can provide improvements to the damage and efficiency of these three categories, as well as standard boosts to HP, Mana, and other stats. Keeping curses contained to one or two categories provides players with more streamlined improvements that can drastically increase the damage output of one category while debuffing another. While spreading out curses can be beneficial if options are limited, specializing in one class of weaponry will ensure far greater damage potential.
Practice Makes Perfect
Have a Nice Death rewards repeated playing, slowly improving through familiarity with enemies and bosses, and increasingly recognizing what the right options to take are. The game foregoes the common roguelike mechanic of providing permanent stat upgrades, so getting stronger is a matter of what players find on the journey. With the most recent Fast Food update providing a more difficult alternate path, players will need to learn what works best for their playstyle to see everything Have a Nice Death has in store.
While still in early access, Have a Nice Death's wonderful artstyle, quirky take on office culture and the grind of work, and engaging gameplay is a perfect fit for the roguelike genre. New updates are coming ahead of the game's full release, providing more curses, weapons, and middle management to take on. Interested gamers can find the game on Steam and get busy dying now.