I just died and went to Rhythm Heaven: Slay the Princess publisher reveals visual novel inspired by Nintendo's cult rhythm game series and cute puppies

A screenshot shows a witch with an orange hat holding a bone in front of a three-headed dog
(Image credit: Serenity Forge)

All dogs go to heaven – allegedly. Slay the Princess publisher Serenity Forge's upcoming rhythm visual novel Puppergeist suggests otherwise. All dogs become loving ghosts with shiny noses, but as cute as they are, they're all headed straight for Doggie Underworld.

"A young witch named Claire must find her Pup by connecting with other dogs, learning their stories, and solving their issues through rhythm-based mini games filled with charming animations," says a press release made public alongside a reveal trailer (which you can watch below). "The story moves forward as you succeed in accessible rhythm challenges that are inspired by the Rhythm Heaven series," Nintendo's cult favorite musical minigame series.

Puppergeist - Announcement Trailer - YouTube Puppergeist - Announcement Trailer - YouTube
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The Puppergeist reveal trailer demonstrates what this looks like in action: with dew drops of tears in her eyes, Claire uses rhythm to entice the three-headed hound of Hades Cerberus with a hefty bone. Later, the polite demon Lunne assists her in wandering lower and lower into the city of the Doggie Underworld, which is dusted with pink spiderwebs and the ghosts of unwelcome rats.

Through every doggy head scratch and hi-hat that comes her way, Claire must remain a brave witch for a good cause. As she earns dead puppies' trust, she learns more about their noble pasts and the love they gave in their lives. I could cry, but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be politely spooked first, you know, in memory of these dogs' sacrifices.

Puppergeist does not yet have a release date, but you can wishlist it now on Steam.

Spooky Express is an adorable puzzle game that has me mapping out tracks in Trainsylvania to help undead passengers, and it's perfect for Halloween.

Ashley Bardhan
Senior Writer

Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.

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