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Upcoming 2D roguelike metroidvania Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse was announced during the November 2025 State of Play Japan. Published by Palworld developer's publishing arm, Pocketpair Publishing, it features visually stunning 2D environments, four-player online co-op, and a Super Mario Odyssey-esque mechanic where you use your hat to possess certain enemies.
Producer, director, level designer, and programmer Yasuomi Sakai appeared during the showcase to talk more about the game. He wanted to put a focus on the game's numerous "pretty difficult to beat" bosses, which are supposed to be attempted multiple times and require mastery to conquer.
If a 2D metroidvania with multiple challenging bosses is giving you Hollow Knight vibes then you're not the only one. However, Never Grave separates itself from Team Cherry's indie darling in numerous ways. Its description in the PlayStation Blog puts an emphasis on the roguelike aspects over the metroidvania ones, as trying again and again is at the core of Never Grave.
It's unclear if the map will change between runs, but there will be multiple dungeons, and the stat upgrades, weapons, and other equipment will be randomised with each playthrough. Never Grave features a skill tree that resets between runs so that you won't experience the same build twice.
The team also claims that Never Grave is balanced for both solo play and online four-player co-op so that you can explore the world, take on bosses, and build your village with friends. I'm particularly excited about the village bit, but very little was shared during the trailer or on the blog. However, we can see our witch placing buildings, farming, cooking, and eating with creatures she's captured.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse will launch on March 5, 2026 for PS4, PS5, and PC, and it's also "coming soon" to Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
