There was a single, hauntingly gorgeous moment in Death Howl when I knew this game was going to be something special. I had just spent the last two hours glued to my screen, completely enraptured, yelling at anyone within earshot to wishlist it immediately.
My dog, rabbit, and partner – none were spared my passionate ramblings. I had become a prophet of Death Howl, spreading the good word of this pixelated masterpiece.
See, when people hear the term soulslike, they assume punishment. They assume rage-quitting, controllers flung across the room, and existential despair. Or at least, that’s what I see.
But there is another truth about the genre as well: at the end of the day, it’s all about the vibes, and Death Howl absolutely nails them.
Developed by The Outer Zone and published by 11 bit Studios, Death Howl doesn’t just evoke the spirit of Dark Souls; it whispers ancient secrets into your ears while drenching you in an atmosphere so thick you could cut it.
The Dark Souls of Deckbuilders (No, Really)
Before I played Death Howl, I wasn’t sure how the self-described genre of being a soulslike deck builder would work. Deckbuilders are usually methodical, structured affairs, while Soulslikes are cruel and chaotic.
On paper, these two genres go together about as well as Oil and Water or Demon’s Souls and a smooth frame rate. And yet, against all odds, Death Howl pulls it off. You play as Ro, a mother who has lost her son and is desperately trying to retrieve his soul before it fully crosses into the land of the dead.
The world she journeys through, an ethereal, folklore-steeped Scandinavian purgatory, is breathtaking. Using a limited colour palette dominated by crimson hues and ominous silhouettes, the game creates an unsettling, almost oppressive atmosphere.
But it’s not just the look of the game; it’s the feel. The world of Death Howl is sparse yet rich, quiet yet heavy with unspoken lore. The game’s use of silence, subtle musical cues, and environmental storytelling is pure FromSoftware magic.
Tactical Combat That Will Break Your Brain (In a Good Way)
As a deck builder, Death Howl does what all great soulslikes do: it forces you to commit to your decisions. Every move, every attack, every bit of positioning matters.
Combat is turn-based and set on a grid, but there are no take-backs. No undo button. If you play a card or move to the wrong square, you have to live with it or, more likely, die with it.
Positioning is everything. Enemies have specific attack patterns, and understanding them is key. Birds shoot in straight lines, meaning they’re deadliest when they don’t have to move. Boars charge forward in a berserker frenzy, hitting harder the farther they’ve travelled.
Learning to manipulate these mechanics, using movement cards, knockback abilities, and status effects, separates the living from the dead.
The Soulslike Loop, but With Cards
In Death Howl, the core design philosophy of Dark Souls, risk versus reward, endurance versus exploration, is fully intact. Every decision feels weighty. Do you push forward, risking death and the loss of valuable resources? Or do you retreat, rest, and face the gauntlet of respawned enemies all over again?
Even outside of combat, Death Howl is brimming with clever design choices. Respawning doesn’t send you all the way back to your last checkpoint; instead, it places you right before the fight that killed you, allowing for experimentation without frustration.
Certain sidequests introduce unique twists, like a lost bluebird that acts as a curse in your deck, forcing you to rethink your strategy. These small touches add layers of depth to an already intricate system.
A Glimpse at Something Monumental
The demo ends just as things start ramping up, but it leaves behind a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come. The world map hints at sprawling regions, each brimming with secrets waiting to be unearthed.
BOTTOM LINE:
If the rest of the game maintains the quality of the demo, we might be looking at a genuine contender for Indie Game of the Year.
So, consider this your official warning: Death Howl is coming, and you need to be ready.
Wishlist it, play the demo and yell about it to your friends, family, and unsuspecting pets. Trust me, this one’s going to be special.