Dead Cells designer reveals their next game, a martial arts-infused pixel roguelike where you free a city from the clutches of crime syndicates

The next game from the designer of the highly acclaimed roguelite Metroidvania, Dead Cells, has been revealed, and it looks incredibly promising. 

Revealed today during the Devolver Direct showcase, Tenjutsu might just be one of the coolest-looking roguelikes in the works right now, with a vibrant and bouncy pixel art style, and combat that looks super smooth. Coming from Devolver Digital and Dead Cells designer Sébastien Benard, it stars a renegade yakuza who’s turned against her former associates in order to help rejuvenate Secret Garden City. 

As it stands, the city is being controlled by four oppressive crime syndicates, all of whom must be stopped with the power of martial arts. Players will be able to develop slick new techniques and use powerful weapons to take them down, with the option to fight them in any order you want. With that said, there’s an interesting twist to keep in mind – your enemies get gradually stronger the longer you spend preparing to battle them, meaning that grinding for all the best upgrades might actually make your quest harder in the long run.

Tenjutsu isn’t all about the battles, though, as freeing the city from the crime syndicates will allow you to spend your resources in the local restaurants and shops as the location comes back to life. Doing so will also help you with your quest, so it sounds like the two main gameplay aspects will harmonize well into a satisfying loop. 

At the time of writing, Tenjutsu doesn’t have a release window, but it’s planned to launch on PC and consoles at some point in the future. 

Keep up with all of the game showcases happening over the coming days with our handy Summer Game Fest 2024 schedule.