You’ve spotted a valuable relic sitting on the other side of a room. However, there’s a nasty-looking monster guarding it, several traps waiting to catch you out, and a gap in the floor that looks far too wide to jump. You’ve got a whip, a little courage, and absolutely no guarantee you’ll make it back out with your treasure. Time to find out how good your swinging skills really are!
Necromancer’s Ruins is bringing its treasure-hunting adventures to October’s Steam Next Fest, with a free demo available now. Developed by solo creator Tacuabe Games, this hand-painted 2D roguelike platformer combines fast-moving combat, whip-powered exploration, collectible cards, and plenty of opportunities to meet an untimely end inside some very dangerous ruins.
Crack That Whip!
Your adventure begins with a young treasure hunter venturing into ancient magical ruins in search of valuable relics. Getting your hands on them means exploring dangerous rooms, battling unfamiliar creatures, and navigating traps that have probably claimed more than a few adventurers before you.
Thankfully, you’ve brought a whip along, and it’s good for much more than giving monsters a nasty surprise. You can use it to attack enemies, swing across gaps, and launch yourself through tricky sections of the environment. That means you’ll need to get comfortable using your weapon for both combat and movement, switching between the two as you work your way through each area.
Picture yourself swinging across a gap, landing beside an enemy, and immediately having to dodge another attack before you’ve had a chance to admire your athletic abilities. Get your timing wrong, and your treasure hunt could end with a rather embarrassing fall.
The emphasis is on keeping things moving, combining quick platforming with carefully timed attacks rather than standing around trading blows with every creature you encounter.
Cards, Combos, and Questionable Decisions
Defeating enemies can reward you with special cards that introduce new abilities and change how your character plays. As you collect them, you’ll be able to experiment with different combinations, building around the upgrades you discover during each expedition.
You may find cards that complement your fast-moving combat style or discover something that encourages you to approach encounters differently. The challenge comes from making the most of what you’ve collected, especially when the next room contains something much nastier than the enemies you’ve been fighting.
Of course, there’s always the temptation to concentrate on creating a powerful build while completely forgetting about the traps scattered around the ruins. Your collection of impressive abilities won’t be much help if you swing straight into a hazard or misjudge a jump while trying to escape an approaching monster.
As you venture farther into the ruins, you’ll encounter tougher enemies and powerful guardians protecting the treasures you’re hoping to steal. Learning how those creatures attack, when to dodge, and how to use your whip effectively will be just as important as finding the right cards.
Another Expedition, Another Early Grave
Death is going to be a familiar part of your treasure-hunting career. Each expedition takes you through dangerous rooms filled with enemies, traps, rewards, and opportunities to improve your character. Some attempts might see you pushing farther into the ruins than ever before, while others could end before you’ve collected anything worth taking home.
Thankfully, a failed expedition doesn’t mean you’ve accomplished nothing. When your adventure ends, you’ll return to the lobby with resources that can be spent on permanent upgrades. These gradually improve your chances of surviving future expeditions, giving you a reason to head back inside even after a particularly disastrous attempt.
Perhaps you’ll finally get past the creature that’s been causing trouble for the last three runs. Or maybe you’ll discover a new area, get distracted by some treasure, and walk straight into another trap. Either way, there’s always another expedition waiting.
A Beautiful Place to Meet a Terrible End
One of the first things that stands out about Necromancer’s Ruins is its colorful, hand-painted presentation. The environments are filled with atmospheric backgrounds, overgrown ruins, and strange creatures that give the adventure plenty of fantasy charm. It’s the sort of world that makes you want to explore every corner, even when those corners are almost certainly hiding something that wants to kill you.
Tacuabe Games has been developing the project as a solo creator, with an early prototype also available on itch.io. That version offers a look at the game’s whip-based movement, combat, and card mechanics, while development continues on the full adventure. The Steam demo gives players another opportunity to see how those ideas are coming together.
Fortune Favors the Foolhardy
Necromancer’s Ruins is participating in Steam Next Fest, running October 19-26, 2026. The full game is currently targeting February 2027.
Between its whip-powered platforming, collectible cards, permanent upgrades, and dangerous fantasy environments, there’s plenty here for players who enjoy action roguelikes that keep them moving. Just make sure you know how to use that whip before you go chasing the treasure.